The specific venue of quarterback Mike Vick’s first post-prison interview has been the subject of much debate.
Some, like our friend Rich Eisen of NFL Network, thought that Vick’s first sit-down should occur while sitting down on the couch of Oprah. (What could go wrong there?)
Others, like us, thought that Vick should submit to something a little more hard hitting, which would give him a chance to acknowledge the monstrous nature of his crimes -- and which might even make him appear to be sympathetic (e.g., Jim Gray and Pete Rose).
Instead, America’s first chance to both see and hear a supposedly transformed Mike Vick comes courtesy of YouTube, and the rappers Young Jeezy and Young Floss.
Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports posted a link to the video on his Twitter page.
[UPDATE: Though some have suggested that the video predates Vick’s prison term, it was posted on August 7, 2009 -- the same day that Young Jeezy and the rest of the “America’s Most Wanted” tour appeared in Bristow, Virginia.]
Even though Vick’s not saying or doing anything inappropriate (that said, some might be a bit alarmed by his use of the “n” word), we doubt that the video will persuade many people that Vick is all that different than he was before his lifestyle of gambling and dogfighting and killing dogs deemed unfit to fight was exposed.
Moreover, and while there’s no evidence from the video to suggest Vick was doing anything to violate the terms of his probation or conditional reinstatement, it doesn’t reflect the behavior of a guy who has taken completely to heart the warning for Commissioner Roger Goodell that “your margin for error is extremely limited” and that he should “dedicate [himself] to rebuilding [his] life and [his] career.”
