 Michael
Vick Loses Rawlings as a Sponsor
Soon Michael Vick will
have no sponsorship deals. Rawlings ended its
relationship with the Atlanta Falcons quarterback on
Tuesday. Hopefully Vick doesn't have a dog to
kick.
The St. Louis-based
sporting goods manufacturer, which used his likeness
for its merchandise, cited Vick's indictment on
dogfighting charges as the reason it severed its
ties.
"Rawlings is disappointed about the charges bought
against Mr. Vick for his alleged participation in a
dogfighting operation," a statement on its website
read. "Dogfighting is illegal and unacceptable to
Rawlings."
Vick and three others pleaded not guilty to federal
dogfighting charges last week in Richmond, Va. One
of the co-defendants, Tony Taylor, reversed his plea
and pled guilty Monday while agreeing to cooperate
with authorities in its push for prosecution.
Prior to last week,
Michael Vick was among the top 5 most marketed
sports personalities in the United States.
Nike suspended its contract with Vick. Upper Deck
and Donruss trading card companies said they would
not include Vick's cards in this season's releases.
Reebok, which did not have an endorsement deal with
Vick, suspended sales and the manufacturing of his
merchandise. The NFL also has stopped selling
Vick-related merchandise on its website. Dick's
Sporting Goods and Sports Authority have also
stopped selling Vick-related goods in their stores.
"Rawlings recognizes that Mr. Vick has not been
convicted of the charges stemming from his recent
indictment," Rawlings' statement read. "However, we
have determined that ending our relationship with
Mr. Vick at this time is necessary."
In the court of
public opinion, fueled mostly by media accounts of
grizzly dog torture stories, Vick has already been
found guilty.
----
Tyrone Black,
Sports911.com
Originally
published July 31, 2007 11:35 pm ET
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