Nike Ad Features Numerous Football Players, Herpes Cases

Nike is continuing last year's high school football motif for its Nike Gridiron campaign. This year, they've placed their spokesplayers on a single fictional high school team coached by Don Shula, the Marlin Briscoe Hawks. Here's the commercial:



Now, I love the cameos by Steve Young and Deion Sanders. (Also, who's the babe with Deion? Yowza.) But one thing is troubling me about the ad. There are four NFL players featured in the commercial. One of them has a documented case of herpes. Two others have been linked to (read: slept with) Paris Hilton; Paris probably has herpes. Sweet fancy Moses, that is one diseased locker room.

How far will Nike take the high school storyline with this one? The potential is limitless. Will Michael Vick have a tearful meeting with the school nurse? Will Urlacher ignore the rules of the red jersey after Leinhart's locker room talk becomes too familiar for Brian? How will Mike respond when his troubled brother returns to town? This could be the prime-time teen-drama that the OC once was. Nike, don't let me down.

(Read about the second installment of the campaign at my new site, Dejuiced.com)