Rory Nike is the talk of golf. In one of the most telegraphed moves in sports marketing history, Rory McIlroy is hooking up with Nike. It’s not official yet, but it won’t be long.
I wrote an earlier piece about what this will mean for Rory, for Nike, and for the sport of golf. But sometimes pictures can tell a story in a way words can’t. Look at these two pictures and see if you don’t suffer cognitive dissonance.
Rory McIlroy, as Irish UNICEF ambassador, in Haiti:
Nike, as an employer, in Indonesia:
How embarrassing for both Rory and Nike if UNICEF sends Rory on a mission to a Nike sweatshop.
If Rory signs with Nike — and it is all but inevitable — let’s hope he calls them to task for their third world labor practices. Perhaps Rory’s contract can include a morality clause concerning Nike’s behavior.
Lanny H Golf 