You are all not going to believe this...Wongoz actually posted consecutively to our site. You're really not going to believe this...Wongoz actually used his HTML coding ability for once and put a picture up in one of his posts. And you're really not going to believe this...the Raptors lost on the road again after winning three straight games following the All-Star game and actually giving fans something that sort of resembles hope of a playoff spot.
Normally, I don't like Nike either, but it isn't because of the quality of their shoes or their product pitchmen. While I'm decidely pro-Reebok and anti-anything to do with Phil Knight, I do begrudgingly give in on rare moments and actually purchase Nike products, such as Tiger Woods shirts or Livestrong bracelets and such. Nike's human rights record and even their competitive practices and attitudes are big turn-offs for me, and I think there's an inherent bias against the big, bad, number one corporation as well. Now when you're talking about Nike, Reebok and adidas, you're talking about huge multinational companies so really it's hard to paint one as an underdog per se, but I prefer Reebok.
Having said that, I had very little choice but to get on the Stand Up, Speak Up campaign when I first heard about it. Not only was the anti-racism football initiative conceived and endorsed by one of my favourite players, French striker Thierry Henry, but the issue itself is certainly worthy of support. Seeing that Nike has conveniently decided to exclude North America and the rest of the world from the campaign for now, I had to recruit Wongoz and first educate him about the campaign itself before sending him to his nearest Sporthaus Drucks KG in search of the rare items.
Unfortunately, the wristbands themselves, as with the Livestrong bracelets, have become profit making enterprises and fashion collectibles, somewhat taking away from the awareness campaign they represent. However, the more wristbands out there the better, and since Nike only makes about 2 euros per wristband, I suppose the fact that the wristbands are being traded in the grey and black market isn't too bad.
Prominent Nike athletes across Europe have been wearing the wristbands in competition for several months now, and while incidents of racist chanting and jeering have continued in Europe's top divisions, there is increased awareness and focus on the issue itself. Recently, Spain national team coach Luis Aragones was fined a relatively paltry 3,000 euros for remarks made about Henry during training. There is more media attention and more scrutiny being drawn now to comments, gestures and actions which could be seen as offensive, which is a positive step. Ironically, Nike recently came under criticism by English national team player Gary Neville as merely trying to profit from the issue. I usually don't mind any jabs at Nike in general, but whether their intentions are clouded by profit or not (and they probably aren't), the campaign itself is a worthy idea.
Racism itself obviously does not make any sense, but the attitude of some football fans is all the more bizarre when you consider that football is perhaps the most international game in the world. Dozens of countries and nationalities are represented across Europe's top divisions, and many of the superstar players who play for clubs in Europe are visible minorities, including Henry for London side Arsenal, and 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year, and FC Barcelona playmaker, Ronaldinho of Brazil. How ridiculous it is when fans direct racist chants at Brazilian Roberto Carlos of Real Madrid, as happened recently in a Spanish league match, when both teams on the field feature numerous Brazilians.
In any event, I'll wear my Stand Up Speak Up wristbands often, even though racism isn't really an issue here in Canada, since we barely have professional football, let alone racism in professional football. I'll just have to keep the Nike Swoosh out of my view.