Two examples of dealing with failure.

ebrown_p - At first blush, I would agree with you that Vick is contrite, and sorry for what he had done. Maybe I am a bit jaded, but after thinking it over, I am wondering if he was simply playing to the third balcony, and hoping to suffuse his foundering career with some damage control.

On second thought, I tend to think that what Vick was sorry for was being caught.

As far as Larry Craig is concerned, he was caught (literally) with his pants down. For a man who has opposed gay rights, he, like many other politicians, is a pious hypocrite. He too is looking for damage control.

I would not trust his statement as far as I could throw an elephant. If he shook my hand, I would count my fingers afterwards.

It astounds me. First, everybody jumped up and down because Michael Vick wasn't saying anything about his nasty life choices. Now you've got people jumping up and down because he did finally speak, saying that he's only trying to salvage his career.
Sometimes, you just can't win.

Obviously there is a "right" way to make a public apology. Also obviously it is impossible to judge the sincerity of the person apologizing.

Acts of perfect contrition are between a specific individual and that individual's view of the infinite. In Michael Vick's case, I'm willing to suspend judgement and to hope for the best.

As for Senator Craig...he's denying the need for an apology and he's putting the blame on the nasty old media.

As with the Clinton mess, I can be forgiving of transgressions, but I distrust anyone who lies to me.

Evidently a Tap-Tap & Sidestep is a recognized way of making new friends in an airport men's room. Fine--just don't tell me that a newspaper back home made you do it.

What's the "right" way?

Phoenix has a good point here. From a cynical point of view, both men did exactly what gives them some shot at the future they desire.

Vick wants to be a QB who commands millions in salary. His best shot is to be contrite, do the time and count of sports fans to have short memories. His apology sounds fake to me. "I feel like we all make mistakes"?? This is not about having a spontaneous fling. Vick organized and directed a dog fighting and gambling ring over a long period of time. It wasn't "hey I was drinking with the guys and one guy said let's go watch some dog fighting." I love this quote: "Dog fighting is a terrible thing, and I did reject it." When did he come to that realization? When setting up the ring? Training the dogs? Watching the fights? Killing the underperforming dogs? Having the hand cuffs put in place? Sorry if I don't buy that apology.

Craig wants to be a homo hating Republican Senator pushing a "family values" agenda. His best shot is to do whatever he can to stay in the closet until his current term is up. He's already had a decent Senate career longevity wise and can retire without concern if he completes this term. It's not like there are pending criminal charges against him and he only pleaded to a misdemenor. If he can deny hard enough he can survive a couple more years we can retire the wherever in Idaho is home and go back to quietly meeting guys wherever.

Both men seem to be taking the path of self interest instead of self reflection.

Eoe--

You admit you were wrong--and that you were responsible for your actions.

You promise to improve your behavior.

I'm not sure that public apologies to your friends and family and associates are strictly necessary. You offended them each and every one--you should apologize each and every one.

I expect the same standard of apology from public figures as I did from my kids.

What would the path of self-reflection in each case entail? Would there be any thing either of these men could do to change your opinion of them?

It seems to me that this is exactly what Michael Vick did.

In Vick's case, probably not. It's pretty hard to go from callously touturing and killing dogs to being a poster child for the SPCA. I suppose if he donated a significant portion of his wealth to some animal cause that would make a mark in my book. Not all his wealth, but enough to impact his lifestyle.

In Craig's case, it is very easy. He really hasn't done anything that can't be forgiven. People cheat on their spouses all the time. I don't think that's right, but it's not my business. Legally, this is a misdemeanor. This is not the Foley case where a congressman was using his position to approach children. Apologize to his family and the good folks of Idaho, clarify his political position going forward and move on. My problem with Craig is his attempt to deny responsibility rather than his sexual proclivities. As for his hypocrisy on gay rights, he has been consistent with the platform he ran on. The people of Idaho shouldn't say he misrepresented his politics in any way.

Vick did not think that dog fighting was terrible, until he was arrested. For Pete's sake, he was earning money managing the fights.

I really wonder what his feelings would be now, if he had not gotten caught. I would suspect that the dog fights would have gone on, business as usual.

I am not a "sports person". Until the scandal unfolded, I had never even heard of Michael Vick, so I had no preconceived notions about him.

I am always very leery of "jailhouse conversions". I would suspect that only a small percentage of people really turn around, and if they do, it would probably be over time, not in a few weeks or months.

As far as what Vick said, it seems to me that if he simply admitted what he had done, and apologized for bringing shame on the team, that would have been sincere. The rest is p.r. bullshit.

As far as the senator is concerned, I think that he is a baldfaced liar. No adult admits to a crime that he did not commit. I can see a frightened teenager stumbling over his words and admitting to something out of fear, but com'on, this is a seasoned politician, who is used to wiggling out of "situations".

Who cares if they apologize? Who really cares? I mean, it's not like we are friends or even neighbours of Vick, and frankly, I couldn't care less if he is sent to jail, repents, explains or whatever. Therefore, I am totally uninterested in whether he is sincere in his apology. The whole episode and himself in particular are completely meaningless to my life.

Mame- The thing is, both Vick and Craig are public figures. Personally, I don't give a rat's ass what either of them do, think, or say. There are people though, residents of Idaho, and people who follow sports, who care very much about these two people.

Phoenix, I completely understand about people caring about Larry Craig because he is a politician, but I do not get the interest in Vick. He is just a sports figure. So what if he's in the public eye? So many people are and there's no way all of them are models for our children. Not that I would hold any public figure up as a model. I hope I was/am one for my kids, you know?

But even Larry Craig - how many others have perverted or illegal thoughts/actions like him? Seems like the world is riddled with them. Therefore, this is a tempest in a teapot. Nothing surprises anymore.

I also do not get why we, the public, expect anything from anyone in the public eye. They are just people, fallible like the rest of us. It is a big load to bear.

Not saying this to excuse the behaviour of these two men, just trying to explain that I think many, many people are out there like these two but no one knows about them.

Eoe--



I should have made myself clearer. I thought Vick's statement was masterly--absolutely the "right" way to apologize. He sounded sincere.

I'm not sure that Vick wrote it himself or that the words reflected what he really thought, but I'm hoping that he has a clearer idea of the responsibilities of money, power and fame than he did this time last year.

I was particularly impressed by his announcement that he had "growing up to do". He sounded sincere. I hope he was.

Me too Noddy. It would be so great to witness a true seeing of the light by SOMEONE out here, wouldn't it?

We're surrounded by liars and hypocrites and bullshit artists and it's just sickening now. I'm almost ready to go back to the days before our present technology and the superpower of the media where we were left in the dark and every foul act committed by each and every famous person wasn't reported and offered up for public fodder. It's just getting to be too much.

Let's not forget that Vick dealt with failure by electrocuting, choking, and shooting dogs to death. That's how he dealt with failure: in a cruel, sadistic and torturous manner.

His reading a statement his lawyers wrote doesn't mean **** to me. The guy is a scumbag, and should never be allowed anywhere near the field again.

Cycloptichorn

Agree with Cyclo on this one.

His apology was most likely insincere and just damage control. Anyone who would do what he did to 8 dogs has to be criminally motivated. I wouldn't believe a word that guy said.

Mame- Vick can be perceived as a role model for kids. He earns his living based on money that he generates by having a coterie of fans who come to see him. Children look up to him. As such, IMO, I believe that he has a responsibility to rise to the occasion.

Craig, as an anti-gay right winger, has been shown up to be the foulest of hypocrites. In his case, I think that if committed another crime, perhaps let's say, taking bribes, it would be less serious morally that what he actually did, even though bribery may be a more serious crime as far as the law is concerned.