Michael Vick lost another sponsor -- Rawlings. The sporting goods company said Tuesday it was ending its relationship with the Falcons quarterback because of dogfighting conspiracy charges. "Rawlings recognizes that Mr. Vick has not been convicted of the charges stemming from his recent indictment," the St. Louis company said. "However, we have determined that ending our relationship with Mr. Vick at this time is necessary."

Embattled Falcons quarterback Michael Vick said in a radio interview on WVEE-FM Monday that he was remorseful for the negativity his situation has brought to Atlanta and team owner Arthur Blank and that he is hopeful, but not certain, that he'll play for the Falcons again. Vick, calling from Virginia, also expressed gratitude to the number of fans who have stuck by him following his federal indictment on dogfighting charges. The interview was Vick's first since charges were filed on July 17.

One of Michael Vick's co-defendants pleaded guilty Monday to his role in a dogfighting conspiracy he says was financed almost entirely by the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. As part of a plea agreement, Tony Taylor pledged to fully cooperate with the government in its prosecution of Vick and two other men accused of running an interstate dogfighting enterprise known as "Bad Newz Kennels" on Vick's property in rural Surry County. "The 'Bad Newz Kennels' operation and gambling monies were almost exclusively funded by Vick," a summary of facts supporting the plea agreement and signed by Taylor states.

The Falcons play the Colts in Atlanta in a Thanksgiving Day prime-time game to be televised by the NFL's own network. It's inconceivable that Roger Goodell will subject the league to the humiliation of having Michael Vick play in that game on his network four days before he walks into a courtroom in Richmond, Va., to stand trial on dogfighting charges that have outraged the nation. Expect Goodell to announce in the next few weeks that the league's review has turned up indisputable facts that Vick violated the NFL's personal conduct policy and he is suspended for the season. Vick co-defendent Tony Taylor is already looking to cop a plea in a hearing tomorrow. Eric Holder, a former Deputy Attorney General under President Bill Clinton who is now a partner in a Washington law firm that is the league's outside counsel, is working along with NFL security in the league's investigation. "No way Vick is playing this year," one general manager said Friday. "He couldn't go into a stadium. There would be a riot. The league couldn't have that embarrassment. Then it's not about the game. It's about him. The league has to distance themselves as far away from Vick as they can. (Goodell) can't let him play to safeguard the NFL. The guy can't play this year. Everybody knows it."

Upper Deck has removed all Michael Vick autographed memorabilia from its online store and will remove the indicted quarterback's trading card from NFL sets that are scheduled to be released in October. The announcement by the San Diego County company came a day after Nike suspended its lucrative contract with Vick and Reebok took the unprecedented step of stopping sales of his No. 7 jersey. Another trading card company, Donruss, announced it was pulling Vick's likeness from any new packs.

Barely a day after he joined three other co-defendants - including Falcons quarterback Michael Vick - in pleading not guilty to dogfighting charges in a Richmond, Va. federal courthouse, Tony Taylor was the first to accept a plea bargain. The 34-year-old Taylor, who is from Hampton, Va., will appear before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson at 9 a.m. Monday, according to The Associated Press. Taylor was the alleged ringleader, according to the 18-page indictment handed down July 17, responsible for identifying Vick's property in rural Smithfield, Va., as the location where "Bad Newz Kennels" would house and train pit bulls and stage fights. Taylor's attorney, Stephen Ashton Hudgins, did not return a call by the Daily News last night. The other three defendants - Vick, 35-year-old Purnell Peace and 28-year-old Quanis Phillips - still are scheduled for trial Nov. 26, but Taylor's bombshell may suggest a domino effect, especially with Vick's football star severely dimmed ever since the allegations surfaced. "Usually what happens in that (kind of) case, one of the co-defendants will give information. Whoever talks first ends up with the best deal," William Frick, a former prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney's office in South Carolina who has prosecuted several dogfighting cases, told The News. "I don't know if that happened in this case, but typically whoever comes first gets the best deal."

Nike just did it. And so did Reebok. The shoe giant, under intense pressure from animal-rights groups, has suspended the sponsorship contract of the Atlanta Falcons' Michael Vick without pay. The company has also suspended the sale of Vick merchandise. Earlier in the day, Adidas announced its Reebok division would stop selling Vick football jerseys and the NFL said it had pulled all Vick-related items from NFLShop.com. The star quarterback has pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to illegal dogfighting. He reportedly earned $7 million in sponsorship deals last year. "As we've said before, Nike is concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick and we consider any cruelty to animals inhumane and abhorrent," Nike said in a written statement. "However, we do believe that Michael Vick should be afforded the same due process as any citizen in the United States, therefore, we have not terminated our relationship."

Michael Vick pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal dogfighting charges and was released without bond until a Nov. 26 trial. The Falcons quarterback and three others entered their pleas in U.S. District Court to conspiracy charges involving competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines. Federal prosecutors say the operation -- known as Bad Newz Kennels -- was run on Vick's property in Surry County.

Michael Vick pleaded not guilty to federal dogfighting charges and was released without bond until a Nov. 26 trial. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three others entered their pleas in U.S. District Court to conspiracy charges involving competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines. Federal prosecutors say the operation -- known as Bad Newz Kennels -- was run on Vick's property in Surry County. Vick arrived at 3 p.m. in a black sport utility vehicle and was booed by a crowd of hundreds. Wearing a dark suit and blue shirt, Vick looked straight ahead as he walked up the ramp to the courthouse. The allegations detailed in a graphic, 18-page indictment sparked protests by animal rights groups at the headquarters of the NFL and the Falcons, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from training camp while the league investigates.

Calling for a "week of action" in response to the allegations of Michael Vick's involvement in illegal dogfighting, representatives from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plan to picket Niketown stores next week. "We want to send a message to Nike that they should drop all ties with Michael Vick based on the facts that are already lined up at this point," said Dan Shannon, assistant director of campaigns for PETA. "There's the fact that 66 dogs were retrieved from his property, truckloads of dogfighting paraphernalia were taken away, and dogs' bodies were dug up?. We feel there's enough evidence for Nike to end their relationship with him." The most recent response from Nike came last Thursday. While calling the allegations "serious and highly disturbing," and suspending the release of the quarterback's new shoe line, the company indicated it intends to stand by him. "We do believe that Michael Vick should be afforded the same due process as any citizen; therefore, we have not terminated our relationship," the statement read.