Michael Jordan's Son Should Stop the Air-ogance, Shut Up and Play Ball

Marcus Jordan, a hoopster at the University of Central Florida and the son of NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, has decided to take a stand.

No, he hasn't weighed in on health care reform. Sorry, Marcus has not decided whom he will endorse for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida. And he has not stepped up and demanded that NCAA athletes be paid.

Big and bad Marcus has made it clear that he doesn't care that the university he chose to enroll in receives $3 million annually from adidas; he will wear Nikes, whether they like it or not.

As a result, adidas has canceled its contract with the school.

Nike previously said it has no contract-in-waiting for Central Florida, but surely Marcus Jordan wouldn't have made such a demand unless Daddy had called Phil Knight and said, "Hook up my son's school."

If Central Florida does not have a deal with Nike or Daddy Jordan hasn't promised to write a multimillion-dollar check to the school, the university is stupid.

I don't care that he is the son of an NBA Hall of Famer; Jordan knew the school wore adidas. If it was all about wearing Nikes, he should have chosen another school.

Various reports suggest the school told him he could wear whatever he wanted.

If that's the case, the school is dumb and dumber — and should be bounced.

Athletic budgets are shrinking nationwide, and none of the other students at the university has such a famous father. They don't get free Nike gear on a whim. He can get whatever he wants, and now this freshman is acting like a spoiled brat by making his demands.

Central Florida should have made it clear that this is about a team.

Here is what is even more stupid. Marcus refuses to wear adidas shoes, but he was photographed by the Orlando Sentinel wearing adidas ankle braces in a game! So did Marcus tell UCF he only would wear Hanes underwear (another brand his dad endorses)? Does the school drink Powerade? If so, did he tell them, "Sorry, I only do Gatorade"?

Folks, this is stupid. This isn't Mars Blackmon screaming, "It's gotta be the shoes!" No, in this case, it's the ego. And it's being exhibited by an 18-year-old kid who hasn't proved a thing other than that he's the son of a Hall of Famer and famous pitchman.

Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN analyst and the author of the forthcoming book "The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin." Please visit his Web site at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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