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Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, right, poses with a fan at Findlay Toyota in Henderson Friday, May 26, 2012.
Published Saturday, May 26, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Updated Saturday, May 26, 2012 | 12:55 p.m.
Michael Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback, is one of the NFL’s most intriguing stars. His involvement in an illegal dogfighting ring and subsequent incarceration make him a divisive figure.
Michael Vick fallout
An act of goodwill has enraged Findlay Toyota’s Facebook audience to a point where the car dealership’s marketing department shut down its promotional page. The target of the backlash is Philadelphia Eagle Michael Vick, who met with fans Friday night at the Henderson dealership.
The infamous 31-year-old NFL quarterback — in town for a youth football camp — continues to face scrutiny for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring. In 2007, he pleaded guilty and served a 21-month sentence.
During a kickoff for the camp, the soft-spoken Vick greeted fans, shook hands and autographed Eagles’ memorabilia and footballs between posing for snapshots.
“People have grown to forgive me and give me a second chance,” said Vick, acknowledging that some haven’t dropped the issue.
Commenters on Findlay Toyota’s Facebook page called Vick a “dog killer” and threatened to beat him up. Others posted that they planned to boycott the car dealership for sponsoring Vick for promotional and charity events, including a May 29 youth football clinic at the Henderson International School.
In response, the dealership began deleting comments and ultimately shut down the page Friday night.
“We’re just trying to do something right for the kids and people just forget about that,” said Stephanie Bernas, marketing manager and social media director for Findlay Toyota.
Vick and other former NFL players will host the camp that gives eighth- through 12th-graders the chance to learn the game from pro athletes. High school students will have a chance to be instructed by Jim Fassel, former head coach of the New York Giants and current coach of the UFL's Las Vegas Locomotives. A separate noncontact clinic will also be held that day for youths from third to seventh grade.
“Just showing them how to play the game,” said Vick, adding that he enjoys working with the kids.
The camp helps students grow, Vick added. “We give them an opportunity to dream.”
“We sponsor the camp and him to come here,” said Rick Glenn, marketing director of the dealership. This is the second year Findlay Toyota has brought Vick to participate in the camp.
“I love Las Vegas, it’s a great place,” said Vick, adding that he’s more inclined to do the camp here because of his affinity for the city.
For more registration information, visit findlaytoyotaevents.com. Students can register for the clinic at a discounted rate of $75 through the dealership.
Wow, people in Vegas are willing to give a dog that killed a child a second chance, but not a human being?
Maybevegas, my thoughts exactly. Militants and extremists galore. I like the comment about beating up Vick. That is the problem with most animal lovers they forget the animals are NOT human. I am not for the abuse of ANYTHING but he served his time. The protestors need to get a life.
Humanity has lost its grip.
Vick needs to burn in hell for what he's done. He knew full well what he was doing when he tortured and killed all those innocent dogs. The dog that killed the baby didn't know what he was doing. It was 100% the parents fault for allowing a large dog around their child.
There is no forgiveness for what Vick did. If there was a video out showing Vick torturing dogs, he wouldn't even show his face in public there'd be so much outrage. Imagine Vick hanging a live dog by his neck until he died. Imagine Vick sticking a live dog in a barrel filled with water and putting the top on until the dog drowned. Imagine Vick dosing a live dog with water and then electrocuting him.
So, do you now see the difference between Vick the human and Onion the dog?
There are SO MANY better choices for Findlay Toyota to represent them. Michael has done his time but that doesn't mean people forget about his previous actions. As I said, there are thousands of better candidates out there for a promotion like this.
Michael Vick? Findlay Toyota had a brain freeze on this one.
I'm no Mike Vick apologist...
But the irony of a community that treats it's animals like DOG DOO calling HIM out for his animal cruelty is rich.
I remember reading that Las Vegas puts down more animals per-day than New York Freaking City.
During this years-long foreclosure fiasco, people have left their 'beloved pets' inside abandoned houses as they've departed, chained up OUTSIDE as they've departed, and much worse.
Everyone here seems to think they need a HUGE, BARKING DOG. Or 2 or 3 HUGE BARKING DOGS.
They leave them out day and night to bark, bark, bark... and SUFFER.
(Of course the selfish bastid's that own these HUGE, BARKING DOGS take the Marmadukes for walks and leave their huge piles of crap WHEREVER THEY LAND.)
Yeah, Las Vegas, you tell Michael Vick...
your hands are clean.
Ok so for all this time the apologists for this dog breed, completely made by man god never made a pit bull they were created by man as were all forms of domesticated dogs and pit bulls and some other breeds like them were specifically bred to only save the most aggressive and violent tendencies, was that it was always the owner who did something to the dog and these dogs are completely safe. Now Brian would comment and say they shouldn't have a "large dog" around a kid. But why since they're such safe and loving animals? We'll let that one sink on on those who are about to defend these dogs, ALL of which should be put down and made extinct, over a human being..
As for Vick, I am no apologist for what he did either. Allow me to clarify, do I believe that pits and the other breeds like them that are man made and bred for fighting or "protection" (a majority of the dogs for protection turn on their masters eventually and have to be put down too) should be put down? YES! But that does not imply the torture and other things that they do to them in that industry. So Vick got punished and did his time. Yes I know he was punished for gambling or whatever and not for what he did to the dogs but you can take that up with the prosecutor and laws regarding being able to prove things in court with evidence. And as for comments about burning in hell or non-forgiveness, if you're a christian and you talk like that you're more likely to be down there looking up at him. Judge not lest ye be judged, turn the other cheek, oh gosh there are so many quotes about forgiveness in the Bible and none of them say unless you're Michael Vick next to them...
I tire of living in a society filled with so many "perfect" and "judgmental" people (Brian)... Vick has paid a heavy personal and financial price for what he did and I find no reason or comfort in making his, a life sentence.
So many, carry so much hatred towards others, it's a heavy load... no wonder it makes us, more and more, an uncivil and uncaring people that can't even get along, let alone solve problems.
He was in Henderson? Mr. Vick meet Onion...Onion meet Mr. Vick.
Who would go to see this jerk? How can we forget what he did to the dogs? Just goes to show how our society has fallen. Making heroes out of criminals. There was a time when someone like him would be ashamed of what he did and would be barred from sports and appearances like this. NO MORE SHAME!
Just like the NFL should stand for National Felony League. Look at how many of the trash who play have gotten into trouble. Pure trash and our youth look up to these criminals? I would not support anything they do
Terrible marketing on the part of Findlay,that person should be terminated, as for Vick yes we should forgive him but he should have been banned from the NFL.
So Findlay Toyota thought bringing Vick in would help sales? Who runs the PR department?? When I first read about it i had to think twice like WHAT THE #@%^
I guess their new slogan should be " We will do anything, and i mean anything to sell you a car"
"People have grown to forgive me and give me a second chance," said Vick.
not me.
Hide your dogs people.
what exactly do most of you want vick to do? what he did was wrong by todays standards in most (but not all) communities in the usa. its against the law but so are alot of things still going on. he served the time given to him, had everything he had taken away, and had to start over.
i havent heard of him getting in any more trouble, and im sure he is watched like a hawk by many people. hes done work for animal rights and works with kids.
so, what i want to know from all of the naysayers, is "what should he do now? what would you do if you were him? and dont say crawl back under a rock or something stupid like that...
i think he was wrong for what he did, i dont see how any body could engage in that, but he did, he paid the price given to him by us..and now what, lets hear it...what should he do???
He tries to do something good and people bag on him. We didnt hear anything about him being in the club or making it rain, but still people want to bag on him. Not cool.
Bunch of hypocrites in Las Vegas! Lobbying to save the life of a DOG who killed a one year old child.............and no forgiveness for a man, who served prison time for his animal offences, and is trying to do something positive for the youth..........
@ james higgins - What should he do? Let's start with a SINCERE apology and TRUE remorse for what he did. He had no choice but to serve the time, but I never saw a single time he acted like he was actually sorry for what he did, but only that he got caught doing it.
In reply: Gee 'mag'-got it wrong again!!!
You seemingly love categorizing the owners of big dogs into one classification. My Rottweiler's live like "kings and queens". A large climate controlled dog house, they have a great deal of area to run inside of a fenced off property. And yes, the area is cleaned and manicured every day for them.
And yes, sometimes they do bark. Sometimes for minor reasons, other times for darn good reason.
If you don't like dogs barking, maybe you should consider moving into a segregated community where the rule is, "no pets allowed".
Sad response from a city. Vick served his time. Leave him alone. And I fault Findlay for being stupid.
Spelling errors in paragraph 2. Need a copy editor? ;)
I am a dog lover. I have five dogs and two cats who live in the house and they are treated quite well. I despise any cruelty or neglect that animals have to endure. But Mr. Vick had completed his prison term. And the fines he paid, along with the money lost when his $100 million contrct with the Atlanta Falcons was voided, lead me to believe that he has paid a higher price for animal cruelty than anyone in American history.
I think it's time to give a second chance to someone who has paid his debt to society. Isn't that the American way?
Get a grip, folks. He was tried, convicted, sentenced and served. Put the rocks down, there are a whole lot of people living in glass houses around here.
some people just need to let it go. mr. vick committed an abhorrent crime. his punishment was greater than most who have committed similar crimes. he served his time and seems to have learned from his mistakes. the purpose of criminal punishment is to deter future offenses. it would seem mr. vick is exactly what the criminal justice system hopes to accomplish.
Michael Vick tortured dogs. What happened with Onion was an unfortunate accident.
Yes, Michael did his time. But that doesn't mean that society needs to welcome him back.
It's a sad commentary on our society that we idolize dog torturers.
Findlay has every right to hire dog torturers to represent them. And we have every right to never buy a car from Findlay.
Who in their right mind wants their picture taken standing next to him shaking his hand? He's a poor example for Findlay to associate with...real poor. There are so many athletes out their that have conducted themselves with honor that would have been a better fit. Whether they would be made available is another thing but I'm on the side thinking the last thing you do is call Mike Vick. Findlay Toyota pulled a dumb move. Buy American.
Michael Vick has an agent and, possibly, a public relations consultant who shop him around as part of his rehabilitation as a public person. A major football personality with no baggage doesn't come cheap unless he's a selfless Tim Tebow. Michael Vick probably does come cheap or even free. If the publicity folks at Findlay weighed the options of low-cost star versus controversy count the comments, 10 against, 10 sorta for and five neutralish. If that carries over to the bigger population then Findlay has potential new customers across the sales floor. The ten against, not potential customers anyway.
Imagine that...In America where you "do the crime, do the time" and are allegedly given a "second chance". That is laughable.
For most people it's once a criminal ALWAYS a criminal. Your are NEVER forgiven.
Why was Findlay Toyota stupid enough to think they could bring in Michael Vick and NOT get this response. They could have brought in Tony Romo, or Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, anyone else and not have gotten this.
It is disturbing that people forgive an animal (Onion) for killing a human but can't forgive a person who has paid his debt to society for his horrible choices.
This is why pet owners need emotional counseling more than anything else.
First of all this is just like most of the car dealerships in town--THEY ALL SUCK--except maybe carmax, and they suck a little. I had the worst car buying experience--and there have been many--at findlay. While leaving to shop around the salesman was screaming at the top of his lungs, mad at me because i was going to shop around a little. When i attempted to speak to upper managers, they were all in the cover up of this and other problems i had with salespeople and sales managers. emails were not responded to and they basically could care less they ran off a customer because they just want people who they can rape and will roll over to all their bs. I ended up buying last car at autobroker because all the dealerships were so bad and treaty me like crap. Findlay was the worst of a horrible group. This is just the kinda bs they will pull to bring in really stupid customers so they can rip them off easily.
Hey TomD1228... Even though the main company office and plant is located in Japan, Toyota has built five assembly plants in the USA, and they are situated in the states of Alabama, Texas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and the most recent one being in Indiana... not to mention their numerous American owned dealerships.
It just keeps keeps getting harder and harder to remain a good ole, racist, redneck American protectionist these days as the world continues to shrink and the USA doesn't rule anymore. We better quit calling for our citizens to arbitrarily stay "true" and BUY AMERICAN and start building quality products that successfully compete again!
@smartone
Get a clue. The profits get sent back to Japan. Buy American. The profits are sent back to Dearborne. Big difference.
Ford quality has been on par with Asian makers for a few years now. Stop the nonsense talk about "not building quality"...the Ford fusion was rated higher in quality than the Corolla. Same goes for resale. I grow tired of the BS talk that American car companies aren't building quality on par with the overseas makers. It's an untrue argument based on the reports. It was true decades ago, not anymore.
Your response is beyond insulting.
We elected a man who defended people who killed people as Mayor. His wife, too!
i am a big dog guy...
just adopted a dog from a local animal shelter...
i had grown to forgive mike vick for his crimes...
he did his time...
but...
this...
come on man...
i will not forgive findlay for this...
huge mistake...
i will never step foot in their dealerships again!!!
Heretic seems intent on proving to everyone that he cannot decipher the difference between a human being committing an intentional criminal act (one that exhibits extreme sociopathic behavior at that). Vs. an animal that was simply reacting and has no clue as to what they did wrong. Or perhaps he's trying to push a false equivalency to justify his misguided reasoning. Vick and Onion have nothing to do with one another.
Just because one has completed their sentence for their crime does it require us to accept that person in other matters.
He does not deserve any fan worship from me and if a stupid business wants to use him as promotional material then they have a few lose screws in their skulls.
"Just because one has completed their sentence for their crime does it require us to accept that person in other matters.
He does not deserve any fan worship from me and if a stupid business wants to use him as promotional material then they have a few lose screws in their skulls."
That's my thinking. Just because someone has completed their sentence doesn't mean they suddenly get embraced by all of society again. Cruelty to animals ranks right up their in terms of the emotional impact on humans. Michael got a second chance. The NFL welcomed him back. That being said I don't think a local dealership should be parading him around for pictures "come see Michael Vick and shake his hand"....Loose screw is putting it mildly
Michael Vick should not be allowed to go within 50 miles of a camp for 12-year-old boys, much less to a car showroom. What was this dealership thinking? Some day, Vick will have to pay for the horrible atrocities he committed and the pain he inflicted on innocent animals. He is a monster, not a role model.
I had access to the online version of today's (Sunday) Las Vegas Sun and read about the "Uproar" from people including those threatening to boycott Toyota because they had the nerve to support Mike Vick hosting a football camp. Imagine that a football player hosting a football camp. Novel idea??
You know your days can actually be more positive if you don't read the papers or watch the news!!
Now my daughter, whom I love terribly, disapproves of Mike Vick and what he did but, at 22 yoa, she is mature enough to understand why Toyota is sponsoring the event and doesn't intend to boycott the dealership.
I'm glad and proud she is mature enough to realize people feel differently about forgiveness, not forgiving what occurred, but the person (Mike Vick) who did it.
That doesn't make her right and me wrong or me right and her wrong it just makes us different!
In my personal opinion anyone who would think negatively of Findlay Toyota because they are willing to let a talented individual who has a lot to offer our youth the chance to do so without judgment makes me proud to be a part of that organization and even prouder to be able to call those employees my friends.
For you haters out there just truly think about what you are saying.
A human being does something horrific to an animal and you hate him for it. Okay it's America so that's your right and I agree what he did and was involved in was terrible..
He went to prison and "paid his debt to society" according to the same rules we all live by.
Now, according to those same rules we all live by he is entitled to a 2nd chance and should have 1!
Now, for some of you to threaten or wish harm or violence on another human because of those event makes you far worse a person then anything Mike Vick may have done.
Think about your hypocrisy, because from my perspective, that's embarrassing!!!!
Jahreb,
You are wrong about my position on this. I just happen to value human life more than a dog's.
@Brian Howard you said "What should he do? Let's start with a SINCERE apology and TRUE remorse for what he did." If sincere only means you believe it instead of accepting the words out of his mouth then you are not looking. Mike made MANY apologies (Just Google 'Michael Vick apology') so don't say he hasn't done it. Way back in 2007 he spoke from the heart (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story...) Here's a few snippets from the link: ""I want to apologize to all...what I did was very immature so that means I need to grow up...I totally ask for forgiveness...I take full responsibility for my actions...not for one second will I sit right here and point the finger and try to blame anybody else for my actions or what I've done. "I'm totally responsible...Dogfighting is a terrible thing, and I did reject it....through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God. And I think that's the right thing to do as of right now." So Brian, ignore or disbelieve what he said but don't say he hasn't apologized. He owned up to it and its a first class example of what an apology is about. I would know as I'm kinda an expert on forgiveness. I'm a pastor and work with people everyday who need to repent, need forgiveness, need a second chance. Too bad those like yourself are one chance kinda people or we'd all get along much better without the drama.
I've read all of these comments with great interest and am thankful we live in a nation that allows for open discussion. That said, I am a pit owner and lover and I could try to express just how enormous my dog's capacity for love and connection, but that's not really the major idea behind the point I'd like to make. Vick served a prison sentence so he indeed paid one type of debt. As far as I am concerned, he has the opportunity and 2nd chance to live a life that is honest, does not do harm or cause suffering and to give back and make the world a better place. He does not, however, deserve to be exalted in any way, shape or form. He does not have the inherent wisdom, kindess or loving nature to hold any position that is not earned based on reputation alone. Vick tortured. That is the bottom line. He is welcome to drive a taxi, build a fence and even to sit at my table because I can work to find compassion. He is not welcome to fame or fortune. Noone who knowlingly tortures is and ever will be in my books.
Apparently I'm the only person who realizes a human life > some damn dogs. Vick paid his dues, he's going beyond what the court ordered of him, he went from being a poor, struggling man to a NFL superstar, he is the definition of a ROLE MODEL. He also did something reprehensible, but he got over it, and guess what? People change, Vick is a changed man, and if you can't see past that, then you have no concept of our American freedom.
Also, I love that people are seriously thinking "We're against animal violence, so we'll attack people instead."
Comment removed by moderator. Personal Attack