http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33215259/ns ... nt-gossip/Michael Vick lands own TV show on BET
What do you get when you add an arrest for running a dogfighting ring to a recently completed 18-month prison term? If you're infamous quarterback Michael Vick, you get a deal for an eight-part television series on BET.
The tentatively titled “Michael Vick Project,” a “docu-series,” not a reality show per se, will spotlight his comeback with the Philadelphia Eagles and also delve into his back story, from his difficult childhood to his 2007 arrest for running a dog-fighting ring, according to the L.A. Times.
Vick was released from prison in May, and several months is enough time to put together a television deal. However, if the cameras have extensive coverage of the hours and days immediately following his prison release, it does makes you wonder if he was negotiating a deal from behind bars.
Regardless of how the “Project” came together, it doesn’t sound like PETA members will be setting their DVRs when it airs.
Falling star
Take a look back at Michael Vick's rise to NFL superstardom, his fall following his involvement in dogfighting and his comeback attempt.
“People who abuse animals don't deserve to be rewarded,” said PETA spokesman Dan Shannon. “They shouldn't be given multimillion-dollar contracts ... or given the privilege of being a role model.”
The show, I predict, will be a fantastic success at least from a viewership standpoint. There are a number of Vick fans out there who will watch for the simple reason that in the privacy of your own living room, you’re not judged for supporting a football player who preferred dogs engaged in bloodsport over dogs engaged in games of fetch.
The series is scheduled to air in early 2010.
Time to nut up or shut up.