Posted: Monday, November 10, 2008, 1:32 AM | 3 comments |
 

Brand spends day distributing new line of shoes

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While the start of the Sixers season has hardly gone like Elton Brand would have hoped, the script for the debut of his EB1 signature basketball shoe went according to plan during Saturday at Girard College in Philly.

More than 200 kids were invited to participate in Converse’s Philly Run program, in which they competed in pick-up basketball games and received Converse gear. Each participant was given a free pair of the shoes directly from Brand.

The EB1 is Brand’s first signature shoe. According to the press release, it features a sleek midfoot strap for lockdown, with a ventilated upper to enhance breathability and a molded sockliner to provide comfort. Brand’s “EB” logo, which features his initials and the letter “D” that pays homage to his mother Daisy and his Dunbar Heights neighborhood near Peekskill, NY, is embossed on the midfoot strap.  Costing $65, the shoe went on sale at JCPenney on Nov. 1. The shoe will come out in addition colors through next spring.

During the 2008-2009 season, Converse will host the Philly Run basketball program in Philadelphia to give every player, regardless of skill level, the opportunity to play basketball. The program is free for all participants and will take place once a month through May. Participants will receive Philly Run jerseys and will have the opportunity to test Converse performance basketball product and hear from Brand. Registration for later Philly Run events is free and open to the public at www.converse.com. 

Posted by Paul Vigna @ 1:32 AM  Permalink | 3 comments
3
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:37 AM, 11/10/2008
    Not a criticism or complaint but wouldn't it be great if Elton and many other pro's would find a way to give these 'outside' dollars to genuinely worthy causes. $65. is a lot of money to most of these inner city kids. Again, not picking on Elton, a very good guy. It's just that pro's make so much money from the game that if they'd skip the bling and excess $$$ cars and just invest smartly they'd be set for life without all the endoresements, etc. But, we do live in a free society and nothing wrong with making all you can. Just seems like sooooo much so soon when the kids who idolize them have sooo little.....
    — stoneman
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:09 PM, 11/19/2008
    My daughter bugged me for 2 weeks to take her to this event. She was at the opportunity to meet some of the Sixers player, play ball, and get a pair of new basketball sneakers. I was sold on the free basketball sneakers. Even after spending all night in the emergency room CHOP, after my daughter injured her elbow at a game that evening, my daugher still looked forward to playing with her school team on Saturday. We arrived at 12:30 pm, registered and waited on the benches for her classmates and coach to arrive. I left go grab lunch and check out a book from the CCP library and by the time i came back, Elton Brand was the only Sixer I saw, along with 2 or 3 dancers. As far as i could see, he did not give out sneakers directly, in fact, after my daughter's teacher had her group and gave their shoe size, my daughter and another classmate did not receive sneakers. They were told they would receive them in the mail. On top of that, her team was only alotted about 20 minutes at the ende of the day when most of all the others teams had left, except for some girls who appeared to be Girard College students were playing. I noticed 1 teamed played more than one game. How is it that my daughter's school team was the last team to play, after almost everybody was gone. After many of the kids left, even the ones who didn't get to play received their sneakers, the room started to clear out. I hope my daughter gets her free sneakers, after all, we spent and entire day at the event and didn't even get to play a real game of ball. She also was told that they would have a chance to play with members of the Sixers team, that did not happen. There were a few photos with choice people and he was whisked away.
    — Tina Teen
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:10 PM, 11/19/2008
    My daughter bugged me for 2 weeks to take her to this event. She was excited about the chance to meet some of the Sixers player, play ball, and get a pair of new basketball sneakers. I was sold on the free basketball sneakers. Even after spending all night in the emergency room CHOP, after my daughter injured her elbow at a game that evening, my daugher still looked forward to playing with her school team on Saturday. We arrived at 12:30 pm, registered and waited on the benches for her classmates and coach to arrive. I left go grab lunch and check out a book from the CCP library and by the time i came back, Elton Brand was the only Sixer I saw, along with 2 or 3 dancers. As far as i could see, he did not give out sneakers directly, in fact, after my daughter's teacher had her group and gave their shoe size, my daughter and another classmate did not receive sneakers. They were told they would receive them in the mail. On top of that, her team was only alotted about 20 minutes at the ende of the day when most of all the others teams had left, except for some girls who appeared to be Girard College students were playing. I noticed 1 teamed played more than one game. How is it that my daughter's school team was the last team to play, after almost everybody was gone. After many of the kids left, even the ones who didn't get to play received their sneakers, the room started to clear out. I hope my daughter gets her free sneakers, after all, we spent and entire day at the event and didn't even get to play a real game of ball. She also was told that they would have a chance to play with members of the Sixers team, that did not happen. There were a few photos with choice people and he was whisked away. I wish Allen Iverson were here to do the event, he probably would have spent a little more time with the children than with the camera crew.
    — Tina Teen


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About Paul Vigna
Paul Vigna still has the seat he wrestled out of the concrete at Connie Mack Stadium parked in the finished basement, a 1980 Phillies championship mirror hanging above it. Now, why he’s kept an autograph of former Flyer Bruce Gamble on a sheet of Hockey Hall of Fame paper is another story. A native of Philly who grew up in Lansdale, he’s an assistant sports editor at the Daily News in charge of special projects who has written two columns related to sports and consumers: View From the Seats and Savvy Consumer.

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