well I’ll be ….
“We’re suspicious this may come from a place of simply wanting to repair his public image, rather than genuine remorse”
I thought I heard a lot before. But now I have heard it all.
MICHAEL VICK: quarterback, dogfighter, convict, PETA spokesperson.
AdAge is reporting that Vick is indeed in talks with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to see if there is any way he can help spread the message that dog fighting is a really horrific, horrible thing to do to animals. Yes, of course, PETA acknowledges that the whole thing is probably the most giant PR scam ever, which is why the company is requesting Vick submit to a psychological evaluation for antisocial personality disorder.
“We’re suspicious this may come from a place of simply wanting to repair his public image, rather than genuine remorse,” said Dan Shannon, director of youth outreach and campaigns for PETA. “He was dishonest all the way up the line until he finally had to admit to what he did, which is a hallmark of [antisocial personality disorder].
“If he can’t tell the difference between right and wrong, we can’t get in bed with this guy. At this point, he hasn’t chosen to submit to an evaluation. We hope the NFL will require that evaluation as a precondition of reinstatement. The bottom line is: Everybody knows he’s going to apologize, go on Oprah and Larry King and say he did wrong, that he learned his lesson. But there’s no reason for anybody to take his word for that based on the pattern of dishonesty and the severity of cruelty he took part in.”
Shannon says despite the prospect of Vick’s disingenuity, the former NFL star could make a real difference.
“We want him to discourage people from taking part in dog-fighting. I can do it until I’m blue in the face and it might not convince anybody. Michael Vick sure can,” he said.
Vick is scheduled for a May 20 release from federal prison, at which point he will head to Hampton, VA, where he will serve the remaining 2 months of his sentence under house arrest. At 29, Vick is still a viable NFL quarterback if he kept himself in shape while in prison, so he’s definitely working that angle. But NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell says Vick’s reentry into the league will depend on his remorse.The Atlanta Falcons have let it be known that Michael Vick will not be welcome on the team.
“I will want to meet with Michael, I will want to meet with his people, I will want to meet with other professionals to understand: Does he understand the mistakes he made and is he genuine and have remorse for those actions, and is he prepared to handle himself differently going forward? That will ultimately be my decision,” Gooddell told the AP.
Obviously, Vick’s appearance in a few PETA PSAs would bode well with the commissioner. If everything comes together and this thing actually happens, it will definitely be weirder than Khloe Kardashian’s PETA billboards. But at least he’s legitimately (in)famous.
