NOW ITS NIKE?S TURN TO HAVE LINSANITY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 23 Feb 2012
Nike has now joined the millions that have what has come to be known as ?Linsanity? and plans to release a new show that according to ESPN Radio will feature the Knicks' blue and orange and "Lin" on the back of the heel.
The New York Daily News, also caught up in the frenzy reported that Nike will soon roll out a new promotional campaign built around Lin in the first of what is expected to be a parade of endorsements featuring the 23-year-old phenom.
Boxing?s pound for pound king and international crossover star Manny Pacquiao who is in New York on the second leg of the two-city tour to hype his June 9 showdown with undefeated light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley was supposed to meet Lin while also being involved in some events for Nike.
However, calls to Pacquiao?s adviser Michael Koncz on whether what Top Rank promoter Bob Arum branded a ?meet and greet? affair with Lin pushed through, have gone unanswered.
Marc Ganis, the owner of SportsCorp Ltd., told the Daily News that Nike's original deal with Lin was most likely limited, which would explain the renegotiations.
While bidding among sneaker companies for Lin could have drawn his price into the upper-seven figures if he didn't have an existing Nike deal, now it's likely that Nike will pay him between $2-4 million, he said. In addition to giving Lin a reason to stay with Nike after the locked-in period is over, it could also be a huge shot in the arm for a company that has been looking for a way to grow their market in China and Taiwan.
"You can expect he's going to be their number two poster endorser to LeBron James in China and they may promote him as the top guy (there)," he said. Lin also gives Nike a way into a different kind of market in the United States, he said.
"(He's) given them a whole different segment of the market they can approach ? the non-jock jock. The kids and the adults who are cerebral and may have Ivy League aspirations for education, but not pro aspirations for athletics ? Lin gives them a unique connection to that market."
The deal comes as the Knicks and Lin's lawyers are going full force to protect his trademark rights for future Lin gear and endorsement deals.
The Daily News reported that last week, Pamela Deese, a Washington-based lawyer filed papers to trademark Lin's name and "Linsanity" as the Knicks and the NBA said they were cracking down on counterfeit gear around the world.
"As is often the case when the demand for NBA product is high, there are counterfeiters seeking to take advantage of the current interest in Jeremy Lin," Ayal Deutsch, NBA senior vice president and chief intellectual property counsel told the Daily News in a statement earlier this week. "The NBA is pursuing enforcement - in the US, China and other countries - to address the sale of counterfeit 'Lin' jerseys and other unauthorized merchandise using NBA intellectual property. We also are coordinating with Jeremy Lin's representatives regarding their efforts to enforce against the unauthorized use of his name and image."
The undrafted point guard out of Harvard first signed with Nike before his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors and while suiting up for the Knicks has had a sensational season so far.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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