Nike's role with Kenya's two-man cross-country ski
team, Philip Boit and Henry Bitok, is examined today after
Nike's Dir of Asian Marketing Steve Miller and the athletes
held a press conference in Nagano. The two Kenyans, who are
also long-distance runners, have trained in Finland with
Nike's assistance, and Boit has qualified for the Games.
Some media members question Nike's motive and wonder whether
the sponsorship is one of assistance or exploitation. Asked
repeatedly whether his countrymen were being "exploited" by
Nike, Kenyan's National Olympic Chair Charles Mukora said,
"Who is exploiting who, my friend? We've had a sponsorship
contract with Nike since (1991). ... Because of this first
step we are going to be on the program of international
winter sports from now on" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/11).
TAKING SHOTS: In Baltimore, Ken Rosenthal calls the
team a Nike "creation soon to be masquerading as a feel-good
story" of the Games: "[Y]ou should know that they are the
products of a Nike brainstorm session, because CBS sure as
heck isn't going to tell you." Nike's Miller: "The impetus
came in a partnership of discussions. Finnish athletes came
to Kenya to train. We sponsor the Finnish national team.
The discussion grew out of that." Boit: "We needed a lot of
assistance. Nike decided to assist us" (SUN, 2/11). In
Detroit, Bob Wojnowksi: "There's no sense being outraged by
another Nike attempt to wrap itself in a fuzzy athletic
tale. In fact, I feel good for Boit and Bitok. ...
Exploitation is not the concern. Deception is. These are
not athletes clearing hurdles to reach their Olympic dream.
These are marketing pawns financed by well-heeled publicity
seekers." Miller: "People forget, we are a business, and
part of our objective as a business is to get attention."
Wojnowski: "But the problem with Nike, and by complicity,
the Kenyans, is that they call it a business when it fits,
and benevolence when someone questions it" (DETROIT NEWS,
2/11). In DC, Thom Loverro reports Nike didn't spend
$200,000 on this "just to promote the growth of cross-
country skiing" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 2/11). But Michael
Wilbon writes, "We all know what Nike is. And at a time
when shoe sales have slowed, one of the new revenue sources
for a company ... is overseas marketing. Whoever hatched
the idea ought to be given a huge bonus" (WASHINGTON POST,
2/11). In K.C., Jason Whitlock tells "Nike-bashers" to
"chill" and adds that the "hostile questioning" of the
Kenyans was "rather embarrassing" (K.C. STAR, 2/11).
