Vague as Vick

The controversial signing of QB Michael Vick by the Philadelphia Eagles has raised much uproar throughout the country, though particularly here in the Philadelphia metro area. Some fans are downright belligerent about his signing, saying that he's a dog killer and he doesn't deserve the chance to play again; others are all for it, saying that he paid time for his crime and everybody should have the opportunity to get a second chance in life.

So with this controversy, I figured there would be some corporate reservations about endorsing this polarizing athlete. But unfortunately I haven't seen much of a stance one way or the other from the corporate world thus far. The closest I've seen has been a Philadelphia Inquirer article which discusses Dick's Sporting Goods and their stance on the issue of selling Michael Vick jerseys in their stores. In a nutshell: if people want them, Dick's will stock them, if not, they won't. Gee, don't go too far out on a limb there, guys.

I would like to have seen somebody take a stance on this issue. Either hold the line and say we choose not to stock Michael Vick jerseys because of his questionable character, or say, yes, we will stock his jersey and we have decided that 10% of all revenue from the sale of his jerseys will go to the ASPCA, to help animals in distress. To me, it's pretty lame to act vaguely and say that you will wait and see how people react, or just glaze over the issue until it subsides. Grow a backbone for once!

Kudos to Philly Sports Teams and Fans

An estimated 1,500 Philly sports fans and good Samaritans lined up to give blood in exchange for sports jerseys yesterday at the Wachovia Center. It was quite a scene to see so many dedicated individuals looking to help save lives yesterday.

Kudos should be given to the American Red Cross for running a smooth blood drive and to the Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Wings, and Philadelphia Phantoms for offering up free replica jerseys for all donors. This is their third year holding this blood drive. It's a win-win for all people involved and I hope it will continue and grow throughout the years.