Nike re-signs Vick 4 years after dumping him

Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - Nike re-signed Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick to an endorsement deal Friday, nearly four years after dropping him amid his legal troubles.

Nike, which signed Vick as a rookie in 2001, terminated his contract in August 2007 after he filed a plea agreement admitting his involvement in a dogfighting ring. Vick spent 21 months in prison.

Terms of the deal were not released.

"Michael acknowledges his past mistakes," Nike said in a statement. "We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field."

Vick was voted The Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year after missing two seasons and playing sparingly in 2009.

"Michael is committed to working with Nike and wants to utilize his platform as a professional athlete to have a positive impact on our youth," said Andrew Stroth, the Chicago-based attorney who negotiated the deal for Vick.

Nike and Vick initially renewed their relationship in 2009, when the company announced it had "agreed to supply product" to the quarterback, who was not under contract. Nike has similar agreements with several athletes with whom they don't have endorsement deals.

CNBC.com's Darren Rovell reports that the signing is an unsual reversal of fortunes for quarterback.

"It is believed to be the first time in the history of sports marketing that a brand that dumped an athlete came back to re-sign him," Rovell notes. "Coca-Cola let Kobe Bryant's contract expire in 2003, after he was charged with sexual assault; the criminal case was dropped, and the civil case was settled. Coca-Cola eventually hired Bryant back in 2008 to endorse its Vitamin Water brand."

Vick signed a one-year contract with the Eagles in March, a few weeks after being designated as the team's franchise player. He led the Eagles to a 10-6 record and the NFC East title after replacing an injured Kevin Kolb in Week 1.

Despite missing three games with an injury, Vick re-established himself as one of the most exciting players in the NFL. He set career highs with 3,018 yards passing, 21 touchdown passes, nine touchdowns rushing, a 62.6 completion percentage and a 100.2 passer rating.

Rovell reports that the impressive season has helped Vick land more endorsement deals with companies including Unequal Technologies and Core Synergy.

Rovell notes that by the end of the season, Vick's No. 7 Eagles jersey was the sixth most popular in the NFL.

[slyeye1]

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[slyeye1]

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[Superdeeduper]

Translation: Nike = A$$hats.


"Michael acknowledges his past mistakes," Nike said in a statement. "We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field."

[RizzoRatGirl]

This makes me soooo angry. Boycott NIKE. Vick may have paid his debt to society, but he has not paid his debt to the innocent dogs that he knowingly caused unbelievable pain and suffering. Shame on the Eagles and shame on Nike. And as some of you have said, no, jealousy has no part in my feelings or to most of the anti-Vick posters. Who could be jealous of someone so evil?

[Pibbles]

NIKE sucks!!! All I can think of is how Sicko Vick and his buddy repeatedly slammed the little red dog into the ground repeatedly until it was dead because it lost a fight! Of course, I also think of the dogs he hung, electrocuted, tortured in so many ways. Read " The Lost Dogs" by Jim Gorant and you will see how vile Vick is!

[sdcowgirl]

Will never buy another NIKE product.

[steelcat68]

Not hating Vick- and hope he continues to try to be a conscientious member of society. However, I can not support him or companies that promote him just as I can not do so for child molesters, rapists, abusers, pedophiles, chronic drug abusers etc. Our society will never change for the better if we allow convicted criminals(of any crime)to act as role models! Anyone who can electrocute defenseless animals, physically abuse them, and allow them to harm each other is not a role model. The crimes he committed are well documented and can be read in the federal charges and indictments, of course, he admits to only allowing it to happen. As the great Martin Luther King Jr. stated: "He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
Martin Luther King, Jr

[YESIREEDEE]

I LOVE IT. YOU ROCK MICHAEL VICK AND NIKE! I'M OLD BUT STILL PLAN TO BUY SOMETHING FROM NIKE JUST TO SUPPORT THEIR DECISION. I GUESS THE MONKS, AND PRIEST AND NUNS ABOVE HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG AND APOLOGIZED FOR IT. IT'S FUNNY THAT THIS BLACK MAN IS BEING CONDEMNED FOR HIS ACTIONS WHEN PEOPLE ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES HAVE DOG FIGHTS AND NEVER GET CONDEMNED. AND ROOSTER FIGHTS AND PEOPLE FIGHTS. I THINK YOUR GREEN EYES ARE SHOWING PEOPLE. JUST JEALOSE OF THE KID AND HIS MONEY AND SKILLS. ON YOUR BEST DAY YOU CAN'T COMPARE TO MR.VICK. I'M SURE IF SOMEONE VISITED YOU EVIL PEOPLE THEY WOULD SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WRONG AND PROBABLY NEVER APPOLOGIZED FOR. I APPLAUD NIKE FOR GIVING HIM A SECOND CHANCE. THAT'S WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT, LEARNING, AND GROWING, AND PICKING YOURSELF UP AFTER YOU HAVE FALLEN DOWN. THE WAY I SEE IT. YOU PEOPLE JUST PERSECUTE WHO YOU WANT AND GIVE A FREE GET OUT OF JAIL CARD TO OTHERS. ISN'T THERE A FOOTBALL PLAYER THAT KILLED A HUMAN BEING AND IS STILL PLAYING? WHERE ARE THE COMMENTS ON THAT? WHAT ABOUT THE WOMAN WHO POINTED THE FINGER AT MR. VICK. DIDN'T SHE AND HER HUBBY ROAST THEIR DOG IN THE CAR RIGHT AFTER THAT? WHERE ARE THE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THAT ONE. YEAH, RIGHT. I SEE, JUSTICE FOR SOME AND INJUSTICE FOR THE REST OF US. TELL ME, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

[Pibbles]

You're a disgusting, pea-brained A**hole. Boohoo with the poor black man BS! As a sucessful black male with so much talent and power, he should have set a good example for the kids who idolize him, ESPECIALLY the black youths. Not him, he let them down, he lead them down the wrong path.

EVIL KNOWS NO COLOR! Nobody is jealous of this evil man's vicious ways.

[wfw3536]

That will be the last Nike that I buy. How can this company sign someone who admitted to animal abuse. You can't get any lower than this as a human being.

[heller102]

I can't believe Nike has stooped so low.Michael Vic is lower than the crud stuck on the bottom of your sneaker. Anything with the nike name on it is now anti-animal and not welcome in my home.I will be spreading the word to everyone about nike.