Robert Griffin III refuses to wear Nike in Warmups

Highly coveted Heisman Trophy winner and the National Football Leagues newest exciting talent, Robert Griffin III was scrutinized for covering the Nike logo. The National Football League currently has a sponsorship agreement that entitles all NFL players to wear Nike sponsored apparel. Robert Griffin III however, is sponsored by Adidas, which caused the controversy this past season.

Robert Griffin III displayed a silent protest on numerous occasions. According the to the bleacher report.com, the quarterback dawned a “Heart” reminder clearly over the Nike swoosh symbol prior to his first start in the NFL. The NFL doesn’t deny their players wearing sponsored apparel from their companies, as long as the NFL associated company is represented, Robert Griffin didn’t showcase the same.

The NFL addressed the issue to Robert Griffin according to nbcsports.com however, the following week, the star quarterback wore a plain grey t-shirt covering the Nike swoosh once again. Though, the Nike swoosh was not deliberately covered with writings and ink, the symbol wasn’t visible to the public. With that sentiment, the NFL sat with the young star and warned him of future penalties if these events were to occur again.

During the final weeks of the NFL regular season, though injured and sidelined, the quarterback wore an Adidas tracksuit and an Adidas redskins long sleeve shirt. The apparel was worn during an interview in regards to his return to playing on the field once again. The NFL fined the star ten thousand dollars for his apparel, according to cbssports.com.

In large respect to the NFL and it’s sponsors, personally, I feel players should be allowed to wear whatever apparel they feel fit as long as the apparel represents their specific team. The NFL is the larger representative in these matters rather than the sponsors. With or without the major sponsors, the NFL fan base and large marketing corporations will fight to have a piece of a billion industry.