New uniforms do away with home and away designations

Nike has unveiled new NBA uniforms for the 2017-2018 season that dispense with traditional ‘home’ and ‘away’ team designations.

The home team will instead pick from four primary uniforms to be worn at all home games and visiting teams will choose a contrasting uniform within their own assortment.

White ‘Association’ uniforms will replace the typical home jersey, while the ‘Icon’ version uses the team’s primary color and replaces the road uniforms.

Nike, which has replaced Adidas as the NBA’s uniform supplier, will reveal the two remaining uniforms in the coming months.

The world’s No. 1 footwear maker said on Tuesday that it employed 3D-body maps of players, including heat and sweat maps, to design cooler, lighter uniforms for players to wear during the NBA’s grueling 82-game season.

NBA players tested early versions of the uniforms and provided feedback that prompted Nike to evolve the designs in ways that included moving the armhole, neck and side seams to eliminate distractions for athletes, the company said.

“The mental advantage of a quality uniform is priceless,” Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving said in a press release.

“The fact that Nike listened to all of our feedback while developing the new NBA uniforms speaks volumes. I’m excited for the new fit and feel,” he said.

The most significant change comes to the back shoulder of the uniform where Nike designers altered the construction for an improved fit, the company said.

The uniform is comprised of a combination of Alpha Yarns and recycled polyester, with each athlete uniform representing approximately 20 recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.

“Not only does this yarn blend match Nike’s broad commitment to sustainability, it also removes moisture more quickly than previous NBA uniforms, wicking sweat 30-percent faster than current NBA uniforms,” Nike said in a release.

Nike will also unveil new tights and socks to complement the uniforms and provide a seamless look for the athletes, it said.

source: interaksyon.com

Openly gay athlete Jason Collins calls Manny Pacquiao a ‘bigot’: ‘You should never hold public office’

US sports equipment giant Nike on Wednesday axed Manny Pacquiao after he described gay couples as “worse than animals”, slamming the Filipino boxer’s remarks as “abhorrent.”

A Nike statement said the company had severed its ties with Pacquiao, who triggered a firestorm of controversy with his comments to a Filipino broadcaster earlier this week. 

“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” a Nike statement said.

“Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community… we no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao.”

Devout Christian Pacquiao, 37, had issued an apology soon after the controversy erupted.

“I’m sorry for comparing homosexuals to animals. Please forgive me for those I’ve hurt,” Pacquiao said in a video post on Instagram, his arms crossed.

Pacquiao, who is running for a seat in his country’s Senate, said he was not condemning homosexuals but was standing by his conservative Christian faith.

“I love you all with the love of the Lord. I am praying for you.”

Pacquiao told television station TV5 earlier this week: “It’s common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female.”

“If men mate with men and women mate with women, they are worse than animals.”

Pacquiao’s comments were greeted with revulsion in the United States, where same-sex marriage is enshrined in law following a historic Supreme Court ruling.

Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete in the NBA, dismissed Pacquiao as “bigoted.”

“I lost all respect for you,” Collins wrote on Twitter. “Bigoted people like you (yes you are one) should never hold an office in politics.”

Pacquiao’s long-time rival Floyd Mayweather — who outclassed the Filipino in their money-spinning mega-fight last year — also took aim at the remarks.

“We should let people live their lives the way they want to live their lives. To each his own,” Mayweather was quoted by TMZ Sports as saying.

Gay marriage is outlawed in the Philippines due to strong opposition from the Catholic Church and 80 percent of the country’s 100 million people subscribe to the faith.

Gay marriages are officiated at small churches but are not recognized by the mainstream church or the state.

Pacquiao’s remarks angered some of his compatriots, with the country’s most popular gay comedian, Vice Ganda, urging his 6.7 million Twitter followers to “#PrayForMannyPacquiao”.

“Some people think they can judge people, like God, just because they’ve attended a prayer meeting and read the Bible,” he said.

Singer Aiza Seguerra, who recently married her actress-girlfriend, called on Filipino voters to boycott Pacquiao, who is also preparing for his last boxing fight in April, calling him an “ignorant, bigoted hypocrite”.

“You might have done our country proud but with your statement, you just showed the whole country why we shouldn’t vote for you,” Seguerra said in a post on Instagram.

source: interaksyon.com

Nike stands by Lance Armstrong

NEW YORK – US sporting goods giant Nike was one of several sponsors sticking by Lance Armstrong on Friday after the US Anti-Doping Agency stripped the cycling legend of his record seven Tour de France titles.

Armstrong, a cancer survivor revered by millions for his efforts in raising cancer awareness and supporting those stricken by the disease, has steadfastly denied doping accusations but said Thursday night that he would not pursue an arbitration process.

“We are saddened that Lance Armstrong may no longer be able to participate in certain competitions and his titles appear to be impacted,” Nike said in a statement.

“Lance has stated his innocence and has been unwavering on this position. Nike plans to continue to support Lance and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a foundation that Lance created to serve cancer survivors.”

The company declined to comment on the terms of its deal with Armstrong, who has been a Nike-sponsored athlete since 1996.

Armstrong was also banned from cycling for life by the US anti-doping agency, which said his decision not to pursue arbitration in an effort to clear himself of doping charges leveled in June triggered the action.

AdAge reported that brewer Anheuser-Busch and sunglasses manufacturer Oakley were also sticking with Armstrong.

Johnson Health Tech, a Wisconsin-based company that makes exercise equipment, was among the firms citing Armstrong’s cancer awareness work as a reason to continue supporting him.

JHT issued a statement “reaffirming” its support of Armstrong and his charitable foundation.

“JHT fully supports the great work they do helping families throughout the world overcome cancer’s financial, practical and emotional challenges,” the company said in a statement.

source: interaksyon.com

NFL: Tim Tebow sports apparel sales halted in Nike-Reebok feud

Nike Inc. has won a court order blocking rival Reebok International Ltd from selling New York Jets apparel bearing the name of the popular quarterback Tim Tebow, in a battle over licensing rights.

The order issued late on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel prevents Reebok from manufacturing, selling and shipping the alleged unauthorized apparel for the National Football League team and bearing Tebow's name.

It also requires Reebok to offer to buy back such apparel from retailers and recall the products from shipping channels. The Denver Broncos traded Tebow to the Jets on March 21.

Castel, however, rejected Nike's demand that Reebok destroy any unauthorized Tebow products. The judge set an April 4 hearing to discuss whether the ban should be extended. Nike filed the lawsuit on Tuesday.

Reebok is a unit of Germany's Adidas AG.

Daniel Sarro, a Reebok spokesman, said the company plans to refute Nike's contentions at the hearing, "which should enable the court to change its view."

Paul Sarkozi, a lawyer for Nike, declined to comment. Nike spokeswoman Kellie Leonard did not immediately return a telephone call seeking a comment.

According to the complaint, on April 1, Nike will begin an exclusive five-year contract with the NFL to sell uniforms and related apparel for all 32 teams.

Nike also said Reebok has no current agreement to sell Tebow-related Jets products and that a Reebok merchandising license with the NFL players union expired prior to this month.

It accused Reebok of trying to capitalize on "short-lived intense consumer appetite for such products," and selling products bearing Tebow's name without the player's consent.

Tebow's No. 15 Broncos uniform had been among the NFL's top-selling jerseys before his trade to the Jets.

Apparel sales for a popular player who changes teams customarily soar in the first few days after the change.

Nike's lawsuit does not concern Broncos products bearing Tebow's name and those made before March 1.

A January poll by Walt Disney Co's ESPN rated Tebow the No. 1 favorite active professional athlete in the United States.

The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, who played for the University of Florida, is also an evangelical Christian who prays on the football field in a pose known as "Tebowing."

He left the Broncos after they signed star quarterback Peyton Manning, who had played for the Indianapolis Colts.

The case is Nike Inc et al v Reebok International Ltd, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-02275. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com