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Nike under pressure over Vick

Michael Vick's federal indictment for dogfighting has unleashed a strong backlash from the animal rights community. Read the full indictment here.

Nike, Vick's biggest sponsor, quickly announced suspension of production on Vick's namesame shoe, but that response was not strong enough for some.

An animal rights group organized a Friday protest at Nike's Beaverton campus, calling on the Swoosh to cut all ties to Vick.

Meanwhile, protesters gathered in New York to pressure the NFL to sack Vick.

America is still the land of innocent until proven guilty, but the NFL already suspended "Pacman" Jones for a season without a criminal conviction.

Vick may soon find that in pro sports, where image = dollars, the verdict in the court of public opinion may matter more to the corporate giants who depend on public favor to sell their products.

What do you think Nike should do about its tainted star? Vote in our online poll or post your comments below.

Comments

It's time for the corporate giants to stop supporting athletes who choose to engage in illegal or immoral acts. Whether it's animal abuse, wife abuse, drug abuse,these people need to stop and be made accountable. Our children do not need these kind of role models.

I agree that Michael Vick's actions were wrong, there is no question there.
But let me ask where is the difference between an innocent animal being thrown into a situation that is painful, and deadly and that of an unborn HUMAN BEING that
is still in it's mother's womb and is allowed to grow for months and months then the mother is allowed to have it's brains sucked out so it's head collapses and then it's pulled out?
It's called a "Partial Birth Abortion" do a little research on the things we do to humans in this country.
Poor dogs, yes.
Maybe people should look at some pictures of what that looks like.
But we don't indict the women and doctors for that cruelty.
We're a twisted country.

This man should not be allowed to represent the NFL in Sport, nor Nike in Product.
He is inhumane, insensitive, and just plain cruel. Not a roll model I would want my kids to emulate

It is a sick thing that Nike is even thinking about it. Vick should be cut off completely. There is no excuse for this type of cruelty, and people that can do something like this aren't going to change. How sad this is still going on. Nike can afford to lose the shoes and clothing they've already manufactured. They should do the right thing; otherwise it will just prove that to Nike, it's all about the MONEY.

Michael Vick should loose every thing he had worked for while in the NFL and be released from the Falcons. Nike shoes should cut all ties with Michael Vick right this moment!!! Michael Vick was a good example on how a poor inter city child to get out of the inter city into the NFL and even for the poor children that live in the country side of big cities. Now he should be set as an example on what not to do when you have rerached your goal to get to any pro sport.

Vick has a contract with Nike, and the terms of that contract probably do not require that Nike maintain the endorsement and keep paying him until the federal government wins a conviction and prevails on appeal. There is no presumption of innocence under the Vick-Nike contract, and probably no "due process" term or condition.

Nike has an office of Corporate Responsibility and as a company prides itself in doing the right thing. If it were to turn out the the federal authorities have perpetrated a fraud on America and Vick's innocence were to become clear, Nike could always revisit the relationship.

In the meantime, Nike should sever all ties with Vick. So should the NFL.

An animal abuser and one who derives pleasure from the infliction of cruelty and pain, whether on humans or dependent animals, is not the role model and person of character entitled to hold himself out as a professional athlete.

Vick is nothing but a "ghetto thug"...who in the hell wants to wear tennis shoes by someone so evil/demonic??? Why don't you just start sponsoring gang members? Whats the difference?? WOW! Who knew that the devil was was black and wore nappy braids???

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