At a time when Mike Vick supporters believe he has changed and doubters search for any evidence that he hasn’t, the doubters currently are winning.
Ashley Fox of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Vick failed to show up Monday for an event known as “What It Takes,” organized by Anthony Martin, who hopes to provide mentors for kids at risk of dropping out of school. Vick had agreed to participate in a panel discussion at a session for more than 200 boys.
As often is the case with Vick, there are two versions. Either he simply failed to show up, or he had to cancel in the days before the event. Though Martin says he learned “a couple of days ago” that Vick “had some type of emergency,” Fox reports that “behind the scenes the event’s organizers were anxiously waiting for him to show up.”
And so the doubters have acquired more ammunition.
“Because of what Vick did,” Fox writes, “there will always be doubt. For the sake of his family and his employer, he should do everything in his power to minimize the doubt moving forward.”
We think he needs to go one step farther. He needs to eliminate the doubt, over a period not of weeks or months but years. Though he may not be able to meet that standard, he should be trying hard to get there.