Kelly Neal
English 1101
25 October 2013
Apologies
An apology is made to admit and show remorse over past actions that affected other people. It is meant to repair a negative image. The confession and owning up to the mistakes reinstalls trust back to the person. Apologies are seen every day in the media, news, and online etc. Most apologies in the public eye are made by senators, comedians, or athletes aiming to gain trust and support back from their fans. Two famous athletes Michael Vick and Mike Tyson made public apologies after encountering physical and federal scandals. Michael Vick’s apology was rhetorically effective because he appealed to emotions, religion, and credibility. While Mike Tyson’s apology was not rhetorically effective because of his arrogant tone, use of fallacies, and contradiction with statements.
In early 2001, Michael Vick and his three associates Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips, and Tony Taylor started to invest in pitbull dog fighting competitions. Later on that year they went on to establish the “Bad News Kennel” where they trained and breed pitbulls; the Bad News Kennel was said to house 50 pit bulls. Michael Vick became a registered dog breeder, …show more content…
Although both incidents are horrifically violent. Vick’s apology was more acceptable to the public than Tyson’s. Although both still are facing public scrutiny till this day, Michael Vick has repaired his image and has gained back plenty of new endorsement deals, including a former endorser Nike, and now is playing for the Eagles. Mike Tyson, however, is still seen as ignorant and has never boxed after the incident. The aftermath of these two athletes reflect on their apology: Vick enabled trust into his audience and stated that he would change, and now he has a successful football career. On the other hand, Tyson’s carried off an arrogant and prideful attitude, and now his boxing career has