Should Auburn Switch to Nike?

[DAG 33,989]

1 minute ago, Texan4Auburn said:

No, No and No and No some more.

From my experience with Nike gear it was sub-par and trash.

Their running shoes are pretty horrible 

Edited May 3, 2020 by DAG

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

2 hours ago, DAG said:

I think back in the day when Nike was solely the driving force . However, I think this now since there is so many other outlets to promote and become profitable . Honestly unless you are a huge brand , Nike can give you the 360 deal . I was watching the ball family speak about this . The fact that they never signed to a major company gives them 100 percent of the profit. Now , the climate is changing and the NCAA looks to be proposing ways to let these athletes profit on their likeness. If I am a five star recruit , this is what I would be doing tbh. 

From what I saw it won't matter what Auburn does as the players will not be able to use anything associated with the university in the likeness bit. Universities still will hold their licensing rights and appearing in advertisement could make you an employee of the university.

See if I can find that article again.

Oh to be clear, they can do like a car advertisement for a local dealer. They just can't wear university apparel or use the name of the university.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Texan4Auburn

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

1 minute ago, DAG said:

Their running shoes are pretty horrible 

Same with soccer gear. Reason I have worn Copa's from Adidas since like the mid-80's. Lol hell, I still have a pair of the FX replaceable that the West.... Yes West (even says made in West Germany on the tongue) German national team used in the 90 Cup. I got like 4 packs of studs when I bought them. Still use them but it has to be really wet or pristine grass.

Pure running shoes I've mixed it up between Saucony and Brooks lately. Been pleased with both.

[Zeek 16,650]

Maybe we should go back to Russell Athletics 😂 

[IronMan70 3,277]

15 minutes ago, Zeek said:

Maybe we should go back to Russell Athletics 😂 

.....or maybe some vintage Keds.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

There's no reason for them to not switch to Nike IMO. Superior company, superior designs, superior appeal to recruits, the only thing stopping them is the general complacency in our athletics program, but the recent past is showing me they're at least trying new things, so who knows. 

 

I guess UA might make better workout gear??? Slap a check on it and it'll sell more though, and Auburn out of all colleges in this state should love that idea

Edited May 3, 2020 by Dual-Threat Rigby

[NoALtiger 3,865]

Whoever pays the most, pretty simple. 

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

4 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

There's no reason for them to not switch to Nike IMO. Superior company, superior designs, superior appeal to recruits, the only thing stopping them is the general complacency in our athletics program, but the recent past is showing me they're at least trying new things, so who knows. 

 

I guess UA might make better workout gear??? Slap a check on it and it'll sell more though, and Auburn out of all colleges in this state should love that idea

No thanks. They have been under fire and investigation for the discrimination and abuse of women since 2017. They also have other gender lawsuits filed and pending with them. They are good at branding though, hypocrites, but really good at branding. Though this portion of why I won't nothing to do with them goes in the political area.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/10/hundreds-of-nike-employees-march-to-protest-its-treatment-of-women-reports.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/07/nike-hit-with-damning-op-ed-about-oregon-project-track-team.html

[aubiefifty 16,800]

18 hours ago, WarTiger said:

No it doesn't.  We have signed more 5* players over the last 3-5 years (without nike) than the rest of the history of the program.  We have also been in the final group of teams for some of the most recent top players in the country (without nike).  Coach matters WAY more than some stupid pair of shoes and we have one of the best coaches and recruiters in the country. 

but what if it was true and we could have twice that number? to be honest i have not purchased a pair of nike's in fifteen or twenty years. but i believe the kids thing is right. i mean we always seem to have yearly articles on people getting robbed and murdered for their nike's. i have never heard that about any other sneakers. and i am not taking up for nike but if they gave us an edge in basketball i would take it. but i also admit i do not know the politics behind the nike brand either other than sweatshop stuff which i believe they all do except maybe new balance.NB used to  claim they were american made if my memory is correct.

[aubiefifty 16,800]

11 hours ago, IronMan70 said:

.....or maybe some vintage Keds.

i had the first pair of all black keds high tops but they hurt my feet or my right foot doe to some joint pain below my big toe. i was so sad because i was in a weekend band and wore a lot of black. i had to give them away...........

[AUsince72 11,084]

18 hours ago, DAG said:

72 one of my favorite posters. Hope all is well with you my guy.

DAG, my brother, I am feeling more confident every day!  The support has been amazing and I'm ready to get this clinical trial started!

God bless!!

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

10 hours ago, Texan4Auburn said:

No thanks. They have been under fire and investigation for the discrimination and abuse of women since 2017. They also have other gender lawsuits filed and pending with them. They are good at branding though, hypocrites, but really good at branding. Though this portion of why I won't nothing to do with them goes in the political area.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/10/hundreds-of-nike-employees-march-to-protest-its-treatment-of-women-reports.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/07/nike-hit-with-damning-op-ed-about-oregon-project-track-team.html

At the end of the day, you can find ethical issues amongst almost every company. 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/the-goods/2018/11/7/18068378/under-armour-kevin-plank-workplace-culture

“Under Armour is being accused of promoting a troubling workplace culture, after it was revealed that the sports apparel company used to allow some employees and executives to expense visits to strip clubs.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/11/04/business/under-armour-accounting-investigation/index.html
 

It’s really all about how well a company can mitigate the bad PR their bad practices make...I hope we don’t make any decisions under the guise that the multi-national, billion dollar corporation might be ethically perfect. Nike could be worse, but there’s a worthwhile correlation (in fashion/clothing) between size and griminess  and Nike happens to be bigger than UA. That’s all

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

8 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

but what if it was true and we could have twice that number? to be honest i have not purchased a pair of nike's in fifteen or twenty years. but i believe the kids thing is right. i mean we always seem to have yearly articles on people getting robbed and murdered for their nike's. i have never heard that about any other sneakers. and i am not taking up for nike but if they gave us an edge in basketball i would take it. but i also admit i do not know the politics behind the nike brand either other than sweatshop stuff which i believe they all do except maybe new balance.NB used to  claim they were american made if my memory is correct.

It’s hard to know bc recruits rarely talk about why they DIDNT pick a school, but we have it on record that the All American committee is weary of guys committed to UA schools, and that weariness at least factored into Sharife’s decision for a long minute. Not every guy is going to be as committed as he was to Auburn, and I wouldn’t want to lose out on a recruit who, with all other things held equal, chose another school bc he’d have a guaranteed shot at being an AA there and not here

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

I shouldn’t say specifically under Armour, just more so non-Nike 

being Nike/Jordan Brand sponsored really seems to put you in the driver’s seat

[Zeek 16,650]

3 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

It’s hard to know bc recruits rarely talk about why they DIDNT pick a school, but we have it on record that the All American committee is weary of guys committed to UA schools, and that weariness at least factored into Sharife’s decision for a long minute. Not every guy is going to be as committed as he was to Auburn, and I wouldn’t want to lose out on a recruit who, with all other things held equal, chose another school bc he’d have a guaranteed shot at being an AA there and not here

Look at how we finished 3rd for Green and Brown behind the G-League and another school. Yes we still recruit well in major sports but is it as well as it could be? Personally, I'm tired of Auburn finishing below the Top 5 in recruiting and never in the top 3. While Top 10 is nice there is a definitive difference in results from those recruiting at a higher clip. Whether or not fans accept it we haven't come close to the consistent success of Ohio State / Clemson / Alabama / Georgia and even LSU.

We are a four loss team. Yes coaching is part of it but even a great coach with lesser talent will struggle to compete consistently.

1. Being Nike or Air Jordan sponsored would undoubtedly help.

2. Winning more consistently would help.

3. Facilities are dramatically behind the top tier programs,

4, Complacency like you said we can't be okay with the fact that we've never once been in the College Football Playoffs.

 

[GwillMac6 20,683]

On 5/2/2020 at 11:29 AM, WarTim said:

No to Nike. Today and every day. 

Yes. Bruce Pearl having elite players funneled to him because we would be a Nike school? Unstoppable. Who we are sponsored for in football has absolute no bearing whatsoever on recruiting. So I do not care at all when it comes to football. We could be Puma or Converse and we still would have a top 10 class every season. But it is EVERYTHING in basketball recruiting. Us being UA in bball puts us at a disadvantage. Bruce shows you can still have a great program being UA but it def hurts us in certain recruitments. AU going to Nike would UNLEASH Bruce's full potential and we would have top 5 classes every season. Bruce can finally realize his full potential. He has never had the power of Nike behind him. He was Adidas at Rocky Top and now the lowest of the lows being a Under Armour school for basketball now. 

And like @Kaiiu said we could finally get some of the elite prospects in the state TO COME TO AUBURN!! The top AAU programs in Alabama are all run by Nike. That is why even though Bama since Bruce arrived having worse coaches still gets most of the the top guys in the state. And if they do not go to Bama they go out of state like Trendon Watford did. This year coming up I do not believe we have one single state of Alabama kid on our roster for basketball that is on scholarship besides Jamal Johnson a transfer from Memphis. That is absolutely egregious with how amazing our basketball program is now. There is not a doubt in my mind it is because we are not a Nike school. Austin Wiley and Purifoy are the only big time prospects we have signed from the state in the Bruce era and I mean one was a legacy. 

Edited May 4, 2020 by GwillMac6

[WarTim 3,456]

4 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

Yes. Bruce Pearl having elite players funneled to him because we would be a Nike school? Unstoppable. Who we are sponsored for in football has absolute no bearing whatsoever on recruiting. So I do not care at all when it comes to football. We could be Puma or Converse and we still would have a top 10 class every season. But it is EVERYTHING in basketball recruiting. Us being UA in bball puts us at a disadvantage. Bruce shows you can still have a great program being UA but it def hurts us in certain recruitments. 

Agree with all you said and I still say NO to nike. Some things are more important. JMHO

[GwillMac6 20,683]

Just now, WarTim said:

Agree with all you said and I still say NO to nike. Some things are more important. JMHO

lol what is more important than setting ourselves up to be a even better program than we are now? We are really good but being a Nike school would ensure we take that next step and become great in basketball. It puts us in the best position.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

4 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

At the end of the day, you can find ethical issues amongst almost every company. 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/the-goods/2018/11/7/18068378/under-armour-kevin-plank-workplace-culture

“Under Armour is being accused of promoting a troubling workplace culture, after it was revealed that the sports apparel company used to allow some employees and executives to expense visits to strip clubs.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/11/04/business/under-armour-accounting-investigation/index.html
 

It’s really all about how well a company can mitigate the bad PR their bad practices make...I hope we don’t make any decisions under the guise that the multi-national, billion dollar corporation might be ethically perfect. Nike could be worse, but there’s a worthwhile correlation (in fashion/clothing) between size and griminess  and Nike happens to be bigger than UA. That’s all

Fair enough. Still stand by my original reason, my experience with Nike is the same that Zion Williamson had (split in the middle of a tourney and owned them for less than a month). I also see a difference in paying for strip club visits and emotionally and physically abusing a person.

I also do not like that they have entered the political realm to the extent they have, but their contracts with universities do not allow for polishing out of their logo.

If we switch we switch (not stuck on UA btw), but I won't pay for Nike.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

No Nike for me. Phil Knight is a jerk.I don't buy anything Nike.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

On 5/2/2020 at 12:54 PM, WarTiger said:

No it doesn't.  We have signed more 5* players over the last 3-5 years (without nike) than the rest of the history of the program.  We have also been in the final group of teams for some of the most recent top players in the country (without nike).  Coach matters WAY more than some stupid pair of shoes and we have one of the best coaches and recruiters in the country. 

On the top of that Nike is backing up. They are losing ground to several folks In The business . I think after the stuff that went down a couple of years ago the shoe business may make some sudden changes especially in basketball. I think right now AUs best bet is stay with who we came to the dance with and see how things shake out a couple of years from now. JMHO 🦅🦅🦅

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

1 hour ago, GwillMac6 said:

lol what is more important than setting ourselves up to be a even better program than we are now? We are really good but being a Nike school would ensure we take that next step and become great in basketball. It puts us in the best position.

I disagree. Keeping Bruce and continuing to win and send folks to the NBA will keep us moving forward . Shoes don’t make that big a deal anymore . They can’t pay players under the table like they were. In fact with kids now able to make money on their likeness that’s what we need to be looking at . I saw today thy figure Bo can turn 6 figures so Cooper should be able to ad well. We need to find some folks that can manage this likeness business . 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

2 hours ago, Zeek said:

Look at how we finished 3rd for Green and Brown behind the G-League and another school. Yes we still recruit well in major sports but is it as well as it could be? Personally, I'm tired of Auburn finishing below the Top 5 in recruiting and never in the top 3. While Top 10 is nice there is a definitive difference in results from those recruiting at a higher clip. Whether or not fans accept it we haven't come close to the consistent success of Ohio State / Clemson / Alabama / Georgia and even LSU.

We are a four loss team. Yes coaching is part of it but even a great coach with lesser talent will struggle to compete consistently.

1. Being Nike or Air Jordan sponsored would undoubtedly help.

2. Winning more consistently would help.

3. Facilities are dramatically behind the top tier programs,

4, Complacency like you said we can't be okay with the fact that we've never once been in the College Football Playoffs.

 

I forgot this was in the football forum...there's probably a few things bigger than uniform designers stopping us from being elite in CFB, but I've always felt like, esp. with our social media curation in recent years, having one of the "fly" companies working with our companies would be a godsend. UA might be able to do more if they weren't dealing with such a rigid leadership/fanbase, but just look at some of the things Virginia and Clemson does with similar colors. Florida too. Look at what Nike did with boring ass crimson and white.

I think Nike could do things that placate our traditionalist fanbase AND excite younger fans. I don't think Under Armour can do the same

1 hour ago, GwillMac6 said:

lol what is more important than setting ourselves up to be a even better program than we are now? We are really good but being a Nike school would ensure we take that next step and become great in basketball. It puts us in the best position.

People should be allowed to air their personal qualms with Nike, but from a professional standpoint...they're Nike. Gold standard of sports. and no one ensures that status remains more than recruits. plus we'd have an increase in revenue 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

3 minutes ago, Eagle Eye 7 said:

I disagree. Keeping Bruce and continuing to win and send folks to the NBA will keep us moving forward . Shoes don’t make that big a deal anymore . They can’t pay players under the table like they were. In fact with kids now able to make money on their likeness that’s what we need to be looking at . I saw today thy figure Bo can turn 6 figures so Cooper should be able to ad well. We need to find some folks that can manage this likeness business . 

in football, I don't believe it matters as much who's backing you (even though it's self-evident with how little young talent UA has on the next level that you WOULDNT want them backing you), but imagine Nike's list of potential connections vs UA's. No matter the sport, one is going to be able to plug you into more circles than the other 

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

I agree with that before, but I’m hearing Phil’s cutting back on Oregon and may not be in the best of shape financial . As well with the crackdown on the show deals in basketball because of the investigation watch for the NCAA to keep a close watch on it for a while. Again with the new likeness deal in play these kids can make money on more ways than basketball shoes . Just saying now is not the time to change . We have done good the last two years so let’s hold on for a couple and let the landscape level out. ✌️🦅