Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with Nike
Posted on: June 8, 2009 4:04 pm
Edited on: June 8, 2009 4:09 pm
Score: 124
Martavious Newby is one of the better young prospects in the city of Memphis.
He had an interesting quote in Monday's newspaper about Memphis' Elite Camp.
"I was about to go to Tennessee's camp up there, but I changed my mind," Newby told The Commercial Appeal . "I mean, I like Tennessee, but I had to come over here and see how it is, because I like Memphis. That's where I might be going. So I told my high school coach I changed my mind."
Changed his mind?
"I love him to death," Newby's AAU coach, Keith Easterwood, told CBSSports.com on Monday. "But he never had a mind to change."
Before you can understand this story -- and, specifically, how Memphis ended up with most of the top local players on campus last Friday and Saturday -- you need to understand the back story, that Easterwood coaches the best Class of 2011 and 2012 prospects in the area. You also need to know that his team is funded by Nike. And that Memphis is a "Nike" school. And that Tennessee is an "Adidas" school. And that both schools held Elite Camps this past weekend.
OK, you got all that?
Good.
Now I'll let Easterwood tell the story.
"I polled my kids after a game," Easterwood said. "I asked 12 kids: 'Do you want to go to the Memphis Elite Camp or the Tennessee Elite Camp?' ... And all of them, to a man, said they wanted to go to Knoxville. Well, that was good for me. So we did what we had to do to get prepared to get them up there, talked to parents, one thing and another."
And then ...
"I got some calls, some were shoe-affiliated," Easterwood said. "Nike, Adidas, you can connect the dots. ... Memphis is Nike. I'm with a Nike AAU program. And it was expressed to me that it would be in my best interests to stay home and not make the trip to Knoxville, which is what we ultimately did."
Easterwood declined to name the person who called him, but promised it was a "person of influence" with Nike ties. He said he was also told that one of his players, Andre Hollins, might not get an invitation to this week's prestigious Nike Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis if he attended UT's Elite Camp instead of Memphis' Elite Camp.
"The kids didn't know the behind-the-scenes stuff," Easterwood said. "But I had to let [Hollins'] parents know what was at stake if they made that trip."
Once Easterwood told them, they didn't make that trip.
And Hollins' invitation to the Nike Hoop Jamboree subsequently arrived, as expected.
Comments Add a Comment
GR82BA10ACVOL
Reputation: 61Level: Pro Since: Mar 6, 2007 |
Posted on: June 13, 2009 12:16 pm
Score: 148
I'd like to plant my size 10 1/2 right in...Phil Knight's azz! This makes me sick! I am a Tennessee fan, but I would be just as pissed if the shoe were on the other foot (no pun intended). Corporate sponsership has taken the purity out of sports. Nike has spent decades building a brand image around everything good that sports embodies, but in reality they are behind the scenes pulling stunts like this that ruin the honesty and integrity of competition. Shame on Nike... and ESPN, and Chick Fil A, and all the other corporate "partners" who would rather see their brand's logo take center stage than the athletes themselves.
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PatriotMtg
Reputation: 1 Level: Amateur Since: Jun 11, 2009 |
Posted on: June 11, 2009 11:12 am
Score: 12
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with NikeI would love to see a list of which schools are affiliated with which shoe companies. AND... see the trail of recruits.
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psuapt711 Level: Superstar Since: Dec 19, 2006 |
Posted on: June 10, 2009 8:34 pm
Score: 80
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with Nikewhy can't they pay union wages and be competitive? Others companies such as New Balance do it? there is not logic to your arguement
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Shenry0924
Reputation: 87Level: All-Star Since: Jun 5, 2009 |
Posted on: June 10, 2009 4:32 pm
Score: 86
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with NikeI'm not saying that what Nike is doing is right, but at the same time they do give kids the opportunity to showcase their talent at events that they might not normally be able to attend. Also, keep in mind that Nike is paying this coach (either directly or indrectly with equipment, jerseys, etc.) so it's great that he's coming out and saying this so people know what is going on but it seems somewhat hypocritical for him to make Nike look evil when they have been helping him run his program. It's sad that this goes on and it's interesting to me that the NCAA can't do anything to change the system that allows this sort of thing to happen when they can slap violations on current collegiate athletes when someone buys them lunch. The immediate goal for these kids is a college scholarship from an NCAA school so why can't the NCAA do something to monitor these showcases and make sure all deserving players are invited despite AAU affiliations? Why not limit the amount of money that major shoe brands can give to AAU programs in order to give companies like Nike and Adidas less pull on decisions like this?
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cusa_news
Reputation: 61 Level: Pro Since: Jun 10, 2009 |
Posted on: June 10, 2009 1:03 pm
Score: 27
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with NikeWhat good is this article supposed to bring? Simply more scrutiny... and to think this came from an ex-Memphis writer. Way to support where you came from. Howzabout writing about UK or something.
Here's a story for you Gary: http://www.kentucky.com/818/story/8 22142.html |
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halo27legend
Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Oct 16, 2007 |
Posted on: June 9, 2009 4:38 pm
Score: 84
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with NikeKeith Easterwood is to powerful in Memphis with his relationships in the city. Nike will back off him. I promise you they will back off him.....Keith Easterwood is the biggest name amongst AAU talent in the city. Nike doesnt want to battle him.
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calzone12
Reputation: 88 Level: All-Star Since: Jan 24, 2008 |
Posted on: June 9, 2009 2:18 pm
Score: 98
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with NikeBoy, if ever there was a misinterpretation of something just read - yours is it!!
Easterwood was speaking out...and now it appears that Nike,or someone in power, believes he spoke out of turn. "Blowing the whistle on the jerk who called him" is basically what he did. Keith Easterwood is a VERY STAND UP GUY . And now that he has spoken up, he's been threatened with losing the AAU team he coaches. And if he does lose it, let's hope Gary uses his position to somehow make things right for Keith...and his kids; instead of just dropping everything with this story...and these comments. Yes, keith's a stand up guy - DAMN right he is!! |
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Dwezilwoffa
Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 28, 2006 |
Posted on: June 9, 2009 12:19 pm
Score: 100
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with NikeSome athletes have stood up to the big shoe companies. As much as Stephon Marbury might not be a great team player, he came out with the Starbury or something. It was a shoe he wore on court that cost like $25 in stores. He marketed it to inner city kids because he thought shoe prices were outrageous.
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tballgame9 Level: Superstar Since: Sep 17, 2007 |
Posted on: June 9, 2009 10:23 am
Score: 121
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with NikeAAU is unregulated and if Nike is sponsoring a team and supplying them with all the equipment and travel fees etc...then I would also not want my team going to an Adidas school! I have no problems with this. They are not limiting the players but merely telling a team they are sponsoring not to go to an ADidas tournament. Nike is not sponsoring a player and that player can go to whatever school they want. Sure Nike and Adidas will try to persuade the players on their teams to go to schools of their sponsorship but each player has the right to attend any school they want. I knowof a player who was flown cross country by Adidas because he played on an Adidas team and they wanted him to go to an Adidas school and he did not. They were angry. They flew him on weekends to tournaments for 2 years. He chose a Nike school to their dismay. THe shoe business and the AAU org is a very dirty atmosphere. They are exploiting these kids and nothing is done to stop it. Remember what Tyson Chandler said..."I have been a pro since I was 13"
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jgpennin
Reputation: 88 Level: All-Star Since: Mar 11, 2007 |
Posted on: June 9, 2009 10:22 am
Score: 71
Sometimes it hurts to not be affiliated with NikeYou can catch the entire interview http://730foxsports.com/index.php . The AAU coach, Keith Easterwood was interviewed on a local Memphis radio show, "Geoff and Gary", yesterday afternoon. After you click on the link, go to the ipod at the bottom and press the menu button for a list of yesterdays podcasts. Scroll down to 09-06-05 GandG SEG5 .
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