Home » Business » Who founded the sports goods giant Nike?
Who founded the sports goods giant Nike?
August 04, 2004 07:08 IST
Sports Goods Giants
Who founded the sports goods giant Nike? Take the Rediff Business Quiz and find out how much you know about the world's sports goods companies.
Biz Quiz is best viewed in Internet Explorer (IE) and Netscape above version 6.0.
1. Who founded the sports goods giant Nike? a) J W Foster b) Bowerman and Knight c) Neil 'Ike' Irving
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is Bowerman and Knight. Bill Bowerman, the legendary University of Oregon track & field coach, and Phil Knight, a University of Oregon business student and middle-distance runner under Bowerman, founded Nike. Nike, when it came into being in 1962, was known as Blue Ribbon Sports. Its first-year sales totaled $8,000. In 1972, BRS changed its name to Nike, named for the Greek winged goddess of victory.
Correct! Bill Bowerman, the legendary University of Oregon track & field coach, and Phil Knight, a University of Oregon business student and middle-distance runner under Bowerman, founded Nike. Nike, when it came into being in 1962, was known as Blue Ribbon Sports. Its first-year sales totaled $8,000. In 1972, BRS changed its name to Nike, named for the Greek winged goddess of victory.
2. Where is the sports goods company PUMA headquartered? a) Leeds, UK b) Herzogenaurach, Germany c) Detroit, USA
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is Herzogenaurach, Germany. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, PUMA is engaged in the development and marketing of a broad range of sport and lifestyle articles including footwear, apparel and accessories. It distributes its products in more than 80 countries. PUMA's revenue for the fiscal year 2003 was _1,274.0 million. PUMA's common shares are traded at XETRA on the Frankfurt and Munich stock exchanges and over the counter as American Depository Receipts. Primarily European and US investors hold PUMA's stock.
Correct! Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, PUMA is engaged in the development and marketing of a broad range of sport and lifestyle articles including footwear, apparel and accessories. It distributes its products in more than 80 countries. PUMA's revenue for the fiscal year 2003 was _1,274.0 million. PUMA's common shares are traded at XETRA on the Frankfurt and Munich stock exchanges and over the counter as American Depository Receipts. Primarily European and US investors hold PUMA's stock.
3. Reebok originated in which country? a) The United States b) The United Kingdom c) France
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is The United Kingdom. In the 1890s, Joseph William Foster made some of the first known running shoes with spikes in them. By 1895, he was in business making shoes by hand for top runners; and before long his fledgling company, J.W. Foster and Sons, developed an international clientele of distinguished athletes. The family-owned business made the running shoes worn in the 1924 Summer Games by the athletes celebrated in the film Chariots of Fire. In 1958, two of the founder's grandsons started a companion company that came to be known as Reebok, named after an African gazelle.
Correct! In the 1890s, Joseph William Foster made some of the first known running shoes with spikes in them. By 1895, he was in business making shoes by hand for top runners; and before long his fledgling company, J.W. Foster and Sons, developed an international clientele of distinguished athletes. The family-owned business made the running shoes worn in the 1924 Summer Games by the athletes celebrated in the film Chariots of Fire. In 1958, two of the founder's grandsons started a companion company that came to be known as Reebok, named after an African gazelle.
4. The design of Nike's SWOOSH fetched...? a) $135 b) $1,350 c) $35
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is $35. The SWOOSH logo is a graphic design created by Caroline Davidson in 1971, then a student at Portland State University. She was paid $35.00. Nike, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. A mystical presence, symbolising victorious encounters, Nike presided over history's earliest battlefields. The Nike 'Swoosh' embodies the spirit of the winged goddess. In spring of 1972, the first shoe with the Nike SWOOSH was introduced.
Correct! The SWOOSH logo is a graphic design created by Caroline Davidson in 1971, then a student at Portland State University. She was paid $35.00. Nike, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. A mystical presence, symbolising victorious encounters, Nike presided over history's earliest battlefields. The Nike 'Swoosh' embodies the spirit of the winged goddess. In spring of 1972, the first shoe with the Nike SWOOSH was introduced.
5. Who introduced the word's first aluminium badminton racket? a) Dunlop b) Carlton c) Yonex
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is Yonex. In 1969, Yonex (then known as Yoneyama) introduced the world's first aluminum badminton racquet, the #700. Today, Yonex is the leading distributor worldwide of badminton racquets with over 80 per cent of competitive players using the equipment. In 1973, the company's "YY" logo, the blue and green color combinations, were introduced and in 1974 the company and brand name was changed to Yonex.
Correct! In 1969, Yonex (then known as Yoneyama) introduced the world's first aluminum badminton racquet, the #700. Today, Yonex is the leading distributor worldwide of badminton racquets with over 80 per cent of competitive players using the equipment. In 1973, the company's "YY" logo, the blue and green color combinations, were introduced and in 1974 the company and brand name was changed to Yonex.