Unless you’ve been hibernating this past week, you’re well aware of the controversy surrounding Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback Michael Vick. For those that need a synopsis, here’s the gist of it:

Vick faces criminal charges, a possible six years in prison and a $350,000 fine for the alleged involvement in a cruel dog fighting operation in his Virginia property. It all began to unravel in April when authorities found 54 pit bulls in Vick’s backyard. He didn’t deny the fact that he owned a kennel operation called “Bad News Kennels,” but eyebrows were raised when he claimed he had no knowledge of a dogfighting ring under his nose.

According to his indictment and some witnesses, for the past six years, Vick and his associates bought and sponsored dogs in a conspiracy that not only involved the hosting of notorious dog fights on his property, but also included the transportation of dogs across state borders for further gambling ventures.

The worst part is how he treated these animals. He would “roll” his dogs, or in other words, put them through test fights to gauge their competitive advantage and if they failed, they were killed (Vick is linked to eight counts) in brutal ways, including hanging, drowning and slamming them to the ground. If the dogs were lucky enough to pass, they would be put on the roster of suicide fights. I won’t even go into conditions they lived in.

All of this was for you guessed it, money. Purses run in the thousands of dollars and there are also side bets. One witness whose dog won a fight against one of Vick’s has told the prosecution that Vick personally paid him $23,000 as a consequence of the loss.

Only 27 and Vick has dug himself a hole that he’s unlikely ever to recover from. You’d think that with a 10-year $130 million contract, he’d have enough money to buy himself some sense, but the once highest profiled and most promising athlete in the world of pro football has seen the end of his short career.

Dog lovers and animal rights activist are in an uproar. A couple in Tampa, Fla have created a t-shirt to help raise funds for animal rights organizations. The t-shirt is black with white lettering, just like the Atlanta Falcons’ team jerseys, and the back has a large number 7 – Vick’s number – along with the word CONVICK, a twist on Vick’s last name.

Juli and Brad Bridges came up with this idea for sports fans and animal lovers. They’re selling the anti-Michael Vick shirts on www.michaelconvick.com for $20. Fifty-percent of the profits from each sale will be donated to animal charities. If you want to express your outrage, this is one clever way to do it.