Backlash over Team USA’s Nike gold medal T-shirts
The U.S. women’s soccer team wore Nike t-shirts with a smug, tacky slogan reading “Greatness Has Been Found” after its gold medal win over Japan on Thursday. The shirts were roundly panned on Twitter, from critics both foreign and domestic.
Members of the team were handed the shirts immediately after their win. This is a ritual common after big victories in American team sports. After the Super Bowl or NCAA basketball title game, for instance, winning teams immediately put on shirts and hats that proclaim them champions.
If it’s ever happened at an Olympics, I can’t remember. Throw in the phrase ”greatness has been found” — which would be distasteful enough on a team celebrating an SEC championship — and the whole thing feels completely out of place.
Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times tweeted, “‘Greatness has been found,’ but not humility. Gross.”
SI.com’s Courtney Nguyen agreed. “Put those t-shirts away, USA.” she tweeted. “Keep it classy.”
No one is blaming the women on the team. They were handed shirts and put them on, as expected. And I don’t blame Nike either: Every 13-year-old girl who’s ever picked up a soccer ball is begging for one right now. The people at fault are the go-betweens for Nike and Team USA. They should have realized the way those shirts could have been perceived.
Wearing a personalized shirt at an Olympics that seems to rub the loss in face of defeated opponents plays into the stereotype of ugly Americanism. If people who were rooting for the women’s soccer team found them off-putting, imagine the reaction of the rest of world.
I’m all for showing off the greatness of the United States and our sporting teams. At an Olympics, there’s an easy way to do it: Stand on top of the podium while “The Star Spangled Banner” plays. It gets the job done better than any marketing gimmick could.
Houston Chronicle
Take one.
also
wonder if the ref got one of those shirts too
For instance if any player (from any country) is given any freebies during the games, he/she can't tweet about it. There's been a lot of brands doing 'ambush' marketing like that and they're being super strict. Beats by Dr. Dre has done limited edition Union Jack headphones and given it out to athletes, who tweeted about it and were asked to take it down.
/marketing journalist rant
Almost thought you were serious there.
Edited at 2012-08-10 03:07 pm (UTC)
imagine the reaction of the rest of worldthey should ice their injuries and immediately seek medical attention.sorry nike wasn't handing out shirts to other teams