This post is part of a series on celebrity spokespeople who ended up doing serious harm to the brands they were hired to promote, or vice versa. See how we rank the 20 top spokesperson fiascos.

Before Michael Vick, quarterbacks were (mostly) tall, slow white men who passed the football, handed it off or got creamed by pass rushers. Vick changed the game by combining the strength, speed and agility of a running back with the arm and savvy of a quarterback. With it, he turned the traditional also-ran Atlanta Falcons into a contender. How could any company in the sporting goods field not sign such a sure-fire hall-of-famer as a spokesperson?

And sign him they did. Nike (NYSE:NKE) created a "Michael Vick Experience" ad campaign. He appeared on the cover of the 2004 version of Electronic Arts' (NASDAQ:ERTS) Madden football. The sponsor money rolled in, and when the Falcons signed Vick to a 10-year, $130 million contract, he had reached the pinnacle of sports success.

Then came the expose. News reports tying Vick to a dog fighting ring, then naming him as the pivotal figure in a horrendous gang who raised killer dogs in a kennel on Vick's property and buried the losers nearby. By the time Vick was taken into custody, his brand was so fouled that companies couldn't back away from him fast enough. The only sales of equipment with his name on it was to dog owners who used them as chew toys.

In a fiasco, everyone involved suffers. I just wish the everybody here hadn't included innocent dogs.

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Given our society these days, should we really be surprised by crusading Governor Eliot Spitzer's prostitution scandal? These days it seems like all our heroes let us down, whether they be superstar athletes like Roger Clemens (steroids) and Michael Vick (animal cruelty), widely held technology stocks like Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) (less clicking, 40% drop in stock price) and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) (imperfect, 40% drop in stock price) and once-pillars of the finance industry Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER), Citigroup (NYSE: C) and Bear Sterns (NYSE: BSC) (all had too much exposure to subprime mortgages and municipal bonds).

Mind you, in no way do I condone Spitzer's behavior -- the night before Valentine's Day no less -- but in the grand scheme of things, he's done a whole lot more good than he's done bad. You might even say it takes a criminal to know one! He'll probably be forced to resign and while sad, it should motivate him like never before to gain back the respect he once had.

For all the value and integrity we place on sports, it's really nothing more than entertainment. In no way can I defend Vick, but Clemens clearly loves his sport and simply could not let anything stop him from being the best. While it's sad that his career will be forever marred, it's a great lesson to teach kids to never cheat -- no matter what.

When the 2006 season began, football player Michael Vick had it all. The #1 pick in the National Football League's 2001 draft, he had become an all-pro as quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Vick's endorsement income from contracts from Nike, EA Sports, Coca-Cola and other top corporations had earned him 33rd place on Forbes' list of Top 100 Celebrities in 2005.

During the 2006 season, however, Vick's image began to change for the worse. A well-publicized finger gesture to the Falcons' fans during the season was a harbinger of the devastation to follow.

In April of 2007, all hell broke loose when Vick was accused of operating a six-state dog fighting ring based from his notorious Bad Newz Kennels. Further details, including the accusation that Vick personally executed one of his dogs, disgusted the American public and sent his endorsement deals down the drain.

After admitting his guilt in a plea deal, Vick was recently sentenced to 23 months in a federal kennel. Although prosecutors recommended a shorter sentence, the judge overrode their request due to Vick's lack of promised cooperation. As a result of his conviction, his financial empire has also collapsed, and his future earning potential looks as bleak as O.J.'s. Vick agreed to return nearly $20 million of his signing bonus, and banks are after him to return more than $4 million in business loans.

Animal lovers can take some solace that, even from the grave, the dogs Vick tormented managed to bite him back.

Be sure to check out other Money Losers of 2007.

We recently took a look at the Best & Worst of 2007 in sixteen categories and asked you to vote for your favorites, as well as sharing the reasons for your picks and any other contenders we may have overlooked. And voting is off to a strong start, with more than 100,000 votes in each category so far.

Some categories have shaped up to be close races. Chuck Prince, Bill Ford, and Bob Nardelli each have a little less than a third of the vote for Best CEO Departure of the Year. Britney Spears and Michael Vick are neck and neck as the Celebrity Most Likely to Lose It All, while Lindsey Lohan's relatively low profile recently has garnered her just 6 percent of that vote. In the Most Shameless Attempt at Cashing in on '15 Minutes', Sanjaya Malakar has a slim lead over Howard K. Stern/Larry Birkhead, but poor Chris "Leave Britney Alone!" Crocker has gotten no respect with a mere 6 percent of the vote. McDonald's has a small lead as the Hottest Chain Restaurant, thought Chipotle isn't far behind with more than a quarter of the vote. And while the iPhone has the lead now as the Hottest Gadget of the Year, it and the Nintendo Wii have been trading places as the front runner.

And the hits just keep on coming for former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Wachovia Bank has filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing Vick of defaulting on a $1.3 million loan for a wine store.

Vick and his partner in the venture are not behind on payments. Rather, the bank has determined that, due to the fact that Vick is no longer employed by the Falcons, he is technical defaults of the covenants of the loan. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this is not the end of Vick's financial woes: Royal bank is suing over a $2.3 million loan, 1st Source Bank says he owes $2 million, and the Falcons want $20 million in bonuses paid back.

Then there's the legal fees associated with his indictments on dog-fighting. All of that aside, it's hard to understand why Vick had himself so overextended to begin with. MIchael Vick had a 10-year, $130 million contract. Why would a professional athlete earning that kind of money need to be borrowing to open up a wine shop?

Perhaps the Michael Vick story will also turn into the M.C. Hammer story -- but the dog-fighting angle will make him a much less sympathetic figure, and a lot of people are just itching to dance on his grave.

As a dog lover, I have to say that this is one of the most evil scams I've seen in a long time. According to The Consumerist, the latest advance-fee scam works like this:

You're browsing through an online classified ads site like Craigslist, and see a cute little dog available for adoption. You email the poster who replies that there is no fee and that while he hates to see the dog go, the weather in Africa is no good for him. If you could just pay the shipping fee, he'll be happy to send you the dog -- and so you wire him the shipping fee and, you guessed it, never hear from him again. In some cases, he may string you along with more requests for money but, either way, you ain't gettin' the pooch.

These con-artists should have to share a jail cell with Michael Vick.

[Photo from BurningWell.org]

In 2004, Atlanta Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick signed a 10-year, $130 million contract that assured fans his unique combination of running-back elusiveness and speed and rocket passing arm would lead the team for years to come.

Then came the dog-fighting scandal. Now, with Vick's career in ruins and facing a stretch in the slammer, the Falcon's are applying the coup de grace, suing to recover almost $20 million in bonus money paid to him at the time the contract was signed.

The measure was approved by the NFL's Special Master Stephan Burbank, who is charged with resolving league/union disputes. It sets a new and dangerous precedent for the players. While almost no one (thankfully) is speaking up in defense of Vick, the league is rife with players that have transgressed in other ways; drug use, drunken driving, and sexual peccadilloes, for example. The notion that the players could not only lose future employment, but also be forced to repay money already received, will be sobering. The league hopes.

The NFL Player's Union is appealing the decision, as one might expect. Either way, I'd guess in the future player's agents will demand signing bonuses be constructed to safeguard their clients from such reversals.

Suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's best chance at public redemption lies with Oprah Winfrey. At least that's the conclusion of Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp, who makes a convincing argument that "now that pop culture dictates news judgment, it's only appropriate that a pop culture diva quite possibly holds the key to Michael Vick's NFL future."

Vick should take Sharp's advice. If Vick goes on Oprah, his handlers would no doubt encourage him to cry, talk about "finding Jesus" and encourage young people to make smart decisions. Unfortunately for Vick, the road to redemption starts with the talk show queen. Vick will have to spend the next few months apologizing until the American public is sick of seeing his face.

The question for Vick's handlers is where to go after Oprah.

Will he try to reach NFL fans through Walt Disney Co.'s (NYSE: DIS) ESPN cable network or News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Fox?

What about the morning shows? You can bet that ABC, General Electric Co.'s (NYSE: GE) NBC and CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) would kill to land an interview with the disgraced athlete. "Dateline" and "60 Minutes" are probably working on stories about the evils of dog fighting. The story also continues to be the gift that keeps on giving for Time Warner Inc.'s (NYSE: TWX) CNN, Fox News channel, and MSNBC.

But I am not sure that all of the apologizing in the world can save Vick's NFL career. People understand that young, rich athletes misbehave and occasionally break the law. But Vick's behavior was so heinous that it defies explanation.

So in case you missed it, Michael Vick has plead guilty and apologized today at a press conference. He took no questions, but offered this statement (emphasis added):

"... I was ashamed and totally disappointed in myself, to say the least," he continued. "And I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts. What I did was very immature, so that means I need to grow up. I totally ask for forgiveness and understand as I move forward to a better Michael Vick the person, not the football player. I take full responsibility for my actions. Not for one second will I sit here and blame anyone else for my actions. It was totally irresponsible. I feel like we all make mistakes. I made a mistake in using bad judgment and making bad decisions. And those things just can't happen. Dogfighting is a terrible thing and I did reject it."

Immature? Immature? Right, normally bankrolling dogfighting rings that involve drowning dogs is something you get over by the time you're 14 or so? Immature would be flipping off the fans during a tough game. Irresponsible? That would be like not showing up for practices on time.

Michael Vick had an opportunity to achieve some sort of redemption. He should have stood up there and said "What I did was evil, despicable, unconscionable, unforgivable, and disgusting. I am going to burn in hell for a very long time before I go upstairs, but I hope that I can go on and do some kind of good in my life."

Instead, Vick cemented his reputation as another arrogant athlete, who doesn't fully appreciate how heinous his actions were.

Nike's (NYSE:NKE) nightmare continues -- The Atlanta Humane Society is accepting donations of Michael Vick-logoed football clothing to use for dog beds, chew toys, and wiping up doggie accidents. I suggest Nike spend whatever it takes to immediately sign up a new spokesperson, Ceasar Milan (The Dog Whisperer).

According to Gamepro, a Japanese arm-wrestling machine used in arcades has been recalled after the machines broke the arms of three human contestants. The maker, Atlus (heh!), claims the machines are so weak that "even women should be able to beat it" (their words, not mine). The game, Air Spirit, allows the player to select his/her opponent from 10 levels, from French maid to professional wrestler.

The Meow Mix (Del Monte, NYSE: DLM) Acatemy in New York is now open. The school helps feline fans connect with their furry friends by teaching their owners how to play, how to cook for their cat, and how to understand the world from its point of view. The school will tour the U.S. over the next few months. Meow Mix also opened the first Café for humans and their cats in NYC in 2005.

According to our sister blog Engadget, the Church by the Glades in Florida has decided that a ticket to heaven is not sufficient reward to draw people to church, so it is sweetening the deal by offering, for a limited time only, some free iTunes (Apple, NASDAQ:AAPL) downloads.

So now an Apple is a good thing? Somebody tell Adam.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell along with ad sales executives who sell TV commercial time on football games must be rejoicing that disgraced Atlanta Falcolns quarterback Michael Vick is pleading guilty to federal dogfighting charges.

A protracted legal battle would have done almost as much damage to the league's reputation as Vick's. Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) dropped Vick as soon as the detals of the charges emerged. The NFL, which told him to stay away from training camp, no doubt will suspend him for at least the rest of the season.

There's no excusing or explaining Vick's actions. It just goes to show you that just because you're rich -- he got a $62 million contract in 2001 -- doesn't mean you're smart.. Maybe he should ring up O.J. Simpson to get coping tips on how to be a societal pariah.

Vick apologized through his lawyer to "everyone who has been hurt by this matter." This sounds like a person who is "sorry" they got caught.

Good thing that Godell insituted a strict behavior policy in reaction to the off the field shenanigans of players such as Adam "Pacman" Jones. This isn't just the right thing to do, it's smart business.

If people think that NFL players are all moral degenerates, advertisers won't pay through the nose to buy 30-second Super Bowl spots. Moreover, parents won't shell out big bucks for jersies and other official team merchandise representing a player whose values they abhor.

Vick will soon realize why players joke that NFL stands for Not For Long.

The Michael Vick dog chew toy is so brilliant in its simplicity that I am kicking myself for not having thought of it myself.

I mean, what better way is there for dogs and their owners to register their disgust over the dog-fighting allegations against the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. My hat's off to the anonymous entrepreneurs, who the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says are based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Apparently, the people behind the toy were going to donate the proceeds to the Jacksonville Humane Society but somehow that got messed up because of what the website describes as "squabbling over charitable donations." The toy's makers are promising to donate their proceeds anonymously. I've contacted the website and will let you know if I get a response.

The toy sells for $7.99 and is made out of "state-of-the-art dog material," whatever that means. It also promises to withstand "the most playful of dog destruction."

By the way, there's little if anything that Vick could do to stop the toy since it's satire and clearly doesn't imply his endorsement. The NFL star is learning what many celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan already know: Fame is a bitch.

Amid gruesome allegations of dogfighting at the home of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, Nike (NYSE: NKE) has made the sensible decision to suspend the release of the "Zoom Vick V" shoe.

A Nike spokesman said in a statement that the company "is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick, and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent. We do believe that Michael Vick should be afforded the same due process as any citizen; therefore we have not terminated our relationship. We have, however, made the decision to suspend the release of the Zoom Vick V and related marketing communications.''

It will be interesting to see what else happens to Vick's once bright career in the aftermath of the allegations. He will be arraigned next week, and the evidence against him seems to be pretty compelling. Vick has apologized for the incidents to the team's owner.

Most contracts contain some kind of moral turpitude clause and, if Vick is found guilty, the Falcons may be able to terminate his contract. It seems unlikely that any other team would be interested in the services of such an evil man.

The end of his career would be a better and more just punishment than anything the courts will impose.

Former associate attorney general Webb Hubbell -- known for his highly publicized fall from grace during the Clinton Administration -- claims "responsible" marijuana smokers can finally exhale. Working with NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and the McLaughlin Insurance Company, Hubbell appears on a five-minute audio message touting the program.

"Hello, this is Webb Hubbell," the recording begins, with a crisp McCoy Tyner soundtrack. "Life insurance is now available for responsible marijuana smokers. For years, [they] have not been able to access affordable life insurance ... No longer."

He then relays the story of a NORML member (and "responsible" marijuana smoker) whose trucking business loan required additional insurance he could not qualify for. He reached out to NORML for help, who contacted their insurance agent, Mr. Hubbell -- now a VP at the McLaughlin Company. Mr. Hubbell was able to convince a carrier to insure this individual, and the rest is history.

But what about the fact that marijuana is still, you know, illegal? Michael Vick was recently detained in an airport because his bottle of water simply smelled like weed. The Washington Post asked NORML's executive director Allen St. Pierre such a question, to which he replied that while marijuana is technically illegal even in the Netherlands (where it can be found on aisle six next to the Pillsbury Toaster Strudel), 11 U.S. states have decriminalized the drug.

Now, you may be wondering, what exactly is "responsible marijuana use?" I spoke with Keith Stroup, NORML's legal counsel, who referred to their Principles of Responsible Cannabis Use, which details "the appropriate and inappropriate ways to use the drug," making sure I also understood, "We don't think people should just go out and get stoned."

"Forty-six percent of the people in this country have smoked marijuana at some point in their lives," he continued. "Why should we treat half of the population like criminals?"

So, is this new policy a small victory against cannabis laws that prohibit the use of marijuana? Or has the insurance industry simply figured out that smoking on the couch while listening to 'Dark Side of the Moon' is a relatively benign activity?

B. Brandon Barker is the author of Operation EMU.