Sep 14, 2009
Vick Jersey Making Money for NFL
UPDATE – September 14, 2009 - Despite being passed over by big retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods, Michael Vick’s Philadelphia Eagles jerseys sold well enough to make their debut at No. 4. Top ten selling NFL Pro jerseys listed here.
ORIGINAL POST – September 8, 2009 – Michael Vick, Donte Stallworth, Travis Henry, Ray Lewis, the list of NFL players involved in criminal behavior goes on and on. So what makes Michael Vick so offensive to Dick’s Sporting Goods?
Why won't Dick's sell Michael Vick jerseys? They sell other criminals' merchandise.
The decision by the 394-store chain not to sell a Philadelphia Eagles’ Vick jersey defies logic. According to media reports, Dick’s CMO stated the company was determining the sale of Vick jerseys based on demand from fans.* So a publicly traded company – whose primary purpose is to increase the value of its stock for shareholders - is basing a sales decision on non-shareholders from a selected geographic area? It’s like Whole Foods CEO John Mackey writing an op ed on health care for the Wall Street Journal. Why did he think that was part of his job? I don’t get it.
There’s no doubt that Vick’s criminal behavior was heinous and abhorrent, especially to animal lovers like myself. But Dick’s sells Ray Lewis, Donte Stallworth, Travis Henry, Pacman Jones, et al, merchandise – are their criminal behaviors any less horrific? It’s as if Dick’s has proclaimed itself judge and jury of others, but in the most inconsistent of ways.
Call it profiteering or whatever you want, but the bottom line for a publicly traded company IS the bottom line.
Maybe it’s some elaborate marketing strategy by Dick’s to create buzz and then sell the jerseys at a high price. But other stores already are selling them now. I don’t know – maybe the CEO has pit pulls for pets?
The fact may be that Dick’s fears the wrath of PETA more than they fear people affected by just average horrible and appalling crime. It also may be that they are watching to see if the fans forgive Vick. When the Vick story fades and he scores game winning points, we’ll see if Vick jerseys are displayed in the window.
I feel the need to preface my comments on your story with a statement. I am an animal lover. I have a precious poodle that is my baby. I also have a cat. The cat, WHICH I AM ALLERGIC TO, is also a big part of the family. I do not love my pets the same as my children. There IS a difference. Animals are not people. What Vick did was wrong, but I also believe hitting women, in or out of strip clubs is wrong. I believe drunk driving, leading to an innocent person’s death is wrong. Being a party to stabbing someone is wrong. I believe trafficking cocaine is wrong. Apparently Dick’s Sporting Goods considers these things less serious then taking a dog’s life. Unlike the others, Vick WAS convicted and he DID serve time for his crime. His debt IS paid. I read somewhere, once, that prison was suppose to rehabilitate someone to make them a useful member of society once again. If I were a stockholder of Dick’s, I would be second guessing my investment. Fear is a bad marketing strategy.
I could not agree more with this perspective! Michael Vick paid his dues to society, unlike some of the others on this list. He should be given the right to start over. Shame on Dick’s!
Vick’s criminal behavior can harm the reputation from the team. So i am not sure this is a good idea.