The Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League had planned to have a Michael Vick ``Welcome to the Neighborhood'' night May 28th, complete with prison uniforms, spotlights and escape sirens. Other events promoting caring for animals also were planned.
Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, is serving a 23-month sentence at the U.S. Penitentiary in nearby Leavenworth after pleading guilty to federal charges related to dogfighting.
After receiving complaints about the promotion, the club announced today that it will drop the Vick-related events and will focus only on events that promote animal safety and adoptions.
T-Bones general manager Rick Muntean said, ``It was not our intent to be culturally insensitive. We simply wanted to raise awareness for what we think are great causes. We recognize that the health and well-being of animals is a widely-supported cause of our fan base, so we're going to keep that our only focus.''
The night will include a dog parade, pregame dog adoptions and entertainment by Rockin' Ray and the Sky Dogs.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/4/209159