Can You Match These Sports Brands to Their Slogans?

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” –Billie Jean King, former #1 tennis player in the world

After working together in the family company for years, Adi Dassler and Rudolf Dassler began arguing. The split the company in half and formed Puma and Adidas in the late 1940s. The split even spawned a symbolic soccer game between the rivals in 2009.

“There may be people that have more talent that you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” –Derek Jeter, professional baseball shortstop

Adolf “Adi” Dassler originally tried to register the brand as “Addas,” but there was a German children’s shoe company with that name already in existence. He added the “I” and “adidas” were born.

“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” –Bobby Unser, former automobile racer

Benjamin Russell began Russell Athletic in 1902, but it didn’t start its athletic line until 1938, when it produced pants for basketball, baseball and football.

“The road to success runs uphill.” –Willie Davis, former American football defensive end in the NFL

Carolyn Davidson designed the iconic Nike swoosh when she was a graphic design student in need of cash. An accounting professor, Phil Knight, hired her initially to design charts and graphics for his side job, running Blue Ribbon Sports. When Knight decided to strike out on his own, he had her design the logo and paid $35 for it—eventually giving her stock in the company and a logo-diamond ring.

“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” –John Wooden, former basketball guard and coach

Gatorade was actually very expensive to make in 1965, when Dr. Robert Cade first created it for the Florida Gators football team. One batch cost about $43, which is equivalent to about $325 today. The first drink was so bad that some vomited after trying it, but Mary Cade suggested adding lemon juice to improve the flavor.

“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision.” –Muhammad Ali, American professional heavyweight boxer

ESPN sits on 123 acres in Bristol, Connecticut. It is 80% owned by ABC (whose parent company is indirectly Disney) and 20% owned by Hearst.

“My coach said I run like a girl, and I said if he ran a little faster, he could, too.” –Mia Hamm, former women’s professional soccer midfielder and forward

Initially, brothers Jeff and Joe Foster wanted to name the company “Mercury,” but when they brought the name to the patent agent, he told them it was already registered. He advised them to think of a name like “Kodak,” that meant nothing. Joe went through the dictionary and discovered a “rhebok” was a light gray South African gazelle, and it was also the only name of ten they brought to the agent that cleared.

“You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.” –Herb Brooks, American hockey player and U. S. Olympic hockey coach in 1980, when the team won gold

Gilbert was one of the first suppliers for Rugby school, where William Webb Ellis is credited with creating the game. He flagrantly disregarded the rules of football (soccer) - he picked up the ball and ran with it.

“If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat.” –Herschel Walker, American football running back

In 2014, Brooks moved from a downtown office park to an artsy neighborhood three miles north of Seattle. They chose the space because it was close to the best running trails, placing them closer to the area where their customers would be.

“Run when you can; walk if you have to; crawl if you must—just never give up.” –Dean Karnazes, American ultramarathon runner

ASICS is an acronym of the Latin phrase "Anima sana in corpore sano," which means “a sound mind in a sound body.” Mr. Kihachiro Onitsuka first made ASICS in his living room in Kobe, Japan, in 1949, but the company quickly grew much larger and expanded to the United States by 1977.

“They call it golf because all the other four-letter words were taken.” –Ray Floyd, American Hall of Fame golfer

Initially, running sneakers had a piece of cardboard between the upper and the midsole to prevent it from getting destroyed and add stability. Saucony was the first company to introduce a sneaker without this and called it a “slip-lasted” shoe.

“Wiping out is an under-appreciated skill.” –Laird Hamilton, American big-wave surfer

Kevin Plank founded Under Armour in 1996, because he didn’t like the way undershirts became soaked with sweat and weighed athletes down. Although he is American, he chose the British spelling of “Armour” because the phone number 888-4RMOUR looked better to him than 888-44RMOR.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Wayne Gretzky, former professional ice hockey centerman

Converse first made rain boots. When they switched to sneakers, they stuck with the design. The 2017 Chuck II Converse looks and feels very similar to the 1917 version.

“Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.” –Michael Jordan, former basketball shooting guard

The NB1, introduced in 2011, allows you to customize the colors of your tennis shoe and some of the materials from which it is made (mesh, synthetic, reflective, suede). With 17 different parts and up to 12 colors, there are over 58 quadrillion combinations that can be made.

“Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.” –Yogi Berra, former American professional baseball catcher

Wheaties first put pictures of athletes on the back and side of their boxes, but in 1958 decathlete Bob Richards became the first athlete with his picture on the front. Gymnast Mary Lou Retton was the first female athlete to appear on the front, but she didn’t make it there until 1986.

“It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. It took one afternoon on the golf course.” –Hank Aaron, former American Major Baseball League right fielder

Pierre Babolat originally made strings for musical instruments and sausage casings, when he was approached in 1875 to make natural gut strings for a new sport Walter Wingfield invented. Babolat’s great-great-grandson, Eric Babolat, is still at the head of the company.

“Baseball is like driving: It’s the one who gets home safely that counts.” –Tommy Lasorda, former American professional baseball pitcher and manager

Diadora is one of a handful of companies that releases “limited edition” shoe styles. These shoes are designed to attract the attention of those who will buy all the extras and then resell them on eBay. Although Diadora makes nothing from the resale of their shoes, it does create brand awareness for them.

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” – Michael Phelps, most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time (with 28 medals)