by Cynthia Wright

Say what you want about Michael Jordan, the man knows how to turn a profit. A recent Forbes article discussed that even after his retirement eight years ago, the Jordan brand is still a profitable franchise. According to the article, Jordan racked in approximately 60 million dollars last year – without touching a basketball.

Like most star athletes, Jordan had his pick of endorsements throughout his career and most, like Gatorade, Hanes, Upper Deck and Nike are as synonymous of Jordan as much as his red Chicago Bulls jersey. Jordan has also inked endorsement deals with 2K Sports and Five Star Fragrances; he also bought five restaurants and a car dealership in North Carolina.

However, Nike is still Jordan’s most profitable endorsement. Although, Jordan inked a $2.5 million contract with the company, straight out of college in 1984 – his endorsement checks are higher now since his brand has exploded. His annual revenues from Nike alone bring him an estimated $1 billion, with Jordan’s brand market share coming to a whooping 71%. Nike follows after with a share of 22%, with Adidas and Reebok owning the rest at 3% and 2%. Not to mention, Jordan has other well-known athletes under his brand umbrella, such as Derek Jeter, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Denny Hamlin also bring a considerable amount of traction insuring Jordan’s financial coiffures remain full.

During his tenure with the Bulls, he was banking about $50 million from his endorsement deals and during his last two years with the NBA dynasty, he made $63 million in combined salary.

Neilson and E-Poll Market Research produce an N-Score for celebrities that measure their awareness; general appeal and likeability, Jordan’s N-Score comes out to be 682. He is the highest scored athlete by nearly 300 points. His awareness is ranked at 71%; with the only athletes above him being Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson and OJ Simpson (easy to guess why). His rate of being liked by the public is charted at 93%, which shows how far his presence extends. Current b-baller LeBron James, whom many believed would follow in Jordan’s footsteps, has a likeability of 51% – nowhere near close.

Many attribute Jordan’s ability to be in the mind and heart of the consumer was his ability to stay negatively out of the headlines. Unlike his counterparts James and Kobe Bryant – while, they may be popular – their popularity has been somewhat tainted by their off-the-court extracurricular activities. Not that Jordan was a saint, there have been plenty of tales surrounding his gambling and philandering way but being that Jordan’s popularity was amassed before the era of social media. Did the lack of celebrity profiling help cement his legacy? Perhaps, one thing is for sure, Jordan’s business growth is undeniable and with his ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats, his stock will go nowhere but up.

Cynthia Wright is an avid lover of all things geeky. When she isn’t freelancing, she can be found on her blog BGA Life and on Twitter at @cynisright.

(AP) – Michael Jordan has been fined by the NBA for making comments about the league’s ongoing collective bargaining process.  NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the penalty for the Charlotte Bobcats owner on Monday, but said the league doesn’t comment on the total. ESPN.com reported the fine was $100,000.

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By Jay Anderson

America has a peculiar love/hate relationship with professional athletes. We love them when they’re playing well. We think they’re overpaid, whiny babies when they don’t. We build them up to tear them down, only to then (sometimes) build them back up again. We have watched some of our favorite athletes fall from the heights of sports success, to the depths of injury and incarceration – only to praise their resurrections. Here are 10 such tales of destruction, redemption and in some cases intense struggle back to the pinnacle of athletic achievement.

Michael Vick

After spending time in jail for dogfighting, Vick’s climb back to the top has been slow, but steady. After a season as the Eagles’ third string quarterback, a combination of luck of hard work has thrust Vick back into the starting lineup and superstardom. By ringing up 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2010, the once discarded Vick was given the franchise tag by the team in February, and recently signed a new deal with Nike. Vick’s challenges has changed him into an appreciative man that brands want to identify with again.

by Mark Anthony Neal

In the coming days, the National Basketball Association will crown a new  champion. Someone will be crowned “MVP,” somebody’s “legacy” will be assured and  still others will thank God, their mothers and their therapists in nationally televised post-game interviews.  And of course there will be the endless self-congratulations on Twitter. It is all seemingly choreographed and no more so than with the eventual visit to the White House and photo-op with President Obama, who we all know is a big sports fan. Seems a win-win for all involved.

The practice of bringing sports champions to the White House became particularly noticable during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan, also a big sports fan, during the 1980s. Reagan’s administration was as astute as any, in taking advantage of such publicity opportunities. In an era defined by the global expansion of America’s symbolic power, what better opportunity is there than the President of the so-called most powerful nation in the World, meeting with the “champions” of the world.  It most cases visits to the White House illicit very little reaction except when it’s somebody’s favorite team.

Six years ago, though, traditionalists were up in arms when members of the Northwestern University Women’s lacrosse team, wore flip-flips—albeit  designer ones—to their visit to the White House.  The subsequent brouhaha, known at the time as “Flip-Flop-gate,” seemed perfectly pitched for one of the most timeless of political faux-pas, the political flip-flop.  The Chicago Tribune, reported the story with the headline, “You Wore Flip-Flops to the White House?,” while pundit after pundit opined about the diminishing values of American Youth.   By the summer of 2007, the White House had an official dress-code policy for visitors, specifically stating “no flip-flops.”

(Chicago Tribune) — You get Beyonce! And you get Will Smith! Everybody gets Tom Hanks!  In the house that Michael Jordan built, another international superstar whose fame was bred in Chicago said farewell to her fans Tuesday night and they to her.  Oprah Winfrey did so with more than a little help from the boldface friends she has accumulated over the years, fellow members of the fame club whose every deferential gesture, every metaphorical hat-tip to Winfrey was greeted with howls of approval in the United Center.  With two shows taping to air next week as “The Oprah Winfrey Show’s” third- and second-to-last spots, the night was a virtual blur of applause, appreciation and one megastar after another.  There were orchestrated singalongs and retakes. There was Kleenex available at every few seats. There were very short lines at the men’s rooms. And there were:  Tom Hanks in full, folksy Hanksiness. A Josh Groban-Patti LaBelleduet, each note bigger than the last. Beyonce dispensing fake diplomas to her dancers before chant-singing about girls running the world. Madonna, not singing. Maria Shriver, not discussing the day’s news from back in California.

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By Gresham Harkless

Athletes make more money than a lot of people would ever dream of in their lifetimes. Even with these large contracts, however, there is no guarantee that after their playing careers have ended, these men and women will hold on to their wealth.  But rather than leave their futures to chance, some athletes balance what they do on the court or field with business endeavors.  The Atlanta Post takes a look at ten African-American athletes from the present and past that easily transition from their jumpsuits to business suits.

Carmelo Anthony

While Melo’s childhood dream of playing for the New York Knicks may have had nothing to do with money, the opportunity is likely to prove lucrative.  His move from Denver to New York is going to open up countless endorsement opportunities. One of the first came in the form of a 128-foot Boost Mobile billboard mounted two blocks from Madison Square Garden.  One day after Anthony was traded, VH-1 announced that they would air a reality show featuring Anthony and his wife La La Vasquez.  Melo is also signed to Michael Jordan’s Jumpman brand.

By Brittany Hutson

What do you define as a “cool” company? Are there brands that you just can not imagine doing without? Are there companies that you are proud to support and spend your hard earned money on  simply because they “get” you?

According to Marc Gobe, Chairman and CEO of Emotional Branding Alliance, marketing and branding is not the same as it once was. These days, leading brands are ones that have successfully established a “powerful emotional connection between their vision and people’s expectations.”

Additionally, DeeDee Gordon, president of Innovation at Sterling Brands says companies  that are successful have a “deep understanding of what’s happening in the culture and infuse these ideas into their businesses. Many of them invest heavily and continuously in innovation [and] are always thinking about how to update and develop new products,” she said.

With the assistance of Gobe and Gordon, we selected 7 companies that are considered “cool” not only for their ability to inspire, influence and engage with consumers, but also for their willingness to be creative and innovative. Not to mention, these companies also provide work environments that encourage diversity, creative thinking, and have a positive impact on society.

Apple

It may sound silly, but there are numerous people who couldn’t imagine life without Apple. Says Gobe, “Apple’s innovation strength is in its ability to create products that serve as media platforms for fun, enrichment and enablement.” Of course, Apple is not only innovative when it comes to their technologies and products, but also in how they market for retail.  According to ICSC, currently, Apple is the most successful brand in retail with in-store sales productivity that far exceeds any other retailer.

by Mark Anthony Neal

Like many Americans, professional football player Rashard Mendenhall was moved by the announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed by US military personnel.  Yet what moved Mendenhall to speak out in the hours after the announcement was his disgust with the celebratory antics of folk who gathered across from the White House and at Ground Zero in New York City.   On his Twitter feed Mendenhall wrote “What kind of person celebrates death? It’s amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We’ve only heard one side…”  Mendenhall, who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, also expressed some concern that many who were celebrating in the streets didn’t really know the full story.

Reaction to Mendenhall’s comments was swift, most notably by Steelers team president Art Rooney II, who quickly distanced the team from Mendenhall’s comments. “The entire Steelers organization is very proud of the job our military personnel have done and we can only hope this leads to our troops coming home soon,” he announced. And just recently, Mendenhall was dropped as a spokesman for the sports apparel company Champion.

On Sports talk radio—never a bastion of thoughtful commentary—the reactions were to be expected: athletes should keep their opinions about anything other than the game, to themselves.  As Thabiti Lewis observes in his book Ballers of the New School: Race and Sports in America, sports are intended to “divert us from conversations of political, economic, or social criticisms and analysis, while cultivating jingoists—intense patriots.” Yet, underlying even those nominal responses is the belief that Black athletes, in particular, should shut-up and, to quote rapper and activist Jasiri X, “just run the ball boy.”

Mendenhall, of course, has every right to express his opinion. His willingness to offer such commentary, however it’s perceived, is laudable in an era when many athletes are too concerned with alienating advertisers and damaging their own brands, to speak out on anything that might be viewed as controversial.  This creates a context in which Black professional athletes, save a few examples, are generally silent on issues of concern to Black communities. Instructive was the negative response to Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who suggested earlier this year that the labor dispute in his sport was like “modern day slavery,” as if the idea that professional athletes were treated like chattel was some sort of radical concept.

Historically, Black professional athletes have often faced challenges with regards to speaking out, if only because there had been clear limits on how outspoken Black people could be in general, well into the 20th Century.  Yet the very idea of the Black athlete-as-activist was born in the early 20th century, literally at the same moment that the concept of the Black athlete was invented from “the repertoire of colonial fantasies about Blackness” as sociologist Ben Carrington writes in his book Race, Sport and Politics: The Sporting Black Diaspora.

Heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson never considered himself a political figure, but there was arguably, nothing more political for a Black athlete in the first decade of the 1900s than pummeling White men for a living.  More to the point, Johnson rarely held his tongue, often conscious of how scurrilous his comments were, while also flaunting his desire for White women.

(Chicago Tribune) — A Michael Jordan-branded restaurant is returning to Chicago.  Michael Jordan’s Steak House will open in late summer in the second-floor dining room and ground-floor bar of the InterContinental Chicago on North Michigan Avenue.  The steakhouse will replace Zest, and construction is set to begin by early June, said Richard Moreau, an executive vice president of Chicago-based Strategic Hotels & Resorts, which owns the hotel and will own the restaurant.  ”Zest is essentially a hotel dining room, and it really didn’t provide what that hotel needed, which is a very special occasion restaurant,” Moreau said.  Jordan is setting up in something of a steakhouse alley; there are nearly two dozen beef-centric restaurants in the River North neighborhood. But Moreau said he believes the Jordan brand remains iconic enough and the location visible enough to fill the 160-seat restaurant.  The InterContinental will manage the restaurant while licensing the Michael Jordan name from Jump Higher LLC, which is managed by David Zadikoff’s Cornerstone Restaurant Group.

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by Andrea Williams

The date was October 26, 1984, and the Chicago Bulls were taking on the Washington Bullets in their season opener.  In the starting lineup was an anxious rookie from North Carolina, fresh off of a gold-medal performance as a member of the ’84 US Olympic team and eager to make his NBA debut.

Michael Jordan won Rookie of the Year honors that season while leading his team in almost every major statistical category, including total points scored, points per game, rebounds, assists, steals and minutes played.  Over the course of 15 seasons – intermixed with a couple of highly publicized retirements and reinstatements –Jordan proceeded to re-write NBA record books and earn scores of accolades on his way to becoming, who most believe to be, the greatest basketball player of all time.

Equally as impressive as his on-court domination was Jordan’s methodical construction of a now billion-dollar retail empire –Air Jordan.  And, despite the fact that he hasn’t taken a professional jumpshot in more than seven years, his dynasty is more secure than ever and growing stronger – and more profitable – each year.

Rebel Birth

The Air Jordan I was launched in the spring of 1985 and, even though it was banned in the NBA (the red and black color scheme violated uniform regularity rules), the shoe flew off the shelves.  In the process, Nike devised a way to capitalize on the controversy, producing a 30-second commercial that claimed, “On September 15, Nike created a revolutionary new basketball shoe.  On October 18, the NBA threw them out of the game.  Fortunately, the NBA can’t stop you from wearing them.”

Erin Patton, who was later handpicked to lead the marketing and branding efforts of Brand Jordan, vividly remembers the buzz surrounding the first Air Jordan release – particularly within his own circle of friends.

“That shoe changed the game,” he recalled.  “There was a sense of rebellion associated with it because it was banned in the NBA, and we saw that as a license to embrace it.  That just made us want it and want it more.”

Jordan continued to wear the shoes, racking up thousands of dollars in fines – paid by Nike – to go along with the legions of fans who were clamoring to get their feet in a pair of the iconic sneakers.  When the dust settled, Nike had made around $130 million that first year – far surpassing their goal to net $3 million by the end of the third year of MJ’s contract.

By all accounts, the partnership was a phenomenal success, and the AJ I frenzy was only a sign of things to come.