Obama's Sportswear 'Endorsements' Worth Millions

(NEWSER) - Not so fast, Michael Vick. A day after the quarterback's agent announced he had been re-signed by Nike, the sneaker company says it's just not true. “Nike does not have a contractual relationship with Michael Vick," said a spokesman. He added, however, that Vick is getting some free shoes. Nike ditched Vick in 2007 amid the dog-fighting scandal, notes CNBC. "This agent put his Air Vick in his mouth," a marketing consultant tells USA Today. More»

President lobbies IOC as both a politician and a fan

(NEWSER) - Whether shooting hoops or lobbying the IOC, Barack Obama is fast becoming the nation's sports fan-in-chief. In his first 100 days, the president hosted a Super Bowl party, sat courtside at a Bulls-Wizards game, and shot around with Connecticut's women's basketball team, the Wall Street Journal reports. He's also proposed a national college football championship, scolded A-Rod for using steroids, and backed Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. More»

President's South Side Chicago fave plans hat to celebrate 'first fan'

(NEWSER) - The Chicago White Sox are planning an Obama-themed hat to celebrate the historic victory of the team’s most famous fan, the Sun-Times reports. If the White House approves, the Sox will release a version of their classic cap with the “O” logo featured in campaign ads. Obama sporting a Sox lid has boosted the bottom line: sales have jumped 25% since the election. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama’s beloved basketball may be the most “accessible and democratic” of sports, but “the game will change once the oath of office is administered,” Andrew Stengel writes for the Huffington Post. “Unlike the checks and balances in our three branches of government, there may be a unitary executive who rules on the court.” Stengel, who played with New York governor Mario Cuomo, lays out three rules for survival when playing against the chief executive. More»

(NEWSER) - It's no secret that Barack Obama is an avid hoopster and that his presidency could usher in an era of basketball diplomacy, but a New York Times feature on the politics of presidential sports notes a potential hurdle for the president-elect: He's inheriting a cruddy basketball court. Little-used since Bush the elder installed it outside in 1991, the court is small, suffers a weathered and cracked surface, and has but one hoop. More»