NATE’S NATION: Make Me ‘Like Mike’
NATE GARCIA
Sports Editor
The countless sports advertisements that are played during the halftime show of an NBA game or placed on the billboards on the freeway, seem to have piled up into a corporate game of cat and mouse.
Whenever I walk by Sport Chalet, Footlocker or any other sporting goods store, the presence of giant posters of professional athletes sporting the latest shoes in obnoxious colors is overwhelming. The companies that create these products have one goal: make big bucks. They couldn’t care less if I were to actually have a chance at becoming the next Jeremy Lin, because after three weeks, the fad would be over and the next line of sneakers would come rolling in.
Large companies, such as Nike and Adidas, have long sponsored professional athletes and teams over a wide range of sports. The method used by these companies to attract customers is none other than the infamous placebo effect. If the shoes are advertised as if Lebron can shoot threes with these sneakers, I should be able to also, right? Don’t get ahead of yourself. Whatever it is that urges most people to go out and buy a colorful pair of shoes for over a hundred dollars is working very well. That “it” is the dream of being like the pros. The ability to make a 40-yard goal or to dunk from the key is on their bucket list. These dreams are unimaginable for us high school “ballers”, so consumers go and buy the products that worldwide manufacturers advertise with star athletes, hoping that these products will make them superstars. They think that if they do not own the shoes that everyone else has, they will not play to their best ability.
I’m not one to be easily manipulated by these foolish campaigns, because although I know in fact that I’m not that great at basketball, practice is the only method toward improvement. Although at times it may be hard, it is better to go through the pain of practice to achieve higher goals. After all, practice makes perfect. Most people believe that owning a good pair of shoes advertised as the best in the market will make them an instant star. Slapping on a pair of Kobe VII’s isn’t going to increase my chances of getting into the NBA. Sure, it will provide grip and maybe stability, but Nike’s advertisements of Kobe VII’s makes them seem almost magical. Any decent player can make a shot with a worn-out, generic pair of sneakers just as well as they could with the latest Hyperdunks.
It’s all an illusion. Nike, Adidas and other big name companies want your money and nothing more. They wouldn’t be surprised if after their products are sold, the consumers don’t become like the pros. Give your wallet a break; instead of going out to buy the latest kicks, get a basketball and go out to play to improve your game.
These “Pumped Up Kicks” may look stylish, but if you’re getting them because you think they’ll make you a superstar, think again. They’ll only make you a hypebeast.