PORTLAND, OR—In a move that added the world’s pre-eminent equine athlete to its stable of endorsers Tuesday, Nike signed Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown to a seven-year, $80 million endorsement contract that included a $10 million signing bonus as well as the creation of a signature horseshoe, the Air Brown.
« Nike is ecstatic to sign the top star in horseracing, » CEO and Nike president Mike Parker said, unveiling the « jumphorse » logo as the Kentucky-bred colt trotted onstage. « From Michael Jordan to Tiger Woods, Nike has created formidable partnerships with the very best in sports. I can’t say how proud we are to work with B.B., who is an extraordinary individual both on and off the track. »
« Big B doesn’t complain when he gets the far outside starting gate position, » Parker added. « He just gallops. And he gives hope to everyone out there that if they train hard, push themselves, and keep their snout clean, they can accomplish anything. »
Big Brown, whose Nike endorsement deal is the largest ever for a thoroughbred, was flown from New York to Portland in a private Nike jet stocked with the world’s finest bourbon, caviar, sugar cubes, cigars, carrots, and hay. Upon arriving on the west coast, the equine superstar’s handlers whisked him past a throng of cheering fans into a stretch limousine bound for Nike headquarters, where Brown, his 11-horse entourage, and his team of lawyers reviewed the contract one last time before signing.
Via : The Onion