Sponsor Scandals and Shopping Innovations

* In the midst of this year's battle for the NCAA Men's basketball champion, Nike was the in the middle of a minor scandal of its own. Los Angeles Laker star Kobe Bryant may or may not have contacted a college player about signing with Nike. The LA Times reported Thursday that Bryant apparently called Texas freshman Kevin Durant about signing a "$30 million to $50 million shoe deal." While Bryant adamantly denies the claims that he called Durant, this story, whether true or not, is bringing attention to the freshman player whose team recently lost in the tournament to USC in the second round. [report]

* Nike's been a little secretive lately. In a recent report, Nike President and CEO Mark Parker said the company wants to change the way the people shop. How? They wont release any of that information! Parker said these concepts will be in retail within the next year.
I don't know about you, but is there anything Nike could do to be better? The company's third-quarter profit rose 7.7 percent after higher European sales and the ipod-compatible shoe hit the market. Net income also climbed $350.8 million and European sales had their biggest gain in two years. Nike is definitely at the top of its game! Nike's stock closed Friday at 109.5 a share and continues to rise. [report]

Who Would You Wear?

* Back on my Feb. 1st blog, I mentioned that Nike wanted to sign with the German football (soccer) teams as their main athletic endorser. As of Feb 28, Andy Eckardt, reporter for NBC news, said the battle between Nike and Adidas has just begun.
Apparently, Adidas had a contract with Germany's Soccer Federation for a measly $14 million annually. Nike's bid was $63 million. You don't have to be a mathematician to decide which contract you would sign. But Adidas is saying they wanted to renew their contract until 2014. The decision is yet to be made, but I'm sure Nike will put up a big fight. They know how important it is to be the sole athletic sponsor for Germany's football teams. [Nike Challenges Adidas in Home Market]

* One place Nike already won the battle over Adidas was the University of Minnesota. The University's campus newspaper reported that Nike was chosen over its competitor because it offers the "largest financial commitment [and] it has experience in quality service at other major universities." [Nike to Brand All Sports Teams]

* Nike and Payless ShoeSource Inc. are collaborating to market a high-performance running sneaker for only $34.99. Compared to the highly successful (and pricey) Nike Shox, $34.99 for a quality shoe is not bad at all. The line will be produced under the Tailwind Collection and will be sold exclusively at Payless Shoe Stores.
At a press introduction on Feb. 26 in New York, soccer players Hope Solo and Brandi Chastain joined volleyball player Logan Tom to introduce the new footwear. [report]