Super Bowl commercials are supposed to be fun, memorable and creative. But according to several reports, Mark Cuban will be part of an advertisement that some consider to be offensive.
The Dallas Mavericks owner has already filmed a spot for Skechers shoes that is scheduled to air during the two-minute warning in the first half of Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5. The commercial reportedly features Cuban and a bulldog wearing Skechers and outrunning a pack of greyhounds.
According to the sports blog "The Big Lead," GREY2K USA, a non-profit group based in Somerville, Mass., opposes all greyhound racing and cites numerous instances of abuse and deaths to support its cause.
"Thousands of greyhound advocates around the world signed our petition [to have Skechers ban the commercial] and also sent direct e-mails to company officials," the group writes on its website.
Cuban recently released a statement through Skechers that states the following: "I pride myself on identifying technological breakthroughs and I have been wearing Skechers mid-foot strike products since they were introduced and felt the difference after standing on the court for hours at a time. Now Skechers has built the Skechers GOrun, which I consider the ultimate running shoe. I even have our team's trainers checking them out so we can benefit our players with this technological breakthrough."
He added: "Skechers is coming to the running game with a star player, a real winner, and I am happy to be backing this exceptional product."
--
Follow Jon Machota on Twitter: @jonmachota
