WOW - does The Humane Society really hate Michael Vick! I was browsing for any new Michael Vick news and found that The Humane Society is the #1 sponsored Google link for simple "Michael Vick" searches. The message comes in three parts (all pictured above) - The first is a premium highlighted spot at the top of Google's page stating:
Michael Vick Dogfighting www.humanesociety.com Tell the NFL not to tolerate their players' support of animal cruelty.
Whew! Pulling no punches there. Vick. Dogfighting. Support of animal cruelty. The second sponsored message is the same as the first (just off to the side). The third is more interesting in that it leads off with: Clinton Portis' comments? followed by the same "Tell the NFL..." message.
The direct link to The Humane Society leads to a fill-in-the-blank form where visitors can send canned "dogfighting is like, really bad...really" spam to Roger Goodell, the NFL Commish.
The Humane Society is issuing a direct challenge to Vick and his lawyers to test them on the dogfighting and animal cruelty inferences. In fact, I am certain that the Humane Society would love to hear something from Vick's lawyers. But they are not. In fact, we are hearing nothing from Vick and his lawyers at all.
~~ Did You Know That Vick Is Spending More Money on His Legal Defense Today Than OJ Did in His Defense? ~~
The key issue with Vick's silence is that he is already spending millions on this legal defense strategy. I would not be surprised to learn that Vick will have spent more in 2007 alone on his defense already than OJ did during his entire trial. According to Time Magazine, OJ spend $5 to 6 million on his defense team during his trial.
What money do you say? Sponsorship money for 2007 and beyond. Vick is willing to risk (and likely lose) over $7 million in yearly sponsorship revenues by not simply standing up and saying...
"I am sorry that this happend, but I have nothing to do with dogfighting. I condone this illegal activity and, as a dog lover and breeder, I will do everything in my power to bring anyone involved with dogfighting to justice. Everyone needs to realize that I have been working behind-the-sceens with the Humane Society, Federal agencies and local authorities to offer them every form of assistance in bringing this issue to a close."
This statement alone would probably bring Vick another $3 million in sponsorship money due to the clarity that it could bring. Instead, his silence is costing him millions of dollars - and will continue to cost him in years to come. Didn't Clinton Portis immediately backtrack on his pro-dogfighting statements? Sure did. Simply follow the money trail here, folks. If a dumb statement is going to cost you and your team millions of dollars, then retract that statement quickly and make good. Instead, Vick is spending millions and millions of dollars in guilty silence.
AirTran bailed on Michael Vick earlier in June. Surprisingly, Nike has kept him on so far. Nike is a master of brand management; so it came as a surprise that they issued the following statement: "There is no change in the status of the agreement between Nike and football player Michael Vick. He is rightfully presumed innocent and afforded the same due process as any citizen, rather than be tried in the court of public opinion. Nike will continue to monitor the situation, but has nothing further to say at this time."
Interesting comments from a company rooted in managing the "court of public opinion" surrounding the Nike brand. Interesting, but Nike would have lost face if it failed to refuse be pushed around by bullying tactics - even from a simple group like this. Bad strategy by the clumsy, but well-intentioned folks at the Humane Society to push Nike. They should have first won over the court of public opinion before trying to kick sand in Nike's face.
Well, we have yet to hear from other Vick sponsors like Coca-Cola, Kraft, Rawlings, EA Sports, Hasbro, Powerade and the local business crowd. My guess is that these companies will not be touting much more Vick in 2007.
- El Queso Grande
You have GOT to be kidding me! This handy device was made for field dressing (cutting up) deer after a hunt. Just in case you didn't get the hint from the name...
