Football Wars: Nike vs. Under Armour vs. AdidasJuly 27, 2012
by: Julian Kimble
We all love a good gridiron battle, but sometimes it extends beyond the football field. Well, in a sense. Despite whatever your parents or Little League coach might have told you back in the day, the equipment that you use does matter. As you advance as an athlete, the quality of the equipment should as well. The way we see it over here, there are three companies battling for the crown in terms of gear: Nike, Under Armour and Adidas. We set up this three way competition to see who will break out of the pack and high-step to that coveted #1 spot.
First up is the Swoosh. Nike is probably the most recognizable sports brand of both the 20th and 21st centuries, and it’s all because of the simple insignia. But how does the brand hold up on the field? In April, they rolled out brand new uniforms for the coming NFL season, crafting the Sunday best for all 32 teams. The new uniforms feature a tighter fit and a v-neck. The new design may cut down on holding calls, and make it harder for players to escape the death grip of defenders. The new look and cut are typical Nike, meaning they look great and should yield great results, but does that guarantee that they’re the best?
Next up in Under Armour. A true grassroots operation, Under Armour was founded back in 1996 by Kevin Plank, right in his grandmother’s Washington, DC basement. Fed up with the gross, sweat-drenched t-shirts that he wore under his jersey, they former University of Maryland special teams captain decided to make shirts made of the same fabric of his compression shorts, which he noticed stayed dry during activity. By the end of the ’90s, the brand received co-signs from Jeff George, Georgia Tech and North Carolina State. It really blew up when Jamie Foxx rocked Under Armour as Willie Beamen in Oliver Stone’s wonderfully over the top Any Given Sunday. In addition to its retail locations, Under Armour has since opened specialty stores in over 30 states. It’s been endorsed by the likes of Cam Newton, Vernon Davis, Ray Lewis, Tom Brady, the NFL Scouting Combine and Northwestern University’s new uniforms are vicious, but does that make them the best?
Last, and certainly not least, is Adidas. Adidas is another company with a storied history of excellence, as Jesse Owens won four gold medals with at the 1936 Olympics with Adidas on his feet. In addition to producing obvious equipment like cleats, they make uniforms as well. They caused a bit of a stir recently following their decision to bless certain California high school teams with state of the art jerseys. Looking for a high-profile face to carry the brand, they dished out some endorsement money to Robert Griffin lll. He’s definitely going to be putting that equipment to good use during his rookie season as he tries to evade hostile defenders when the Redskins go head to head with their NFC East rivals, and the rest of the league.
We gave you guys some information, now the decision is in your hands. Who’s running the game between Nike, Under Armour and Adidas?
