Come 2007: No More Nike In Angel Stadium

by Rev Halofan on Jul 31, 2006 10:38 PM PDT in Angels News

Sources close to HALOS HEAVEN tell me that the Angels are using the inevitable end of Darin Erstad's tenure with the team after this season to cut any and all ties to Nike. No public appearance of Erstad has been without his Black Nike baseball cap, and a section of the team store along with signage therein are devoted to the Sacred Swoosh of Athletic Footwear.

But no more.

Seems that Reebok and Adidas were all to happy to pony up mid-six-figure sums the Angels were requesting of athletic apparel companies for stadium store shelf space. When Nike reminded management of its ties to team icon Erstad, the Moreno regime did what it does best - smile, walk away and wait.

The Swoosh has reportedly already been given its walking papers on Team Store floor space as early as October, as the other two jock giants will each be ready with extensive lines of Angels-themed jerseys, sweaters, shirts and other merchandise.

With the confidence that only $100,000 per game in merchandise sales can bring, the Angels played hardball with Nike and won. The corporate Greek god of athletics will be sprinted out of Anaheim after this season.

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Quality

Adidas' shoes last longer and are more comfortable.

by Match Day 5 on Aug 1, 2006 6:11 AM PDT reply actions

New Balance

The only athletic shoe that still comes in widths. Nike's shoes never fit my foot well; I just don't understand how any company that refuses to make adjustments for foot size can stay in business, but they do. Maybe it's all that third world sweatshop labor.

Fire Mickey Hatcher. An entire generation of Angels offense depends upon it.

by scareduck on Aug 1, 2006 7:09 AM PDT reply actions

Indeed

I have incredibly narrow feet, and New Balance is the only shoe company that makes athletic shoes that I can wear without having to put on 2 or 3 pairs of socks.

by jjackflash on Aug 1, 2006 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions

Nike

The vendor they really need to chase is ARA. The service at the stadium is slow and the food is terrible. What happened to all that talk last year that Levy Concessions was coming in?

As for Nike, not only do they "continue to stay in business", they dominate the business.... their market share in the US is greater than Reebok & Adidas combined. (And Reebok & Adidas have in fact combined... Adidas now controls Reebok.) The Angel concession business is just a blip on the Nike radar.

And I disagree with you about Nike. I think they make, hands down the best shoes and best apparrel..... with Under Armour the rising star in the business... and Adidas and Reebok almost irrelevant.

by bundini on Aug 1, 2006 7:26 AM PDT reply actions

The real question

Can Arte use his business skill to improve the FOOD at the stadium?!

"I don't even know why we have a bottle!" Homer Simpson

by mheumann on Aug 1, 2006 9:35 AM PDT reply actions

Step #1:

Change every 2nd concession stand to an In-N-Out.

Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand. - Leo Durocher

by Stirrups on Aug 1, 2006 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions

Is Step #2

"Make all food free"?

by Caseys Kiss of Death on Aug 1, 2006 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions

Oh lord NO!

Are you old enough to have gone to that throwback night at Anaheim Stadium many years ago, when hot dogs were only a quarter? It was a sellout, and the house was packed with people who cared little about the game, and/or knew nothing about baseball, and it took three innings to get any food. Reminded me of Dodger Stadium.

Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand. - Leo Durocher

by Stirrups on Aug 1, 2006 11:13 AM PDT up reply actions

The Padres used to do that

when they were still playing at Jack Murphy Stadium. Every Monday was Retro-Night and they had $1 hotdogs and beer.

Throw in the fact that there was baseball being played and it was my idea of heaven :)

by HeyLegacy on Aug 1, 2006 11:18 AM PDT up reply actions

The A's do Dollar Dogs on Wednesday

It's the only time anyone comes out except for the fireworks and the Yankees or Red Sox. The Angels don't have that problem.

by LosAngel on Aug 1, 2006 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions

In-N-Out

has travel trailers, start a movement to have one or two put in at the stadium.

by higdog on Aug 1, 2006 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions

Johnsonville Brats has a HUGE

semi/traveling world's largest BBQ...that would work too!

I keep hitting "ESCAPE", but I am still here.

by ladybug on Aug 1, 2006 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions

How bout

having the hot dogs grilled and having them served as you order. Plus having grilled onions, etc. to go along with them. The set up at the Tempe Diablo is pretty cool.

by higdog on Aug 1, 2006 11:24 AM PDT up reply actions

how about

opening up a Nathan's or Pink's?? YUM-OOOO

I keep hitting "ESCAPE", but I am still here.

by ladybug on Aug 1, 2006 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions

No Nathans

that would only bring more Yankees fans to the games

by Higz on Aug 1, 2006 11:49 AM PDT up reply actions

Great idea

The grilled dog/sausage stand is easily the longest line at ATT/SBC/PacBell Park and they have great food everywhere in that stadium. All they have are a few mobile stands set up around the stadium, so it's not like they need to move out other fixed concession stands.

by LosAngel on Aug 1, 2006 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions

grills

Aren't their two grill stands in Angel stadium? One at the left field entrance and one at the shallow right field entrance? I was a bit inebriated, but I seem to recall eating their last night. I had an Italian Sausage without the onions and peppers.

They also have the same crappy hot dogs, but grilled so their a little easier to stomach (god I wish Arte didn't re-up with Aramark).

by halomatt on Aug 1, 2006 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions

NOW WE'RE TALKIN'!

The northeast corner of the lot, on the train track side of the Douglas gate, could be used to start an entire corral of vendor trailers for pre-game tailgating! Every Saturday home game. We could get some of those guys with the towable grills, who grill tri-tip and Santa Maria beans for sale on the Wal-Mart parking lots, to drive down from Lompoc. In-N-Out could send a coach. Johnsonville could make a PR stop one weekend. Maybe we do year-long elimination round chili cookoff. Or be a new stop on the national BBQ circuit. The hot dog guy who uses Shafar kosher dogs and sells at the Home Depot just down Katella past Batavia coule relocate. Maybe we could set up a large waist-high enclosure and hand out wrist-bands, so that we could get a city variance and have a legal beer area.

I think we are on to something here!

Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand. - Leo Durocher

by Stirrups on Aug 1, 2006 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions