Raptors G Vince Carter "has decided to walk away from
his association" with Puma, according to Robert MacLeod of
the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL. Carter had signed a "long-term
contract" with Puma in '98 and the company had "pinned much
of its marketing hopes" on him. But the deal "turned sour,"
and Carter's reps informed Puma that he was terminating his
deal due to Puma's breach of contract. Carter wore a pair
of Nike shoes during last night's game against the Hawks and
"would not comment on the matter before the game." One
Raptors official said that Carter "had not signed a deal
with another manufacturer." Meanwhile, Carter's reps said
Puma "has indicated that it intends to initiate arbitration
concerning" the dispute. Carter's attorney Stephen Sacks:
"I'm hopeful we can work this all out. Nobody wants to
litigate this" (GLOBE & MAIL, 12/1). The WALL STREET
JOURNAL's Sam Walker cites a statement in which Puma "denied
that it has breached any of its obligations and stressed
that it will 'require Mr. Carter to honor his exclusive 10-
year Puma contractual commitment.'" Terms of the deal were
not disclosed, but analysts estimated it totaled "about
$800,000 a year." Walker writes that losing Carter would be
a "significant setback for Puma, which has gone against
conventional wisdom by signing a brood of promising young
stars." Meanwhile, analysts say that Carter's decision is
the "latest example of the struggles pro athletes face in a
declining sportswear market," and seems "to suggest that no
superstar athlete will soon match the shoe-marketing track
record" of Michael Jordan (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/1).
DEAL BREAKERS? MacLeod's sources say that Carter "was
upset that Puma had been slow to market" a line of Carter
signature shoes, the Vinsanity. Carter was also said to be
"unhappy with Puma's promotional efforts on his behalf."
One source: "The bottom line for Vince and his family ...
was that they simply hadn't promoted him in the manner they
said they would" (GLOBE & MAIL, 12/1). In Toronto, Bill
Harris writes that "chief among Carter's concerns is a
dissatisfaction with the Puma product. At various times ...
Carter was the object of good-natured ridicule from his
teammates because of his tendency to slip when trying to
stop or cut quickly." Carter's mother, Michelle Carter-
Robinson: "Sometimes things look great at the start but they
don't always work out" (TORONTO SUN, 12/1).
NEXT THING, SWOOSH, HE'S GONE! In Toronto, Smith &
Drakes write, "Nike officials are being coy but there's no
doubt Carter would be an attractive asset. ... Companies
can't get enough of ... Carter" (TORONTO STAR, 12/1).
