Nike drops the shoe on Brown
A lot has happened in the life of Antonio Brown since Nike released his signature shoe in early February. And somewhere along the way, the athletic apparel and footwear company apparently decided enough is enough.
“Antonio Brown is not a Nike athlete” and his business relationship with the company is over, a Nike representative told the Boston Globe on Wednesday night without any elaboration.
Earlier this month, Brown was accused of rape and two other sexual assaults in a lawsuit filed by his former personal trainer, Britney Taylor. He denies the allegations, which are being investigated by the NFL, and his lawyer said he plans to countersue.
Little seems to be known about Brown’s contract with Nike. In a video posted in June 2018, Brown stated, “I am getting a huge Nike deal.”
The Nike Tech Trainer Antonio Brown shoe was introduced eight months later at a list price of $100. They were rather odd-looking, to say the least, and quickly became outdated.
In addition to a rather interesting floral pattern on top, the shoes also prominently featured the colors of Brown’s team at the time, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since then he has been traded to and released by the Oakland Raiders and signed by the New England Patriots.
The shoes are no longer available for purchase on the Nike website.
According to the Globe, the civil lawsuit filed Sept. 10 by Taylor paints a picture of Brown’s personal life being in a state of “apparent chaos,” with his numerous endorsement deals, including one with Nike, being part of the problem.
“He showed up late to events he was required to attend for those sponsors or otherwise failed to hold up his contractual obligations,” the lawsuit states.
Helmet maker Xenith also ended its relationship with Brown soon after Taylor’s allegations became public.
Your favorite sports moment
What is your favorite all-time L.A. sports moment? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com and tell me what it is and why, and it could appear in a future daily sports newsletter or Morning Briefing.
This moment comes from Michael Walker of Newbury Park:
“On Aug. 29, 1986, two days before my wedding, my buddies and brothers took me to the Big A to see the Angels play Sparky Anderson’s Detroit Tigers as a sort of bachelors’ party. Right up my alley: Baseball, beer and good buddies. After 81⁄2 innings, the beer and the buddies had been good, but not the baseball. The Angels trailed 12-5 going into the bottom of the ninth.
“My buddies and I were about the only folks left at the stadium, other than the players. After one out, the Angels proceeded to score four runs, making it 12-9. Then, with two outs, they loaded the bases, putting the winning run at the plate in the form of the ninthplace hitter, Dick Schofield. After two pitches, two strikes (or so my memory tells me). And then ... ‘slugger’ Dick Schofield hit a walk-off grand slam, capping an eight-run, bottomof-the-ninth comeback by the Angels.
“And two days later, I had my walk-off wedding.”