Adidas

This dispels the rumor that the letters are an acronym for "all day I dream about sports.", or more crudely "all day I dream about sex.". For example, "football and swimming are my favourite sports" would sound natural to all English speakers, whereas "I enjoy sport" would sound less natural than "I enjoy sports" to many North Americans. "adidas" is simply a combination of the founder's nickname (Adi) and the first three letters of his last name (Dassler). In all English dialects, "sports" is the term used for more than one specific sport. American college sports teams are also sponsored. In American English, "sports" is more common for this usage. adidas sponsors major teams in a number of sports, especially soccer, rugby and tennis. In Commonwealth English, sporting activities are commonly denoted by the collective noun "sport".

Since the 1970 FIFA World Cup with the football Telstar, adidas has been the FIFA official match ball supplier for every FIFA World Cup and designs the official match ball for every edition of the event. The closeness of art and sport in these times was revealed by the nature of the Olympic Games which, as we have seen, were celebrations of both sporting and artistic achievements, poetry, sculpture and architecture. This anecdote was a plot device used in the successful German film, Das Wunder von Bern, which was a movie version of the 1954 World Cup. The modern term 'art' as skill, is related to this ancient Greek term 'arete'. As the final game against the highly-favoured team from Hungary was played in heavy rain, this gave the German players a firmer hold on the slippery pitch. Art and sport were probably more clearly linked at the time of Ancient Greece, when gymnastics and calisthenics invoked admiration and aesthetic appreciation for the physical build, prowess and 'arete' displayed by participants. When the weather was good and the pitch was hard, the shoes were equipped with short studs; when it rained, longer studs were screwed on the bottom of the shoes. It impresses us because of the ability, skill, and style which is shown.

These shoes introduced a technological breakthrough: studs with screws. In the same way, a sporting performance such as jumping doesn't just impress us as being an effective way to avoid obstacles or to get across streams. When West Germany miraculously won the soccer 1954 World Cup, their footwear was supplied by adidas. So an aesthetically pleasing car is one which doesn't just get from A to B, but which impresses us with its grace, poise, and charisma. [4]. This is similar to a common view of aesthetic value, which is seen as something over and above the strictly functional value coming from an object's normal use. The acquisition of Reebok will also allow adidas to compete with Nike worldwide. The definition of "sport" above put forward the idea of an activity pursued not just for the usual purposes, for example, running not simply to get places, but running for its own sake, running as well as we can.

This takeover was completed in August 2005 and meant that the company will now have closer business sales as those of Nike in Northern America. The fact that art is so close to sport in some situations is probably related to the nature of sport. In August 2005, adidas declared its intention to buy Anglo-American rival Reebok for US$ 3.8 billion. Similarly, there are other activities that have elements of sport and art in their execution, such as performance art, artistic gymnastics, Bodybuilding, Parkour, Yoga, dressage, etc. Also in 2005, on May 2, adidas told the public that they sold their partner company Salomon Group for 485 mn Euros to Amer Sports of Finland. Ice skating and Tai chi, for example, are sports that come close to artistic spectacles in themselves: to watch these activities comes close to the experience of spectating at a ballet. It currently retails for $250 (USD). Sport has many affinities with art.

The shoe requires a small, user replaceable battery that lasts for approximately 100 hours of running. See also: List of countries by national sport. Dubbed by the company "The World's First Intelligent Shoe" it features a microprocessor capable of performing 5 million calculations per second that automatically adjusts the shoe's level of cushioning to suit its environment. These trends are seen by some as contrary to the fundamental ethos of sport being carried on for its own sake, for the enjoyment of its participants. In 2005, adidas introduced the adidas 1, the first ever production shoe to utilize a microprocessor. Nationalism in general is often evident in the pursuit of sport, or in its reporting: people compete in national teams, or commentators and audiences can adopt a partisan view. [2] [3]. Until recently, under Rule 21, the GAA also banned members of the British security forces and members of the RUC, now reconstituted as the PSNI, from playing Gaelic games, but the advent of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 led to the eventual removal of the ban.

The court ruled that despite the simplicity of the mark, Fitness World's use was infringing because the public could establish a link between that use and adidas' mark. Until recently the GAA continued to ban the playing of soccer and Rugby union at Gaelic venues under the controversial Rule 42, although Gaelic games are frequently played on soccer and rugby arenas, particularly outside of Ireland. In 2003, adidas filed a lawsuit in British court challenging Fitness World Trading's use of a two-stripe motif similar to adidas' three stripes. Even until the mid 20th century a person could have been banned from playing Gaelic football, hurling, or other sports administered by the GAA if s/he played or supported Football, or other games seen to be of British origin. [1]. In the history of Ireland, Gaelic sports were connected with cultural nationalism. adidas withdrew the suit, and the two groups established guidelines as to what three-stripe designs would be considered uses of the adidas trademark. The 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin was an illustration, perhaps best recognised in retrospect, where an ideology was developing which used the event to strengthen its spread through propaganda.

In 1998, adidas sued the NCAA over their rules limiting the size and number of commercial logos on team uniforms and apparel. Some feel this was an effective contribution to the eventual demolition of the policy of apartheid, others feel that it may have prolonged and reinforced its worst effects. In 1997, adidas AG acquired the Salomon Group, and its corporate name was changed to adidas-Salomon AG. When apartheid was the official policy in South Africa, many sportspeople adopted the conscientious approach that they should not appear in competitive sports there. In 2005, French courts awarded Tapie a 135 million euro compensation (about 886 million francs). There have been many dilemmas for sports where a difficult political context is in place. He spent 6 months in La Santé prison in Paris in 1997 after being sentenced to 18. This has led to the control of each sport through a regulatory body to define what methods of competition are acceptable and what are considered cheating.

He was the object of several lawsuits, notably related to match fixing at the football club. The successful execution of a sport requires the consensus agreement of the participants on a set of rules for fair competition. Tapie went bankrupt himself in 1994. Today the consensus is that David Beckham (England and Real Madrid Footballer) is the most famous sportsman in the world, with a fanatical following particularly in Asia where statues have been erected of his likeness. He is also the president of the Olympique de Marseille football team, to which Tapie is closely linked. The entertainment aspect also means that sportsmen and women are often elevated to celebrity status, or in some cases near-god-like. Robert Louis-Dreyfus became the new CEO of the company. This has resulted in some conflict, where the paycheck can be seen as more important than recreational aspects: or where the sport is changed simply to make it more profitable and popular therefore losing some of the traditions valued by some.

Forgetting why the bank actually bought adidas, Tapie later sued the bank, because he felt spoiled by the indirect sale. The entertainment aspect of sport, together with the spread of mass media and increased leisure time, has led to professionalism in sport. In February 1993, Crédit Lyonnais sold adidas to Robert Louis-Dreyfus, a friend of Bernard Tapie (and cousin of Julia Louis-Dreyfus from the Seinfeld TV series), for a much higher amount of money than what Tapie owed, 4.485 billion francs rather than 2.85 billion. Athletes, coaches, fans, and parents sometimes unleash violent behaviour on people or property, in misguided shows of loyalty, dominance, anger, or celebration. Apparently, the state-owned bank had tried to get Tapie out of dire financial straits as a personal favour to Tapie, reportedly because Tapie was a minister of Urban Affairs (ministre de la Ville) in the French government at the time. Violence in sports involves crossing the line between fair competition and intentional aggressive violence. He mandated the Crédit Lyonnais bank to sell adidas, and the bank subsequently converted the outstanding debt owed into equity of the enterprise, which was unusual for then-current French banking practice. Compare Sportsmanship with Gamesmanship.

In 1992, Tapie was unable to pay the interest from his loan. Reciprocally, the other team is expected to return the ball from the throw-in. He also hired Madonna for promotion. For example, in football it is considered sportsmanlike to kick the ball out of play to allow treatment for an injured player on the other side. Tapie decided to move production offshore to Asia. Not only is it important to have good sportsmanship if one wins, but also if one loses. Tapie was at the time a famous specialist of rescuing bankrupt companies, a business on which he built his fortune. Sportsmanship, within any given game, is how each competitor acts before, during, and after the competition.

After a period of serious trouble following the death of Adolf Dassler's son Horst Dassler in 1987, the company was bought in 1990 by Bernard Tapie, for 1.6 billion French francs ($320 million), which Tapie borrowed. Indeed, the formal regulation of sport is a relatively modern and increasing development. The history of the company as presented by its official web site is incomplete, perhaps because it is indirectly linked to financial scandals. Some of these activities have been popular but uncodified pursuits in various forms for different lengths of time. The adidas sneaker was popularized by the Run DMC song "My adidas" and became a huge fashion trend. In this way sports evolve from leisure activity to more formal sports: relatively recent newcomers are BMX cycling, snowboarding, wrestling, etc. In the 1980s, adidas sneakers became popular amongst teenagers and young men. People responsible for leisure activities often seek recognition and respectability as sports by joining sports federations such as the IOC, or by forming their own regulatory body.

This will propel adidas to the number two spot in terms of foot apparel market behind Nike. But often the pressures of competition (See the related article, "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing." or an obsession with individual achievement - as well as the intrusion of technology - can all work against enjoyment and fair play by participants. The acquisition would increase its market share in North America and allow it to further compete with Nike. is not winning but taking part” are typical expressions of this sentiment. In August 2005, the company announced that it had made a deal to acquire rival Reebok for $3.8 billion. The well-known sentiment by sports journalist Grantland Rice, that it's “not that you won or lost but how you played the game," and the Modern Olympic creed expressed by its founder Pierre de Coubertin: "The most important thing . The chief competitors of adidas are PUMA and Nike. Sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that the activity will be enjoyed for its own sake.

. However, it often emerges that skills are honed to increase racing performance and achievements in competition, rather than the converse. Rudolf Dassler, Adi's brother, founded a rival company, PUMA. For example, beginners in sailing are often told that dinghy racing is a good means to sharpen the learner's sailing skills. The company's clothing and shoe designs typically include three parallel stripes of the same color, and the same motif is incorporated into adidas' official logos. It is interesting that the motivation for sport is often an elusive element. It registered as adidas AG on 18 August 1949. Sportsmanship is defined as "conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants, including a sense of fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, a striving spirit, and grace in losing.".

adidas was named after its founder, Adolf (Adi) Dassler, who started producing shoes in the 1920s in Herzogenaurach near Nuremberg. The examples given are intended to be illustrative, rather than comprehensive. adidas is a German sports apparel manufacturer, part of the adidas-Salomon corporation. One system for classifying sports is as follows, based more on the sport's aim than on the actual mechanics. His self-admitted secret was simply copying what Nike and Reebok did. Main article: List of sports. He has been highly successful with managing the company until 2001. Not only has professionalism helped increase the popularity of sports, but additionally the need to have fun and take a break from a hectic workday or to relieve unwanted stress, as with any profession.

CEO (1993-2001): Robert Louis-Dreyfus. Professionalism became prevalent, further adding to the increase in sport's popularity. These trends continued with the advent of mass media and global communication. The Industrial Revolution and mass production brought increased leisure which allowed increases in spectator sports, less elitism in sports, and greater accessibility. Activities necessary for food and survival became regulated activities done for pleasure or competition on an increasing scale, for example hunting, fishing, horticulture.

Sport has been increasingly organised and regulated from the time of the Ancient Olympics up to the present century. The Olympic Games were held every four years in Ancient Greece, at a small village in Pelopponisos called Olympia. This suggests that the military culture of Greece was an influence on the development of its sports and vice versa. Wrestling, running, boxing, javelin, discus throwing, and chariot racing were prevalent.

A wide range of sports were already established at the time of the Ancient Greece. Among other sports which originate in Persia are polo and jousting. Ancient Persian sports such as the traditional Iranian martial art of Zourkhaneh had a close connection to the warfare skills. Other sports included javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling.

Monuments to the Pharaohs indicate that a range of sports were well developed and regulated several thousands of years ago, including swimming and fishing. Gymnastics appears to have been a popular sport in China's past. There are artifacts and structures which suggest that Chinese people engaged in activities which meet our definition of sport as early as 4000 BC. Although there is scant direct evidence of sport from these sources, it is reasonable to extrapolate that there was some activity at these times resembling sport.

Some of these sources date from over 30,000 years ago, as established by carbon dating. There are many modern discoveries in France, Africa, and Australia of cave art (see, for example, Lascaux) from prehistory which provide evidence of ritual ceremonial behaviour. The development of sport throughout history teaches us a great deal about social changes, and about the nature of sport itself. Main article: History of sport.

. The difference of purpose is what characterises sport, combined with the notion of individual (or team) skill or prowess. A sport has physical activity, side by side competition, self-motivation and a scoring system. A sport consists of a physical and mentally competitive activity carried out with a recreational purpose for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of a skill, or some combination of these.

The Meaning of Sports by Michael Mandel (PublicAffairs, ISBN 1-58648-252-1). Golf. Paintball. Curling.

Biathlon. Strength (Weight-lifting, triple jump, shot put ...). Display (Gymnastics, bodybuilding, equestrianism, diving...). Target (Archery, shooting, darts ...).

Other examples include: Rugby, ice hockey, field hockey, softball, basketball, American Football...). Team (cricket, Baseball and football (soccer) are the most popular globally, with baseball being popular in the Americas and in Japan, cricket in the Commonwealth of Nations and football being popular throughout the world. Court (Tennis, shuttlecock sport, badminton, volleyball, squash, Table tennis...). Combat (Wrestling, Judo, karate, boxing, fencing, tae kwon do...).