NFL megastar Vick’s endorsements in danger

NFL megastar Michael Vick has long been judged by his quarterback rating. Today, Vick and his bean counters have a bigger concern.

A federal indictment handed down Tuesday against Vick for felony dogfighting charges threatens to further deplete and perhaps decimate the flashy quarterback’s once-posh endorsement portfolio — sponsorships that currently pay him $7 million a year. According to sports marketers, Vick’s cachet as a celebrity pitchman for Nike and other companies is as wobbly as a Hail Mary pass.

“His reputation has taken a harder hit than any linebacker could have put on him,” said Don Hinchey, vice president of communications for the Bonham Group, a sports and entertainment marketing firm based in Denver, Colo.

Vick’s legal troubles prompted Nike on Thursday 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. Stoyer said the four shoe products and three shirts that currently bear Vick’s name will remain in stores.

Vick will be arraigned next week in a Richmond, Va., federal courtroom on charges of sponsoring a gruesome dogfighting operation.

Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said the company still has a standing contract with Vick but declined to speculate on his future with Nike.

A statement released by Nike Inc. 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."

Vick signed his current contract with Nike in 2001, the same year Atlanta chose him as the NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick.

Even before the animal cruelty case surfaced, Vick’s corporate status had been chomped to the bone by months of bad press. His obscene gesture to Atlanta Falcons’ fans last November drew a $10,000 fine. His water bottle with the hidden compartment (containing a “dark particulate”) was confiscated in January by airport security in Miami. Even his love life lagged when Vick settled a lawsuit with a woman who claimed he infected her with herpes.

Not since NBA sharpshooter Kobe Bryant hemorrhaged endorsement dollars amid 2003 rape allegations has a high-profile athlete faced such a financial fiasco.

“It just hasn’t been a great summer for him,” said David Carter, founder of the Sports Business Group, a Southern California-based provider of strategic sports-marketing services.

“It’s worse than Kobe Bryant, because five years ago we still expected something from our athletes, some semblance of professionalism. Now we expect so little,” Carter said. “It’s not a one-time mess with Mike Vick. If I’m a corporation, I say, ‘Why put up with this? There’s no need to link our brand to him.’  Anybody who wants to get involved with him is doing so at extraordinary risk.”

Michael Vick dogfighting case Vick gets 23 months in prison  | Agree? Ventre: Vick got what he deserved Celizic: QB's days as superstar are over Readers react  |    Slide show: Vick's case Vote: Will he ever play in NFL again? CHFF: If Vick does return, he'll be a RB Newsweek: Huge fall from grace Tours of property attracts the curious Timeline in dogfighting case  |    Discuss it

The shiniest jewel in Vick’s once-fat clump of endorsement bling belongs to Nike. According to press reports, the shoe behemoth has a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract with Vick. So far, Nike is standing behind the player, issuing a terse statement: “We’re aware of the indictment and are reviewing the information. We have no further comment at this time.” But soon, Nike may be the only company willing to pay Vick to plug its products.

In May, AirTran Airways cut ties with Vick. The airline didn’t specifically point to the federal dogfighting probe or the litany of off-field scrapes, yet it opted not to renew its three-year relationship with the player. Coca-Cola (via its sports drink PowerAde) and Kraft Foods also have allowed endorsement deals with Vick to lapse. A Coca-Cola spokeswoman said the Atlanta-based beverage giant decided three years ago to switch the marketing strategy for PowerAde away from pro athletes and toward non-traditional sports, while a Kraft spokeswoman said the food company merely held a “seasonal” deal with Vick in 2005. Hasbro also has not had any business dealings with Vick since its relationship with the player expired two years ago.

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