Champion Dumps Mendenhall

[plainnasty]

Rashard Mendenhall's controversial Twitter comments this week about the death of Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 terrorist attacks have cost him an endorsement deal.

Champion, an athletic apparel manufacturer, cut ties Thursday with the Steelers running back.

Mendenhall recently signed a four-year contract with Champion and had been with the company since his NFL career started in 2008.

"While we respect Mr. Mendenhall's right to express since thoughts regarding potentially controversial topics, we no longer belief that Mr. Mendenhall can appropriately represent Champion," the company said in a prepared statement.

Mendenhall could not be reached for comment. His agent, Mike McCartney, did not immediately return a message.

Mendenhall on Monday took exception to the celebrations sparked by the killing of bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. He questioned on the social-networking website Twitter how the planes flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City could have brought them down "demolition style."

Champion said it "strongly disagreed" with Mendenhall's views.

Mendenhall attempted to clarify his comments Wednesday and apologized if he "unintentionally harmed" anyone.

He has been under fire since his comments sparked a national story — and caused Steelers president Art Rooney II to say in a statement that "it is hard to explain or even comprehend what he meant with his recent Twitter comments."


Read more: Twitter comments cost Mendenhall endorsement deal - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review [url="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_735693.html#ixzz1LX38I53W"]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1LX38I53W[/url]

[birtikidis]

Now Mendy will say this is the same as when a slave was whipped by an overseer. I mean it IS a perfect parallel isn't it?

[Flasteel]

Excellent! I hope this teaches Mendenhall to keep his mouth shut and evaluate his opinions a little more carefully.

[eniparadoxgma]

Excellent! I hope this teaches Mendenhall to keep his mouth shut and evaluate his opinions a little more carefully.

I don't necessarily agree with Champion's decision but the world is the way the world is. I also hope he learns from this.

[insanesteelersfan]

I'm sure Mendenhall doesn't mind. He heard they were nothing but a bumch of " Christian "
hatin' Atheists over there

[focosteeler]

Excellent! I hope this teaches Mendenhall to keep his mouth shut and evaluate his opinions a little more carefully.

I don't necessarily agree with Champion's decision but the world is the way the world is. I also hope he learns from this.

[rpmpit]

I didn't even realize Champion was still around. I remember their sweatshirts being popular in the early 90s but since then...

Anyway. Just like Mendy has the right to say what he wants, they have the right to not be represented by him.

I don't agree with what he said. But I do support his, and everyone's right to free speech. But honestly, I'd have more respect for him if he stood by what he said. His apology shows that he didn't really think about his statements and I'm sure he regrets it.

[Steelers>NFL]

Freedom of Speech no longer exists today.
Sad what this once great country is becoming.

[steelcurtain44]

There is freedom of speech. And then there is freedom to say something stupid. He says he just wanted people to think. Well, maybe he should have thought first.

[Eich]

Freedom of Speech no longer exists today.
Sad what this once great country is becoming.

How do you figure that? !!!

Was Mendy put in jail for what he said? Was he shot for what he said? NO! He was free to say it, just like everyone is free to say what they want. Freedom of Speech is the same as it's been in this country for a very long time. The problem now is that you give free speech to people who think they're smart and at the same time, you give them wide open access to a social network. Most people just don't know how to deal with such public access.

Guys like Mendy think they're so intellectual. But how smart is it to say something - that you know will be controversial - though a social network that will reach millions ?!!