Topic
11 facts from 2 episodes, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
1960s
Bill Bowerman first proposed a 50-50 partnership with Phil Knight in Blue Ribbon Sports, then returned with his lawyer to propose 51-49 in Knight's favor.
“I think originally Bowerman says 50-50 and then he sleeps on it and he comes back with his lawyer and he says, actually, let's do 51-49.”
1960s
Blue Ribbon Sports sold Tiger shoes for $6.95 a pair, and each pair cost about $3.50 to obtain.
“So Phil is selling the Tigers for $6.95 a pair. It costs him and Bowerman about $3.50 to get each pair of shoes.”
1960s
Jeff Johnson tracked customers on handwritten index cards recording their personal details and shoe preferences.
“Each new customer got his or her own index card, and each index card contained that customer's personal information, shoe size, and shoe preferences.”
1964
Blue Ribbon Sports had $8,000 in revenue in 1964 and $16,000 in 1965.
“So they do $8,000 in revenue in 1964. That doubles in 1965. They do $16,000 in revenue.”
1965
Phil Knight told Jeff Johnson in 1965 that Blue Ribbon owed its bank $11,000 and had negative cash flow.
“Though our growth has been good, I owe our bank $11,000 and cash flow is negative.”
1965
Jeff Johnson became the first full-time employee of Blue Ribbon in the summer of 1965.
“So in the summer of 1965, I wrote and accepted Johnson's offer to become the first full time employee of Blue Ribbon.”
1969
Phil Knight quit his teaching job at Portland State University in 1969 and went full time at Blue Ribbon for $18,000 a year.
“I quit Portland State and went full time at my company, paying myself a salary of 18,000 a year.”
1971
Under its financing deal with Blue Ribbon Sports, Nisho Iwai received a 4% royalty on every shoe sold, on top of interest.
“Nisho gets a 4% royalty on every shoe that Blue Ribbon sells, which ultimately ends up being a great relationship.”
1976
Blue Ribbon Sports officially changed the name of the company to Nike in 1976.
“It was 1976 when they officially changed the actual name of the company to Nike.”
Undated
For its first seven or eight years, Phil Knight's company Blue Ribbon only sold other brands' shoes imported from Japan.
“For the first seven or eight years, they're just selling other people's brands and other people's shoes, importing them from Japan.”
Undated
Onitsuka secretly contacted other US distributors to replace Phil Knight's Blue Ribbon.
“behind his back, his supplier was in contact with all these other distributors in the United States.”
Episodes