Props to Michael Vick

The cynics will scoff: Michael Vick is only apologizing because he has to, because he was caught. He's just trying to save his career. How convenient that he's "found Jesus" at the moment when he most needs public sympathy ...

But watching the video of Vick's apology, and reading the transcript, I must say, I'm impressed. No, I have no idea whether he means it, or whether this isn't all just a scripted ploy. But I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

It's rare that we come to grips with our failures when we're riding high. It's when we're weak, when we've been humbled, when we've seen our own self-deceptions shattered that we come to reckon with what we've done wrong.

It may seem convenient that Vick has chosen this moment to be contrite, but it also seems logical. He's got no more doting groupies telling him how great he is, no more media pumping up his ego. As a football prodigy coddled since his youth, this is probably the first time he's been able to clearly hear his own conscience, to see himself in the mirror as he is. If ever there were a moment for serious self-examination and change, this would be it.

And yes, these are also the moments of spiritual conversion. It's often when we realize how badly we've bungled our own affairs that we come to realize how unfit we are to manage them on our own. It's the story of the Prodigal Son, the good thief on the cross, and many a saint ever since.

Often, we need to hit "rock bottom" before we can begin to recover. Time will give us a clearer sense of just how sincere Vick is today, but so far, what he says rings very true:

I offer my deepest apologies to everybody out in there in the world who was affected by this whole situation. And if I'm more disappointed with myself than anything it's because of all the young people, young kids that I've let down, who look at Michael Vick as a role model. And to have to go through this and put myself in this situation, you know, I hope that every young kid out there in the world watching this interview right now who's been following the case will use me as an example to using better judgment and making better decisions.

Once again, I offer my deepest apologies to everyone. And I will redeem myself. I have to.

So I got a lot of down time, a lot of time to think about my actions and what I've done and how to make Michael Vick a better person.