Lizard's Rant

With the recent Michael Vick indictment, Upper Deck and Donruss became the latest to pull Vick from their product lines. Here’s the reaction from Donruss:

“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.”

Quickly followed by UD’s announcement:

“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,” Kerri Stockholm, Upper Deck’s director of marketing, said in a statement. “We believe collectors will agree and support this decision as being the best course of action for our football business.”

While I think everyone - Nike, UD, Donruss, Reebok, etc - is slightly over-reacting without a conviction (by comparison to my knowledge, no one pulled Ray Lewis cards after alleged involvement in a murder) - I fully support each businesses decision to run their business and protect their corporate image. Dog fighting, particularly what’s outlined in Vick’s indictment, is a despicable crime and no business wants PETA after them.

SportsLizard will not, however, be removing Michael Vick items from our marketplace or customs section (I felt the pressure to come out and make an official announcement :))

In all seriousness though - here is what better NOT happen: Vick’s cards better not “accidentally” show up in packs and skyrocket in value on the secondary market. This isn’t Alex Gordon and that would be completely tasteless to use this to your own benefit. Furthermore, if Vick cards don’t show up in packs, we’ll know that cards like the Gordon are intentional - all but confirming that statements of not knowing how they get out are complete BS.