Michael Moore's new film, "The Big One," about Nike's
corporate practices, previewed last night in Moore's
hometown of Flint, MI, according to Jeff Manning of the
Portland OREGONIAN. During a "bizarre" interview for the
film with Nike Chair Phil Knight -- "the single chief
executive who agreed to meet with the filmmaker" -- Moore
challenged Knight to a footrace and arm wrestling match.
Moore proposed that if he won, Nike would have to build a
shoe factory in Flint, but Knight declined. Manning writes,
"Despite their divergent views, a sort of rapport developed
between the two." However, Manning ads that Nike PR
officials "scrambled Monday to disseminate the company's
side of the story" and offered an "unabridged version" of
the interview to TV stations via satellite. Nike
spokesperson Veda Manager: "We're told that we're only in
five minutes of the film, but we want it to be an accurate
five minutes." Kevin Wilson, assignment editor at Flint's
WJRT-TV, on Nike's persistence: "They were pretty clearly
worried. To be honest with you, they pissed me off. As if
we could care that Michael Moore is bashing CEO's again"
(Portland OREGONIAN, 6/17).
