Leaders And Best

January 22nd, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^

People focus on jersey design, but that is nothing compared to shoes. Athletes train in these shoes year round, practice in them, and play in them. If you have the wrong shoes, all it takes is one injury to derail a season. Shoes are the most important piece of athletic equipment that you wear. Bad shoes can lead to problems in the foot/ankle all the way to the back.

Under Armour's quality, research, and experience in making shoes are lightyears from Nike and Adidas right now. They did not build their company from making shoes, and that is a bit of a problem. Ask any serious runner, soccer player, or basketball player if they would ever consider buying Under Armour shoes, and they will laugh in your face. And if you don't think that will affect you in recruiting, it will.

B1G_Fan

January 21st, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^

 1 thing is yes they signed for more money but we have a deal with Adidas that if there is a deal for more money they have to up our deal. So thanks for the raise Notre Dame

The FannMan

January 21st, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^

I will take back every bad thing I've ever said about Dave Brandon, and promise to only praise his name in the future, if he signs a deal with I don't care which company for $90,000,000.01.

SmackJack

January 21st, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^

Some of y'all forget the power of their brand. Adidas is in the middle of a re-brand and they're willing to pay to play.. If we ever get a new apparel sponsor I'll buy everything Michigan with three stripes I can find. Also, I think they're done experimenting with our unis. Some big wig must have caught wind of the backlash

LSAClassOf2000

January 21st, 2014 at 5:08 PM ^

"It's just one of those things that is just so central to our identity," Swarbrick said. "We want to be Augusta-like in that way, and that's why after we discussed it one time it was never brought up in conversation again."  - Swarbrick, on the idea of UA signage in the stadium

Augusta-like? I wonder if this means they will replace the "Play Like A Champion Today" sign with one that says "Replace All Divots"

michman54

January 21st, 2014 at 5:14 PM ^

From what I have been told, most of our student athletes do not like Adidas. They don't like there designs, and some say they don't fit well. I don't care the fit myself. The XXl fits like a XL in the chest, then a XXL is like dress.. JMT..

Bando Calrissian

January 21st, 2014 at 7:15 PM ^

This is the buzz I've heard as well. My dad is acquainted with an assistant coach for a non-revenue sport, and his report was basically the Adidas gear fits strangely, the shoes don't feel right, the colors are off... Turns out to be a big headache for the players.

He gave me a pair of team issue training shoes that are now my primary running shoes (damn being a poor grad student), and they're just about the weirdest fitting shoe I've ever owned. The four block M's crammed on them look real solid, though.

StoneRoses

January 21st, 2014 at 9:13 PM ^

Just was thinking about it:

FSU(Nike), Auburn(UA), Bama(Nike), Oklahoma(Nike), Sparty(Nike), Stanford(Nike), Baylor(Nike), UCF(Unsure probably Nike), OSU(Nike), Clemson(Nike).

So there you go... none. Aboslutely disturbing if Adidas apparel may or may not be causing any recognizable dip in performance.

StoneRoses

January 21st, 2014 at 10:54 PM ^

Haha, I think ND in 2012 was also the only Adidas school that really belonged in a BCS game. So it must not be Borges after all. 

But, now that you mention it...

Bama(Nike), ND(Adidas), FSU(Nike), Cincy(Adidas), Oregon(Nike), KSU(Nike), Stanford(Nike), Wisconsin(Adidas BUT... they Should NOT have qualified, OSU was real B1G champion in 2012), Florida(Nike), LVille(Adidas).

So that's really only three teams that were outfitted by Adidas which included the Big East champ (LVille) and an non-AQ team. Every team from the Big Ten, SEC, PAC12, and BigXII that were a BCS team were outfitted by Nike except ND. All signs are now pointing to Adidas being the main culprit I think. You Figthing Irish fans are lucky to be off the hook now (that's not a typo back there). 

phork

January 21st, 2014 at 11:53 PM ^

Clearly next time we face Bama it will be an equal playing field.  Also I expect to UA to out fit the ND cleats with oil slicks and side ankle wings.  As well as auto matic adjusting cleats that retract or get longer with the condition of the field, in real time.

Cloaking device jerseys are next.

cutter

January 21st, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^

See http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2014/01/study_michigans_appar… for an article on the contract.  It states that it expires in 2016.

With the departure of Notre Dame from the Adidas brand, Michigan is now one of 23 schools that the company outfits.  Some of these programs are pretty small (Manhattan, UW-Milwaukee, St. Mary's, Santa Clara), but there are some larger clients as well, including three other Big Ten programs (Wisconsin, Indiana, Nebraska).

As we all know, there's a provision in the contract that states Michigan will be the highest paid of all the Adidas schools.  If UM re-ups with Adidas, I imagine the contract will be more lucrative than the ND deal with UA and would keep that same provision.

As far as the uniforms are concerned, it's pretty clear that Michigan's adaptation of "neon yellow" over maize is a reflection of high definition television and a refreshed look that's different from the past.  

 

 

 

 

Michigania

January 21st, 2014 at 5:20 PM ^

What I truly do not understand, is how Brandon thinks it is okay, the job that Adidas does with our football uniforms.    They are truly Mickey Mouse, and sparty-like of old..... and why Brandon doesn't see this, is truly incredible.......  until we go back to Nike, this has got to change...

1. Remove the M above everyones nameplate on the back of the uniform, at the collar...... this started with the basketball uniforms....making seem like everyone has the first name that starts with M...  I f*cking hate this.

2. Do a better job with stitching the numbers and nameplates..... for one can constantly see frayed threads, as if it were a hack job.

3.  Rid of the Legends patch......  I don't need a patch to remind me that Tom Harmon wore 98... nor do I like the patches making it seem that we live in the past.

Note how that for whatever reason, Nike uniforms look far more professional, case in point, MSU....       Boy I hope Brandon reads this.

thisisme08

January 21st, 2014 at 5:32 PM ^

1. Boy you must sure get things confused alot considering the size of the M and the last name is pretty much like mistaking something in 10 font for 64 (e.g. they are not even close to given that impression).

2. Agreed

3. You do realize that this was a athletic department addition right and not an Adidas thing? Getting rid of Adidas wouldn't solve anything.   

Michigania

January 21st, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^

I understand it fine....

1.  the M is plenty big enough to see, enough to know that IT DOESNT BELONG THERE.....     did Da Vinci put a ML  on Mona Lisa's forehead? Or why don't we put "Univeristy of Michigan" above the numbers like sparty does?     All any of it does CLUTTERS our traditional uniform.

2.  --

3.  Yes, I know that... nonethless it clutters the uniform....   the beauty of our uniform has been its purity.... now it is polluted with stuff that shouldnt be there....  and isnt it ironic that this seems to have coincided with no Big Ten titles and a down decade....

 

oriental andrew

January 21st, 2014 at 5:50 PM ^

Adidas comes up with the designs, but UM has final say.  If someone important enough in the AD really hated the little M, it wouldn't be there.  Enough people thought it was cool that it remains.  And of all the things you could have mentioned - fabric which is prone to tearing, uniformz, neon yellow - you key in on this?  Seems fairly minor...

cutter

January 21st, 2014 at 5:47 PM ^

1.  I don't have any problem differentiating the block "M" from the player's name on the back of the basketball or football jerseys.  But beyond this, the "M" is there because those jerseys are sold to the public and in most cases, the ones you get at M Den, etc. are without a name on the back.

2.  The numbers are pressed onto the jersey--they aren't stitched.  If you do have a problem with the name plate stitching, then you need to contact the Michigan Equipment Manager, since his outfit is responsible for those name plates.

3.  I think the legends patch is a unique and fitting way to honor past Michigan players.  I don't think any other school does this and it helps differentiate UM from the pack.  I suppose Michigan could go the traditional route with some sort of ring of honor in the stadium or statues.  But I have no problem with it.

I don't want uniforms to look professional--I want them to look collegiate.  If you had said some of the one off uniforms don't work (like the uni worn at the bowl game against South Carolina) and Michigan should stay away from that look, then I would completely agree with your sentiment.