User:Jeff Bedford/Sandbox9: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox company

The company was founded on January 25, 1964 as '''Blue Ribbon Sports''' by [[Bill Bowerman]] and [[Phil Knight]],<ref name="BRS" /> and officially became Nike, Inc. on May 30, 1978. The company takes its name from [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]] (Greek ''Νίκη'', pronounced {{IPA-el|nǐːkɛː|}}), the Greek goddess of victory. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, [[Nike+]], [[Air Jordan]], [[Nike Skateboarding]], and subsidiaries including [[Cole Haan]], [[Hurley International]], [[Umbro]] and [[Converse (shoe company)|Converse]]. Nike also owned Bauer Hockey (later renamed [[Nike Bauer]]) between 1995 and 2008.<ref>{{cite web | title = Nike sells Bauer Hockey for $200&nbsp;Million |date = February 21, 2008 | publisher=[[The Sports Network]] | url = http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=230199&hubname=nhl | archiveurl =http://web.archive.org/web/20080225100443/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=230199&hubname=nhl | archivedate = 2008-02-25 | accessdate = 2008-06-02 }}</ref> In addition to manufacturing sportswear and equipment, the company operates retail stores under the Niketown name. Nike sponsors many high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world, with the highly recognized trademarks of "[[Just Do It (Nike)|Just Do It]]" and the [[Swoosh]] logo.

 

Nike, originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), was founded by [[University of Oregon]] track athlete Philip Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman in January 1964. The company initially operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker [[ASICS|Onitsuka Tiger]] (now [[ASICS]]), making most sales at track meets out of Knight's automobile.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nikebiz.com/company_overview/history/1950s.html |title=Company Overview : History : 1950s |publisher=Nikebiz|accessdate=2010-03-04}}</ref>

 

Nike Inc. will buy back $8 billion of Nike's class B stock in 4 years after the current $5 billion buyback program is completed in second quarter of fiscal 2013. Up to September 2012, Nike Inc. has bought back $10 billion of stock.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/20/us-nike-buyback-idUSBRE88J01T20120920 |title=Nike approves $8 billion share repurchase program|date=September 20, 2012}}</ref>

 

Nike produces a wide range of sports equipment. Their first products were track running shoes. They currently also make shoes, jerseys, shorts, [[baselayers]], etc. for a wide range of sports, including track and field, baseball, [[ice hockey]], tennis, association football (soccer), [[lacrosse]], basketball, and [[cricket]]. [[Nike Air Max]] is a line of shoes first released by Nike, Inc. in 1987. The most recent additions to their line are the Nike 6.0, Nike NYX, and [[Nike SB]] shoes, designed for [[skateboarding]]. Nike has recently introduced cricket shoes called Air Zoom Yorker, designed to be 30% lighter than their competitors'.<ref>{{cite web | title = Nike launches cricket shoe Air Zoom Yorker |publisher=The Hindu Business Line | date = September 2, 2006 | url = http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2006/09/02/stories/2006090203260500.htm |accessdate = 2008-06-02}}</ref> In 2008, Nike introduced the Air Jordan XX3, a high-performance basketball shoe designed with the environment in mind.

 

The 2010 Nike Pro Combat jersey collection were worn by teams from the following universities: Miami, Alabama, Boise State University, Florida, Ohio State, [[Oregon State University]], Texas Christian University, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh. Teams will wear these jerseys in key matchups as well as any time the athletic department deems it necessary.<ref name=post>{{cite news |title=Nike Pro Combat Jersey Info |work=WVU Sports Insider |date=September 1, 2010 |url=http://blogs.thedaonline.com/sports/?p=2256 }}</ref>

 

Nike's world headquarters are surrounded by the city of [[Beaverton, Oregon|Beaverton]], but are within [[unincorporated area|unincorporated]][[Washington County, Oregon|Washington County]]. The city attempted to forcibly annex Nike's headquarters, which led to a lawsuit by Nike, and[[lobbying]] by the company that ultimately ended in Oregon Senate Bill 887 of 2005. Under that bill's terms, Beaverton is specifically barred from forcibly annexing the land that Nike and [[Columbia Sportswear]] occupy in Washington County for 35 years, while [[Electro Scientific Industries]] and [[Tektronix]] receive the same protection for 30 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2006/06/appellate_court_rejects_beaver.html |title=Appellate court rejects Beaverton annexation &#124; The Oregonian Extra |publisher=Blog.oregonlive.com |date=2006-06-16 |accessdate=2010-03-04}}</ref>