For those who have been unconvinced by the turnaround of pro football player Michael Vick and his professed return to Christ since his arrest for an illegal dog-fighting operation, the upcoming BET reality series should illuminate the topic.
"Life is about choices, making good judgments, good decisions," says Vick in the promo for the documentary series.
Since the bust, Vick has apologized for initially lying about his involvement in illegal dogfighting and expressed regret for being a poor example to all his young fans. He’s also said he found Jesus – a claim that was, not surprisingly, met with skepticism.
"I'm upset with myself and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God," Vick had said in a public apology on Aug. 27, 2007. "I think that's the right thing to do as of right now."
Following Vick’s remarks, some – including conservative radio talk show host the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson – accused the disgraced quarterback of evoking Jesus' name to stop the criticism and gain public sympathy.
"'Jesus' is the most abused name in black America and Vick is following a long line of abusers," commented Peterson, who is himself African American.
"We can no longer allow celebrities and politicians to break laws and then use 'Jesus' as a get-out-of-jail free card,” he added. “Most of these people go right back into their bad behavior and criminal activities as soon as the storm passes."
But Vick’s supporters say the former Atlanta Falcons star quarterback (and now back-up for the Philadelphia Eagles) has changed and that he has been making good on his pledge to commit himself to long-term participation in outreach programs to steer inner-city youth away from dog-fighting.
His character has also been vouched for by former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, one of the most respected figures in the NFL and the man whom Vick credited for his turnaround.
Dungy "helped redefine me as an individual," Vick said.
What that definition looks like today will be clear to the public when “The Michael Vick Project” makes its debut.
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