Michael Vick’s legal troubles prompted Nike yesterday to suspend the release of its latest product line named after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback.
Nike has told retailers it will not release a fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V, this summer. Company spokesman Dean Stoyer said the four shoe products and three shirts that currently bear Vick’s name will remain in stores.
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will be arraigned next week in a Richmond, Va., federal courtroom on charges of sponsoring a gruesome dogfighting operation. (Tami Chappell - Reuters) Falcons Basics
Vick will be arraigned next week in a Richmond federal courtroom on charges of sponsoring a gruesome dogfighting operation. Stoyer said the company still has a standing contract with Vick but declined to speculate on his future with Nike.
A statement Nike released said the company “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.”
Stoyer, who declined to discuss the terms of Vick’s contract with Nike, indicated the company has no commercials or documentaries planned with the three-time NFL Pro Bowl selection.
