CARLSBAD, Calif. (July 28, 2007) -- Upper Deck has removed all Michael Vick autographed memorabilia from its online store and will remove the indicted quarterback's trading card from NFL sets that are scheduled to be released in October.
The announcement by the San Diego County company came a day after Nike suspended its lucrative contract with Vick and Reebok took the unprecedented step of stopping sales of his No. 7 jersey. Another trading card company, Donruss, announced it was pulling Vick's likeness from any new packs.
"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."
Items pulled from the online store include autographed footballs, helmets, jerseys and the company's line of "Breaking Through" pieces. His card will be pulled beginning with the Ultimate Collection Football set.
The latest hit to Vick came two days after the Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleaded not guilty to federal dogfighting charges in Richmond, Va. In the indictment, he was accused of sponsoring a gruesome operation that often shot, hanged, drowned or electrocuted losing dogs.
