words_Nick DePaula
Adidas has decided not to renew its sponsorship contract with the University of Central Florida, due in large part to the fiasco stemming from freshman guard Marcus Jordan’s insistence on wearing Air Jordans in-game. After we first discussed the issue HERE, when Michael’s son Marcus had announced during the team’s Media Day that he would prefer to wear his father’s shoes on-court, it appears as though the battle between The Brand With The Stripes and UCF began heating up.
Initially, UCF team officials had told Marcus he would be allowed special permission to wear a competitor’s shoes, given that his father happened to have his own $1 Billion sneaker brand and all. Though it appeared that adidas would begrudgingly let things slide and ok the one-time exception, after the brand’s regional reps and the school had come to an agreement, the higher up powers that be at adidas apparently had a change of tune. Once Marcus stepped onto the court last night for the Knight’s season opener against St. Leo, wearing the upcoming ‘Rising Sun’ Jordan Retro XII, with his teammates uniformly clad in the adidas TS Commander LT, the school’s partnership with adidas was all but voided. It’s worth noting that the only visible logos near his feet were found on the adidas SpeedWrap ankle braces he was wearing, as he whited out the Jumpman on the tongue top of each shoe, as well as the ‘23′ found along the heel.
“The University of Central Florida has chosen not to deliver on their contractual commitment to adidas. As a result we have chosen not to continue our relationship with them moving forward,” adidas rep Andrea Corso told the Orlando Sentinel. The total cost of the split to the school? About $3 Million in athletic goods. While UCF and adidas had just been coming to the end of their current five-year deal that spanned from 2005 to 2010, they had already begun progress towards a new five-year deal that would’ve lasted until 2015. The new deal would’ve bumped the school’s current status from simple merchandise deal to an all-sport deal, in which UCF would be provided athletic shoes, equipment and apparel for free, valued at about $3 Million in total. Under their old deal, they had to pay wholesale cost for goods to outfit fifteen sports. Marcus hasn’t yet made a public statement on the issue, and he finished the game with 1 point, 1 assist and 3 steals, while coincidentally playing 23 minutes.
Source: Orlando Sentinel
I understand the support of your family but there has to be some wiggle room. Him wearing Adidas doesn’t make him any less a Jordan. And it’s only for games. It’s not like he’s being barred from wearing Jordans on school grounds period.
You have to do what’s in the best interest of the school as a whole. This has potentially cost the school millions in support for their athletic programs. And for what? So a kid can wear his fathers shoes. The trade off is far from equal.
I’m an avid Jordan shoe collector but I think the school should have sat Marcus down and let him know that it is what it is. You either play in Adidas or you don’t play. No one should be above the rules. I don’t care who their parents are.
When he signed with the school, they told him it wouldnt be an issue! Cant blame him AT ALL!!
I hear you. I finally read the complete story. With all the bits and pieces of the story floating around it’s hard to get a complete grasp of the situation. So no you can’t fault Marcus for doing what he did. Especially when the school knew he intended to wear Jordans when they recruited him.
Maybe they want JB to sponsor them. And you gotta admit that the publicity for the school doesn’t hurt.
i agree with everything you guys have said, but comeone they were whited out its not like they had jordan all over them i honestly dont see the big deal, but i can see nike stepping in to fill the adidas void
Besides being great shoes to collect, Jordans are first and foremost basketball shoes, and damn good ones, yes adidas will not renew their contract and Nike or Jordan brand, and I bet most of the athletes won’t miss wearing adidas.
well he’s really not that good then it seems, i woulda dropped him before i woulda let adidas drop my school, maybe they’ll get lucky and his dad will bail him and his school out with a great deal or sumthing, but then again would mj ever stoop that low?
Maybe this was a way for JB to jump in and steal UCF sponsorship from Adidas… as they say, there’s no such thing as bad press.
Doesn’t matter if MJ (Marcus Jordan) is good or not because he put this school on the map. Can MJ OG get paid for having his son there?
should have told marcus to hit the bricks
EXACTLY!!
So the school in the first place said he could wear Jordans! If adidas wants to throw a fit because there is a pair of jordans on the court that’s their inferior problem to deal with, but they shouldnt be a bitch to the school itself. I think this school is far more popular now than it was before Marcus did this anyways, it’s going to be adidas loss in the end I’ll bet.
The Commander LTs are great shoes–Marcus was missing out!
Adidas is just using him as an excuse to cut costs during the recession.
Pretty sad that they would be this petty.
1 point in 23 minutes?
hahahaha what a joke…
newsflash, marcus… ur not ur dad!
its a burden to inherit his name, i understand.
but to make a big deal out of what brand you represent?
worry bout ur team chemistry, no Jordan is bigger than a team…
obviously not with that stat u put up!
PATHETIC!
so what if he’s the son of a legend, you cant expect for him to do the things jordan did, look patrick ewing and his son -______-
thats it!!!! try harder!!!
why isnt Michael vying for the sponsorship spot?
Way too much of a fuss. It’s his dad’s, his family’s brand. Of course he won’t wear anything else. Now step up Jordan Brand. Sponsor the school!
Big screw up by UCF, no way they’ll ever score a decent contract now, there’s no competition.
i dont see why the jordan brand just indorse them. Istead of adidas.
plain and simple.
What a douche. Straight-up selfish, spoiled DOUCHE. Guy wouldn’t play a minute if he wasn’t a Jordan. Can’t stand this loser.