By FRANK WARD
DailyPhiladelphian.com Editor
Oprah Winfrey’s bragging that the Michael Vick Redemption Tour was making a stop in her Chicago studios is over. The NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year has canceled a scheduled interview that was to air next Thursday. No reason was given for the signal caller’s change of heart.
Vick has done a lot of things to try to rehab his image and help the fight against animal abuse. Facing his demons on the Oprah Winfrey Show would have put his efforts into a different stratosphere in front of an audience whose first priority isn’t sports. He would have crossed from the ESPN, CSN and Sports Illustrated genre into the true mainstream media.
Oprah Winfrey is looking for a new date for Tuesday. Michael Vick has opted to stand her up by backing out of an appearance on her talk show.
Rumors circulated yesterday on WIP that the Eagles weren’t enamored with Vick going on Oprah. That makes zero sense since the team said the signing of Vick would have been a bust had he not made an effort to change and show he’s changed. How does not facing the Oprah audience that would have had some animal lovers in it accomplish that?
If anything, canceling an appearance on Oprah without a valid reason — or any reason — raises more questions; questions Vick’s been trying to put to rest for two years.
Rumors are that Oprah was not going to give Vick a cake walk. She is an animal lover after all, and her viewers are more like pet owners than sports fans.