Spare Us the Spin

A little over a week ago, in my Rock On column, I wrote:

“Michael Vick’s lawyers say they’re moving forward on a new bankruptcy plan.Reports say the plan is based mostly on Vick’s assumption he will resume his NFL career. Isn’t that a bit like assuming he’s going to get an administrative job with the Humane Society?

“Aim high, my man, aim high.”

Now I read where he really DOES want to work with the Humane Society. An
Associated Press report says, “Michael Vick wants to work with an unlikely ally
– the Humane Society of the United States – on a program aimed at eradicating
dogfighting among urban teens.”

Athletes, politicians and actors do the stupidest things imaginable. Then
their PR people get with them and tell them they must show contrition and have an
image makeover. So it begins. What does a guy who did time for staging
dogfights do after he’s out of the slammer?

He works with dogs, of course.

While that’s better than returning to old ways, it’s still far too predictable.
What I’d like to know if where Vick’s desire to work for the Humane Society
was BEFORE he got arrested.

Old school thinking was when you made a mistake, you went underground.
Disappeared for a few years and hoped it would blow over. Nowadays, you get on
talk shows and tell all, meanwhile doing charity work like mad.

They say everyone deserves a second chance. But how about once in
awhile just staying away from dumb behavior in the first place? Or maybe even
keeping out of our faces for awhile afterward.

That could be the best image makeover of all.