Jordan's Son Faces Shoe Conundrum
UCF promises Jordan's son he can wear father's brand
By EAMONN BRENNAN
Updated 1:36 PM EDT, Fri, Oct 23, 2009
Michael Jordan's son, Marcus, chose to go to play basketball at the University of Central Florida for a variety of reasons: He gets a chance to let his skills stand out, a chance to be a big fish in a small pond, a chance to earn himself a high-profile transfer somewhere down the road.
But Jordan's agreement with UCF that he would be allowed to wear his own father's Air Jordan shoes couldn't have hurt the bid.
But with just a few weeks to go before UCF begins their season, Jordan has a Jordan problem. Specifically, Adidas -- who serves as the exclusive sponsor of gear and shoes to UCF -- is none too happy about the special treatment for Jordan. This is a pickle:
UCF athletic director Keith Tribble told AOL’s Fanhouse that the freshman could make the decision for himself since there had been a previous precedent set with a UCF football player who wore a different brand of shoe due to the fit.But Adidas spokesperson Andrea Corso told CNBC that no compromise had been reached with the school.
“We are in negotiations for a future relationship regarding the broader UCF athletic program,” Corso said. “What I can say is that these relationships are based upon agreed deliverables for both parties.”
Basically, Jordan's agreement with UCF didn't get the Adidas seal of approval. Everyone has a reason to be angry at UCF here. Adidas can be mad for breech of contract. Jordan can be mad at UCF for not double-checking with Adidas before making him a promise during the recruitment period. And UCF can be mad at itself for being UCF. It's all a big mess, and it's all UCF's fault.
Maybe Jordan's temporary stardom wasn't worth it. UCF is seeming a little Mickey Mouse here, no?
Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Oct 22, 2009 10:17 AM EDT on NBC Chicago
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