So Nike will now be pulling the impending release of Michael Vick's new shoe line, scheduled to be rolled out next week.Early yesterday, Nike released a press statement detailing their plans to stand behind Michael Vick, saying every man is innocent until proven guilty. Their wording was dedicated, focused and confident.
Now, In 24 hours, the course has been completely reversed. In addition, Nike has pulled all videos featuring Vick on their website but are pulling the usual corporate bullshit of keeping everything muddled and hush-hush w/r/t their long-term association with Vick. They'll sit low. Ride it out. See if the storm passes.
In an equally disturbing manner, ESPN has changed their story headlines in their wire archives w/r/t the Vick issue as it relates to Nike. Nothing on their site relates to Nike standing behind Vick, as it did earlier yesterday. ESPN's cozy association with Nike invariably comes to mind. Ooooh, for a website snapshot!
Such is our age. And it's allowed.
In an effort to make things clear, all the evidence suggests Michael Vick is a brain-dead Neanderthal who needs to watch dogs fight to the death in order to get some kicks. As someone who enjoys, on a visceral level, the company of dogs over humans, hardly anything can bring me a deeper hatred for another human being more than this. In fact, I rarely will completely trust another human being if they don't like dogs (allergies aside). They're all weird!
With the timing of their reversal, it reminds me of Oprah saying on Larry King that she stands behind James Frey only to completely reverse her position hours later after others provided her with a ethical center.
In a world where ethics are only determined by the severity of the fallout, a corporation's or individual's transparency becomes all the more evident. Follow the developing story and the center becomes bare for all to see.
In short, just follow the sloppiness of it all.
I had a bit of a love affair with Nike shoes for a long time. With a size 13 foot, it was tough to find a shoe that fits, is durable and holds up to the elements as well as Nike shoes have for me. Their shoes became a bit verboten after this. With their capitulation and 'correction', I gave them another chance. As I said, it's tough to find good shoes. I admit the line.
If Vick continues to be a poster child for Nike after all this, I'm done. There. I said it. I'm getting all self-righteous...about shoes.
No comments:
Post a Comment