In the battle for players’ feet, Under Armour has competition from Nike, Reebok. Jack Bechta
The NFL Scouting Combine presented by Under Armour is over, and I’m sure Under Armour is happy with its sponsorship. It got considerable TV time and intimate connections with the top players in the country, complementing the relationships it had already begun building with the 2010 draft class at the Senior Bowl.
One of the terms of the combine sponsorship was that players were required to wear Under Armour (UA) apparel while performing the various drills. However, players were allowed to wear their own shoes and gloves. I’m sure that when this deal was put together, UA asked that shoes be covered in the deal, as well. But the NFL Combine people were experienced enough to know that you can’t tell a player what shoes to wear. Players are very particular about what they put on their feet – especially when it comes to the shoes in which they run their 40s. Combine organizers knew better than to put themselves in a position where they would have to force players to wear the sponsor’s shoes.
With shoe and glove choices being completely in the hands of the athletes, an interesting behind-the-scenes battle emerged among Under Armour, Nike and Reebok, with each encouraging players to wear their gear on their hands and feet while working out. Nike and Reebok both had suites at the Omni Hotel, strategically located across the street from the hotel housing all the players. All athletes were invited to the Reebok and Nike suite through their agents. Once there, they were given shoes, gloves and goodie bags of additional workout gear to wear in the future. Nike actually brought a truckload of its hottest shoes, the Vapor Jet, selling for $120 a pair.
When I escorted one of my players to the Nike suite, still wearing his UA-issued combine gear, there was a line of 15 players down the hall. The funny thing was that the Reebok suite was a few floors down, and guys made that their next stop -- wearing UA gear and holding Nike shoe boxes while collecting as much Reebok swag as they could get their hands on. Some players were considerate enough to ask a buddy to hold their new Nike gear before going into the Reebok suite. For a lot of guys, it was like double dipping on Halloween. While in the elevator, I heard one player telling another not to waste his time at the Reebok suite because their stuff “wasn’t tight.” But the next day, Reebok ran out of handouts, having prepared for only 100 guys to stop by – not the 200 who actually made their way to the suite to get their hands on the products.
The irony in all of this is that Reebok, which appears to be the third wheel now, is an official NFL partner. The league actually invested into the company several years ago, and its exclusive apparel deal doesn’t run out for another two years.
The frustrating part of this sponsorship deal for UA is that after paying big money to be the title sponsor, the majority of players ran their 40s and did their drills in Nike, Adidas and even Puma shoes. However, UA’s sponsorships (including the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game) are allowing them to cover some ground on the high school front, which has been historically dominated by Nike and its SPARQ events for youngsters.
The bottom line for players is that they’ll wear the shoe that’s most comfortable for them. It’s a personal choice, and swaying players isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean the shoe companies won’t try. I think this war is just heating up on the pro football front.
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I've been at the edge of my seat waiting for this info
Riveting stuff. Can you do a "hair piece" next? Maybe something on the players' most-watched television show?
For the love of God, Jack - you are SOOOOOOOOO much better than this.
*yawn* big corporations probably spending more money on rich or soon to be rich athletes than helping people that REALLY need help in America. Will these clothes even make a difference?????
Priorities are screwed up in the US.
I want my minute and a half back.
If you really wanted to stand out, why not run barefoot? Makes almost as much sense as half the comments to this story.
Nice Silver and Black Nikes being given out. Maybe they are aimed a certain owner's love for that trait?
Thank you Jack. Good article....It will be interesting to see if Under Armour is able to secure the League wide contract once their deal with Reebok is up....
Plus, I believe that UA was in the process of re-working their footwear department - something tells me they follow this type of information very closely (the preference for shoes outside of UnderArmour)
Anyone else think that UA should just stick to the market they've already cornered? I mean, Under Armour is to workout gear what Xerox became to photocopies in the 90's. When your brand name is already synonymous with "athletic apparel", why, oh, why would you even try to break into the shoe market? Quit trying to up against monsters like Nike and Reebook, UA. Stick to what you're good at and just continue keeping everyone's arms nice and warm.
CLICK. CLACK.
Jack:
How is it you didn't list exactly how much your groveldog clients came away with in the SWAG hunt?
I'm willing to bet it was laughable, where guys could barely balance their booty grab out the door.
Who makes Under Armor shoes? It isn't them, thats for sure.
They are too small to compete in the shoe market and grab more than a niche.
Adidas owns Reebok. Nike owns Umbro
They have a great thing in the performance wear market. Over price polyester shirts.
They look great and fit great but all polyester shirts wick sweat away the same way. Go to target and buy Champion C9 at less than half the price.
Here is a tip for everyone. The European Soccer teams get all the best performance training wear. Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Celtic. etc.... All Nike or Adidas. Go to one of the online shops for soccer, there are always sales and the quality is superior to NFL Reebok and Under Armor. Nike and Adidas spend more money on that market than Under Armor in any market.
You think any of these guys were gonna fumble all this swag in public. If it's free, these guys are all over it. Some of them it as much as they will get from football.
Personally, with my wide feet, only New Balance seems to be wide enough. What do I care what you wear if they don't fit me? It's not easy having square feet....
CUTTERS makes the best football gloves. Take it from someone who played for 11 years and tried Nike, Reebok, and Under Armour gloves. The C-Tack grip is excellent and it lasts for years even in bad weather.
I don't like the round replaceable studs. They don't make them anymore, but I love my Nike Vapor TD cleats. The molded cleat pattern is the best and they're a paltry 9 ounces (as light as some low-end track flats). If you want similar cleats, buy Nike soccer cleats (the Mercurial Vapor line have similar light weights and cleat patterns).
CUTTERS makes the best football gloves. Take it from someone who played for 11 years and tried Nike, Reebok, and Under Armour gloves. The C-Tack grip is excellent and it lasts for years even in bad weather.
I don't like the round replaceable studs. They don't make them anymore, but I love my Nike Vapor TD cleats. The molded cleat pattern is the best and they're a paltry 9 ounces (as light as some low-end track flats). If you want similar cleats, buy Nike soccer cleats (the Mercurial Vapor line have similar light weights and cleat patterns).
As you point out, people who seize that opportunity can make a convincing argument for their selection when pro scouts are there for the big name team mates. Extra value is what usually separates teams in acquiring talent, extra effort is what gets that vlue noticed, good luck in the coming days to all the draft hopefuls.
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Mar 04, 2010
10:36 AM
I LOVE my Under Armour cross trainers! Plus they look great.