Adidas kits for SJ in '05

Jay beat me to it!

So Grant Wahl says next year, Jack Bell of the NY Times says 2006.

"The three stripes will become the official athletic sponsor and licensed product supplier to MLS starting next season. Adidas has sponsored three MLS clubs since the league started in 1996 (Columbus, D.C. United and Kansas City) and in 2005 will add five more teams (Chivas USA, Colorado, FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake and San Jose). In 2006, it will take over the MLS game ball and the uniforms for the remaining teams: Chicago, Los Angeles, the MetroStars and New England." from Wahl's article.

The question that jumps out at me is why are the Quakes the only Nike team going to Adidas next season?

Tony

 

I have heard that Nike's contract to supply the Quakes ended last year, and no company was desiring to supply them this year, because they all thought it was a dead franchise, but they had to have uniforms so MLS convinced Nike to stick it out for one more year, doing the bare minimum with the designs they already had. In the cases of LA and Metros, Nike has a regular supplier agreement that expires next year.

 

Oh...so we, the "dead franchise," had to wear the ManU hand-me-downs one more year because MLS begged them, eh?! Must have really chaffed them when we came back in the middle of the year and asked, "oh, yeah...could you roll out some retro, tribute unis for us too?"

That little anecdote pisses me RIGHT off!

You can already put me down for purchase of at least one new Quakes' Adidas home kit next year...maybe two if we can also buy the away strips. **Memo to Adidas: I'd be especially thrilled with an option to buy long-sleeved versions of the kits, as well!!!

 

The bastards, the bleedin' bastards. Nuck Fike!!!

 

Wow. That article has me psyched.

 

It wasn't just Nike that thought so.

 

That is not 100% true.

 

Umm...before you react to the things you read in messages boards, you need to have all the facts. Which you will never have when you read things on messages boards. So please take things with a grain of salt or realize that people here (myself included) don't have all the facts.

 

Gotta split with you guys here - this Nike hatred is stupid.

*I love the Quakes uniforms, both the Ajax type and the current ones. I think they look classic and will not be improved by three stripes.

*Noah said NO manufacturer wanted the Quakes. Nike clothed us, Adi did not.

*Next year's jerseys will be cookie-cutter blue adi. Whoopdie do.

*Do you recognize what Nike has done for the national team program? What Nike money and programs have done for the Quakes? Nike money kept World Cup '94 from being just a circus that passed through town - Nike forced US Soccer to be more than the old beer and peanuts organization. I'd say Nike money was the springboard for the Donovan generation.

*Nike was bullish on this league and set the standard for investment. Returns may have soured their attitude, but adi would not be investing like this in MLS if the swoosh was not a huge player in American soccer.

 

Hmm.... I think I'm beginning to like you....

Fish! What did I just say?!

Anyway, You've pretty much almost got the reality of the situation down.

 

Regardless of how one feels about Nike, it is clear that this is a great deal for MLS. Nike has done some good things for MLS and GREAT things for US soccer. Addias making this commiment to MLS right now, however is a great sign of health and ambition for the league. Hey, the best possible result is that Nike starts to fear that them may lose their overall soccer market share and devote MORE resources to promoting US Soccer and key invidual players.

 

The fact is.....you are a hot Nike dork.....and that's a fact jack!

 

Don't be fooled. I just trashed Onstad and Robinson five minutes ago. I'm just being prickly.

 

The Quakes could've made a statement to all those big outfitters by deciding to play wearing only jocks this year. Sort of the MLS' version of "the Emperor has no clothes."

They could just use body paint to put on numbers and the logo.

 

that would be the day

 

and what about those few corky guys who don't wear jocks???

 

I'm surprised that no "old-timers" *coughGoodsportcough* have made the adidas connection to the NASL Earthquakes (IIRC, the NASL Earthquakes and the WSL Earthquakes for that matter were adidas start to finish).

 

I am so glad that Adidas got the league-wide deal and not Nike.

I'm watching Dortmund v. Hamburg on FSW right now, and both teams are wearing Total 90 uniforms. Dortmund is yellow with a black area over the shoulders for the player's name; Hamburg is all white, but it's still clearly the same style.

You just know that if Nike had a league-wide contract, all 12 teams would be wearing the exact same cut of jersey, and an ugly one at that. Ugh. I have much more faith that Adidas will be sensible with their designs.

 

The billiard ball number (cueballs don't have numbers ) would probably be omitted, unless they also changed the font of the player numbers on the back.

Since the Total 90 kits were introduced this year, I definitely think that had such a deal with Nike been made for '04, it would have involved Total 90's for all teams. But next year they may have a new, and probably just as ugly, design to push.

Between the team names insisted upon by Nike when the league was formed (and when they tried again when the Fire was formed to dictate the name Rhythm) and the Total 90 crap, I am sick of Nike and hope they keep their filthy meathooks off our league from now on. Sorry Erin!

I think the shade of blue is part of the trade dress for the team. As long as the team crest is unchanged, the colors shouldn't. I don't expect the crest to change this year, but when we move to Santa Clara for '06 it might, since elements of the Great Seal of the City of San Jose are included. But even then I doubt they would change the colors.

 

The National Team was sponsored and equipped by Adidas for WC94. (Denim shorts, baby!)

Nike became interested in soccer because of the global market. With its early partnership with MLS it helped Nike become the major player in soccer equipment worldwide. Nike makes FAR MORE money on soccer than all other sports COMBINED. So it seems to me Nike owes US Soccer and MLS more than vice versa. If Adidas offered a 150 mil deal, Nike should have ponied up 300 mil just because its an american company and MLS is the premier American league.