Where Michael Vick goes, bad news seems to follow and the latest in a series of troubling events in the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's life may cost him the last major endorsement deal he has.
Nike announced it was putting off the release of a new shoe endorsed by Mr. Vick after he was indicted on felony charges regarding his alleged role in a dog-fighting ring.
The company issued the following statement: "Nike is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent. We do believe that Michael Vick should be afforded the same due process as any citizen; therefore, we have not terminated our relationship. We have however made the decision to suspend the release of the Zoom Vick V and related marketing communications. Nike will continue to monitor the situation closely and have no further comment at this time."
The Humane Society of the United States has criticized Nike for not going far enough in the matter. The group called for Nike to recall "Vick Hero" t-shirts currently being sold on nike.com. RetailWire confirmed the shirt was available for purchase on the company site along with six other items bearing the quarterback's likeness and/or name.
"Michael Vick is no hero. A string of dead, wounded and suffering animals has been left along the Eastern Seaboard as a consequence of this dog-fighting ring. Federal authorities have charged Vick with felony offenses. This is no moment to tell America's youth to look up to such a man," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States.
A search of retailer websites by RetailWire found many merchants continuing to sell a variety of goods including jerseys, sneakers, footballs, posters and other items with Mr. Vick's endorsement. A Google product search turned up 7,660 items under a Michael Vick query. Dick's Sporting Goods (79 items), Sports Authority (76 items), NFL.com (75 items) and Modell's (71 items) were just some of the merchants that had Michael Vick merchandise available for purchase.
Discussion Question: Did Nike make the right decision concerning Michael Vick? Should retailers pull Michael Vick merchandise off shelves until his innocence is proven in court?