While I find Michael Vick the most awful excuse for a human on the planet and wish that he’d been given life in prison with angry dogs barking outside his cell 24/7 I don’t have a personal grudge against Nike other than I don’t like their stuff and their shoes make my feet hurt. Yes Rolex made a bad choice for sponsors anything that helps the sport move forward, bring in new owners/riders/backers can only be a good thing. We want our sport to become bigger in this country so that when Susie at the grocery store asks what you do with your horse you don’t have to give them a 30 minute disertation on what eventing is.
I am so heartened by this post! I have given up all things Nike since they use sponsor Michael Vick. And I love Rolex and their apparel but if I was going this year, you can bet I would not buy anything Nike because of their association with Michael Vick.
Sorry, this is one thing that I don’t WANT to help my sport move forward. Nope!
[QUOTE=RPM;8030532]
I would have more problems with Nike’s alleged employment of underage workers in sweatshops than with what athletes it sponsored have done.[/QUOTE]
That’s also a problem with them, for my part, although most major garment manufacturers who off-shore their production use what we would consider sweatshop labor.
Nike is the kind of mega-company that I don’t think has a large place in equestrian sports, because its goals and corporate culture are oriented too broadly, and too focused on mass appeal. Jack of all trades, master of none. I don’t think they can add much to our experience, and we, as a niche market, should focus on supporting niche products made by people who know horses, not generic, mass-market stuff that takes business away from our own sector. /two cents
[QUOTE=Cameraine;8033143]
Yes Rolex made a bad choice for sponsors [/QUOTE]
There is no indication anywhere on the Rolex website that Nike is a sponsor of Rolex.
Nike is not among the many names there.
Anyone can buy Nike-branded, customizable apparel for their event. This does not make Nike a ‘sponsor’ or ‘partner’ of that event.
[QUOTE=merry_one;8013011]
Rolex Kentucky teaming up with Nike to bring you the latest in logo wear.
…[/QUOTE]
It does not say they are sponsoring the event, the riders, the governing body, or anything else.
All it says is that Kentucky Horse Park got a good deal on lots of stuff with their event logo applied, and they think you’d like it cos it’s Nike. Vote with your wallet. You might ask if USEA get a % of the profits ?
well… that was much ado about nuttin…
USEF snuggles up with ASPCA for the Maclay competitions. How is this any worse? Pretty soon we’ll have the PETA NAtional Horse Show and the HSUS Hunter Derby Finals. Money shouts.
Edit: I hadn’t read all the posts before I put this up. But I am perturbed by USEF hanging around with ASPCA…
[QUOTE=Madeline;8041520]
USEF snuggles up with ASPCA for the Maclay competitions. How is this any worse? Pretty soon we’ll have the PETA NAtional Horse Show and the HSUS Hunter Derby Finals. Money shouts.[/QUOTE]
You are hilarious.
Mr. Maclay, who was a board member of the ASPCA, donated the trophy to the equitation class of the National Horse Show in 1933.
Money does indeed shout, but not nearly as loud as ignorance.
No need to be nasty. You can still have the Maclay competition without ASPCA. Times, and most likely, the ASPCA, have changed since 1933. Apparently they donate the trophy. No need to remove Mr. Maclay’s name from the history and the competition.
Because there are BB members who care about this issue…
Nike is in the news today due to its decision to sponsor twice-disgraced American Sprinter Justin Gatlin. BBC story here. Gatlin should be banned for life by now but he successfully challenged one of his doping suspensions.
If you click on the link, you’ll see that among the dissenting voices are some of the other athletes sponsored by Nike. We’ll see how this plays out.
Gatlin can make whatever noise he wants about I-didn’t-do-it, but his has a history of hiring doping coaches, visiting doping doctors, and also peeing out positive doping tests. Maybe he’s just plain stupid. Nike, however, should know better.
Really, Nike? Didn’t know they even had interest in equine sports. Since when??
[QUOTE=bpolli;8097544]
Really, Nike? Didn’t know they even had interest in equine sports. Since when??[/QUOTE]
They don’t.
