CFL VP/Football Operations Ed Chalupka said yesterday
that "several" of the league's players and coaches "have
continued to defy the league by refusing to obey orders that
they refrain from wearing and exposing Nike products during
games," according to Marty York of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL.
As a result, Chalupka said that beginning this week, the
CFL's "fashion police" will be out "in full force" at
stadiums to monitor the situation and "offenders will be
ejected, suspended and/or fined." Chalupka: "Everyone's
been warned, and now it's time to take action." The league
signed a three-year deal with adidas in the offseason that
will bring in "about" C$1.8M in cash and products, but it is
allowing a maximum of three players on each team to wear
non-adidas shoes this season "as long as they signed their
personal deals before April 1." No new non-adidas deals
will be allowed, and the "plan is for every member of every
CFL team to eventually wear adidas shoes and under no
circumstances to stand on the sidelines while wearing or
displaying any Nike products." CFLPA President Dan Ferrone
"admitted" that he has spoken to players who have complained
that they "don't have the freedom to wear what they want,"
but said, "I keep telling the guys that Nike had the same
opportunity as adidas did to make a deal with the CFL."
Ferrone: "When other sponsors avoided us, adidas came
helping. We should be happy" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 7/28).
