Boston Mayor Writes Letter Calling For Niketown Store To Remove T-Shirt Display

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is “calling on Niketown to yank a disturbing display from its Newbury Street storefront, which boasts T-shirts emblazoned with pill bottles and sporting the words ‘Get High’ and ‘Dope,’" according to Jessica Heslam of the BOSTON HERALD. Another T-shirt on display reads, “F Gravity.” Menino said, “They are promoting drug use. This is the wrong message for Nike to send.” Heslam reports Menino “wrote a letter to the store -- which he expects to send today -- urging it to take down the display.” In his letter he wrote, “T-shirts that combine ‘Just Do It’ ‘Get High’ with pictures of pill bottles are a more than unfortunate twist on your corporate slogan, and I urge you to remove them.” Nike in a statement said that the company “doesn’t condone the use of banned or illegal substances.” The statement reads, “These T-shirts are part of an action sports campaign, featuring marquee athletes using commonly used and accepted expressions for performance at the highest level of their sport, be it surfing, skateboarding or BMX” (BOSTON HERALD, 6/21).

WALK THIS WAY: In Portland, Allan Brettman reports adidas Friday unveiled a pair of "giant sneakers" outside their North American HQs to commemorate the 25th anniversary of rap group Run DMC's song "My Adidas." A "contraption that appears to be a vinyl-spinning phonograph [sits] in front of the shoes with an LP on the turntable" (Portland OREGONIAN, 6/21).