Hounds 05
Freshman
Posts: 56
Reg: 01-03-07
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05-09-11 11:12 AM - Post#105111
In response to Lou
Insight to the Miller/MD saga through a informed MD graduate:
Background
Let me begin by saying this. I don't fully grasp the difference between Nike and Nike Elite beyond this: Prestige. To be "Elite" in college basketball, you have to have won a title. Pretty cut and dry. What does this mean in terms of perks? It gives you dibs on the newest product. You get priority for the newest lines demo'd, like the fat brax jerseys (or just check out your favorite football teams rocking gear in the early 11' college football season), as well as recruiting favors if you make the call.
Here's what I do know. Nobody turns down Nike Elite, nobody. Maryland did. In September 2008, Maryland signed a 5 year-$17.5 million deal to become the exclusive outfitter of U of M athletics, effective January 1, 2009. Nike Ellite is no joke. It took Maryland a long time to breakthrough and generally once you do, you do so having had one arm tied behind your back. You don't get recruits 'filtered' to you the way the powers do and you're not nearly as priivy to a world of favors and favors owed. Look no further than Maryland's 2002 group become the first to win a nat'l title without a McDonald's All-American on its roster.
Why did we make the switch? For starters, Kevin Plank is a Maryland alum and his football gear is legitimately state of the art. Fridge and the administration had wanted the move for an official outfitter for about 18 months before the official transition. It made perfect sense for football and Gary went along in large part because he and and Plank were friends and blinding loyalty prevailed.
Reality Check
Nike is everywhere. And UA was in over its head. You can't just make a shoe and push it off shelves. You need marketing and breakthrough into the grassroots of the game. The grassroots entails diving into the h.s. scene and the slime of AAU. It took UA a while to get its sea legs so to speak. They've broken through faster than anyone ever dreamed, but they still did it at Maryland basketball's expense.
Under Armour's best move to date has been the hiring of Kris Stone as its director of basketball operations. He's a hustler with connections, a vision, and knows what he's doing in the game. He's made in-roads for MD/UA by grabbing some of the top start-ups out there. "Start-ups" are basically the top national AAU teams that remain brand-unaffiliated. Their most notable move in hoops circles was nabbing up the Houston Defenders. The names you'll hear in a few years outta there are Shaquille Cleare and the Harrison Twins (Aaron & Andrew). The reason a UA breakthrough is so tempting for Maryland is that IF they breakthrough for good, the Terps lay claim as their flagship school. Think Oregon to Nike CEO and OU graduate Phil Knight. Except on fertile recruiting ground and a deeper basketball history.
But the problem is this. Even with marquee signings like Brandon Jennings, UA basketball shoes aren't flying off shelves. UA is doing so well with it's apparel here and abroad that they're just eating these losses like it's nothing, but it's a concern. For all it's scores, we're talking about a 1 billion $ company against a near 20 billion $ empire.
This isn't to say Maryland is right about a top 15 job. It is. Don't mistake not being a top 15 team of late with status, history, and resources of a program. But this only seems to do any good with the brand-name prerequisite.
Sean Miller
There's no hard evidence, there never will be, but it's been speculated that this marked the best of opportunities for Nike Elite to get its revenge once Maryland came calling. Quite frankly, it's naive to underestimate the role that corporate allegiance plays and it's not unheard of that Nike-bred coaches are scared to budge.
Who knows what form any possible influence may have come in? Maybe they offered him absurd dollar amounts that made it a no-brainer. Maybe they let it be known he'd never touch another Nike player ever again. I do know that he has an extremely strong relationship with Gary, called this his dream job less than a year ago, and has immediate family within 3 hours every which way of College Park. But you won't hear anything about Miller being Nike-strong armed. The people in the know, if such types exists beyond educated speculation, can't and won't say at thing. You can't just shoot your mouth off without absurd amounts of backing, because devoid of big-time credibility you just haven't got it. You'd be saying that Nike controls how many programs, at how many levels, and that they're doing it from the cozy perch of its corporate offices. This isn't a cave dweller. This is Capone. You haven't got it...
Email from a friend along these lines who's an AAU assistant up in NY:
The story we were played by Miller doesnt make sense. Miller started to play us two years ago in Xavier when he said UMD was his dream job?
All the "early" leaks were by Md sources.
No this is all about Nike vs UA. Nike played hardball and Miller had to save face and backtrack. Nike cannot allow Md to expode unto the the college BB scene and be the flagship for UA. Md will fair as well as UA does nothing less nothing more. This is a huge crap shoot. If UA can flex its muscles then we are set for life.(figuratively speaking).
It wont happen this cycle. We have to get lucky, finding an under the radar coach who Nike doesnt care about. Buy us time untill UA can compete in the trenches.
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