Falcons' Vick indicted by grand jury in dogfighting probe

[Walter Cronkite]

State and federal officials load coolers of evidence into a truck as they search the grounds behind a home owned by Michael Vick in Smithfield, Va., on July 6.

Michael Vick has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the dogfighting probe of his property in Virginia.

The indictment alleges that Vick and his co-defendants began sponsoring dogfighting in early 2001, the former Virginia Tech star's rookie year with the Falcons.

The Falcons quarterback was indicted for conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District in Richmond, Va. Three others -- Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor -- also were indicted by the grand jury on the same charges.

According to a news release from the United States Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Virginia: "If convicted on the Travel Act portion of the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a statutory maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and full restitution. If convicted on the animal fighting venture portion of the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both. The indictment also includes a forfeiture allegation seeking recovery of any property constituting, or derived from, proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as a result of these offenses."

Telephone messages left at the offices and home of Vick's attorney, Larry Woodward, were not immediately returned.

A woman who answered the phone at the home of Vick's mother said the family knew nothing about the charges.

According to the indictment, dog fights were held at several locations in other parts of Virginia as well as North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and New Jersey. The indictment says a purse was set for each fight, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. There were also side bets made.

The indictment also claims that in the summer of 2002, at various times, Peace, Phillips, Taylor and Vick performed "testing" sessions at the property in Smithfield. After the testing, the indictment says, dogs that performed poorly were put to death by Peace, Phillips or Taylor. In April 2007, the indictment says, an additional "testing" session was performed by Peace, Phillips and Vick. Afterward, it claims eight dogs were hanged, drowned and/or slammed to the ground and killed.

"We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

"The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts."

On July 7, federal authorities conducted a second search of the Surry, Va., property owned by Vick that is the center of the dogfighting investigation.

According to court documents filed by federal authorities earlier after that search, dogfights have been sponsored by "Bad Newz Kennels" at the property since at least 2002.

Fifty-four pit bulls were recovered from the property during searches in April, along with a "rape stand," used to hold dogs in place for mating; an electric treadmill modified for dogs; and a bloodied piece of carpeting, the documents said.

During a June search of the property, investigators uncovered the graves of seven pit bulls they allege were killed by members of Bad Newz Kennels after testing sessions.

On Vick's Web site, he lists his birthplace as Newport News, "a.k.a. BadNews."

The documents said the fights usually occurred late at night or in the early morning and would last several hours.

Before fights, participating dogs of the same sex would be weighed and bathed, according to the filings. Opposing dogs would be washed to remove any poison or narcotic placed on the dog's coat that could affect the other dog's performance.

Sometimes, a dog wouldn't be fed to "make it more hungry for the other dog."

Fights would end when one dog died or with the surrender of the losing dog, which sometimes was put to death by drowning, strangulation, hanging, gunshot, electrocution or some other method, according to the documents.

Vick initially said he had no idea the property might have been used in a criminal enterprise and blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity.

Vick has since declined to talk about the investigation.

Source: AP

[Dead AIM]

There's an old saying in the law: "A Grand Jury will indict a ham sandwich."

Especially if the ham sandwich is running a dogfighting ring out of his mansion.

[Kellie-Girl]

Michael Vick is a Bengal at heart

[Flying High]

At least the Falcons still have Matt Schaub...oh wait nevermind.

[AndySMC]

It's no surprise Vick is being indicted, given all the evidence at his property. It's just a shame, though, that such a talented athlete would find a way to ruin his career with off-field trouble.

I hope justice is served, and that Vick serves whatever time or pays whatever fine is deemed appropriate, but I do hope Vick can eventually put this behind him and just play football.

Most of all, I just have to wonder when athletes will finally wise up and use some common sense off the field. Just because we watch them on Sundays doesn't mean the authorities will, or should, look the other way.

[Walter Cronkite]

Vick ordered to avoid camp during investigation

Michael Vick was ordered by commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday to stay away from the Atlanta Falcons' training camp until the league reviews the dogfighting charges against him.

"While it is for the criminal justice system to determine your guilt or innocence, it is my responsibility as commissioner of the National Football League to determine whether your conduct, even if not criminal, nonetheless violated league policies, including the Personal Conduct Policy," Goodell said in a letter to the quarterback.

The NFL said Vick would still get his preseason pay and Goodell told the Falcons to withhold any disciplinary action of their own until the league's review was completed.

Goodell told Vick the league would complete its review quickly and that he expected full cooperation. The review is expected to involve conversations with federal law enforcement officials so the NFL can determine the strength of the case against Vick.

The Falcons open camp on Thursday, the same day Vick is scheduled to be arraigned in Richmond, Va., on charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation.

Team officials declined comment other than to say a news conference was scheduled Tuesday at owner Arthur Blank's office in Atlanta.

Blank, general manager Rich McKay and new coach Bobby Petrino are expected to speak publicly for the first time about their embattled quarterback. Falcons spokesman Reggie Roberts said Vick, who is in Virginia, will not attend the news conference.

Petrino's wife, Becky Petrino, said her husband had not yet returned home when The Associated Press called on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor in Surry County, Virginia, says Vick will not be indicted when a grand jury meets tomorrow -- largely because a local dogfighting investigation has taken a back seat to the federal probe.

Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald Poindexter said today that his investigation has been on hiatus since the feds conducted their first search of a house owned by Vick where evidence of dogfighting was found.

Surry County's grand jury is scheduled to convene again in September.

Vick hasn't commented publicly since the team held a mini-camp in May. None of the phone messages left on his cell phone have been returned. Lawyer Lawrence Woodward of Newport News, Va., also did not respond to interview requests Monday.

Vick, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft, last season became the first quarterback ever to rush for more than 1,000 yards. He led the Falcons to an NFC wild-card win 2002, his first season as a starter, and in 2004, Vick's play helped the Falcons reach the conference title game.

NFL veteran players will earn $1,100 per week from the beginning of camp until the first week of the regular season.

The contract extension Vick signed in 2004, a 10-year deal worth approximately $130 million, calls for a $6 million salary this season.

After Vick's indictment last week, the NFL's position was that it would monitor developments and allow the legal process to "determine the facts."

Since then, pressure has been mounting on the league and the Falcons, particularly from animal-rights groups.

PETA -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals -- demonstrated at Falcons' headquarters in Flowery Branch, Ga., on Monday and did the same outside NFL offices in New York last week. At the same time, Goodell was meeting with officials from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The league and the ASPCA are working on a program to educate players about the proper treatment of animals.

Activists also pressured companies that have endorsements deals with Vick to sever their ties. Nike said it would not release a fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V, this summer. Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said the four shoe products and three shirts that currently bear Vick's name will remain in stores.

The Humane Society of the United States responded to the NFL's directive by renewing its call that the apparel company sever its relationship with Vick while the charges are pending.

Goodell's order came down after lengthy discussions involving the league office, the Falcons and the NFL Players' Association. Gene Upshaw, the NFLPA's executive director, was one of the first to side with Goodell when he instituted the strong Personal Conduct Policy after a season of repeated misdeeds by players.

Disciplining players has turned out to be Goodell's main focus since taking over last Sept. 1 for the retired Paul Tagliabue.

Since the end of last season, he has used the new policy to suspend Adam "Pacman" Jones of the Tennessee Titans for the entire 2007 season; and Chris Henry of Cincinnati and former Chicago Bear Tank Johnson for eight games each.

Those calling for Vick's suspension have noted that Jones, who faces charges of coercion in Las Vegas stemming from a shooting that left a man paralyzed, wasn't convicted when he was suspended.

However, league officials said there were mitigating circumstances in the Jones case.

In January, he accepted a plea agreement to dismiss public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges in Tennessee if he behaved himself for six months. League officials say that the charges in Las Vegas voided that agreement and were a major factor in his suspension.

The indictment of Vick alleges that about eight young dogs were put to death at his Surry County home after they were found not ready to fight. They were killed "by hanging, drowning and/or slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."

Purses for the fights ranged from hundreds of dollars to the thousands, and participants and spectators often placed side bets on the outcome, according to the indictment

If convicted, Vick and three others charged with him could face up to six years in prison, and $350,000 in fines.

Source: AP

[Walter Cronkite]

Falcons had planned to suspend Vick before NFL told them to hold off

Horrified by the dogfighting allegations against their star player, the Atlanta Falcons planned to suspend quarterback Michael Vick for four games until the NFL asked them to hold off while it conducted its own investigation.

What remains unclear: Has Vick played his final game for the Falcons?

"This sort of behavior is really horrific," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Tuesday, the team's first public comment since Vick was indicted last week. "But these are charges. We have to let the legal process play out."

Blank said he would encourage Vick, indicted on federal charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation, not to worry about playing football at all in 2007 while the case is pending.

With training camp beginning Thursday, the same day Vick is scheduled to be arraigned in Richmond, Va., the Falcons felt they had to make a decision on the player who led them to the NFC Championship Game during the 2004 season and last year became the first quarterback in league history to rush for 1,000 yards.

For now, Joey Harrington is Atlanta's starting quarterback.

Teams are allowed to impose disciplinary suspensions of up to four games, while the league can hand out harsher penalties.

Since the end of last season, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has used a new personal conduct policy to suspend Adam "Pacman" Jones of the Tennessee Titans for the entire 2007 season; and Chris Henry of Cincinnati and former Chicago Bear Tank Johnson for eight games each.

"Prior to this, we were pursuing the maximum discipline, which is a four-game suspension," Blank said. "We had gone so far as to draft the letter. But the commissioner asked us not to take action until they completed their review."

Source: AP

[Short Irish Guy]

"Prior to this, we were pursuing the maximum discipline, which is a four-game suspension," Blank said. "We had gone so far as to draft the letter. But the commissioner asked us not to take action until they completed their review."

Source: AP

Man, he's so fucked even black people won't defend him. He's so fucked - OJ looks at Vick and goes, "Damn, that dude is fucked up!"

[rEdRuM]

What the hell ever happened to due process? If Vick gets the shaft and is then found innocent he is gonna have fun suing.

[Walter Cronkite]

Vick pleads not guilty to dogfighting charges

Michael Vick pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal dogfighting charges and was released without bond until a Nov. 26 trial.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three others entered their pleas in U.S. District Court to conspiracy charges involving competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines. Federal prosecutors say the operation -- known as Bad Newz Kennels -- was run on Vick's property in Surry County..

"Today, you all either heard or saw Michael take his first step toward proving his innocence," Vick's attorney, Billy Martin, said. "We intend to prove Mike's innocence at trial."

The trial date was set for Nov. 26 at 9:30 a.m. Vick waived his right to a speedy trial.

"I take these charges very seriously and look forward to clearing my good name," Vick said in a statement read outside court by Martin.

'I respectfully ask all of you to hold your judgment until all of the facts are shown. Above all, I would like to say to my mom I'm sorry for what she has had to go through in this most trying of times. It has caused pain to my family and I apologize to my family. I also want to apologize to my Falcon teammates for not being with them at the beginning of spring training," he said.

Among the conditions set for all the defendants is that they surrender their passports, that they not travel outside their immediate area without court approval and that they do not sell or possess any dog. In addition, Vick was ordered to surrender any animal breeder or kennel license.

The government will file a superseded indictment in August. ESPN legal analyst Roger Cossack said that could mean new charges filed, or it could mean someone -- usually a person who has agreed to cooperate -- is being dropped from the indictment. That would mean a new arraignment.

The co-defendants made their pleas before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.

"He asserted in a loud and clear voice that he is not guilty of these allegations," Martin said.

"This is going to be a hard-fought trial," he said.

Vick arrived at the courthouse at 3 p.m. in a black sport utility vehicle and was booed by a crowd of hundreds as he emerged. Wearing a dark suit and blue shirt, the quarterback looked straight ahead as he walked up the ramp to the courthouse. He did not respond to reporters.

The allegations detailed in a graphic, 18-page indictment sparked protests by animal rights groups at the headquarters of the NFL and the Falcons. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from training camp while the league investigates.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank said the team wanted to suspend Vick for four games, the maximum penalty a team can assess a player, but the NFL asked him to wait. Instead, Blank has told the player to concentrate on his legal problems, not football.

Thursday, the Falcons opened their first camp under coach Bobby Petrino.

The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at the home found 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment typically used in dogfighting. They included a "rape stand" that holds aggressive dogs in place for mating and a "breakstick" used to pry open a dog's mouth.

Vick contended he knew nothing about a dogfighting operation at the home, where one of his cousins lived, and said he rarely visited. He has since declined comment, citing his lawyer's advice.

Attorney Lawrence Woodward, who has also represented Allen Iverson and Vick's younger brother, Marcus, has not returned several phone messages.

Charged along with Vick are Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, Va.; Quanis L. Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, Ga.; and Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Va.. They all face up to six years in prison, $350,000 in fines and restitution if convicted.

Animal rights organizations have seized on the case as an opportunity to raise awareness of the largely underground and always gruesome world of dogfighting, where two dogs are trained to fight to the death -- sometimes for hours -- until the end.

Early Thursday, activists, supporters of the athlete and the media gathered outside the federal courthouse. Some members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals dressed in dog costumes and carried signs, including one with the image of a battered pit bull and the words "Dogfighting Victim." Some people brought their dogs.

According to the indictment filed July 17, dogs not killed in the fighting pit were often shot, hanged, drowned or, in one case, slammed to the ground. The document says Vick was consulted before one losing dog was wet down and electrocuted.

It alleges that the dogfighting operation began in 2001, not long after Vick parlayed a dazzling two-year run as the quarterback at Virginia Tech into being the first overall selection in the NFL draft. His first contract was for $62 million. In 2004, he signed a 10-year, $130 million deal, then the richest in league history.

The indictment says the fights offered purses as high as $26,000 and that Vick once paid $23,000 to the owner of two pit bulls that had beaten Bad Newz Kennels dogs. That owner is one of four cooperating witnesses cited in the document.

Source: AP

[rEdRuM]

If there's no racial bias (witch-hunt) playing into this, and I have no "love lost" for any race, why are hockey fights continuously "glorified" on espn, local sports segments, and sports pages around the country, with absolutely "no" backlash" from whites??????. ( And don't give me the "weak excuse" of the occasional "Donald Brassier" incident) What do you tell your kids when they undoubtedly ask as they apparently they do of "black athletes," ( and since that's one of your main cop-out excuses), "Mommy, daddy, why are hockey players always fighting to solve their problems?????" "Well, because they're white, Sally and Johnny." Don't even say that hockey's a "different sport." It's a blatant double-standard, and if anyone, of any race, thinks that it is not they're as ignorent as you hypocritical ................... Also, you don't seem to hold the beef, pork, and poultry industries to the same sanctimonious standard that you do Michael Vick at all.

Have any of you "sensitive ones" seen how these industries "horrifically murder" these animals???? And I'm not even an anminal lover, so don't throw that weak ass) PETA MEMBER shit at me. This pitiful country is all about the "Do as we say, not as we do, two-faced whites," and shame on any people of color who have bought into the B.S., and "reverse-psychology that "whites are color-blind and they are the oppressed ones."

[Walter Cronkite]

Vick's first court appearance: Double-barreled trouble

The hearings began eight minutes early and finished in less than 25 minutes -- Michael Vick's first taste of the famed "rocket docket" in Richmond, Va. -- and they brought Vick some bad news.

With a team of five lawyers at his side, Vick learned that more charges probably will be added to the array of gruesome federal dogfighting allegations already filed against him. Too, he was told that his two-week jury trial will begin at 9:30 on the morning of Nov. 26.

"That's 9:30 sharp," U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson said, making it clear there will be no unnecessary postponements.

The worse of those two news items for Vick came from Asst. U.S. Attorney Michael Gill, who told Hudson that the federal government will be filing a "superceding indictment" by the end of next month. Although legal experts can disagree on what might come in the new indictment, the federal prosecutors in Richmond typically add charges in superceding indictments. It is unlikely they will eliminate charges.

The message from the government prosecutors to Vick and his three co-defendants (Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips, and Tony Taylor) was not subtle. Here's the message: We've already charged you with serious crimes. You might want to consider a guilty plea. We are going to file more charges next month. That gives you a few weeks to think about the guilty plea. If you come and talk to us about pleading guilty and testifying for us, there will be no more charges against you. If you do not, the charges and the potential punishment will grow quickly.

Although Vick is unlikely to respond to the pressure in that message, it is possible that one or two of the others could seek a lesser jail sentence, or no jail at all, in return for testifying against Vick.

Each of the other three defendants -- all of whom, like Vick, also pleaded not guilty and were released on bond and given the same trial date as Vick on Thursday -- has retained private counsel separate from Vick's legal team. None of them will use a public defender.

The government's revelation of the possibility of additional charges came in the second of two rapid-fire, staccato hearings conducted at the tempo of a top-of-the line marching band. U.S. Magistrate Judge Demmos Dohnal ran through the federal bail litany in what must have been record time, ordering Vick to give up his licenses for a dog kennel and for the breeding of dogs. Dohnal then released him. Less than five seconds after Dohnal had finished, Hudson walked in and continued the breakneck pace.

If anyone had any doubt that Vick's celebrity might change the court's usual pace, Hudson cleared it up quickly. Lawrence Woodward, one of Vick's lawyers, argued that a speedy trial is not possible under the Richmond rules. There is no way, Woodward said, to be ready for trial on Oct. 4, which is what the rules require. He described the complexity of the charges, the need for forensic analysis of some of the dead dogs, and the multi-state nature of the charges.

Hudson listened and ruled instantly, as he did on every other issue during the hearing.

"Yes," Hudson said, "I will treat this case as complex litigation."

And then he set it for trial on Nov. 26, about eight weeks later than the date required by normal docket rules. Woodward and the rest of Vick's legal team likely were hoping for an eight-month delay rather than an eight-week delay. It was apparent that Hudson is serious about the November date.

Vick and the Atlanta Falcons now know what the quarterback will be doing this fall.

Hudson laid out a schedule for the pre-trial skirmishing that is always a part of a major federal conspiracy prosecution. Vick's lawyers might have an advantage in the speedy pre-trial procedures in that they come equipped with money and staff, so it is likely they'll be able to outwork federal prosecutors who must tend to other cases and won't be able to focus solely on Vick.

In another sign of the quick-step culture of the Richmond courthouse, Hudson told the lawyers he will select a jury in "a half a day." With enormous media coverage expected, coupled with the severity of the charges described in the indictment, two veteran Richmond defense lawyers -- both of whom have histories with Hudson -- thought it would take as much as a week to find 12 jurors who haven't already made up their minds on Vick.

"If Judge Hudson says a half a day, then it will be a half a day," one of them observed after the hearings.

Lester Munson, a Chicago lawyer and journalist who has been reporting on investigative and legal issues in the sports industry for 18 years, is a Senior Writer for ESPN.com.

Source: ESPN.com

[Walter Cronkite]

Nike suspends Vick's contract; No. 7 jersey pulled

Nike suspended its lucrative contract with Michael Vick on Friday, while Reebok took the unprecedented step of stopping sales of his No. 7 jersey.

Facing protests from animal-rights groups, Nike announced it was suspending Vick's endorsement deal without pay, as well as halting sales of Vick-related shoes and other products at its retail stores.

Reebok, the official uniform supplier of the NFL, said it would stop selling Vick's replica jersey at retail stores and through its Web site.

The moves came one day after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleaded not guilty to federal dogfighting charges in Richmond, Va.

"Nike is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick, and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent," Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said in a statement.

Since Vick has not been convicted of any crime, Nike left open the door to resume its business relationship with the star player if he's acquitted.

"We do believe that Michael Vick should be afforded the same due process as any citizen in the United States," according to the statement. "Therefore, we have not terminated our relationship."

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, in response to Nike's decision, said Friday it would call off plans to picket NikeTown stores across the country next week.

"PETA commends Nike for its decision to suspend Michael Vick's contract without pay and to discontinue sales of Vick merchandise pending the outcome of his trial," PETA said in a statement. "No company wants a spokesperson with a massive illegal dogfighting ring operating on his property, regardless of his level of involvement."

Although Reebok does not have a business relationship with Vick, the Massachusetts-based company serves as the official supplier of apparel and equipment to all 32 NFL teams. Through that deal, it holds the coveted rights to sell jerseys at the retail level.

"We just find the allegations very upsetting and very disturbing," Reebok spokeswoman Denise Kaigler said. "While this is just the beginning of the legal process and we know that it has to have time to run its course, we felt that making this decision now was important and the right things to do."

Reebok said it also was willing to take back any unsold Vick jerseys that are returned by retail outlets.

Kaigler said she already had received numerous e-mails in support of the decision. Even though numerous NFL players have run afoul of the law, this is the first time Reebok has stopped sales of an individual jersey.

"The number of e-mails and statements we're getting from consumers was pretty telling about how disturbing people find these allegations to be," Kaigler said.

Source: AP

[Walter Cronkite]

Vick co-defendant expected to enter plea agreement

One of Michael Vick's co-defendants doesn't want to wait for trial.

Instead, a plea agreement hearing has been scheduled for Tony Taylor at 9 a.m. Monday in the federal dogfighting conspiracy case.

Taylor's hearing was added to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson's docket Friday, a day after he and the other three defendants pleaded not guilty before the same judge. Vick and the others still are scheduled for trial Nov. 26.

Prosecutors claim Taylor, 34, found the Surry County property purchased by Vick and used it as the site of "Bad Newz Kennels," a dogfighting enterprise. The Hampton man also allegedly helped purchase pit bulls and killed at least two dogs that fared poorly in test fights.

ESPN's Kelly Naqi reported that according to sources, Taylor and Vick used to be close friends, but had a falling out in their relationship about three years ago.

Taylor's lawyer, Stephen Ashton Hudgins of Newport News, did not immediately return a phone message, and federal prosecutors have declined to talk about the case.

An 18-page indictment issued July 17 charged the four men with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities, and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. The maximum punishment is five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.

According to the indictment, the dogfighting ring executed underperforming dogs by drowning, hanging and other brutal means. It alleges that the fights offered purses as high as $26,000.

The gruesome details outlined in the indictment have fueled protests and public outrage against Vick, the star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has banned Vick from the Falcons' training camp while the league investigates.

Charged along with Vick and Taylor are Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis L. Phillips, 28, of Atlanta.

All four remain free without bond. When U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal set the conditions for their release Thursday, he commended Taylor for admitting to using illegal drugs despite never being convicted of a drug offense. He ordered periodic drug testing for Taylor.

Peace and Phillips each have drug convictions and were ordered to submit to testing, as well as an electronic monitoring program. Taylor was spared the electronic monitoring.

Neither drug testing nor monitoring were ordered for Vick.

Source: AP

[Walter Cronkite]

Vick's Cards Yanked From Donruss, UD Products

Michael Vick spent the first six years of his captivating NFL career performing feats of extraordinary athleticism that made him one of the most collectible and collected players in all of sports.

His cards have been among the most desirable on the football market seemingly from the beginning. Certainly no other player in the history of football cards has had a more profound impact on the Beckett Football Hot List than Vick.

In the 12-year history of Beckett Football's 20-card Hot List, Vick cards have been responsible for 15 appearances at No. 1 (including 10 alone by his 2001 SP Authentic JSY AU RC), by far the most of any other player. In addition, 34 unique Vick cards have appeared on the Hot List; David Carr is second with 21.

The value of Vick's once-enormous appeal certainly wasn't lost on the folks at Donruss, who as recently as 2006 had a deal with the now-embroiled Falcons quarterback to appear on the company's packaging and advertising.

That, of course, was long before Vick landed in the center of a dog-fighting controversy that threatens to dramatically impact the rest of his career, to say nothing of his collectibility.

Friday afternoon, Donruss officials confirmed that they have removed Vick from all future 2007 products, beginning with the October release of 2007 Donruss Gridiron Gear. A few hours later, Upper Deck removed Vick from its 2007 card releases and pulled all Vick items from its UD Authenticated memorabilia product line.

"If anybody who knows about the current Vick situation knows Donruss, they know that this is a decision we had to make because of Ann [Powell] and her love of dogs," says Scott Prusha, Donruss' communications manager. "This decision came straight from Ann."

Powell, who owns Donruss, is an avid dog lover whose Labrador Retrievers – Bailey, Diesel, Koda Bear, Lhotse and Snoozer – accompany her to work every day and enjoy virtually free reign inside Donruss headquarters.

Donruss has an existing autograph agreement with Vick, and much of the company's plans for the remainder of 2007 included inserting both autograph and memorabilia cards of Vick into every remaining product.

"[Value] wasn't even a consideration," Prusha says. "We met as a company and the idea was brought up to pull him. There was no opposition from anybody in the room. It was unanimous that we were behind the decision."

Kerri Stockholm, Upper Deck's Director of Marketing, said, "Of course we appreciate the fact that Mr. Vick is innocent until proven guilty, but the allegations alone have resulted in an outpouring of very strong emotion within our organization and among the collecting community. We believe collectors will agree and support this decision as being the best course of action for our football business."

Dan Hitt, Beckett Media's Sports Data Manager, says that while he applauds the companies' decision to pull Vick from future products, he's doubtful that it will have a huge impact either way on the value of Vick's trading cards.

"Vick seems to be doing all he can to crush the value of his cards," Hitt says. "Even the most recent basic Vick autographed card values have dropped more than 50 percent in value in the past year.

"Cutting off the quantity of new card releases for Vick won't endear collectors to the Falcons' quarterback. Not too many collectors would be excited about pulling any sort of Vick card out of a pack right now anyway, so nearly any replacement player would be welcomed."

Hitt notes that copies of Vick's 2001 SP Authentic RC, which once held a Beckett Value of $1,600 and currently books between $500 and $1,000, have recently traded in the $480 to $590 range.

For what it's worth, trading cards aren't the only sector of the memorabilia business reacting to the Vick situation. Earlier this week, the NFL's online store removed all Vick items from NFL.com, and Reebok recently announced that they have temporarily ceased distribution of Vick jerseys.

Source: beckett.com