LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech has banned the sale of a T-shirt bearing the likeness of Michael Vick hanging the dog mascot of rival Texas A&M.
The red and black shirts, with text that says "VICK 'EM" on the front in an apparent reference to the Aggies' slogan "Gig 'em," was created by a Tech student who was trying to sell them before Saturday's game in Lubbock.
The back of the shirt shows a football player wearing the No. 7 Vick jersey holding a rope with an image of the mascot Reveille at the end of a noose. Vick, who faces up to five years in prison after pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges, is suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
Tech school and athletic officials met Tuesday morning to discuss other possible action but did not immediately announce additional measures to be taken. A&M officials, in a statement, thanked Tech administrators for their "their response and action regarding this matter."
The creator of the shirt, Geoffrey Candia, declined to comment in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday. He said he may make a statement after meeting with the dean of students Tuesday.
He told The Battalion, A&M's newspaper, for Tuesday's editions that the university prohibited sale of the shirts on campus through his fraternity. He said he originally had wanted to give 50 percent of the proceeds to an animal defense league in Lubbock "because we knew there would be a controversy about the shirts, you know, animal rights, stuff like that."
Candia told the newspaper about 300 had been sold. He had hoped 500 would be sold before Saturday's game.
The controversy comes about 2½ months after Gerald Myers, Tech's athletic director, announced a campaign to promote good sportsmanship across the campus and at athletic events. The words used in the effort are honor, respect, pride and tradition.
Myers did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.
"You can't make light of a situation like that," Tech media relations spokesman Chris Cook said. "That is in poor taste and poor judgment."
Robyn Katz, president of Tech's chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, said her organization "wouldn't take a dime" from Candia.
"If he really wanted to help promote anti-animal cruelty than he would donate time at a no-kill shelter," she said. "He's really doing the Tech community a disservice. There's plenty of other ways to promote a rivalry."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Source: ESPN.com
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