Just this past week, Andre Agassi dumped his career-long association with Nike. His reasons were that they stated they didn't have the "funds" to continue their support of his charitable organizations that he heads.

Ironic that Nike doesn't have "funds" for their tennis icon since his very beginnings, but they do have funds to dump millions/billions at basketball hopefuls from high school??

It's great to see that Agassi worked out a contract with Adidas. It's nice to see him like so many of the tour, wearing the famous Adidas bar stripes.

After seeing Rafael Nadal wearing that tennis racquet-sized Nike swoosh early in the summer season during an acceptance of the winning trophy ceremony for that tour event, I think all respect for Nike's REAL intentions/interests were shown.

Kudo's to Adidas! :cool:

[ August 02, 2005, 06:07 AM: Message edited by: YonexGuy ]

Kudos to habitants of planet Earth that cannot spell A D I D A S.

Sponsored by no one.

As shallow as it may seem, I actually prefer Nike over Adidas.

I think that the Adidas outfits look too much like uniforms because of all of the lines and stripes.

Nike outfits look smoother and cleaner.

Maybe Adidas should come up with sleeveless shirts like Nike and the new label that Ginepri is wearing?

Dedric

Personally speaking I have a strong weakness for Nike muscle tees. wink

I much prefer Adidas to Nike ... or just about anything. Almost the entirety of my tennis clothes are Adidas. I think Nike clothes are ugly; too garrish. That said, the last year or so of Adidas I haven't liked as much, because I felt like they were starting to look more like Nike clothes. I like simple stuff - collars on the shirts, stripes down the sleeves. If it gets too busy, I don't like it. And I'm not too fond of Adidas moving the three stripes to run down the middle of someone's back.

Adidas has really taken over from Nike in terms of the tops names and their endorsements. You see far more players on the tour in Adidas than anything else these days, which wasn't the case a decade ago.

I agree, though, that it's weird to see Andre is something other than Nike.

too funny. i was thinking about nike and the state of endorsments the other day. you can't turn a few pages in any sports publication w/out seeing a celeb wearing nike stuff. i won't labor on it, but there was a time when several companies wooed me with shoes, shirts, equip., etc, in the hopes i would be seen wearing their goods. at the time reebok and nike (this is a few years back) were the two i was considering. reebok had a number of programs aimed at inner-city youth as well as other philanthropical endeavors. when i asked the nike lady about comparable programs she hemmed and hawed and came up with some basketball references. i then asked her about the possibility of pursuing some in the tennis arena, she went silent. she spent more energy trying to combat the bad press they were getting at the time for using sweat shops. i was a little more naive then (guess we all were) and easily influenced by agents etc. decided to go with nike, but ended up giving a good many of the things to friends...(made me very popular). moresoe than the others, i think nike prescribes to planned obsolensence, their stuff fell apart.

obligations came and went and i couldn't wait to get into some adidas. perhaps it's sour grapes, but as great as some of their (nike)stuff looks it's hard to think about wearing it, or recommending it. i applaud aggasi's decision to drop them. never was a big agassi fan, but i have a lot of respect for the guy, he's a champ. too bad there isn't a company that gives part (percentage) of their proceeds, a la 'working assets', directly to the fostering of the game, especially for under-served populations. maybe there is, enlighten me if so...

[ August 01, 2005, 09:36 AM: Message edited by: tennisballs ]

I applaud Agassi. He really has come a long way from the brash, arrogant young player he once was. He seemed like a real jerk back then, but now he is the sports world's biggest philantropist. Kudos to him and I actually always liked Adidas better anyway. Although I agree that the stripes down the back is not my favorite. The players look like road kill.

So Nike makes shoddy tennis gear as well. I am not surprised based on their cycling stuff of the last 10-15 years being almost complete crap. They did have one good model that was made by a European motocross company. The shoes were $250 a pair.

I know this guy who bought some Nike tops that have an embroidered swoosh as the branding. What he did was stitch "Sla" in front of the swoosh and "ery" after the swoosh. When he showed me his creation this past winter, I laughed with sincere appreciation. The visual of reading "S L A V E R Y" with a Nike swoosh for the "V" made my day. I would pay retail for that.

I don't know. Is Adidas much better in their manufacturing policy, environmental policy or human rights policy? Or are they simple better because they are buying you off :confused:

I like to pretend i have an Adidas sponsorship deal.

That's because you're cool. All the cool kids wear Adidas. :cool:

I wear Target...I'm cool.

Only if you pronounce it "Tar-Jay"

hey shep...target rocks. their ten dollar shorts wear better, last longer than nike or adidas...makes up most of my on-court wardrobe.

i miss the short shorts. with the advent of nadal's capris and the pushing of the envelope, maybe someone will get brave and start showing some leg. ahh the days of borg. anyone remember adriano panatta? best legs of that era...nikes would'nt have done him justice

Further News!

It was announced today that the German-held Adidas has put up a bid to buy Reebok! From all the stockholders and shares showing for both companies, it looks like a good deal. If this goes thru it would be official the first of 2006.

*Guess who is sweating under their trillion dollar diamond collars?? Hint: operates sweat shops in the orient to produce thier swooshes by the locals at a pay rate of .25 an hour! :mad:

You Go Adidas!!

[ August 03, 2005, 06:00 AM: Message edited by: YonexGuy ]

Whatever happend to Fila, Tacchini and those other smaller European designers? I always thought their tennis clothes were just so much more stylish.

Economics I suppose.

They got sued by Martina Hingis?

Puma is my style choice, but they haven't had a high profile tennis player since Serena jumped ship for the Nike empire. My straight friends loved that black catsuit.

how about mathieu's black sequined garb tonight? very cool...or 'hot'. first time i've seen one of the guys show off some bling on the court. atta boy. played some sweet tennis as well.

I prefer Nike...just a more simple look. I like the new Nadal top. I'm gonna have to go lookin for that one. I see he gave his old one to his "mentor" Carlos. I like Andy in Lacoste though. He was the best dressed at Wimbledon in that white. He just wears stuff thats 5 sizes too big. I wish he'd wear his shorts and shirts a little tighter. I can't remember what magazine a year or two ago did a tennis outfit spread but there was this guy in some Lacoste tennis wear and lets just say it was old school look with the short shorts and a tight form fitting shirt. I wish Andy with that phatty would wear somethin like that. Show off that rump boy..don't be ashamed of it.

Personally, I have always been a swoosh kind of guy wink , and this goes back a long...long...time too.

I must admit, I too like the new tank top that Nadal was sporting. It's nice.