Ri5e to the Occasion

[BigErnMcCracken]

The $25 t-shirts Louisville and Adidas are selling.

Thoughts? Grotesque?

 

[3uconn]

I actually like the shirts. I saw them the first time in the Big East Championship game for them.

 

[whaler11]

Aren't there dozens of teams wearing them?

 

[UConn5]

Darren Rovell of ESPN had a pretty interesting point. Louisville has announced that they won't be collecting royalties on the shirts...essentially admitting that #5 is referring to Kevin Ware. This of course flies in the face of the NCAA's typical rhetoric about how their jerseys don't represent actual student athletes, etc.

What should be done is the money from the t shirts should be put in a trust for Ware for when he graduates -- as Rovell suggested -- but of course that isn't going to happen.

 

[UConn Hoops1]

The $25 t-shirts Louisville and Adidas are selling.

Thoughts? Grotesque?

I like them and, quite frankly, I don't understand all of the flap about exploiting Kevin Ware. It seems like a great way to honor this young man and his determination to overcome a horrible injury and come back. Also great inspiration for the team. I was listening to Bilas the other day on the CBC Sports College Basketball Podcast(with Matt Norlander) and he talked about Pitino saying that this was such a great group of guys on this team(as much off the court as on) that it made him feel young again. Bilas, who apparently has spent quite a bit of time with them, also said that they were as enjoyable and personable to be around as any team in his experience. Perhaps, to blunt the criticism about the development and selling of the shirt, they could either reduce the price or, better yet, donate 15-20% of the total sales revenue to the general scholarship fund at Louisville to make the burden of getting an education easier for some students. That seems like a win-win.

GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[CTMike]

I think it's pretty disgusting that anyone profits off this grotesque injury. If I were Ware... I'd be pissed.

 

[patrick]

Aren't there dozens of teams wearing them?

Yeah I saw the Michigan bench wear them too.

 

[UConn990411]

I like them and, quite frankly, I don't understand all of the flap about exploiting Kevin Ware. It seems like a great way to honor this young man and his determination to overcome a horrible injury and come back.

Honor him?

The kid isn't dying, and the money isn't going to charity. He suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in sports history, and now someone (not Ware I might add) is making money off the event.

People are probably overreacting to the whole thing, but it still sounds like exploitation to me.

 

[aceboon]

Yeah I saw the Michigan bench wear them too.

They're not wearing versions with Rise spelled like Ri5e, those are specific to Louisville with the 5 obviously in reference to Ware's jersey #.

 

[aceboon]

I think "grotesque" is pretty appropiate, not sure how anyone could cosign this move and think this is a good idea

 

[Penfield]

If Adidas makes even one cent off the sales of these shirts it is disgusting

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Darren Rovell of ESPN had a pretty interesting point. Louisville has announced that they won't be collecting royalties on the shirts...essentially admitting that #5 is referring to Kevin Ware. This of course flies in the face of the NCAA's typical rhetoric about how their jerseys don't represent actual student athletes, etc.

What should be done is the money from the t shirts should be put in a trust for Ware for when he graduates -- as Rovell suggested -- but of course that isn't going to happen.

That sounds like it would be against eligibility rules.

 

[patrick]

They're not wearing versions with Rise spelled like Ri5e, those are specific to Louisville with the 5 obviously in reference to Ware's jersey #.

Ohhhh

 

[Fishy]

I want adidas to apologize for the Notre Dame and Cincy uniforms first, then I will worry about this latest assault on my eyeballs.

The shirts will probably sell well among the Kentucky hayseed set - they'll all look silly, but fans tend to throw their pride out the window whenever they get the chance.

 

[champs99and04]

I'm unclear on what the problem is here. If Ware is being "exploited", then isn't every student-athlete in the country being "exploited"? I can understand how some would think it's in bad taste, but buisness is buisness. People profit from the mis-fortune of others every day. It isn't as if this is hurting him.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I like them and, quite frankly, I don't understand all of the flap about exploiting Kevin Ware. It seems like a great way to honor this young man and his determination to overcome a horrible injury and come back.

Alright, how about they bite the bullet and give them away?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'm unclear on what the problem is here. If Ware is being "exploited", then isn't every student-athlete in the country being "exploited"? I can understand how some would think it's in bad taste, but buisness is buisness. People profit from the mis-fortune of others every day. It isn't as if this is hurting him.

Yeah, I think the issue here is that, while few people dispute that it's somewhat distasteful that college athletes are exploited every day, rushing to make a buck on some kid's horrific injury is in particularly bad taste. And business is business is just a weak response.

 

[Kitaman]

I could see women women in Louisville wearing them.

 

[freescooter]

Honor him?

The kid isn't dying, and the money isn't going to charity. He suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in sports history, and now someone (not Ware I might add) is making money off the event.

People are probably overreacting to the whole thing, but it still sounds like exploitation to me.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

 

[Buffett10]

How is adidas any different then when Nike made "6" jersey shirts for when Jazz died? Obviously any business is in it to make money. Im 10000% sure Nike didnt make #6 jersey shirts for free. The proceeds went to Jazz's daughter but im sure Nike made there money off this deal. Its all big business. There is zero difference.

 

[Gurleyman]

I'm just mad they infringed on the Hi5tory shirts. That's sacred ground.

Of course, Hi5tory probably wasn't the first time a 5 was used for an s, either. But it was the first time I noticed it, so all previous uses are therefore irrelevant.

 

[Penfield]

How is adidas any different then when Nike made "6" jersey shirts for when Jazz died? Obviously any business is in it to make money. Im 10000% sure Nike didnt make #6 jersey shirts for free. The proceeds went to Jazz's daughter but im sure Nike made there money off this deal. Its all big business. There is zero difference.

Nike did not make those t-shirts. UConn had a local screen printing company make those. 100% of the proceeds went to the fund for Jasper Howard's family.

 

[formerlurker]

Let me put this whole argument to bed. I was in Vegas and happened to meet a guy at a blackjack table who said he's a L'Ville insider. He promised me that 100% of the proceeds from these shirts will be funneled to an offshore account. In the case that young Mr. Ware's injury will keep him from becoming an NBA player, those funds will be released to him in full and with interest. I bought two dozen of the shirts myself as my source said they'd be worth thousands some day. Not bad for a $500 investment, am I right!

Here's my buddy Don celebrating my investment.

 

[Buffett10]

Are you serious saying Nike didnt make them? Nike made the every single on until they sold out. When they sold out of whatever crazy amount there was they asked a local screen printer to make em. People need to stop being so pro- Uconn.

Nike did not make those t-shirts. UConn had a local screen printing company make those. 100% of the proceeds went to the fund for Jasper Howard's family.

http://blogs.courant.com/uconn_football/2009/10/howard-shirts-sell-out-uconn-w.html

 

[Penfield]

Are you serious saying Nike didnt make them? Nike made the every single on until they sold out. When they sold out of whatever crazy amount there was they asked a local screen printer to make em. People need to stop being so pro- Uconn.



http://blogs.courant.com/uconn_football/2009/10/howard-shirts-sell-out-uconn-w.html

I still think the situation is different.

The tshirts Nike made were all printed before the tragedy occured. The remaining stock was bought very quickly afterwards. When those had completely sold out UConn had a local vendor make a second batch where the proceeds went to the fund. Nike didn't decide to print the shirts because Jasper had died. They were already available.

Nike had first rights to print the shirts and they allowed UConn to go to another vendor. Did UConn have to pay them a licensing fee or something? I don't know.

The other difference is that proceeds went to a fund for Jasper's family. Even if Nike or some other company took their cut it is still different from the Adidas situation where apparently no money was going to anyone other than Adidas and Louisville.