Saturday Conversation

[Tough Dawg]

Just curious on your guys opinion here. When does our Adidas contract run out? I know the players do not like Adidas and are ready for a change. Nike is who they want.

Have we ever had a Nike contract? I'm in my 30s, so I do not remember us ever having one. Russell and Adidas is all I know.

[ShotgunDawg]

Just curious on your guys opinion here. When does our Adidas contract run out? I know the players do not like Adidas and are ready for a change. Nike is who they want.

Have we ever had a Nike contract? I'm in my 30s, so I do not remember us ever having one. Russell and Adidas is all I know.

I wonder which company the players would want if Adidas was personally playing the players $2 million dollars and Nike was only paying them $100,000?

[engie]

Have we ever had a Nike contract? I'm in my 30s, so I do not remember us ever having one. Russell and Adidas is all I know.

Must not have been a MSU fan during the 90s? We had Nike as recently as 2003.

Prettymuch no chance we go back to them at this point...

[preachermatt83]

We are becoming the poster team for adidas in baseball. I hear the players are very satisfied with adidas.

[HereComesTheSpiral]

We could always go back to russell

[Tough Dawg]

I didn't know we had them in 2003. Also I didn't pay close attention to unis while I was in HS/College. I like Adidas and what they've done over the years.

Never figured we'd look at UA because of Walker Jones.

[Tough Dawg]

And I'm speaking just on Football here. Haven't heard from any other sports.

I played college baseball (small school) and always thought Adidas made the best baseball cleats.

[curmudgeon]

Sherrill and Nike really got into it. Nike dropped us because of it. We were only Nike in football and track, and other sports fended for themselves.

When football went to Russell, Stans took basketball to adidas and they have always been very good to us, from a financial/gear standpoint. When we were with Nike, finding MSU Nike gear was tougher than it is now. Now we can buy most of the same gear that coaches wear from adidas.

Next year is the end of the three year uniform cycle (set so every player can see a new uniform at some point). My guess is that adidas really does us right, because of the unpopularity of the current cycle. And like the other poster said, adidas is using us, UCLA and Louisville as their main baseball schools. We're even switching to adidas bats this year.

[Tough Dawg]

Adidas is making a bat now??? What is the world coming to....

[engie]

Adidas is making a bat now??? What is the world coming to....

Yes -- and it's on the ragged edge of the BBCOR standards and MUCH hotter than Louisville Slugger and Easton...

[Pollodawg]

If Adidas can put a viable product out there, I don't see the problem with it.

[curmudgeon]

The adidas bats are the hottest legal bats in college baseball. Our production is going to go up 15-20%. If our pitching is as good as expected, there's no reason that we shouldn't be right in the thick of things in Omaha.

[Pollodawg]

Sherrill and Nike really got into it. Nike dropped us because of it. We were only Nike in football and track, and other sports fended for themselves.

When football went to Russell, Stans took basketball to adidas and they have always been very good to us, from a financial/gear standpoint. When we were with Nike, finding MSU Nike gear was tougher than it is now. Now we can buy most of the same gear that coaches wear from adidas.

Next year is the end of the three year uniform cycle (set so every player can see a new uniform at some point). My guess is that adidas really does us right, because of the unpopularity of the current cycle. And like the other poster said, adidas is using us, UCLA and Louisville as their main baseball schools. We're even switching to adidas bats this year.

I am just asking: Beyond uniform selection, how much sway does a HC really have over design. I could see Mullen having a hand in selecting which uniform to wear on any particular Saturday, but how much does he have to do with actual design?

[Pollodawg]

*extra post to get away from 666. Superstitous. So sue me.

[ShotgunDawg]

I am just asking: Beyond uniform selection, how much sway does a HC really have over design. I could see Mullen having a hand in selecting which uniform to wear on any particular Saturday, but how much does he have to do with actual design?

More than you think. Mullen can recommend components to the uniform, such as stripes, colors, etc.. then usually the apparel company will make about 3 or 4 proto-types and allow the university (AD, Coaches, and even players at times) to choose which proto-type they like the best.

So overall, if all the proto-types suck, then coaches have little control, but they usually get to choose which design they like the most from what the apparel company provides them.

No one at MSU is doing Chillbilly stuff though and coming up with schemes and concepts. That's Adidas' job

[messageboardsuperhero]

Adidas is making a bat now??? What is the world coming to....

We'll see how ridiculous the idea of Adidas making bats is this season. I have a feeling you'll be singing a different tune come April/May.

[Coach34]

We arent leaving Addidas anytime soon...as Cam Newton said' "The money is just too much"

[Tough Dawg]

I'm sure I will. I'm pretty out of touch with what brands are big in the alluminum bat these days. In my time it was Easton and Louisville. I was in the minus 3 days though.

I was shocked when Nike started making golf equipment when it happened.

[curmudgeon]

We aren't to adidas what Oregon and Alabama are to Nike, but we aren't to adidas what Ole Miss is to Nike, either.

Baseball - we are rock stars to adidas. One of the 2-3 major teams.
Basketball - where our relationship with adidas began. Middle of the pack where Louisville is the clear #1.
Football - They have Nebraska and Manzeil made A&M more of a showcase than they planned. I think we are moving up.

They also treat our Olympic sports very well, especially compared to where they used to be.

[messageboardsuperhero]

We aren't to adidas what Oregon and Alabama are to Nike, but we aren't to adidas what Ole Miss is to Nike, either.

Baseball - we are rock stars to adidas. One of the 2-3 major teams.
Basketball - where our relationship with adidas began. Middle of the pack where Louisville is the clear #1.
Football - They have Nebraska and Manzeil made A&M more of a showcase than they planned. I think we are moving up.

They also treat our Olympic sports very well, especially compared to where they used to be.

I believe their major baseball schools are us, Louisville, UCLA, and NC State. You've got to give it to Adidas- they've got some pretty successful programs.

[Sidewalkdawg]

Didn't nike bring in ac systems for the Oregon players when Harrington was a hiesman candidate and all we had the swamp coolers on our sideline? I think it was the opening game of 2003. Nike had both school football contracts. I think remember folks being upset about it. Could be wrong though, memory is not as good as it used to be

[curmudgeon]

They had special shoulder pads that hooked up to a system on the sidelines. Sherrill said that if Oregon had them, we should have them. Nike said screw you. Contract did not get renewed, did not help that we were 2-10 that year.

LT goes cheap with Russell when adidas wanted us in '04.

[Tough Dawg]

So I ask is LT still welcomed in Starkville? I'm sure he still pals with the Holliman's and Franklin's of the worlds. Or did all cigar relationships get severed. Hopefully so.

[ShotgunDawg]

Adidas is fine, and their designs should only get better. Remember, not to long ago, Adidas was known as a German Soccer Company. So, it should not be a huge surprise that it is taking them a while to catch up with Nike in football uniform design, but they are getting better.

Adidas took a big hit the other day when Notre Dame left them to go to Under Amour

[Bark]

So I ask is LT still welcomed in Starkville? I'm sure he still pals with the Holliman's and Franklin's of the worlds. Or did all cigar relationships get severed. Hopefully so.

Curmudgeon, since you seem to be more in the know than some of us...how is LT's relationship with stricklin and keenum? I know he has an office on campus still but does he have any say at all in the workings of the athletics dept or anything university related?

[War Machine Dawg]

We had Nike during the Sherrill years. Popular opinion is our best looking uniforms, including the popular interlocking MSU logo, were when we were with them. But alas, we probably won't ever go back to them. Personally, if we are going to be stupid and not go with Nike, I'd rather we switch to UnderArmour. Their stuff is badass and they're making a real push to become a major player in the uniform market. We could probably get a really good deal with them right now, as the only SEC school with them is SCar. Everyone else is either Nike or Adidas.