I find the topic of Michael Vick’s return to the NFL very interesting. The man has been in prison at Leavenworth for the past 19 months due to him being convicted for his heavy involvement in a dog fighting ring. Vick was once seen as one of the top quarterbacks in NFL, and people loved watching him and cheering him on.
2007 was not a good year for Vick as he had a few highly publicized run-in’s with the law. The first came in January of 2007, when he was arrested at an airport for having marijuana in a water bottle. Not the smartest thing for a high profile professional athlete to do, especially when looking at the increased security in airports. But, that’s something we can get through. Shortly after, he was found to be very actively involved in the dog fighting ring, after looking NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, in the eye, stating that he had no involvement whatsoever in such a ring. While awaiting sentencing, Vick tested positive for marijuana in September of 2007. All and all, you might say it was a rough year for the Falcon’s QB. Obviously the dog fighting conviction is the most crucial, but the incidents with marijuana are a couple nice cherries to top of 2007 for Vick.
Now, here we are in 2009. Michael Vick has been released by Leavenworth, and his return the the NFL is inevitable. But, the question here is how does a man who was so heavily involved in something such as dog fighting, which can be seen as the pinnacle of animal cruelty, win the love back of the NFL fans, the country, and the NFL commissioner. Before he is reinstated, Goodell must give his blessing. Roger Goodell has already stated that if Michael Vick wants to be reinstated, he would need to convince him that he is “genuinely remorseful, has learned from his mistakes and is prepared to be a positive influence.”
This article was written by Kevin Sullivan. Kevin was the White House communications director under George W Bush, and also worked as a communications executive with NBC Universal, NBC Sports and the Dallas Mavericks.
Personally, I believe that we are about to see somewhat of a PR miracle. It won’t happen immediately, but Michael Vick will once again return to good graces, and people will most likely forgive, and slightly forget about his behavior, and incarceration. Kevin likens this situation to Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault charge in 2003. He was not convicted, and the case was settled before it went to trial. For a short time, this did impact Kobe Bryant’s popularity, but not for too long. He became the Kobe Bryant we now see in the NBA Finals, and put of incredible numbers, and for the second time in the past three years, the Kobe Bryant jersey is the top selling jersey in the NBA. Was he guilty? All signs pointed to yes. If you ask someone if they remember when Kobe Bryant was accused of rape, most will say yes. But, is this thought in the fore front of their mind when they are watching him play? Not at all. He has been forgiven by the fans, and the NBA.
Kevin Sullivan came up with a 4 point plan PR plan for Michael Vick. It is simple, but states what Michael Vick must say and do to begin getting back in good graces. The plan is as follows:
Be genuine:
Vick must speak and act in a genuine fashion, without statements prepared by his publicist or anyone else. It must be obvious that he is speaking from the heart. Sullivan says that he must talk about his remorse, and how apologetic he is, and how it feels to be a felon for life.
Be humble:
Sullivan states that Vick must be extremely humble, as he will always be the “guy who killed dogs.”
· Don’t shout back at protesters.
· Don’t be defensive.
· Pass on reality show pitches.
· No bling.
· Stop talking about himself in the third person.
Be accountable:
How will Michael Vick live his life differently?
· Commit to ongoing counseling.
· Commit to specific public service in the new hometown.
· Partner with the Humane society and the anti-fighting and cruelty campaign, and work diligently with them.
Be generous:
Sullivan also stated a few things Vick must do to show his generosity.
· Reinstate his charity foundation
· Pledge to donate tickets to youth groups.
· Speak with youth groups every game on how we went from the “Pro Bowl to a prison cell”.
· Focus on helping kids not make the same mistakes that he made.
It is not an easy task by any means, turning a “dog killer” into an NFL hero again, but it can be done. Sullivan states that if Vick can do all of this, then he will have shown the fans and everyone else that he has done everything he could possibly do to deserve a second chance. Some people will never forgive Michael Vick, but he needs to show that he has strong character and has learned from this experience. And, by all means, he can never be in trouble with the law again, after something like this. All I can say is get yourself ready for a Michael Vick PR miracle.
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