Can America stop worrying about the dog killing and learn to accept Michael Vick again? That was the question last night as disgraced NFL quarterback Michael Vick made his case to be restored to the public's good graces in the pitiless spotlight of CBS's 60 Minutes. Could anything he said to James Brown of CBS Sports lift the stain of his crime? We wondered on Wednesday why Brown was given the assignment to interview Vick on 60 Minutes (his first time on the program). How would a former African-American athlete ask the questions? Would he be more sympathetic or more critical? Brown had stayed after Vick for the two years he spent in prison, and he didn't pull his verbal punches in describing the "barbarous treatment" Vick committed on the dogs. "Beating them, shooting them, electrocuting them, drowning them ... horrific things, Michael." Vick flinched at his litany of sins. "I didn't step up, I wasn't a leader," Vick agreed. Brown returned to the theme repeatedly. "I deserved to lose the $135-million (U.S. contract)," Vick conceded.
Vick was contrite and took responsibility for his actions, even if the interview appeared a bit scripted. We'll see if finding God holds. And if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell bought into the changes. "I was lazy," Vick said. "The last guy in the building, first guy out. It hurt me when I heard that. But it was true." Vick's performance was good enough for the Philadelphia Eagles, who decided to sign the convicted felon last week after hearing through sources that he had fared well in the interview.
Will 60 Minutes change minds? "Vick's getting a second NFL life is but another example of our society's morality of convenience," Drew Sharp (also an African-American) wrote in the Detroit Free Press before the interview. "It seems a second chance is OK if it improves your favorite football team's red zone offense." Others will grant him an unconditional second chance. Vick has much still to prove. Brown? Terry Bradshaw's former partner in yuks changed a lot of minds too. For the better and for good.
Choice Cuts
On Friday, TSN was the network with the tough call on fight or flight. Tiger Woods's round on the second day of the PGA Championship had a hole to go. But the Argonauts-Lions game had already been under way for five minutes at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Usually TSN can spin out one of the events to TSN2 (as they did yesterday in switching to the Hamilton-Saskatchewan game), but the alternate network was covering the men's Canadian Open tennis championships. No wiggle room.
TSN chose to bail on the golf with a hole left for Woods, and a number of players left on the course. To make matters worse, Woods made a crucial bogey on his final hole (an important stroke, as it turned out, when Woods lost yesterday). Not that CFL fans were placated, getting late to their game. Trying to satisfy everyone, TSN probably aggravated almost everyone. Only tennis fans got their event in its entirety.
Yesterday it was CBC's turn in the barrel as the Corp had an overlap of the final of the men's tennis and Usain Bolt's attempt at another record in the 100 metres at the world athletics championships in Berlin. After no doubt praying that Juan Martin Del Potro would dispose of Andy Murray in quick, straight sets (he didn't), the network was hoisted by its own petard of ambitious programming.
While viewers could watch on NBC as Bolt set a stunning world record of 9.58 seconds, CBC was stuck watching an exhausted Del Potro succumb to Murray. A bitter pill for CBC, which has always prided itself on having Olympic events live while NBC bagged tape for hours later.
Chip Shots
Tiger Woods will give up the lead in a major when someone runs a sub-9.6 second 100 metres. He did? They did? Oh.
Perhaps Gary McCord of CBS has spent more time waxing his mustache than watching Tiger. As Woods reacted dramatically when missing a putt on the third hole yesterday, McCord said, "Look for the frustration ... usually he doesn't show that much." Really? Perhaps McCord missed Tiger's tantrums at the British Open and other recent events. Or the torrent of other stinging criticisms of Woods's demeanour from the media.
Then Nick Faldo inexplicably echoed McCord when Woods missed a close chance on the 13th: "We rarely see him react like this." Usual Suspects refuses to believe CBS would ever, ever wax the apple for Woods.
Why golf needs more Paddy: Padraig Harrington on his miraculous 300-yard shot from the bunker with a wood while playing with Tiger on Friday. "He said he'd pay to see that shot ... so I asked him for 50 bucks." Sadly, Harrington shot himself out of the PGA with a calamitous eight on the par-three No. 8. Speaking of Irishmen, David Feherty noted Roger Federer's comment that the only fault with Woods is that his pants are too big.
Major technical screw-up for CBS as Woods teed off on No. 13. Viewers were given first a prosaic shot of a tree as Woods hit his tee shot within eight feet. Then we were treated to a shot of Woods walking while Jim Nantz talked over a phantom Lee Westwood shot.
Sign Of The Times
None of the major Canadian print outlets staffed the fourth major of the PGA Tour season. Neither did the TV sports networks. Most are using wire services and local stringers to cover the event. Unthinkable several years ago. With dollars scarce and many yearly budgets ending this month, editors and assignment desks decided that Tiger Woods going for a tie for the most PGA titles ever was not a priority. And with money likely to be even tighter next year, whatever Canadian dollars available are already pencilled in for the Vancouver Olympics. Somewhere in heaven Jim Coleman is rolling over at the news.
T.O. To Go
When Terrell Owens isn't doing his part-time job with the Buffalo Bills, he's working on his full-time occupation: being T.O. That means his new VH1 reality exercise The T.O. Show, which meticulously records the wonderfulness of being T.O. The program got middling reviews, but is a success in the ratings. Well, success when the competition is Tony Kornheiser, Jim Rome and the peanut gallery of Around the Horn. The Aug. 3 edition of Owens's chronicle drew 1.8 million viewers, nearly double the 965,000 viewers who watched Jim Rome is Burning on ESPN. It also topped every edition of Around the Horn and Kornheiser's Pardon the Interruption that aired from Aug. 3 to 9.