Michael Vick’s Winning PR Strategy: Redemption By Work Ethic

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by Steve Krakauer | 11:58 pm, August 16th, 2009

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vick_8-16 Michael Vick appeared in the first segment of CBS’ 60 Minutes last night in a lengthy interview with James Brown (A CBS Sports, but not 60 Minutes contributor).

As Brown reported in the piece, Vick is working with “a group of attorneys, agents and media advisers,” and he said a lot of the “right” things in the CBS interview – unsurprising admissions of shame and a new appreciation for animals. But there was something else in the segment, that sounds like it will be a PR push: change the topic to work ethic.

The unexceptional quotes: “When I was in prison, I was disgusted, you know, because of what I let happen to those animals,” and “I care about animals” and the proverbial ‘money shot’ for his advisers, “I blame me.”

But then Brown talked about Vick’s reputation as a player – which apparently was pretty poor. He asked Vick about this directly. “I was lazy,” he said. “Last guy in the building, first guy out. I know that, I hear everything people say. And that hurt me when I heard that, but I knew it was true.”

The story of Vick going from animal killer to animal lover is boring and predictable. Did we think he might leave jail after two years and look for a puppy to strangle?

But a storyline Vick’s PR team will happily embrace is the idea the star QB can be a reformed hard worker. And it’s not just a part of the 60 Minutes interview – it’s already been written about since he joined the Philadelphia Eagles late last week. In a Foxsports.com story about Vick’s first day of practice on Saturday, Alex Marvez comments on how it went. “Vick’s work ethic also impressed,” Marvez wrote. “He and reserve quarterback Adam DiMichele were the last players to leave the practice field on a sweltering afternoon.”

This is a winning strategy – and we’re likely to hear more of this as Vick continues this solidly successful media push.

Here’s the full CBS interview:

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libra blue

Vick is trash! Plain and simple. Sports is a business so let’s not make more out of it and its players than that. Based on the many criminals who work for these so-called “professional” teams, it is obvious that no matter how big a scumbag a person is, cheating with steroids, being a drunk, beating women, or murdering defenseless animals they can always find a job in the contemptible world of sports. Hell, if O.J could still play they would hire him back in a NY minute!

The only “crime” the sports world finds unacceptable is betting on sports teams, just ask Pete Rose! You can torture and squeeze the life out of a defenseless animal, but if there is even a suggestion of betting on sports you are out of there no matter what kind of “work ethic” you have! That should tell you a lot about this bunch.

“A new appreciation for animals”???????? Come on! Vick is only doing what he has to do to stay in the NFL and the sports “community” and surprisingly CBS, is helping him do it for their own selfish reasons. No one in their right mind believes that Vick is sincere. CBS should be ashamed of itself for trying to help rehabilitate Vick’s reputation.

Many degenerates like Vick have “good work ethics,” for instance the quiet respectable guy who murders his family surprising everyone, or the hard working teacher who abuses children, but that has nothing to do with being moral. This sends a bad message to the kids who worship these losers.

I hope the Eagles and Vick have a losing season, but no matter how many games they are able to win Vick is a loser for life!