Dick’s to Vick: We say ‘nix’ to your jersey, sort of
From Sam Wood of the Philadelphia Inquirer comes this predictable news: Dick’s Sporting Goods will not stock Michael Vick’s new No. 7 Eagles jersey until the chain, according to a spokesman, “evaluate(s) the reaction of Eagles fans.”
Wood quotes Jeff Hennion, Dick’s chief marketing officer, thusly: “Right now we don’t know how much of a demand there is for [the jersey]. If there is a demand for it, we’ll sell it.”
I have three words for Dick’s. Those words:
Are you serious?
The Vick jersey will be the hottest seller of the year, hotter even than Brett Favre’s purple No. 4. NFLShop.com is selling Vick’s jersey, which tells us the league itself isn’t backing away from making money off No. 7. Were Dick’s taking a iron-clad stand on moral grounds, that would be understandable. (Self-righteous, but understandable.) To suggest their stores must first test the water is merely a case of trying to cover one’s corporate assets.
Dick’s wants to be able to say to PETA: “Look, we resisted the impulse originally. We’re only doing this because our customers asked for it.” But that’s not a principled stance; that’s a weaselly one. You know you’re going to end up selling the thing, so … sell the thing already!
And it’s about time that people got past this fear of PETA. Roger Goodell did by reinstating Vick. The Eagles did by signing him. Yes, some people are going to be upset by the sight of Vick on an NFL field, but if you’re waiting for unanimity on any issue nothing would ever get done. (Ever been to a neighborhood co-op meeting?)
Frankly, the thought of that smirking prima donna donning the Viking purple upsets me more, but I’m not so outraged I’m about to picket games in Minnesota. Besides, the threat of protest is almost almost overblown. Remember Martha Burk and the Masters. Was Super Bowl XXXV derailed by demonstrators because Ray Lewis was playing a year after going on trial for murder? (Actually, Lewis wound up being the game’s MVP.)
Some folks will never forgive Michael Vick for what he did to those dogs. That’s their prerogative. But more folks, I submit, are willing to grant him a second chance, and some of those might be interested in paying $79.99 to wear his Eagles shirt. Let them.
Last I checked, this is America. Last I checked, we’re a capitalist nation.
(A shout-out to esteemed former colleague and Pulitzer winner John Woestendiek, who published the Inquirer story on his pro-dog blog Ohmidog!)
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153 comments Add your comment
BB
August 20th, 2009
4:39 pm
Quick ‘doggin’ Michael Vick out…Dogs don’t have souls anyway, people do. When it is all said and done, people can’t stand the fact that he has been given a second chance and is going to become successful again and make more money than you. I did not hear all this flack when Michael Phelps was caught on tape smoking dope and I guess he can still be a role model for kids…Oh I forgot Micheal Phelps is a Pot Head…Oh, I mean ‘America’s Golden Boy’
Herschel Talker
August 20th, 2009
4:40 pm
Someone please give FALCONS SORRY an English and grammar lesson. What a dumba$$ SOB.
justice
August 20th, 2009
4:40 pm
would any of you people have gotten your job back if you had been convicted of those crimes? i think not. and the victims here are the dogs he killed, and abused etc. vick was never a victim here, he lost it all because of his own actions. if vick was truly remorseful he would have gotten out of prison, announced he wanted to donate all his time to speaking to kids and volunteering at shelters, pit rescues etc. with supervision of course, as i wouldnt trust a dog killer around any dog unsupervised. he would have volunteered his money and time to the cause. but instead he will be spending all his time trying to regain his fame and fortunes. with a little time on the side to speak out against the horrible things he did over and over again. he is so full of it. that dead eyed sorry excuse for a man never even served time from his state charges for the cruelty and dog fighting. he only served federal time which was very minimal compared to what a non celebrity would have served. dont you think it would set a better example if those kids he is trying to reach heard him say “i lost it all, i did horrible things and deserved to lose it, i wont have the chance to get it all back” rather than for them to see a man who is getting a chance to have it all back within 5 years or less. he doesnt need to play in the nfl to reach those kids and speak to them. yeah he served his time and like it or not he is free, but just because he is free to go live the rest of his miserable life, that doesnt mean the nfl should be a part of that life any longer.
bobby
August 20th, 2009
4:41 pm
ConVick – Shouldn’t we add Brady to the list? I mean he did have a child out of wedlock. We should not have our kids looking up to that right? Added to that having a new girlfriend before the baby is born.In the Old Testament, Brady and that woman would have been stoned to death. LOL! Vick – who knows there isn’t a commandment on what he did.
Anyway, I thought I would throw that bone out there.
Brady is not the man I would want my son to look up to nor my daughter dating and of course Vick is out of the question. a very religious person would say that Brady’s “crime” is far worse.
justice
August 20th, 2009
4:44 pm
like i said some you people should have been aborted, just like vick should have been.
Mark Bradley
August 20th, 2009
4:44 pm
You know, I was once accused of having “dogged someone out.” Know who accused me of having done so? John Smoltz. Know what his nickname was back in his younger days? Marmaduke. Fascinating, yes?
Actually, I’m just trying to steer this dialogue away from the usual Vick talking points — the existential value of dogs, the comparative guilt of Heatley, et cetera.
What's Important
August 20th, 2009
4:46 pm
Tell the truth Bradley, you are secretly writing a book on the most idiotic blog posts in America and this is your source for material.
Bill Weston
August 20th, 2009
4:47 pm
Well at least now we know who put the “Dick’s” in Sporting Goods. Sell the jerseys to those willing to buy them and call it a day. Who cares!
Famuan
August 20th, 2009
4:48 pm
Vick’s jersey is the top seller at nfl.com and its on back log with Reebok…so basically what stand is Dick’s taking again?? LMAO!
STL Falcon
August 20th, 2009
4:48 pm
You know, just for fun, I checked the website of the Chicago-Sun Times. See, the Bears are another team who got rid of an inconsistent quarterback for a much better one. You know what, I couldn’t find a single article or column on Kyle Orton. Wierd.
MightyQuinn
August 20th, 2009
4:48 pm
Lets go back to talking about Tony Gonzalez!
MKE VICK FAN 4 LIFE
August 20th, 2009
4:49 pm
People can talk about Vick until they die; he’s a very talented athelete and will have a very SUCCESSFUL FUTURE IN THE NFL Even if you don’t sell his Jersey we’ll be able to buy it some where else. GOD BLESS MIKE VICK & HIS FAMILY….HAVE A GREAT SEASON
GO MIKE VICK – GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FALCONS
Frank Wren
August 20th, 2009
4:51 pm
Are you really comparing having a child out of wedlock with electrocuting dogs?
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
August 20th, 2009
4:52 pm
This article could not be pulled up due to my firewall and the title of the article got Sonic Blocked. Mark, please try not writing such perverted material anymore and headlines in the future so I don’t end up on a IT Committee Report for porn.
Frank Wren
August 20th, 2009
4:52 pm
Here is the other thing.
VICK HASNT PLAYED IN THREE YEARS. This isnt a Ga Tech intramural game he is walking into. He never could throw the ball well anyway and if he has lost a step he wont be back for long.
Cuz
August 20th, 2009
4:53 pm
Will Dick’s be selling Rick Pitino’s suit ensemble, I hear it works great on the babes.
So many double entendres so little time.
blord
August 20th, 2009
4:53 pm
Man this discussion has went down many trails. I think for your next article Bradley you should just write the word Vick and people will debate it for hours.
POKUINURI
August 20th, 2009
4:54 pm
@Justice it was me who posted that,and if your mind wasn’t so small you could get it wrapped around what I said.
We have all this uproar about dogs. You get these two little old people who are eaten alive by dogs, the beasts that they are. That’s what they are – animals, just like the ones you slaughter and use for your consumption.
Tell an individual from countries in Asia that killing a dog is so terrible. I’m just saying.. spare me your moral relativism and holier than thou B-S. Just because you like to kiss them in the mouth and rub their b@lls doesn’t make them human.
Yeah, yeah “Mike” electrocuted and hung dogs yadda, yadda. He would tell you he shot Lincoln right about now if you asked him. Yep, he financed the operation no doubt…
White folks hung and burned black folks for centuries in this country for nothing more than being black, but we wanna let bygones be bygones in that area right? And that isn’t really what my post was all about. The underlying theme.. I care about PEOPLE more than I do DOGS – and yes, ALL people.
You should try it sometime..
Mark Bradley
August 20th, 2009
4:56 pm
Sorry, Bank Walker.
The headline, such as it was, was my little homage to the famous Variety headline: “Stix Nix Hick Pix.” About which more can be read by clicking here.
Frank Wren
August 20th, 2009
4:56 pm
Huh?
Frank Wren
August 20th, 2009
4:57 pm
Yeah, yeah “Mike” electrocuted and hung dogs yadda, yadda.
That says it all.
Warren Peace
August 20th, 2009
4:57 pm
POKUI, I take it you are a cat person.
Mark Bradley
August 20th, 2009
4:58 pm
The Rick Pitino dinner jacket — for the man who has $3,000 to throw around.
ConVick
August 20th, 2009
5:00 pm
I hate Vick because he is rich, black and famous. Dammit why should I clean toilets and he doesn’t? I’m mad as hell!
Dink
August 20th, 2009
5:00 pm
Mark:
Off the subject but did you see or hear T. Boone Pickens comments about the UGA-Oklahoma State game? Hilarious!
http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/08/18/t-boone-pickens-gives-oklahoma-state-all-it-needs-but-wont-ge/#cont
Dell
August 20th, 2009
5:02 pm
ConVick, who are you to say how many chances a person should get to go straight? You are probably a parolee yourself! Don’t you still need to work? You talk about throwing the team under a bus…lame man, lame! It’s a business! He violated the contract, he paid the price. As far as following the Falcons because of Vick, %*#7 right! Before he came, what else was there to get hyped about? ….use to follow the Falcons, but now I fly like an Eagle!!!!!
Paddy
August 20th, 2009
5:03 pm
It is not only the Phily locals they must worry about. Dick’s is nationwide. They may want to rethink that last statement.
All I'm Saying Is...
August 20th, 2009
5:04 pm
Dick’s Sporting Goods proves that no one — not even profit driven business leaders — has a monopoly on stupid, moronic decisions. The general public will tell you by buying the jersey or not buying it whether it is worth stocking and selling. Knuckleheads run amok.
LET’S GO FALCONS!
DJ Sniper
August 20th, 2009
5:04 pm
The post by Cast Iron Dude is a perfect example of just how out of touch with reality PETA and it’s members are. Who can forget the letter they wrote to Ben and Jerry’s wanting them to substitute human breast milk for cow’s milk in their ice cream? And what about their memo urging people to start calling fish “sea kittens” in hopes the connotation would cause people to stop catching them? The ultimate show of stupidity came from their president who said that she would oppose a cure for AIDS if it came about as a result of animal testing. What planet are these people living on!?!?!?!?
butch t
August 20th, 2009
5:04 pm
The mistake was even talking about it. Just put the thing in the stores and shut the H up. Really dumb stuff
Cuz
August 20th, 2009
5:05 pm
Bradley, I guess we should join together and form a marketing group. I even have a name. We can call it the Two Idiots marketing group. Then when one CEO asks another who is doing their marketing, the second one can reply, “Two Idiots”.
Angry White Man
August 20th, 2009
5:07 pm
I hate rich black players. I know Matt sucks compared to Vick, but he is one of us.
Frank Wren
August 20th, 2009
5:07 pm
Vick isnt rich anymore.
yo mama
August 20th, 2009
5:07 pm
hey, FALCONS SORRY you suck man. your scum of the earth opinions do not belong here. arthur blank is a great man of integrity. the eagles got their thug, and now will use him as bait next year for trades. mike lied to everyone, made his own bed. dont you dare defend him, when he himself is to blame for all the lying. mike vick never went to class and vt and still has no class. he is not in atlanta anymore because of his grotesque mistakes. its obvious you are a black man who only supports blacks because they are black. you are ignorant man. just go away, ok bro just go away with your sick prejudices. when you lie to the feds you get what you deserve. ask marion jones, ask barry the cheat bonds. FALCONS SORRY you are a loser and then some.
Frank Wren
August 20th, 2009
5:08 pm
Vick hasnt played in three years. This is much ado about nothing. I doubt if he even sees the field most games.
Mark Bradley
August 20th, 2009
5:09 pm
That’s a great link, Dink. (That’s a rhyme. Gimme a dime.) It’s good I’m going to borrow it and give you credit tomorrow morning.
And Cuz, you’d have to get up pretty early to be a bigger idiot than I.
MV8
August 20th, 2009
5:10 pm
I wouldnt wear any Vick jersey, & if I got it for free, I’d give it to my dog as a chew toy, good thing Mike can run cause if not he’d be a pooper scooper! Woof Woof
Cuz
August 20th, 2009
5:11 pm
My favorite PETA story was when they called the cops to their National Headquarters in Va Beach to arrest this guy for making terroristic threats. It was a Pizza Guy trying to deliver a Meat Lovers Special.
Question
August 20th, 2009
5:12 pm
Frank Wren:
If you and Vick went to a BMW dealership, who do you think will walk out with a new car?
justice
August 20th, 2009
5:12 pm
oh so i am the one with the small mind, yeah ok buddy. first of all those dogs that killed that couple were wild feral dogs. not domesticated companion animals. they are dogs that were no doubt let loose by an irresponsible human and they bred in the wild and are acting as wolves not dogs. second of all what they do in other countries in not what they do in this country. it is illegal here to eat, fight, abuse and kill dogs. not illegal in asia to eat them but illegal here. third of all vick admitted to killing dogs, he admitted he participated in it. not just the money side but the cruelty side. fourth of all yes, my dogs are family to me. they live in my house lay on my couch. i do not kiss them in the mouth and rub their balls as they are neutered, which in case you dont know due to your small mind, that means they have no balls. last of all many dogfighters argue that dog fighting is ok cause its part of the dogs past. well slavery is part of black peoples past, does that make it ok? no slavery was wrong but you know what black people in slavery were many times sold by their own to the white people. yes it was wrong though, as was dog fighting. anyway i honeslty think there are some people who dont deserve a second chance. those dead dogs who did nothing wrong in their sad lives who were killed by vick and his cohorts on his property never got a second chance. maybe you dont love dogs but many in this country do. and we will speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. you can count on that, we wont forget what took place in surry county.
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 20th, 2009
5:13 pm
What I want to know is when is PETA going to say something about the pain suffered by harmless vegetables as they’re ripped off their stalks and vines and pulled out of the ground. It’s time to take a stand against cruel vegans.
Question
August 20th, 2009
5:14 pm
MV8:
Jealously won’t pay for your trailer.
The Dogfighter Returns
August 20th, 2009
5:15 pm
how can any sane person talk about abortion on a vick blog?
Cuz
August 20th, 2009
5:15 pm
I get up pretty early, but I am much shorter than you. Yep, you would be the bigger idiot.
Whatever
August 20th, 2009
5:16 pm
Can Dick’s make a jersey with Green (Philadephia) 7 on the front and Red (Falcons) 7 on the back. I want to buy on of those jerseys. I don’t care what Vick did to those dogs. Pit bulls are dangerous. Vick has paid for his error in judgment and should now be left alone to earn a living. I support people and I support Michael Vick.
YUP!!
August 20th, 2009
5:16 pm
YES!!!!!! I just got my 2 new Vick jerseys via FedX today!!!!
1 to crap on and the other to wipe my butt with!!!!
Question
August 20th, 2009
5:18 pm
So PETA protests and Humane Society doesn’t….. interesting.
The Real Fan
August 20th, 2009
5:19 pm
I have contacted the CEO and told him I will not be shopping there until the ban is lifted.
Cuz
August 20th, 2009
5:21 pm
justice, lighten up Francis. I have a dog, but if it was between my kids and my dog, the dog will lose.
And can we quit equaiting slavery, lynching, abortion, dog cruelty and the holocaust. Okay I added the holocaust. I swear the inmates are running the asylum today.
Bat Masterson
August 20th, 2009
5:25 pm
everyday, cuz