Adidas

Futbol will meet football in a new Adidas advertising campaign that starts today as the athletic shoe and apparel giant begins to leverage its sponsorship relationship with David Beckham, the soccer star who will join the Galaxy next month.

Soccer shoes and other athletic footwear made with prized kangaroo skin are banned under a state law that was upheld Monday by the California Supreme Court. The court unanimously decided that a 36-year-old ban on the import and sale of products made from various wildlife species, including kangaroo, was not preempted by federal wildlife law.

Adidas-Salomon closed the acquisition of Reebok International Ltd. and said Reebok Founder and Chief Executive Paul Fireman stepped down. The company also said the purchase would begin adding to earnings in fiscal 2007. Fireman will become an advisor to Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer, the Herzogenaurach, Germany-based company said. Adidas will keep Reebok's headquarters in Canton, Mass. Adidas bought Reebok for $59 a share, or $3.8 billion, to challenge Nike Inc.

Reggie Bush might have some of the fanciest footwork in the NFL. But his shoes are plain as can be. The former USC star will wear all-black, no-logo Adidas cleats Monday when his New Orleans Saints play the Dallas Cowboys in an exhibition game. The decision came after Bush was fined $10,000 by the league for wearing branded Adidas shoes last weekend against Tennessee. Those shoes had small gold logos on the toes and heels.

It is a story that no doubt will shock fans of the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions. According to the Wall Street Journal, NFL teams that play in domed stadiums have an advantage over those who don't. In an article bearing the headline, "Is it time for the NFL to ban domes?" the Journal points out that three domed teams -- the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints -- are undefeated and another -- the Atlanta Falcons -- are 3-0 at home. The Saints are on pace to break the league record for most points in a season, the Vikings rank second in points and the Colts are third in yardage.

Evidently, there is a different set of Jordan Rules for the next generation. When Michael Jordan's son, Marcus, persisted in wearing a pair of white Nike Air Jordan shoes during the University of Central Florida's recent exhibition game against St. Leo, Adidas announced it was ending its sponsorship of Central Florida sports, proving this Jordan was not bigger than the game -- or a contractual obligation with a sporting goods manufacturer....

Board shorts: In an article in the July 20 Image section, shorts worn by surfer Sean Collins in a 1978 photograph were misidentified as Adidas brand. The shorts were made by Sundek.

Adidas Track Classic: In a photo caption accompanying an article in Sunday's Sports on the Adidas Track Classic, Sanya Richards' first name was misspelled Sonya.

Securing Adidas as the title sponsor of what was known as the Home Depot Invitational meet will raise the stakes for track and field in Southern California. Besides its marketing muscle, the shoe manufacturer will bring a throng of its sponsored athletes to the Home Depot Center in Carson for the event May 22.

German sporting goods company Adidas-Salomon is close to a deal to buy its U.S. rival Reebok International Ltd. in a deal worth more than $3 billion, according to newspaper reports today. The two companies have held discussions but no agreement has been reached, Britain's Financial Times said, citing people familiar with the matter. Another report on the Wall Street Journal website cited an unnamed person familiar with the situation as saying Adidas was near a deal to buy Reebok.