Cannon Firing Line
Dog Gone
By Ellis G. Cannon
PSR Publisher

I guess we like being manipulated.

That was my conclusion during one of my nightly talk shows shortly after Michael Vick "spoke from the heart" following entry of his guilty plea.

Seems speaking from the heart isn't good enough anymore.

Whether or not Vick truly spoke from the heart or feigned sincerity and humility will be told over time, not in the four and a half minutes he spoke in front of a microphone. It will take years and actions. The betting line is against him.

I certainly could not make an in-stone decision as I watched Vick that he was coming absolutely clean. But I know a whole lot of listeners who called me that night were absolutely sure he was NOT.

How can that be?

First, it's entirely natural to be suspect of anything the man says in light of his history. Not just lying to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell or entering a non-guilty plea on federal dog-fighting charges. The entire Vick package going back years has been one misstep after another - and we've been watching. There were enough issues in the way when it came time to consider the man's veracity.

Second, consider the public impression that Vick and his counsel were parsing out when dog-fighting stuff first broke. That gets in the way every time. Get too cute and people put up their guard, fearful of being snookered. That's a death trap for Joe Lunch, let alone a federal court judge. But caution is in order because we're on the outside looking in - Vick's plea wouldn't have been accepted by the feds unless the latter felt it the right thing to do. Perception versus reality.

Add our personal biases and how jaded and cynical our culture is. And don't forget the flipside to accepting apologies - we like to tear people down, too. Even when a person comes before us in apparent contrition, asking for forgiveness, there's a voice in our head telling us that it is actually all part of a script. We now believe the non-scripted is, in fact, scripted.

But if you fall in the category of criticizing not just WHAT Vick said, but HOW he said it, there's no room for even accepting the possibility of him - or anyone else - ever being considered credible. There's never a chance for redemption.

Again, we reserve that right and Vick made it easy for us with the thug image he fosters. But the truth is, we've probably been successfully trained by the image makers to believe these moments have to be blown-dried perfect. Presented after extensive coaching and with impeccable delivery after the hiring and considered consultation of experts whose job it is to use you, to win you over. To manipulate you.

Good luck with that but it's not for me. Neither is dog-fighting, but I can draw the distinction: I can let this play out.

And I'll take my chances listening to myself and not some mind-control expert hiding behind the curtain.

Ellis Cannon's SportsLine Pittsburgh" airs weeknights, 6-8 p.m., on FM NewsTalk 104.7. Ellis is also a regular contributor on the "#1 Cochran Sports Showdown" aired Sundays at 11:35 on KDKA-TV.