This just in from Nike:
The new WVU football uniform was designed to celebrate the football team and honor the heritage of coal mining in the state.
We are modifying the graphic of the player on our website to address concerns.
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Come on Nike. One email did all this? what’s next pulling Miami’s add over palm tree activists, Ohio State’s add for German activists? Think of all the animal activists out there, you’re really gonna get in trouble now. I don’t see anyone trying to save the Horned Frogs or Hokies. Somebody start a save the Hokie campaign, see where they get.
Seriously though, the tribute Nike and WVU is attempting to make to the miners, especially the “29″, is beyond words. It is the most humble feeling I think a human can or should feel. I hope the whole world feels the ambition that this tribute is meant to convey. Nike shouldn’t let some half-cocked activist get this angle on them to feed some half legitimate agend. A lot of people appreciate the gesture from Nike & WVU.
I suggest this to you Brent. Come live beneath a Massey mtr site here on Coal River. Go work at UBB underground as those 29 Coal Minders did, and then see how you feel about Nike and WVU placing an mtr site in the background of that ad. Ask the families of these Coal Miners what they think about a mountaintop removal site being in the background of a tribute to their husbands, fathers, and brothers. Ask these Coal Miners fellow underground workers what they think about an mtr site being in the background of this ad. Totally insensitive on the coal industries part. And it was done with purpose, to use these 29 underground Coal Miners deaths in a way to promote mountaintop removal to America.
Like coal or not, coal miners helped build this country with the strength of their backs, sweat on their brow, and spilled blood. Their contribution helped make steel for railroads, cars, and skyscrapers. To discount their contribution to this great nation is insensitive and wrong minded.
Come on people give Nike a break! I have been to Portland and Beaverton, Oregon. Nike is out of Beaverton. No I wasn’t here to go to Nike Complex out there. When I was there the people I talked to around Oregon most had never even heard of Pat White. I was there in October of 2008 his senior year. What I am getting to is Nike probably has no clue about coal mining, moutain top surface or underground. The only thing they did was not do there homework before placing the ad! Did WVU get to proof the ad. If they did they should have told them an underground mine in the back would been more accurate. Be proud that the 29 Miners, Mountaineers and state of West Virginia are represented in a good light!
Lets Go Mountaineers!!!
Dennis Miller,
I don’t think anyone suggested discounting the contributions coal miners have made to this country … For anyone who wants to see it, the new Nike graphic display on this is at this link:
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/usnikefootball/en_US/rivalries2010#uniform?id=west_virginia
OK, folks … thanks for all the comments on this. We’re going to shut down this discussion for the weekend. Happy Labor Day and Go Mountaineers!