Nike Buys Rights to NFL Apparel-Spells possible lockout?

Nike Pro Combat Jersey

According to Profootball Talk, starting in 2012 all NFL apparel will be made my Nike and not Reebok. This is a huge deal as Nike will now be able to put their logo on all NFL gear, which is a stark contrast to before when players who wore anything but Reebok were fined. Nike provides all the new gear to the NFL for free, but they will make millions in the sale of all the NFL apparel to fans, jerseys, gloves, jackets, hats, etc. This will most likely lead to new looking NFL jerseys, similar to to Pro Combat uniforms released in college football this year. The rights to NFL apparel is a gigantic investment for Nike, and it begs the question as to why Reebok would let the rights go so easily. One possible reason is that Reebok believes a lockout is coming and they did not want to invest so much in a league that will not be functioning for a whole year. Another reason is that Nike simply bid an absurd amount to lock in this contract, which could also spell bad news for the NFL. If the players see how much money the NFL is really making, they may become even more unhappy, leading to a lockout. It will be interesting to monitor this story and see if it contributes to a possible lockout.