耐克离了阿姆斯特朗一样能行

    就像传奇教练乔•帕特诺一样，兰斯•阿姆斯特朗在耐克公司（Nike）气势恢宏的俄勒冈州园区（占地192英亩）同样备受尊崇。园区一个儿童护理中心以帕特诺的名字命名，阿姆斯特朗的大名则用金属铸成庞大的印刷体字样，高悬于一个健身中心之上。

    周三，如同帕特诺一样，身为耐克产品代言人的阿姆斯特朗被这家体育用品巨头毫不客气地解除了代言合约。这种情形实属罕见。

    我们很难领会，兰斯•阿姆斯特朗曾经在耐克公司的巨星殿堂中占有多么不可动摇的地位。阿姆斯特朗“坚强生活”（Livestrong）癌症慈善机构的黄色腕带曾经在21世纪第一个10年的中期盛行一时。如今，这种腕带在耐克园区依然随处可见。阿姆斯特朗的照片依然张贴在耐克办公室的墙壁上，穿插在数十个运动员拼贴图之中。耐克公司的所有高管都至少能够讲述一段阿姆斯特朗造访公司的轶事，这位运动员因为自己的的抗癌经历在耐克一直是一股鼓舞人心的力量。

    正因为如此，耐克与阿姆斯特朗划清界线这一幕才这么令人震惊。要知道，这家体育用品巨头不久前还跟频繁出轨的泰格•伍兹、深陷性丑闻的科比•布莱恩特和本•罗特利斯伯格，以及言行有失检点的宾夕法尼亚州立大学橄榄球队坚定地站在一起。耐克公司的举动清楚无误地表明，阿姆斯特朗对其服用兴奋剂传闻的否认是多么虚假且令人沮丧。如果你不相信前队友的宣誓证词和无数记者对其罪行的报道，那么耐克公司正在向你讲述你需要聆听的所有事实。

    “鉴于看似不可逾越的证据表明，兰斯•阿姆斯特朗确实服用过兴奋剂，并误导了耐克公司长达10年以上，我们怀着无比沉痛地心情宣布，耐克已经终止了与他的代言合同。耐克绝不会宽恕运动员以任何方式非法服用禁药的行为，”在今天发布的一份声明中，耐克公司如是说道。

    耐克公司将与几乎每一位经受人生最艰难时刻的体育明星站在一起。在过去，体育明星的性丑闻和暴力事件并没有吓倒这家公司。耐克与欺诈行为划清界线的举动表明：私生活是你的事，但当你身穿耐克服装时，请遵守运动规则。

    历史上，耐克也曾经表露过这种立场。本世纪初，耐克放弃了兴奋剂检测呈阳性的田径明星玛利安•琼斯，以及一位陷入兴奋剂丑闻的著名田径教练和其他运动员。阿姆斯特朗惹恼了耐克公司，这是毫无疑问的。在过去10年中，耐克向阿姆斯特朗及其“坚强生活”慈善基金会投入的资金，可能高达数千万美元——阿姆斯特朗今天宣布，他将辞去这家基金会主席一职。但对于这家体育用品巨头而言，为旗下代言明星（比如阿姆斯特朗）糟糕的公关行为苦恼不堪的日子早已一去不复返了。耐克公司的营销已经演变成一台更加精细化的机器，远离博•杰克逊和迈克尔•乔丹时代的耐克公司，对超级明星的依赖程度已经大大减弱。

    如今，耐克公司通过Nike+ running应用程序、FuelBand手腕和社交网络等创新方式直接触及数百万消费者。阿姆斯特朗和其他代言人仅仅是耐克公司25亿美元营销预算的一部分。不同于鼎盛时期的博•杰克逊和迈克尔•乔丹，他们在该公司的营销计划中并不占主导地位。

    就这个角度而言，在接下来这段时间里，耐克公司或许将感受到阿姆斯特朗兴奋剂丑闻带来的痛楚。耐克被惹火了，它并不隐藏这一点。但不要指望这家位于比弗顿市的公司会花费大量时间担心他们怎么才能找到人替代阿姆斯特朗。他们根本没必要担心这个问题。

    译者：任文科

    Just like Joe Paterno, Lance Armstrong was revered on Nike's sprawling 192-acre Oregon campus. Paterno's name adorned a child care center, while Armstrong's ran in big metal block letters across a fitness center.

    On Wednesday, Armstrong followed Paterno into the rare class of Nike (NKE) endorsers to be unceremoniously expelled by the sports giant.

    It's hard to grasp how permanent Lance Armstrong's place seemed in the pantheon of Nike greats. His Livestrong cancer charity's yellow bracelet, which hit peak popularity mid-decade, is still ubiquitous on campus. Armstrong's picture is peppered across dozens of athlete collages in Nike offices. And all of Nike's executives have at least one story about Armstrong hanging around the place and being an inspirational influence through his cancer battle.

    Which is why it's striking to see Nike, which most recently stood by Tiger Woods amid his cheating escapades, Kobe Bryant and Ben Roethlisberger in sexual assault cases, and Penn State with a host of indiscretions, draw the line with Armstrong. Nike's move is the clearest indication yet that Armstrong's doping denials are as fictitious as they are depressing. If you didn't believe sworn testimony from ex-teammates and numerous journalists' accounts of his guilt, Nike is telling you all you need to hear.

    "Due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade," Nike said today in a statement, "it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him. Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in any manner."

    Nike will stand beside almost any star athlete at their worst. Sexual scandals and violence haven't scared it in the past. By drawing the line at cheating, Nike is saying: your personal life is your business, but play by the rules when wearing the Swoosh.

    It has staked out its position before. Earlier this decade Nike dropped track star Marion Jones who tested positive for drugs, as well as a notable track coach and other athletes linked to doping.

    Nike was burned by Armstrong, there is no doubt. It likely invested tens of millions over the past decade in Armstrong and his Livestrong charity, which he announced today he is stepping down from as chairman. But for the sports giant, the days of fretting over bad PR from one big endorsement like Armstrong's are long gone. Nike's marketing has become an evermore sophisticated machine, and its reliance on superstars is greatly diminished from the days of Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan.

    Today it reaches millions of consumers directly through new innovations like the Nike+ running app, FuelBand bracelet, and social networks. Armstrong and other endorsers are just a piece of Nike's complex $2.5 billion marketing budget. Unlike Bo Jackson or Michael Jordan in their prime, they don't dominate marketing.

    In that way, expect Nike to feel the sting of Armstrong for a while. The company was burned, and it's not hiding it. But don't expect Beaverton to spend much time worrying how they'll replace Armstrong. They don't need to.