Jordan, Nike need to stem violence

By Jemele Hill
(Well written article by one of ESPN’s brightest journalists.)

I don’t know why I keep hoping that Michael Jordan will one day grow a conscience and show he’s more than an opportunistic pitchman who overvalues the bottom line.

I’ll always respect Jordan’s accomplishments as a player and how he helped the NBA become a global game, but I have no respect for some of Jordan’s business practices.

	Michael Jordan, now the owner of the Bobcats, continues to be the name behind one of the most popular shoe and sporting goods brands.

Last week, Jordan and Nike released his retro gym shoe, the Air Jordan XI Concords — which Jordan wore during the 1995-96 season, when the Bulls notched a record 72 regular-season victories and won the NBA championship — in time for the Christmas rush, but the special release incited a rash of violence nationwide.

Customers engaged in fights and vandalism. A Jersey man was stabbed during a brawl that broke out while people were waiting in line to buy the shoes. A mother was arrested for leaving her two children, ages 2 and 5, in the car while she went inside a mall to buy a pair of Jordans in Georgia. And gunshots rang out  at one mall in California, causing thousands to be turned away.

Nike condemned the violence. “We are extremely concerned to hear of the reported crowd incidents around the launch of the Air Jordan XI at some select retail locations,” said Brian Facchini, spokesman for Nike’s Jordan brand, in an email statement to USA Today and others. “Consumer safety and security is of paramount importance. We encourage anyone wishing to purchase our product to do so in a respectful and safe manner.”

Nike Women Throwdown Anthem

Will The Real SuperStar Please Stand up?

Who Will Stand as the Real SuperStar?!?!?!

Wow!!! Was anyone else underwhelmed with the new look Miami Heat tonight in Boston?  I know they really haven’t had much time to play together because Wade has been hampered with the hamstring injury for most of the preseason but the new “Big 3”  combined for 15 of the Heat’s 17 turnovers — eight by James, six by Wade and one by Bosh. Wade was limited to 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting and Bosh added eight points and eight rebounds. The trio And Miami was outscored 16-9 in the first quarter. Really guys, you could only muster up 9 points in 15 minutes of action?