Jordan fiasco continues to haunt Nike

Several Michael Jordan fans who were infuriated by the basketball star's brief appearance at a promotional event demanded an apology yesterday from his sponsor Nike Taiwan and refunds on the products they had bought.

At a press conference held by the Consumers' Foundation, the disappointed fans denounced Saturday's event as a fraud, as the company had refused to disclose beforehand that their idol would only show up on stage for less than two minutes.

"If I had known about his super-brief appearance, I would not have spent more than NT$11,000 buying Nike products to win the ticket for my 12-year-old kid," said mother Jessica Tang (唐苑莉).

Another Jordan aficionado criticized the company's lack of sincerity in deciding to give the 700 fans a limited-edition poster featuring Jordan as compensation.

"If extra copies of the posters are made, then they are no longer valuable for the original poster holders," complained 24-year-old teacher Kuan Yung-chieh (管勇傑).

Using harsh language, foundation secretary general Cheng Jen-hung (程仁宏) demanded that Nike Taiwan present the original contract signed with Jordan and allow refunds for all the consumers who had purchased jerseys and shoes to win tickets in a lucky draw.

As the dispute snowballed, Nike Taiwan yesterday decided to give each of the 700 fans a pair of Air Jordan 1 Retro Low shoes that will not be sold in Taiwan. The offer comes a day after it said it would give the fans posters and priority consideration for the next event in Taiwan featuring NBA players.

Jordan's fleeting appearance last Saturday in Taipei not only enraged his fans -- who said he was stingy in spending time with his loyal supporters but had great fun at a pub the whole night -- but also irritated the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office.

The office yesterday announced that prosecutors have officially begun investigating Nike Taiwan. They said they believed that Nike allegedly took advantage of Michael Jordan's fame to promote its products, but that many Jordan fans did not get what they were expecting by buying Nike products -- namely, to meet Michael Jordan in person.

The 700 fans had earned entry to a draw to see Jordan by winning an essay-writing competition or by buying Air Jordan 19 shoes, which cost NT$4,500.