By Aaron Kuriloff
July 27 (Bloomberg) -- Reebok International Ltd. suspended sales of Michael Vick's jerseys, a day after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleaded not guilty in federal court to a charge that he conspired to run an interstate dog-fighting operation.
The unit of Adidas AG, the world's second-biggest maker of sporting goods, will stop selling the football jerseys even though Reebok doesn't have an individual endorsement or sponsorship agreement with Vick, according to a statement from the company. Reebok is the official supplier of apparel and equipment to all 32 National Football League teams.
``While we respect the legal process, we find the allegations against Mr. Vick too disturbing to ignore,'' Reebok said. ``Therefore, we have decided to immediately suspend selling Vick NFL product, both at retail and online through the Reebok web site.''
Reebok's web site didn't display Vick jerseys this afternoon. The company is also honoring retail cancellations of Vick merchandise, the statement said.
On July 19, Nike Inc. suspended the launch of Vick's latest signature shoe line, his fifth for the world's largest athletic- shoe maker, citing concerns about the ``highly disturbing allegations.''
Beaverton, Oregon-based Nike said it would continue to monitor Vick's legal situation.
AirTran Airways, which has a hub in Atlanta, said in May that it wouldn't renew its sponsorship agreement with Vick, who appeared in billboard and radio advertisements. Vick's publicist blamed AirTran after the quarterback failed to arrive to speak before the U.S. Congress the previous month.
Another company listed as a sponsor on Vick's web site, Coca-Cola's Powerade, ended dealings with Vick three years ago when it changed its marketing strategy, spokeswoman Susan Stribling said.
Adidas also has agreements with Major League Soccer and an 11-year exclusive deal with the National Basketball Association. The Herzogenaurach, Germany-based company announced July 6 that it signed Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to its first stock- car racing endorsement contract.
To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Kuriloff in New York at akuriloff@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: July 27, 2007 14:17 EDT
HOME
