• Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorized

Nike is fifty: some thoughts

Larry EderbyLarry Eder
May 2, 2022
0
0 0
0
SHARES
40
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Yesterday, a letter from Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, appeared. Nike employees saw it first, and then, it began appearing in the digital universe. Nike turned 50 on May 1, 2022.

Nike letter.jpeg

RelatedPosts

Witness the Wonder, World Outdoor Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 28: Budapest, where everything is within easy reach!

Doha Diamond League, 5 May 2023, complete results by World Athletics Results Services

Witness the Wonder, World Athletics Outdoor Championships, Budapest, Day 14: Five Reasons to go to the World Championships in Budapest!

So, Nike, the sports marketing colossus, turned fifty on May 1, 2022.

  1. Nike was born from Blue Ribbon Sports and the termination of the agreement between Onitsuka Tiger and BRS Sports over business disagreements. Two very stubborn men, Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight would not let their dreams perish. Nike barely made it through that time, and without the help of Nishi Bank, and thirty stalwart employees, it never would have. Nothing is preordained. I flew with the lawyer of Phil Knight, not knowing who he was (about twenty years ago). Over a few beverages, he shared with me some of the early day stories, and it was very difficult in those early days. Many seem to forget that. There were times when payroll was tough to meet. But it was. And so it goes (as Kurt Vonnegut would say).
  2. Bill Rodgers won his first Boston Marathon in a pair of Nike Bostons, which were sent to him, with a handwritten note from one Steve Prefontaine. Six weeks later, Steve Prefontaine, an American record holder from 2000m to 10,000m was dead. Steve was working for Geoff Hollister at the time. Geoff invented sports marketing at Nike. Geoff Hollister, Tom Sturak, and Nelson Farris were the true icons of Nike sports marketing. (First Olympic gold medal for Nike in track? Steve Ovett, 1980 Moscow 800m, with Seb Coe, silver).
  3. Nike did not invent sports marketing. adidas did. Actually, Horst Dassler did. Dassler was an insomniac who knew how to wheel and deal. His peeps work at every brand around the globe, and while Dassler died in 1986, his spirit can still be found in sports marketing. Nike ate it up, spat it out, and developed an in-your-face, must have the mentality that consumers embraced, correct, had to have.
  4. Jeff Johnson came up with the Nike name in a dream. Jeff was and is a track geek, and one of the most underrated coaches in American track & field. His intuitive style in coaching ( I have one of his training manuals for Guisto and the like) is what the art of coaching is all about. Jeff is also a fine photographer. Seeing him at Stanford golf course now almost 30 years ago is some of my finest memories. People made Nike, and Phil Knight knows that and noted that in his letter.
  5. The spirit of Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight will always be at Nike. It is how Nike employees interpret that spirit in the future that will determine where Nike goes in the next fifty years.

Author

  • RBR Admin
    RBR Admin

    View all posts

Previous Post

2022 RunBlogRun Spring Middle Distance Daily Track Training (800m-5000m), Week 17, Day 1

Next Post

2022 RunBlogRun Spring Middle Distance Daily Track Training (800m-5000m), Week 17, Day 2

RBR Admin

RBR Admin

Similar Post

World Record in the Women’s 1,500 meters by Faith Kipyegon! (3:49.11 WR) at Florence Diamond League
News

World Record in the Women’s 1,500 meters by Faith Kipyegon! (3:49.11 WR) at Florence Diamond League

June 2, 2023
Anna Hall impresses at Gotzis with 6,988 points! (May 28, 2023)
News

Anna Hall impresses at Gotzis with 6,988 points! (May 28, 2023)

June 2, 2023
2023 RunBlogRun Spring Training for the Middle Distances, 800m to 5,000m, Week 12, Day 5, Friday is an easy day…

2023 RunBlogRun Spring Training for the Middle Distances, 800m to 5,000m, Week 12, Day 5, Friday is an easy day…

June 2, 2023
Florence welcomes the Diamond League
News

Florence welcomes the Diamond League

June 2, 2023
2023 RunBlogRun Spring Training for the Middle Distances, 800m to 5,000m, Week Twelve, Day 1, Monday is an easy day…
2020 World Indoor Tour rrrr

Witness the Wonder, World Outdoor Athletics Championships Budapest 2023, Day 45: Here’s Five U.S. Athletes who could shake things up in Budapest!

June 2, 2023
2022 Nigerian Athletics Championships, Day Two: Favor Ashe races to the Nigerian Track and Field 100m Championship in a new PB of 9.99s as Tobi Amusan sets NR in 100m hurdles!
Interviews

Tobi Amusan: Searching for Her Stride

June 2, 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to RunBlogRun's Global News Feed

Wake up to RunBlogRun’s news in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter and we’ll keep you informed about the Sport you love.

*we hate spam as much as you do

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
USATF / Day Four:  USA’s Assembled Team Is Ready!

Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

July 5, 2022
What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

July 17, 2022
2022 USATF Outdoor Champs: Melissa Jefferson takes the Women’s 100m title in windy 10.69!

The curious case of Sha’Carri Richardson: How can the sprinter turn around her career?

February 8, 2023

(RBR Archives) Coaching 101: Warm Up & Cool Down for the Jumps, by Roy Stevenson, note by Larry Eder

April 1, 2022
What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

6
Asafa Powell, Considering Longevity in Sprinting

The RunBlogrun Interview: Asafa Powell

5
2022 Munich Diary, Day Five, a Great Friday Night

2023 European Athletics Indoor Champs, The Women’s 60m, who will win the final tonight?

5
TCS New York City Marathon Broadcast to be Available in More Than 530 Million Homes Around the World on Sunday, November 6

RunblogRun Editorial: The Sorry State of Running Television Coverage, by Peter Abraham, note by Larry Eder

4
World Record in the Women’s 1,500 meters by Faith Kipyegon! (3:49.11 WR) at Florence Diamond League

World Record in the Women’s 1,500 meters by Faith Kipyegon! (3:49.11 WR) at Florence Diamond League

June 2, 2023
Anna Hall impresses at Gotzis with 6,988 points! (May 28, 2023)

Anna Hall impresses at Gotzis with 6,988 points! (May 28, 2023)

June 2, 2023
2023 RunBlogRun Spring Training for the Middle Distances, 800m to 5,000m, Week 12, Day 5, Friday is an easy day…

2023 RunBlogRun Spring Training for the Middle Distances, 800m to 5,000m, Week 12, Day 5, Friday is an easy day…

June 2, 2023
Florence welcomes the Diamond League

Florence welcomes the Diamond League

June 2, 2023

Popular Stories

  • USATF / Day Four:  USA’s Assembled Team Is Ready!

    Abby Steiner replies via twitter, on the curiosity about her new professional running contract

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What happened to the crowd at Eugene?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The curious case of Sha’Carri Richardson: How can the sprinter turn around her career?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • (RBR Archives) Coaching 101: Warm Up & Cool Down for the Jumps, by Roy Stevenson, note by Larry Eder

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Oregon 22 World Athletics Champs: False Starts reconsidered

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Recent Tweets

Next Post

2022 RunBlogRun Spring Middle Distance Daily Track Training (800m-5000m), Week 17, Day 2

runblogrun

RunBlogRun comments on the global world of athletics, sports & ethics, and the Olympic movement. @runblogrun

Browse by Category

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates direct to your inbox!

  • Home
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Home page
  • My Account
  • Sample Page

© 2022 Run Blog Run - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

Select a password for yourself. (minimum length of 8)

Paste here the user biography.

Provide here the twitter screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the instagram screen name. i.e. @RunBlogRun

Provide here the facebook profile URL. i.e. http://www.facebook.com/RunBlogRun

Provide here the linkedin profile URL. i.e. https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-eder-5497253

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist