Bode Miller- Nike's Million Dollar Ski Bum
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Update: This piece sounds more down on Bode than I actually feel, I openly invite him to come party with Matt & I in Chicago. But I hated the Nike ads, for their glorification of an I don't give a fark attitude. For a rip by someone who is really down on the Bodacious one read this.
Bode Miller gave an exemplary reminder of the difference between an Olympic athlete and a self-absorbed, over-exposed, ski bum.
I figger Nike spent $10-20 million or more on the JoinBode.com campaign
during the Winter Olympics. The commercials were full of the Bode-man
spewing bushels of new age tripe about how he is just a free spirit, he
trains when he feels like it, he parties when he feels like it, and he
basically just surfs the Karmic wave dude. Nike assumed he would rack
up some golds, get on the cover of Sports Illustrated and they could
market slacker-chic to America and the world. Don't get me wrong, he is a
great skiier, but Nike focused on his Me, I, My philosophy and how this powers him to amazing feats.
Problem was, he sucked like a Hoover. He didn't even contend in any of
the five races he was in, and now I will be quite interested to see
what Nike does with all their Bode booty. I really hold no beef with the
Bodemeister himself, he was just exploiting the foolish folks at Nike
and their insatiable need to create new shite we have no need for. I hope
he gave the money they paid him to someone other than the dude
who grows that wicked hydroponic though. Ah heck, he can always give
ski lessons to rich maroons in Aspen and regale them with how he "rocked" in
Torino.
I don't begrudge him his flakestyle life, there is something
quintessentially American about it. I just enjoyed watching it all blow up in
Nike's face. They ruined pro basketball, by paying prodigy dunkensteins
with zero basketball skills, tens of millions. At one point Nike was
Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods embodying the best as athletes and
sportsmen, now they offer the chance to JoinBode on the couch to watch the
medals ceremonies. HA! - Uncle J