Former St. John's Univ. assistant men's soccer coach
Jim Keady began to "wage a one man crusade against" the
school for its multi-million sports partnership with Nike,
according to HBO's Derrick McGinty on "Real Sports," who
examined Keady's $11M lawsuit against the university and
Nike (See THE DAILY, 12/6). Keady received tuition waiver
as a graduate assistant coach as he worked towards his
Masters in Theology, but during a class assignment, he began
to question St. John's relationship with Nike. Keady:
"While I'm doing my research on a paper about Nike's labor
practices and how they relate to the moral teaching of the
church, St. John's University athletic department is
pursuing a multi-million [dollar] contract with the Nike
corporation." Keady: "[St. John's] said on a number of
occasions, 'Well, it's better that we stay in a relationship
with them so we can exert pressure from within.' That's
fine. Don't take their money though. Do you have to market
their products? Do all of our athletes and coaches have to
become walking billboards for them? ... I didn't go to St.
John's University to work for Nike." McGinty reported that
men's soccer head coach Dave Masur gave Keady an "ultimatum"
to wear the Nike apparel and stop criticizing the school's
partnership, or he would have to resign. Masur "declined
[HBO's] request for an interview, but he's denied making
that ultimatum." St. John's Minister to the Athletic
Department Jim Mahar said the school "studied" Nike's labor
record "very hard ... and [we said], 'How can we make an
impact and bring our values, as a Catholic institution, into
the marketplace.'" Mahar said that Keady "or anyone else,
who wanted to wear generic, basic sweats ... would be
supported by St. John's." Mahar added St. John's AD Edward
Manetta had "discussions" with Keady that he did not have to
wear Nike apparel if he didn't want to, a claim which Keady
disputes ("Real Sports," HBO, 4/10).
QUESTIONS OVER THE CONTRACT: McGinty spoke on camera
with Nike's Global Issues Management Dir Vada Manager, who
said, "When we provide the product to the university, they
actually are engaged in enforcing and working with their
personnel to ensure that no competitive product is being
worn, but if [a] product is going to be worn in an athletic
sense, then we want it to be Nike." McGinty said Keady had
given "Real Sports" what Keady "said was a copy of St.
John's' contract with Nike" that said university coaches,
staff and team members were to use Nike products
"exclusively." Manager: "We try to encourage, when we
provide the free apparel, to have the coaches wear the
product, [with] no requirement for it to be worn, but we do
encourage it as part of overall rights and agreements."
McGinty: "Nike officials said the contract ["Real Sports"]
had was not the right one. ... During a break in the
interview, a Nike attorney brought [a new] version signed by
St. John's and Nike. ... The signed contract says, 'The
University shall request and use best efforts to encourage
coaches, team and staff members to wear or use Nike
products.'" McGinty: "But we found two things about this
contract interesting. First, it was not signed until five
months after Jim Keady resigned. Second, it differed from
every other Nike contract with a university we looked at."
McGinty gathered Nike's contracts with the Univ. of FL, NC,
KY and FL State, and "each of these contracts clearly
requires athletes and coaches to wear Nike and, if they
refuse, Nike can rip up the contract. That's because all of
these agreements have a right of termination clause that
allows Nike to revoke the contract if the swoosh is not
worn. In this regard, St. John's contract is no different
from these other schools." McGinty did not have response
from Nike on these contract details ("Real Sports," 4/10).
MORAL CRUSADER OR PUBLICITY HOUND? Keady, asked why he
is suing for $11M if his claims are about First Amendment
and moral issues: "I tried to speak to them on a moral level
for two years, to try and put moral pressure on them to do
the right thing, and again I got stonewalled at every turn.
It's amazing how an $11 million price tag can make people
perk up and listen to you" ("Real Sports," HBO, 4/10).
