Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall "just did it." And that's the problem.
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Hall, a Reebok endorser, wore Nike shoes during the Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets. Then, according to Sports Business Daily, a industry trade publication, Hall appeared on Tuesday's Fox Sports Net's "Totally Football" show with a Virginia Tech hat that had a Nike logo on it. Hall played football for the school.
"Effective immediately, DeAngelo Hall will no longer be a Reebok endorsed athlete," said John Lynch, Reebok's vice president of sports marketing, in a statement.
There is a standard clause in endorsement contracts that prohibits endorsers from using a competitor's brand in public or from making disparaging or libelous statements about the company.
Hall's marketing representative David Suber had no comment.
This isn't the first time a Reebok-endorsed player has been terminated for showing a liking of the competitor. In April 2000, former NBA player Shawn Kemp told the Akron Beacon Journal that his favorite pair of shoes was Nike's Air Force II's, even though he was under contract with Reebok at the time. Kemp lost $4.5 million for the comment, as his final two years with the shoe and apparel maker were terminated. Kemp was also forced to pay an unspecified sum for additional damages. Hall, who is tied for second in the NFL in interceptions, is a teammate of Michael Vick. Vick is Nike's most high-profile football endorser and has his own signature shoe.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=2></TD><TD width=65>
Hall, a Reebok endorser, wore Nike shoes during the Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets. Then, according to Sports Business Daily, a industry trade publication, Hall appeared on Tuesday's Fox Sports Net's "Totally Football" show with a Virginia Tech hat that had a Nike logo on it. Hall played football for the school.
"Effective immediately, DeAngelo Hall will no longer be a Reebok endorsed athlete," said John Lynch, Reebok's vice president of sports marketing, in a statement.
There is a standard clause in endorsement contracts that prohibits endorsers from using a competitor's brand in public or from making disparaging or libelous statements about the company.
Hall's marketing representative David Suber had no comment.
This isn't the first time a Reebok-endorsed player has been terminated for showing a liking of the competitor. In April 2000, former NBA player Shawn Kemp told the Akron Beacon Journal that his favorite pair of shoes was Nike's Air Force II's, even though he was under contract with Reebok at the time. Kemp lost $4.5 million for the comment, as his final two years with the shoe and apparel maker were terminated. Kemp was also forced to pay an unspecified sum for additional damages. Hall, who is tied for second in the NFL in interceptions, is a teammate of Michael Vick. Vick is Nike's most high-profile football endorser and has his own signature shoe.
