When Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose was felled by a season-ending ACL tear on Saturday night, most fans of the NBA probably couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The reigning league MVP is an incredibly dynamic player, and losing him to injury just one game into the NBA playoffs had to be seen as a crushing blow.
Then again, Nike employee Jason Petrie isn’t like most fans of the NBA. While most of the rest of the world was wondering how the Bulls would manage to get along without Rose, Petrie, who designed a shoe for LeBron James of the Miami Heat, decided it was time to speculate about whether or not Rose’s Adidas sneakers were to blame for his injury. Tweeted Petrie: “You got one guy only getting stronger, and one guy breaking down before our very eyes. You chose poorly Pooh…”
For the uninitiated, “Pooh” is a nickname that Rose’s grandmother gave him as a child. Classy touch there by Petrie, don’t you think?
While most of the twitterverse is jumping ugly with Petrie, part of me can’t help but admire his moxie. After all, Rose signed a lifetime contract with Adidas earlier this year for a reported $260 million. Basketball shoes are a big international business, and even planting the idea that Rose’s injury might have been caused by the type of sneakers he wears has the potential to move the needle in the nation’s sporting good stores.
Petrie has since apologized, but I’m guessing the damage has already been done. And if any company knows just how much damage could be done by a crack like this one, it’s the folks at Nike. After all, it was only a few years ago that Phil Mickelson made the mistake of implying that the Nike clubs that Tiger Woods was playing with were hurting his game. It didn’t take long for Nike to swing into action, letting loose with a public information campaign that ended only after Mickelson issued a public apology.
So the next time you hear somebody beating their breasts over Petrie’s tweet, just remember it’s all part of a long con. As the old saw goes, “Don’t hate the playa, hate the game.”
Eric McErlain blogs at Off Wing Opinion, a Forbes “Best of the Web” winner. In 2006 he wrote a “bloggers bill of rights” to help integrate bloggers into the Washington Capitals’ press box. Eric has also written for Deadspin, NBC Sports and the Sporting News, and covers sports television for The TV News. Follow Eric on Twitter.