Last night, the University of Oregon Ducks lost the BCS National Championship to the Tigers of Auburn. It was a close game, with the Tigers kicking a game-winning field goal as time ran out to claim the school a second national championship and prevent the Ducks from winning their first.
In the words of SB Nation , the Oregon football team has been a “walking billboard” for Nike, and that was no more true than this year when the Ducks had their best season of football to date. Even in loss, Oregon alumnus, Nike co-founder, former CEO and current chairman Phil Knight isn’t giving up, running the above advertisement in Oregon newspapers tomorrow with a little help from his longtime allies in W+K, Portland.
Over the years, the University of Oregon has taken some criticism from Knight’s controlling presence on campus, with huge donations to the school landing his relatives’ names on academic buildings and his insurance friend a gig as the university’s athletic director. At least this time, he’s just trying to make Oregon fans feel a little better.