Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall has been dropped by Champion athletic brand because of his controversial tweets about Osama bin Laden.
Champion is “ending our business relationship” with Mendenhall since the company doesn’t think he “can appropriately represent Champion,” spokesman Matt Hall told USA Today Thursday night.
Mendenhall recently signed a four-year contract extension with Champion through 2015. He first signed a deal in 2008.
Below is the full statement from Champion:
Champion is a strong supporter of the government’s efforts to fight terrorism and is very appreciative of the dedication and commitment of the U.S. Armed Forces. Earlier this week, Rashard Mendenhall, who endorses Champion products, expressed personal comments and opinions regarding Osama bin Laden and the September 11 terrorist attacks that were inconsistent with the values of the Champion brand and with which we strongly disagreed. In light of these comments, Champion was obliged to conduct a business assessment to determine whether Mr. Mendenhall could continue to effectively communicate on behalf of and represent Champion with consumers. While we respect Mr. Mendenhall’s right to express sincere thoughts regarding potentially controversial topics, we no longer believe that Mr. Mendenhall can appropriately represent Champion and we have notified Mr. Mendenhall that we are ending our business relationship. Champion has appreciated its association with Mr. Mendenhall during his early professional football career and found him to be a dedicated and conscientious young athlete. We sincerely wish him all the best.