Nike Air Max 1 made out of chocolate
Does It Come With A Golden Ticket
People spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to get their shoe game tight. Designers such as Joost Goudriaan know this and wanted to thank his loyal customers with a gift and did so with chocolate.
Oregon Ducks Volkswagen Bug For Sale
Where's The Nike Swoosh
Have you ever wanted to own a helmet car? If so this is your chance thanks to the University of Oregon.You can bid on this 1973 VW Bug with the Ducks helmet attached to the top. $2500 is a steal isn’t it?
Nike pulls Boston Massacre shirts
Smart
Nike has decided to pull their “Boston Massacre” T-shirts in the wake of last week’s Boston Marathon bombings.
“The shirts being referenced are older baseball shirts that were predominantly being sold through our factory store outlets,” Nike spokesman KeJuan Wilkins said Monday.
The term “Boston Massacre” is a play on to the historical 1770 incident that is also used to describe the New York Yankees late-season sweeps of the Sox in 1978 and 2006 that contributed to the Sox missing the playoffs.
Michael Jordan applies for a marriage license
TALENT
On the same day LeBron James sent out save the date card for his September wedding went public, Michael Jordan applied for a marriage license at the downtown courthouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., the Associated Press reported.
In an odd coincidence, MJ and LeBron got engaged within days of each other. LeBron proposed to his girlfriend, Savannah Brinson, just after midnight on New Year’s 2012. Jordan’s publicist announced his engagement to his girlfriend of three years, Cuban model Yvette Prieto, just three days before.
According to TMZ, Jordan and Prieto will get married on April 27. That fits within the 60-day window they’ll have after their marriage license is granted.
It will be the second marriage for Jordan, 50.
Nike & Oakley drop Oscar Pistorius
Tink Tink
Nike and Oakley, two American companies that were sponsors of Oscar Pistorius, have cut ties with the South African Olympic hero in the wake of charges that he murdered his girlfriend.
The 26-year-old double amputee Paralympic champion known as “Blade Runner” became an inspiration to millions when he competed on carbon-fibre running blades against able-bodied athletes in the London Olympics last year.
But Pistorius now faces a charge of premeditated murder in the shooting of his 29-year-old girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp. If convicted, he would likely receive a life sentence behind bars.
Pistorius earned millions of dollars in endorsements, but the shocking murder charge that stunned the world saw billboards featuring his image being taken down soon after the news broke as sponsors backed away from him.
“Nike has no plans for Oscar Pistorius in upcoming campaigns,” a spokesperson for the sporting goods manufacture.
Sunglasses maker Oakley ended its contract with Pistorius as well.
“In light of the recent allegations, Oakley is suspending its contract with Oscar Pistorius, effective immediately,” the company said in a statement.
Nike #COUNTONKOBE ad
Nike Basketball released their newest ad for one of their three marquee athletes, Kobe Bryant
Russell Wilson’s new Nike ad
Awesome
Nothing like the whole league passing on you in the NFL Draft and you’re the only rookie quarterback able to survive the first weekend of the playoffs.
Nike unveils new Army-Navy uniforms
NICE
Nike likes to unveil new college football uniforms for all type of games to create some buzz. They’ve done so again for the Army-Navy game, and have now released the new threads each team will wear.
Army’s striking black and gold uniforms pay tribute to a year when the Black Knights were unstoppable on all fields of battle: 1944, the year the Army troops won a key strategic victory in WWII’s Battle of the Bulge. The football team at home was on its way to a perfect season and the first of three consecutive national championships. In tribute to Army’s historic victory on the battlefield, a historical re-interpreted West Point battle atlas map of the region where the offensive took place can be seen throughout multiple elements of the uniform, from the jersey to base layer to gloves, all the way down to the inside the cleats.
The helmet also takes on the same 1944 look with the deep gold hue and black stripe along with a small black spade on the side in honor of the 101st Airborne division.
Navy’s uniform pays tribute to the traditional dress white uniform – a powerful symbol of professionalism, achievement and authority throughout the organization’s history. The uniform’s clean, white look with black details and gold trim, as well as a new number / letter font, draws inspiration directly from the angular precision and speed of U.S. Navy aircraft. The First Navy Jack, featuring the iconic rattlesnake and “Don’t tread on me” phrase, is designed into the base layer.
The helmet design is inspired by a Naval Officer’s cover with a thick gold stripe representing the gold braid, and angled with a downward slope in much the same way the cover is worn.
Tiger Woods Becomes Golf Course Architect
Thank You Nike For Sticking With Me
After some years of false starts due to the economy, Tiger Woods has started construction on his first golf course as an architect.
Eamon Lynch of Golf.com reports that ground has been broken at Diamante in Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas. The $12 million course will be known as “El Cardonal” and is scheduled for a 2014 opening. it will join a Davis Love III course already at Diamante.
Woods sent an email to golf.com that indicates he feels our pain.
“I’ve played in enough pro-ams to know that not every golfer is a scratch player. Creating wide landing areas and avoiding forced carries whenever possible allow all golfers, even beginners to keep the ball in play and have more fun.”
“I want to be sure that my designs make individuals think their way around the course,” said Woods. “To me, that’s an important part of golf and it’s what I like to do when I play. I think players like risk-reward opportunities and to feel like they’ve been challenged in all aspects of the game.”
Lance Armstrong Stepping Down As Livestrong Chairman
Everyday Is A Winding Road
Lance Armstrong stepped down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-fighting charity and Nike severed ties with him as fallout from the doping scandal swirling around the famed cyclist escalated Wednesday.
Armstrong announced his move at the charity in an early-morning statement. Within minutes, Nike said that it would end its relationship with him “due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade.”
Nike said it will continue to support Livestrong.
LeBron James Defends Price Of New Nike Shoe
How Much Would You Pay
Gone are the days when you could pick up a pair of high-top black Chuck Taylor’s for $9.95. But that doesn’t mean people can’t lift an eyebrow when the LeBron X from Nike retails for $300.
Still, LeBron James says you just can’t look at the high-end and ignore what else is offered.
“We have wide ranges of shoes that range from $300 all the way down to $160, $180,” James told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “We have great technology and they do a great job of putting out great shoes and things of that nature. But it just bothers you when things aren’t always correct. But other than that, we move on and we get the real facts out there and we live with them.”
Nike’s New LeBron James Shoes To Cost $315
How Much Would You Pay
Nike will release the latest installment of LeBron James signature shoe, the LeBron X, later this year. The enhanced version of the shoe that features motion sensing technology will reportedly cost up to $315. James sported a version of the shoes in Team USA’s gold medal game win over Spain at the London Olympics.
The base model is only supposed to be on shelves for $180, which is right around the same range his shoes cost last year. The $315 shoe will allow the owner to track quickness, vertical leap and explosiveness with sensors relaying the information.
“Quickness, hustle, vertical, Nike plus basketball tracks them all,” James says in this advertisement. “How high you jump, how quick you are and how hard you play. So you can compete against your friends, your rivals and yourself, every time you play. Nike plus basketball allows you to see your game like never before.”
Combining four of Nike’s most innovative technologies, the LeBron X features dynamic Flywire technology, Hyperfuse construction, Nike Plus functionality (though there will also be a non-Plus model) and the first full-length visible Zoom Air unit.
Regardless of the technology or if there’s a cheaper version of the shoe, this is Nike’s most expensive shoe to date.
The Wall Street Journal reports “as labor, materials and shipping costs increase, Nike is raising shoe and clothing prices by 5% to 10%” and the report included a Nike spokesperson saying the company is “not arbitrarily taking up prices.”
Penn State Considers Changing Uniforms
Tradition Starts Now
Penn State coach Bill O’Brien has raised the possibility of changing the Nittany Lions’ classic blue and white uniforms. O’Brien has spoken with Nike about changing the uniforms, he told players’ parents in a conference call.
“It might be easier said than done (for this season),” O’Brien said, according to the Eagle. “I’m not sure we can get it done this year.”
He also is looking into adding player names to the back of the jerseys for the first time, according to the newspaper.
“I reserve the right to change my mind,” O’Brien said
Notre Dame To Wear Play Like A Champion Today Gloves
Preach
Notre Dame will be joining the masses and wearing gloves featuring unique insignia, as the new equipment was revealed by @NDFBEquipment. Flashy hand wear has become commonplace in college football in recent seasons, playing a large part in Nike’s “Pro Combat” uniforms, and the company is carrying the style over to their new NFL uniforms.
“Play Like a Champion Today” is hand-painted on a sign between the Fighting Irish locker room and the field at Notre Dame Stadium, and players touch the sign on their way out to the field.
Notre Dame has gone 8-5 in each of coach Brian Kelly’s two seasons in South Bend, and opens the 2012 season vs. Navy in Dublin, Ireland on Sept. 1.
Nike’s Olympic Campaign Avoids History Of Ambush Marketing
Nike, famous for being an Olympic ambush marketer, has this new ad touting athletes in London but not ones in London, England. Nike’s new ad instead touts athletes in other towns around the world named London. The subtext to the ad suggests don’t get all worked up about the Olympics since they once again aren’t sponsoring.
Adidas paid about $60 million for official Olympic status while Nike generally avoids official sponsorships and their ambushes date back at least as far as the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, when it aired TV ads with athletes and used the Randy Newman song I Love L.A.
After those games, marketing research found more consumers thought Nike was the official sponsor than Converse, the actual sponsor.
Nike Releases Roger Federer Limited Edition Shoes Costing $287
GOAT
Have your kids ever wanted to be like Roger Federer? Well, you can pick up those young tennis stars a pair of Nike’s new Roger Federer shoe called Nike Zoom Vapor RF.
For those of you sneaker heads out there wanting to be like Roger Federer, Nike has decided to release a special limited-edition pair of those shoes that will celebrate Roger passing tennis legend Pete Sampras for the most times ranked as the world’s number one men’s player.
“We’ll let the folks over at the Examiner explain the rest: To celebrate the occasion, Nike has put together a special colorway of Federer’s signature shoe, the Nike Zoom Vapor RF – which is a re-skinned Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour – that will be limited to only 287 pairs. The black upper will be complimented by gold accents all throughout the shoe and will come with a special box and certificate of authenticity that is signed by Federer himself. Each serial number commemorates a week of Federer’s reign and it looks like each shoe will come with a little news blip about that particular week.”
WTF: Canada
No Hiding
Over the weekend the Nike Global Challenge tournament for U-19 players held in Washington DC to show off some of the top international talent. But Team Canada showed up in yellow camouflage jerseys and create a stir.
U.S. Olympic Uniforms Made In China
Commies
Uniforms for U.S. Olympic athletes are American red, white and blue but made in China. That has members of Congress fuming.
Republicans and Democrats railed Thursday about the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to dress the U.S. team in Chinese manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the American textile industry struggles economically with many U.S. workers desperate for jobs.
“I am so upset. I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference on taxes.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said simply of the USOC, “You’d think they’d know better.”
In a statement, the U.S. Olympic Committee defended the choice of designer Ralph Lauren for the clothing at the London Games, which begin later this month.
“Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors,” USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement. “We’re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America’s finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London.”
Ralph Lauren also is dressing the Olympic and Paralympic teams for the closing ceremony and providing casual clothes to be worn around the Olympic Village. Nike has made many of the competition uniforms for the U.S. and outfits for the medal stand.
Anthony Davis Doesn’t Own Fear The Brow Trademark
Somebody Is Going To Make Cash Off These
Newly drafted New Orleans Hornets big man Anthony Davis made national headlines last week when he revealed he had trademark several key phrases concentrating on his now famous unibrow. However it has also been discovered he only applied to have those phrases trademark.
That’s where a savvy businessman named Reid Coffman comes in as he actually trademarked “Fear the Brow” last November to use the phrase on merchandise in his Kentucky apparel store Blue Zone. As you might expect, he is not willing to give it up at a discounted price.
“If someone like Nike took this slogan over it could be worth millions,” Coffman said without naming his price.
Nike Celebrates LeBron James First Championship With Ad
The Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games to capture the franchise’s second championship. However it is the first for Nike’s LeBron James and to celebrate the accomplishment they immediately released this new ad to commemorate.
Kevin Durant Sued Over Nickname
Needs A New Nickname Anyway
It hasn’t exactly been a good week for Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder who are one game from losing the NBA Finals.Now Durant has been hit with the news that he’s being sued for using and profiting off the nickname “Durantula” originally belonging to a guitarist.
Durant was sued Wednesday in Federal Court by Mark Durante, a guitarist who, according to the lawsuit was a big deal in the 80s having played with Public Enemy, The Aliens, The Next Big Thing, and The Revolting Cocks.
TMZ obtained a copy of the lawsuit, in which Durante says he adopted the name “Durantula” for his “on-stage and performance persona” and has used it to market “music, recordings, apparel, t-shirts, guitars, and related merchandise.”
Meanwhile, sports fans have adopted the handle for the Oklahoma City Thunder star and current NBA scoring champ.
Durante claims he sent Durant’s people a couple letters “demanding they stop using the nickname.”
In the suit though, Durante claims Nike has used the moniker to launch a shoe campaign and he claims KD himself signed “Durantula” on basketballs that are for sale through his website.
The guitarist claims he registered the “Durantula” trademark. He’s suing for damages and an injunction stopping KD from using the name.
Dwyane Wade Jumpman Shirts Given Away Before Game 2
My Town
Funny how things start out and how things end up. Before game two of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, the giveaway was a Dwyane Wade Jumpman t-shirt.
You could say it kinda signaled perhaps it’s Wade town. LeBron James had a chance to seal the Heat victory in regulation but missed two shots in the last 20 seconds including the shot for the win. Instead the game was sent into overtime where wade had to take over and push the Heat to a 2-0 lead in the series.
Track Coach Loses Job For Taking Student To Prom
TALENT
Controversy has bubbled up at a small high school in Eastern Oregon after a volunteer track coach was let go because she took a 17-year-old boy to his prom in April.
Melissa Bowerman, 41, who had been coaching the Condon/Wheeler track and field team with her 73-year-old husband, Jon Bowerman, was ousted this month in a phone call from school officials. Jon Bowerman is the son of Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman.
“We started an investigation that led to us asking her to un-volunteer,” Condon Superintendent Jan Zarate said.
But many in the community disagree with the decision and are lobbying the superintendent and school board on Bowerman’s behalf.
Melissa Bowerman said she went to the Condon High School prom with one of the track athletes because the boy felt bad about not having a date and had been struggling in English class.
“If they go on (academic) probation and suspension, then they can’t go to the track meets,” said Melissa Bowerman, who also has a son on the track team. “I said, ‘OK, I will go with you, but we’ve got to talk about English first. You’re going to do better in English.”
Melissa Bowerman says attending the prom was an error in judgment, but she maintains she did not have an inappropriate relationship with the teen. She said the two danced to a few slow songs but mostly played ping pong and foosball at the prom, the East Oregonian newspaper of Pendleton reported.
Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt, who received a complaint from a chaperone, said he has found no evidence that Melissa Bowerman broke the law.
The boy’s father, meanwhile, said he gave Melissa Bowerman permission to take his son to the dance.
“The first thing I thought, ‘Maybe this isn’t a good idea.’ But Melissa has been like a surrogate mom to these kids for years,” Bob Thomas said.
Bettencourt told the East Oregonian that he interviewed the Bowermans, the boy that Melissa Bowerman took to the prom, as well as other track athletes, parents and chaperones.
“Everybody’s opinion is that what she did was inappropriate and she had poor judgment,” Bettencourt said. “However, she hasn’t done anything criminal … There isn’t anybody here that thought there was anything going on more than a coach wanting to help one of her athletes do better in school. This is a deal about getting a better English grade so he can participate in track.”
Some parents, student athletes and community members spoke to the school board about the Bowermans’ character and value to the community earlier this month and have asked the board to reverse the decision to dismiss Melissa as coach.
Melissa Bowerman’s late father-in-law is well-known among Oregon sports fans. Besides co-founding Nike with Phil Knight, Bill Bowerman coached track at the University of Oregon from 1949 to 1972, winning four national titles. His relationship with track great Steve Prefontaine has been featured in two films.
In just four years under Melissa and Jon Bowerman, the Condon/Wheeler track and field program has grown from six athletes to more than 30. The girls’ team won its first state title on Saturday.
Jon Bowerman said he might resign because of the situation, and possibly sell his family’s ranch near the school.
“The only thing we’ve done wrong is build them a new track and get uniforms and build them a powerhouse program,” he said. “If she doesn’t come back, I’m not coming back.”
Hall Of Fame Inductees Criticize Tiger Woods
There's Always Nike
Two of the newest inductees into golf’s Hall of Fame went off on one of the game’s greatest players. Writer Dan Jenkins wondered about the heart of Tiger Woods while BBC broadcaster Peter Alliss pondered his brain and pointed to his thunking coming from his pants.
“I do not understand the thinking of Tiger Woods,” Alliss told Randell Mell of Golf Channel. “I think his golfing brain, for some reason or other, is completely addled. Perhaps the good part of his brain for a period drained from here, down to here. And that caused him great distress, probably a modicum of enjoyment at the time. But he’s gone.”
Alliss believes Woods is getting too many instructions and compares it to Pavarotti going from tenor to baritone for no reason.
He says in 30 minutes he could fix Woods game or “I’d go home and stick my head in a bucket of ice water, because it’s so simple. You stand and you swing.”
Jenkins says if Woods wins another major “he’ll be the first guy that ever did it with three swings,” and doesn’t believe he’ll catch Jack Nicklaus.
“…The thing I always thought, and I don’t know if it’s true or not, but everybody wants to win and everyone says they want to win, but the great champions absolutely despised the idea of losing. I think that’s what Ben Hogan had, what Arnold had, Jack certainly had it. I frankly don’t know whether Tiger Woods has it or not because he has never had to come from behind. Every major he won he was in front and everyone, most of them, dropped dead.”
