Brown got the Vick interview right

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James Brown (left) interviewed Michael Vick for 75 minutes on Aug. 10 at a hotel in Northern Virginia. CBS News/60 Minutes Richard Deitsch's Mailbag Submit a question or comment for Richard. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Richard Deitsch on Twitter

James Brown says he spelled out the rules with Michael Vick last May when the two spoke for 45 minutes at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan. Why was the CBS Sports anchor visiting Vick at a federal prison? He was looking for The Big Get, an interview with Vick following his 18 months in prison on charges related to his illegal dogfighting operation.

"When we met in prison I said, 'Michael, just to be clear, unlike what I do for sports, this will not be a sports piece. I would be asking you some very hard questions,' " Brown said. "His response was, 'I want to answer the hard questions.' "

History will ultimately judge Vick's level of contrition, but Brown proved an adept interviewer in a well-reported piece on 60 Minutes on Sunday night. The reporter did not appear chummy with Vick and ably pushed him on motive ("Were any of those reasons, the competition, the adrenaline?"), spin ("Michael, is this you talking, or the Vick team of attorneys, image shapers and the like?") and Vick's hard-to-believe statement that his football losses did not matter ("Losing a $135 million contract doesn't matter? Why not?").

But Brown's best moment came when he forced Vick to explain what could not be explained. Said Brown, in a question-cum-statement: "And the operation, Michael, that you pleaded guilty to bankrolling, to being a part of, engaged in barbarous treatment of animals, beating them, shooting them, electrocuting them, drowning them, horrific things, Michael?")

Getting the Vick interview had consumed Brown for the past 16 months. The pursuit began in June 2008 when Brown's attorney, Jeff Freid, set up a lunch with his friend and Vick's criminal lawyer, Billy Martin. When Brown spoke with SI.com on Friday during an Amtrak ride from New York City to Washington, he was clearly perturbed by the notion that he landed the interview because he would be soft on Vick as a "sports guy" and employee of one of the NFL's broadcast partners.

"I know a number of people have said or written that J.B. is a sports guy so obviously there is comfort level for Vick there," Brown said, "or that I agreed to certain restrictions as to what I could ask. I gave up nothing. Everything was fair game. After all these years in the business, there is nothing I would do to tarnish a reputation of being fair. ... There are those who suggest that because CBS is a network partner, that we were in cahoots with the [league] to benefit ratings. Give me a break. All I know is I was aggressive in going after the interview. I wanted it because I felt I could tell the story well."

Brown interviewed Vick for 75 minutes on Aug. 10 at a hotel in Northern Virginia. He also conducted a 30-minute interview with Vick, Tony Dungy and Wayne Pacelle, the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. The 60 Minutes piece ran just under 15 minutes.

"My aim was not to re-try him again," said Brown, who also visited the quarterback at his Virginia home last month for a pre-interview session. "I wanted to get at the level and core of contrition as best I could and his mind-set before, during and after. I wanted to get what his resolve is, what the adverse effect on his family was, and his efforts to resurrect his career.

"I won't offer my personal opinion to hopefully and effectively wear the reporter's cap of impartiality. I want people to make their own judgment. But I'll be transparent: Part of that is because there was a fair amount of cynicism and skepticism going into this interview because I covered the NFL. Would I be able to be objective as one of the regular correspondents of 60 Minutes? With that in mind, I will not give anybody any ammunition as to what I thought one way or other. But, hopefully, I did my job asking questions."

They Said It, Part I

• "I don't know how Rick Pitino can continue to hold onto that job in good faith. He has violated himself, he has violated his marriage, he has violated his church."
--AOL Sports columnist and ESPN Around The Horn panelist Kevin Blackistone, on whether the University of Louisville should stand by its coach.

They Said It, Part II

• "Sadly, in this country, in this world, there have been a lot of people who have committed adultery. I would think you would find a majority in most marriages. Employers have stood by those employees and I know in the case of people that I have worked with, they have stood by me in terms of accusations that have been made and that have been found untrue."
--Denver Post sports columnist and Around The Horn panelist Woody Paige, on the global state of marriage.