Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has called off scheduled book-signing appearances because of threats, according to Phillymag.com.
Vick was supposed to be at the Barnes and Noble on Peachtree Road in Buckhead on Saturday to sign copies of “Michael Vick: Finally Free.”
Signings in Moorestown, N.J., and Exton, Pa., also have been nixed.
The QB has been a magnet for controversy since being sentenced to prison on dogfighting charges in 2007.
The threats — reportedly against Vick, his family, store employees and store property — have been reported to police. The store’s Facebook page has been overrun with angry comments protesting the appearances.
“While we stand by Michael Vick’s right to free speech and the retailers’ right to free commerce, we cannot knowingly put anyone in harm’s way, and therefore we must announce the cancellation of Mr. Vick’s book-signing appearances,” said Worthy Publishing president Byron Williamson, according to Phillymag.com. “We’ve been assured these threats of violence, which have been reported to the police, are being taken very seriously by local authorities.”
Vick, 32, last played for the Atlanta Falcons in 2006. After his prison stint, he returned to the NFL and currently is with the Philadelphia Eagles.
