Adidas North America President Mark King said it is "kind of childish" that Under Armour will not identify its rival Nike by name. King: "Under Armour is a tough competitor. Nike is a tough competitor. Heck, there’s a lot of small brands. I mean the marketplace is tough. What it really comes down to isn’t whether you use somebody’s name. It’s do you have great products, do you talk to the consumer the way they want, right?" King said he is a "big fan" of UA Founder, Chair & CEO Kevin Plank, adding, "He’s done an incredible job and I get the rallying. Believe me, we get all charged up when we beat Under Armour in a quarter or whatever it might be" (Baltimore SUN, 8/24).
I LOVE GOLD! In Atlanta, Ken Sugiura noted the next step in the apparel deal between Adidas and Georgia Tech is "selecting one shade of gold that can be used consistently on uniforms, fan apparel and graphics." GT AD Todd Stansbury said that the school's staff and designers from Adidas are in the "process of choosing between 20 and 30 shades of gold." He added that the decision "will come soon." Stansbury also said the new gold will be called "Ramblin' Wreck gold" (AJC.com, 8/23).
TRANSLATING TO CANTONESE: Richard Childress Racing announced a new "one-race sponsorship" for the Sept. 2 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway. NBCSPORTS.com's Jerry Bonkowski noted the "unique sponsorship" is with Hong Kong-based motorsports group KCMG. This comes as RCR and KCMG are "looking at a potential future full-time sponsorship in NASCAR," as well as at developing "additional racing opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region" (NBCSPORTS.com, 8/23).
FINE FOOD: Dean & DeLuca will become an official sponsor of the U.S. Open through '22. The six-year deal with the USTA includes a significant presence at the tournament, with on-court signage at Arthur Ashe Stadium, a presence on U.S. Open digital properties and on-site product availability for players. The USTA also unveiled its new "Net Generation" youth brand, which is aimed at kids ages 5-18, with a launch slated for Arthur Ashe Kids' Day on Saturday (USTA).
