Guest article provided by: Coleen Ellis
Forbes released their Bleacher Report this week,… and, guess who tops the list of the “most disliked athlete?” Philadelphia Eagles ex-quarterback Michael Vick, edging out Tiger Woods, Kris Humphries, Alex Rodriguez, and Kurt Busch.
According to the Bleacher Report, Vick is still dealing with the backlash from a federal conviction on dog fighting charges. Interestingly enough, about 60 percent of fans polled disliked Vick, tying him with Woods, but more people expressed a strong dislike for Vick compared to Woods.
Did you read that? People are a bit more understanding of a cheating sex scandal than they are of crimes committed against animals?
Also, what’s interesting about the 60% of fans polled, as mentioned above, is that 62% of people have a pet. Funny how those numbers so closely match.
Reading more on another site I found this statement:
Michael Vick’s awareness (42 percent) is up there with Peyton Manning, but a lot of it is people knowing him for the wrong reasons,” Stephen Master, VP of Sports for Nielsen, was quoted as saying on Forbes.com. Mogollon’s Take: Vick was deeply involved in criminal activity, which included dog fighting and killing dogs. While time heals some wounds, there are many in the public that will never forgive No. 7, nor should they have to. Even for the hardcore fan, dog fighting is pretty high on the list when you think of Vick…it’s in his opening obit paragraph for sure.
The opening paragraph of his obit? Wow. Huge.
Why do I share this information with you? This story is a clear example of how seriously pet lovers take the treatment of pets. Are you a death care operation that still says “our business will not go to the dogs because it’s ridiculous that people would want them treated with dignity and respect. We are NOT about that?” Because you know that pet lovers that comprise 62% of your market WILL remember that.
Or, would you rather be that business that has 62% of its market saying “Go to XYZ Funeral Home.”
Because, trust me — pet lovers will shout this information from the mountain tops.
Good or bad.
