Names & Faces: Shaun Alexander Comfortable With New Shoes

In Seattle, Clare Farnsworth reports Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander visits Nike’s HQs annually “so the company can provide him with custom-fitted shoes,” but last year’s Nike Speed TD model “just didn’t fit right.” Alexander said, “Last year, I thought, ‘I’ll just try them on later,’ and I never tried them on. We got to the season and I was kind of stuck.” Farnsworth notes Alexander’s new shoes, the Nike Air Zoom Super Bad, “fit just fine.” Alexander: “They made sweet ones for me” (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 8/9).

Bonds Close To Running Through Supply Sam Bats

TO THE BAT CAVE: In S.F., Henry Schulman reports MLB Giants LF Barry Bonds is “running out of this year’s shipment” of bats created by Sam Holman, as he puts each bat he hits a home run with in his memorabilia collection. Bonds has been using Louisville Slugger bats during some at-bats because he is “afraid of running through his supply before another shipment arrives.” Holman told Bonds that a box “should be arriving in the next week or two.” Bonds has his own Louisville Slugger model and he “likes to use them occasionally so he can let the company know if any weight or size modifications are necessary” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/9).

BULLISH MARKET: In Chicago, Lewis Lazare reviews the Bulls’ new ads for the upcoming NBA season. The campaign, via DiMeo & Co, Chicago, is “a decidedly quieter, more personality-driven effort that we suspect will please fans of the team.” The four 30-second spots all carry the tagline “For the Love of the Game,” and feature G Kirk Hinrich, F Andres Nocioni, coach Scott Skiles and Exec VP/Basketball Operations John Paxson. Lazare writes, “Neat, clean and professionally executed in down-to-earth black and white, this series of [Bulls] commercials will help fans feel closer to their team” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/9).