FanHouse Adidas

To the uninitiated, this new adidas spot for Dwight Howard is a novel spin on your traditional sneaker ad -- clever and fun and not like anything else really out there. And it is all of those things, but those familiar with the NBA blogosphere will recognize that it's also an extension of the Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac, the brilliant dead tree version of Free Darko, one of the most innovative basketball blogs on the internet.

Texas A&M switched apparel sponsors from Nike to Adidas in the offseason. As tends to happen with these switches, a new look is on the way which has tradition-hugging Aggie fans nervous.

Although no official design has been leaked, clever fans at TexAgs.com (the site that brought you the Rhett Bomar scoop six months in advance and was religiously followed by the former Texas A&M President and the nation's now-secretary of defense Robert Gates) have pulled screen shots from the Adidas website of the purported new uniforms.



Writes the Campusology blog at TexAgs.com:

The above images are CLOSE to the originals (that were posted in Aggies Only a week ago), only better. These images are screen captures from a nifty little uniform configuration tool on the Adidas website. The images you see above were originally "configured" by someone who has actually seen the uniforms. These latest images differ slightly from the originals with regard to color, as they have been corrected to closer reflect the actual color of the uniforms.

There have been some "classic" features (from older style A&M Uniforms) that have been brought back. I can't really say if this was done for the purpose of looking like a "throw-back," but were probbably done to reflect current trends and styles.

Notice the grey outlines on the numbers and stripes on the pant legs. I personally think the Adidas "style" will be a look that A&M fans enjoy more (from a traditional stand-point) vs. what we had with Nike. Take a look at Tennessee's, Notre Dame's, or Nebraska's uniforms for a better idea of what kind style Adidas brings to the Gridiron.

This will mark at least the fourth major uniform change this offseason following redesigns at Oregon State, Colorado and Michigan State.

Adidas, it appears, knows how to market. As they gear up for David Beckham's MLS arrival, the company has decided to pair him with Reggie Bush for an online campaign titled "Futbol Meets Football."

Starting this week, users will be able to watch Beckham and Bush match their skills at www.futbolmeetsfootball.com. On a field marked half for football and half for soccer, the video shows Beckham teaching Bush how to kick a soccer ball with the curve that inspired the movie Bend It Like Beckham.

Bush tutors Beckham on kicking, throwing and catching an American football. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player shows he has the makings of a placekicker or punter, but he heaves a wounded duck when attempting to throw a pass. "You sure you're right-handed?" Bush kids.

In Beckham's defense, there's no shame in heaving mallards -- Chad Pennington has made a very successful career out of it. Anyway, the pairing and cross-promotion of Bush and Beckham is more significant than it might seem. Beckham is seen as the tipping point MLS needs to get going. Bush has the on-field ability and personality to become the company's leading spokesman. This campaign acknowledges the two as Adidas' big money-makers for the forseeable future.

I don't think Bush or Beckham brought the requisite cross-sport skills to challenge the other seriously (unlike Kim Kardashian vs. Victoria Beckham, which is a legitimate competition). Still, it's got to be more entertaining than watching Bush take on a vending machine.