Between Aug. 27 and Dec. 10, Martin’s ability to defend will take a back seat to his ability to coach. Vick will be presented to the public and the media periodically, in controlled environments such as the one Monday in which he spoke and then answered no questions.

Meanwhile, information designed to rehab Vick in the minds of Americans will trickle out. There will be news about his cooperation with federal prosecutors in tracking down other perpetrators of dogfighting. There will be appearances in which Vick will be photographed praying with civic and religious leaders. He’ll speak to kids and apologize for letting them down. He might even be shown petting a dog or two.

But somewhere along the line, Vick will have to answer the dogfighting questions. When that happens, he’ll probably be like an actor on a stage who butchers the most important monologue of the play. James Cagney’s advice on acting was simple: “Look into the camera and tell the truth.” On this most vital issue, Vick was a spectacular flop.

It might be because Martin is not as good a coach as he is a defense attorney; remember he expressed hope that Vick would eventually be back for "spring training" in his initial statement when the indictment first came down. It could also be that Martin wants to hold off on allowing his client to expand on that topic until the sentencing date draws closer, for maximum dramatic effect.

The most likely answer, though, about why Vick hasn’t given a heartfelt explanation on his involvement with dogfighting is that his heart isn’t in it. His attitudes and his behavior on dogfighting were formed over many years. They’re not going to change overnight just because his lawyers want them to in order to make their jobs easier. Unless people are convinced otherwise, they’re going to assume that Vick still believes it’s all right to treat animals in such a brutal fashion.

And no, “Dogfighting is a terrible thing and I do reject it” is not nearly enough. It’s just one crafted remark on a list of many that he was schedule to mention.

Vick’s most valuable asset is his coachability. Between now and Dec. 10, if he and his handlers can somehow add honesty and genuine remorse to his repertoire, maybe he’ll have a shot at playing again.

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