Is it the end of Nike's reign?
This brand has been the epitome of "woke capitalism" for decades. But they are bullies and cheats and liars. It's time to move on and leave Nike in the dust.
Lots of news about Nike lately. Weak earnings, a CEO ouster, market share loss, and stealing patented technology from a small business owner in Pennsylvania.
My take here:
I’ve been calling out the hypocrisy of the Nike brand — which I used to admire — for a while now. Mostly about their mistreatment of women all while pretending to be their champion with their woke women’s history month campaigns.
But news broke this week by the Philadelphia Inquirer — which I sometimes read given I’m from Philly — that the brand knowingly stole trademarked technology from a small business owner in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
A few choice quotes from the article:
A court-ordered review of sports retail giant Nike Inc.’s conduct in copycatting Norristown-based Lontex Corp.’s Sweat It Out knit garments for pro athletes’ battered muscles has found that “Nike knew” it was violating the much smaller company’s trademark rights “but just did not care.”
Nike bullied Nathan (the owner), hoping to dissuade him from pursuing his legal case by burying his company, Lontex, in expensive litigation that ran his legal bills into the millions.
“Nike’s incivility, bad behavior, blatant willful infringement, and recklessly indifferent conduct” once it was warned it was infringing on trademarked designs “are rare qualities” that justify more than the usual modest penalties, she found.
There’s a lot more. You can read the article. Here is it. It’s pretty astonishing, even to me, and I’ve known Nike is a bully for many years, if not decades.
This is a company generating over $50 billion in annual revenue. They can’t see fit to pay this guy for his trademarked technology? WTAF. Seriously. Assholes. And they dare to mass virtue signal in their advertising, pretending they are, in fact, the good guys? Please.
This brand is weakened. Their revenues and earnings are soft. They just replaced John Donahoe — the CEO since 2020 — with an old Nike veteran.
They are losing share to upstart brands like Hoka.
But they persist in their woke virtue signaling. Even though it is both unbelievable and not working!
They do this while treating female athletes and female employees like garbage. All while stealing from small business owners who they could afford to pay and treat fairly. All while producing product in China using who knows what kind of unpaid labor since it is impossible to monitor factories in China.
The Nike brand and company are the epitome of woke capitalism. They are liars, bullies and cheaters all while pretending to be the good guys with advertising claiming Caster Semenya is the victim of sexism and racism and is really just being discriminated against for appearing more masculine. When in reality, Semenya is XY and has unfair advantage competing in the women’s category. And that is why he is no longer allowed to compete in the women’s category.
This company’s reign needs to end. They are unethical in every imaginable way. I’m not one to call for boycotts but you really need to boycott Nike. I used to admire this brand. I bought the shoes and products for many years. I still have quite a few pairs of their sneakers though I haven’t purchased new ones in years. And I won’t be buying them anymore.
Buy any other brand. Buy your shoes from New Balance. Or buy Hoka or Asics or literally any other brand. Buy your apparel from my brand XX-XY Athletics. Or New balance or literally any other brand.
It’s time for Nike’s dominance to end. And with it, woke capitalism.
If you want to make the switch, show XX-XY Athletics some love. You my friends, can use my special discount code: JenSey20.
Just do it.
Thank you, Jennifer Sey! I'm happy to announce I will be interviewed by Megyn Kelly next week regarding my pushback on woke, in Behind the Looking Glass at Lime Soda Films youtube channel, detailing the traumas of women whose husbands suddenly claim female identity. Did you see that the 4th volleyball team refused to play with San Jose, where a male plays on the team as a female? I just finished reading a book about Vera Atkins, the Special Operations Executive spymaster who dropped female operatives into Europe before and during WW2 to send intel back to Britain and the allies, to help the French Resistance and to derail trains, the armaments and deportation trains, of the Third Reich. Because of the Secrets Act, Vera Atkins' accomplishments were not made public until after the turn of our century, almost 5 decades after. She was also Jewish, born in Eastern Europe, spoke 6 languages. Many agents were lost; she worked with Chuck Yeager, American pilot who escaped after capture. Many talented, brave women who parachuted into Vichy France could have been saved, if only. Vera followed up to learn just how close to rescue they were at the time of D Day. I think of these women, jumping out of planes fearlessly with their wireless machines and codes, hoping to save free speech, human values and life, as etherial gymnasts of valor, who flew through the upper reaches of existence for us. Be optimistic. Be real. Be yourself.
Go Jen