Michael Vick reached a two-year endorsement deal on Wednesday with Unequal Technologies, maker of shock-absorbing equipment such as vests and pads, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Vick reportedly began using the equipment after sustaining a rib injury. Though Vick did a commercial for a Philadelphia car dealership in December, his only compensation was the use of a Nissan Armada. The financial terms of the deal have yet to be released, but Unequal CEO Rob Vito said it is “sizable.”
Sizable is a relative term, especially when you consider Vick was earning a reported $2 million per year from Nike before his arrest. I don’t know anything about Unequal’s finances, but I wouldn’t imagine it would be able to match a company like Nike. Vick reportedly has approximately $12 million in debt to be paid to creditors between now and 2015, so I’m sure any extra income is appreciated — which could likely be said for most of us regardless of our financial situation.
Two years ago the Eagles gave Vick a shot after feeling that he had changed as a person. While that all sounds nice and sweet, let’s be clear — they gave him a shot because he’s a freak athletically. He can do things on the football field we’ve never seen before. They gave him a shot because they knew that, despite any initial backlash, if he was anywhere close to the player he was before prison all would be forgiven. That’s not to say that he didn’t change; his improvement from the pocket this season shows a level of commitment — to football at least — he’s never shown before. He’s made the rounds speaking out against dog-fighting, but only he knows whether or not he believes what he’s saying.
Unequal Technologies is obviously banking on that same premise; all that matters is how he plays. If he plays anything like he did this season, they’ll probably sell more pads and equipment than ever before. All Vick has to do is play well and avoid executing any dogs. Unequal likely will get more than it’s money worth with this deal, and that’s really what it’s all about right, money over integrity?
