Nike has found the solution to help you “Leave Nothing.”A few weeks ago, when I was watching SportsCenter, I saw the new Nike football commercial during one of the breaks.

It was a well done 30- to 40-second clip in which you see a few of the best players in the league making plays with the help of Nike.

But, at the end of the commercial, I was not left thinking about football – or Nike. It actually made me think about Michael Vick.

When Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury July 17, according to ESPN.com news services, he quickly lost everything.

Vick lost the opportunity to ever play again as an Atlanta Falcon. He will lose millions in contract money and dropped endorsement deals. He also lost the right to do his job, and he most certainly lost credibility.

Ten days after Vick pleaded guilty, both Nike and Reebok dropped any affiliation with the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback.

While Vick’s story is still fresh in your mind, also recall the commercial. Shawne Merriman, a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, is one of the lucky players to be in the commercial. What people forget, or do not know, is that Merriman was suspended for four games last season because he violated the league’s substance abuse policy.

At the end of the commercial, the slogan, “Leave Nothing” appears. Nike has accidentally told us that steroids and Nike will help you.

Nike was certainly right in dropping Vick. Animal cruelty is awful, but that does not mean Nike should give steroids a free pass.

Vick, according to an article in the Washington Post in July, was dropped by Nike and Reebok because they were “concerned by the serious and highly disturbing allegations made against Michael Vick,” Nike spokesman Dean Stoyer said.

Merriman’s crime was not disturbing, but it is a serious problem in today’s world of sports.

John Boller is a senior broadcast journalism major from Atlanta.