The "real" Michael Vick
The producer of an eight-part documentary on the new Eagle says he believes he's contrite.
The "real" Michael Vick
Michael Klein, Philly.com
Eagles QB Michael Vick is participating in an eight-part documentary about himself for BET Networks, and here's how it came down:
After his release from Leavenworth, where he'd served 18 months for running dogfights, he saw an MTV documentary called T.I.'s Road to Redemption, which followed rapper T.I.'s year on probation before serving jail time.
He called Brian Sher, one of the series' executive producers. Sher flew to Virginia to meet Vick over Memorial Day weekend.
"I was blown away by his willingness to be honest about everything," Sher told me.
"We met, and I was very intrigued and compelled by his story, and I've grown to like him as a person," Sher said. "I believed he was sincere. If I thought he was anything other than that, I wouldn't have done it."
Sher cautions that the half-hour episodes are not reality TV, but a look at Vick from his early days to the present day.
Using the third person, Vick told The Inquirer's Bob Brookover: "People never had a chance to know Mike Vick outside of football. They know me from the case and football, and that's not fair to me, that's not fair to my family, or fair to my fans. I want people to see what I'm all about."
Vick said his focus was on football and not TV: "I think, as the season goes on, I won't have time for it, but, hopefully, some time in 2010 we can pick up where we left off."
Vick said his motivation was to teach kids. "I think it's important to show our youth and our kids . . . that you face adversity, but you're not responsible for falling - you're responsible for getting up," he said. "I'm very remorseful about what happened and what I did. I just don't want other people to go down that path, and I want to repair past damages."
Among his damages is bankruptcy. Under terms of Vick's settlement, he has to repay $20 million. During bankruptcy hearings this spring, before his release from prison, his lawyers mentioned that he had agreed to a "television documentary deal" worth $600,000.
BET and Sher did not disclose terms of the deal. An Eagles rep did not return messages seeking comment.
One sad aspect of Vick's past has received reality treatment: DogTown, a show on the National Geographic Channel, did an episode on the rehab of four of Vick's pit bulls.
Why doesn't this idiot donate a reasonable portion of his salary to an SPCA or something? Why doesn't he do a PSA for the SPCA like Chase and Jennifer Utley have done? Why doesnt he do SOMETHING other than talk?— lukebonbon- His creditors will not let him give money away unless it comes back into their pockets.... And rightly so. Vick owes a lot of people a substantial amount of money.— birds
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- LJL - why you hate on Vick so much? If you're gonna hate on anybody so much, at least do it to a politician, or somebody that affects your life. Not some darn football player who means nothin— Eman84
- LJL is EXACTLY right......MV blows as a pro quarterback and is a disgusting human being. Why the Eagles have chosen to carry this loser is beyond me. They don't need him or his baggage. The sooner the Eagles cut him loose the better.— jibberjabber
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- Eman, people hate Vick for being less than a decent human being. And he must mean something - after a so-so career up till now and a conviction for doing something pretty horrifying, the Eagles fans went crazy for him when he took the field. Why? I'll never know. But the guy could put some money where his mouth is, and if his creditors won't let him use his cash, then in his spare time, he should be working with his hands to rehab animal shelters. What this guy did was seriously a disgrace...
- Sorry Hockey Al, but you are dead dog wrong!! This mas has paid his dept to society and he owes nothing to anyone but himself and his family. The one thing that kills me about Vick haters is that you guys act like he hurt other human beings or children, but dogs? give me a break in some countries they eat dogs!!!!!— CURTCASH30N
- Curt, do you know what they do to people in some countries? Bad comparison. What this guy did was cruel and vicious and demonstrated his lack of compassion and character. And if that kills you, well...we all have to die someday. And, all that aside, he still isn't much of a QB.
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- I am with you, Ryno.— UncleEddie
