Is Davydenko violating his Prince contract?

[BreakPoint]

Davydenko is sponsored by Prince for racquets, clothes AND shoes, but at the French Open he's NOT wearing Prince shoes but is wearing Nike Air Oscillates instead.

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/sou...71120961&cdi=0

Perhaps this is because Prince doesn't make a clay court specfic shoe but isn't he violating his contract with Prince by wearing a major competitor's shoes?

[MasterTS]

Apparently he'd rather win with the right gear than make a few bucks off prince but lose.

He needs every edge he can get when he faces fed in the semis.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by MasterTS

He needs every edge he can get when he faces fed in the semis.

How do you know he's going to even make it to the semis? Are you saying he's going to beat Nalbandian in the quarters?

[Bogie]

he definitely has a chance against nalbandian, ill give him that. as for the shoes, prince probably just doesnt make shoes that are suitable for clay or have a clay court sole so he probably just bought a pair of cc oscillates and prince let it slide. when us hard court season comes rolling around im pretty sure hell be sporting princes like he was in the start of the year hard court season

[chess9]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

Davydenko is sponsored by Prince for racquets, clothes AND shoes, but at the French Open he's NOT wearing Prince shoes but is wearing Nike Air Oscillates instead.

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/sou...71120961&cdi=0

Perhaps this is because Prince doesn't make a clay court specfic shoe but isn't he violating his contract with Prince by wearing a major competitor's shoes?

Yes, which points up the problems for manufacturers when tennis is declining in popularity (vs population gains and other sports). I'm surprised we have such a large choice of racquets given the demographics of tennis.

Unless tennis makes a magic comeback, don't be surprised if we have fewer tennis shoe and equipment manufacturers in the near future.

-Robert

[HyperHorse]

Originally Posted by chess9

Yes, which points up the problems for manufacturers when tennis is declining in popularity (vs population gains and other sports). I'm surprised we have such a large choice of racquets given the demographics of tennis.

Unless tennis makes a magic comeback, don't be surprised if we have fewer tennis shoe and equipment manufacturers in the near future.

-Robert

why in hell is tennis declining in popularity???

[ta11geese3]

(he means in the us)

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by HyperHorse

why in hell is tennis declining in popularity???

Because people are getting lazier and would rather sit in front of a computer posting on an Internet message board about tennis rather than actually playing tennis. LOL

[SteveI]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

Because people are getting lazier and would rather sit in front of a computer posting on an Internet message board about tennis rather than actually playing tennis. LOL

Ya think???? LOL LOL

Steve

[Lakoste]

During his match against Dalbandian the commentators were talking about his clothes. They said they were suprised he doesnt have a clothing contract by now, and they were making fun of his plain white shirt, black pants, and "6 year old nike shoes that looks like he borrowed them from someone"

[chess9]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

Because people are getting lazier and would rather sit in front of a computer posting on an Internet message board about tennis rather than actually playing tennis. LOL

Reasons for the decline of tennis:
(some surmise involved)

1. Golf won the battle for your average middle class male's sport of choice. Golf is seen as a sport for the successful. Tennis is viewed as a weenie sport for the limp-wristed, effete snobs from Cali.

2. Two-thirds of Americans are obese or overweight. If you were 300 lbs would you drink beer and smoke cigars with your buddies at the golf course or actually get some exercise?

3. Other sports (new sports) have drawn athletes from tennis. In the last 20 years sports such as soccer, snowboarding, etc. have outdistanced tennis. Bowling is much more popular than tennis, and bowling is easily the most boring game on the planet, IMHO. In England, darts is more popular than tennis. Weep, England, weep....

4. Video games and computers. Teenagers will post about obesity here in the forums but won't get off their fat keisters and do something about it.

5. The ubiquitous junk food and fast food availability.

6. Old men who sit at their computers whining about swingweights when they could be organizing a youth tennis league. j/k

Anyway, middle class kids are doomed to an early death from heart disease or diabetes or other degenerative diseases unless they grab themselves by the division point of their buttocks and yank.

Is it an accident that England and the US and even Australia produce so few decent tennis players these days? And that Eastern Europe and Russia and South America are producing so many?

-Robert

[basil J]

Actually on the tennis channel this week, they had said that Golf sales are actually down and tennis sales are up. The USTA claims it's highest membership in years so I think tennis is making a comeback. I know that in the Boston area, if you don't get on a USTA team by march, for the summer season, you will be locked out of getting on a team because there are so many people trying to play. On the other hand, USTA tournament participation is down, I think primarily due to the time committment of a whole weekend if you win. I know the public courts in my area are always very busy mid afternoon and early evenings when the weather is good.

[chess9]

Originally Posted by basil J

Actually on the tennis channel this week, they had said that Golf sales are actually down and tennis sales are up. The USTA claims it's highest membership in years so I think tennis is making a comeback. I know that in the Boston area, if you don't get on a USTA team by march, for the summer season, you will be locked out of getting on a team because there are so many people trying to play. On the other hand, USTA tournament participation is down, I think primarily due to the time committment of a whole weekend if you win. I know the public courts in my area are always very busy mid afternoon and early evenings when the weather is good.

I hope you are right, but golf participation is, what, about three times tennis participation? Also, the numbers I last saw indicate that tennis is 25th on the list of sports played by Americans and relative tennis participation is down (vs population growth).

Let's hope some lights go off in some "collective brains" that tennis is calorically more "expensive" than golf and offers some health benefits not found in golf. Americans need to get back to fitness in huge numbers. Tennis is a great option.

-Robert

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Lakoste

During his match against Dalbandian the commentators were talking about his clothes. They said they were suprised he doesnt have a clothing contract by now, and they were making fun of his plain white shirt, black pants, and "6 year old nike shoes that looks like he borrowed them from someone"

Yeah, that's how knowledgable most of these commentators are about tennis gear. I'd bet the great majority of the people on this board know a lot more about tennis gear than these commentators do. I'd bet they didn't even know that Prince even made tennis clothes.

[lacoster]

Going back to the Prince contract, if you also look at all Prince complete contracted players, none of them actually play with Prince shoes....maybe speaks of how inferior the shoes play. While Davydenko plays with Oscillates, Ai Sugiyama plays with Nike Air Lumifys and Lisa Raymond plays with Nike Zoom Animos.
________
SUBARU 360 SPECIFICATIONS

[Rasta]

I guess it's difficult to paint job a pair of shoes.

[Jonnyf]

Im afraid you're wrong (friendly way guys im not trying to incite anger) Davydenko is one player who DOES play with prince shoes atleast at times this and last year he did. Check pics from the Masters Cup hes wearing black and blue (if my memory serves me well) prince shoes

[lacoster]

Does Prince make clay court shoes? Prince head-to-toe players Davydenko, Sugiyama, and Raymond were all wearing Nike shoes during the entire clay court season.
________
Taurus softair spring powered pistol

[Jonnyf]

Originally Posted by lacoster

Does Prince make clay court shoes? Prince head-to-toe players Davydenko, Sugiyama, and Raymond were all wearing Nike shoes during the entire clay court season.

I think they do, which is why it's strange


Heres a pic of proof

http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/5623...4971BBB622B591

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by Rasta

I guess it's difficult to paint job a pair of shoes.

Actually, they do paintjob some pros' shoes by changing the insides with more or less cushioning and/or different soles, things that TV viewers can't easily see so that the public thinks they are wearing a certain model of shoes when, in fact, what they are wearing can be completely different than the retail version.