Nike dropped pictures of their U.S. Olympic Track and Field suits today, intended to reduce drag and lift and separate and wash without wrinkles and all the other fine features intended to win gold through a better mousetrap. We certainly appreciate the millions of dollars surely poured into their development and expect records to continue falling in Beijing.

However, as we have stayed on top of the breakthroughs this year in strapping attractive young men and women into new outfits meant to improve their Wheaties box opportunities (hello, Natalie Coughlin), we couldn’t help but feel this new outfit from Nike looked oddly familiar and that we’d been down this path before. And then it hit us:
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• Darren Rovell of CNBC sees a pro-Nike, anti-Adidas conspiracy afoot in this photo of the U.S. Olympic basketball team.

• Ouch! THE FIGHTINS pitches up video of the Padres’ Michael Barrett taking a foul ball to the face. At least his left testicle wasn’t fractured.

• WITH LEATHER (via MACHOCHIP) thinks ESPN is a whiz for coming up with a urinal that features a soccer ball & goal.

• PROJO SOX BLOG is bowled over by the latest giveaway from the Brockton Rox - a Yankee Stadium bobble wrecking ball.

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If that whole basketball thing doesn’t work out for Steve Nash, at least he has something to fall back on:

SPORTS BIZ reports that Nash’s production company, Meathawk, produced the above clip, a take on the old TV show “The Six Million Dollar Man.” Read more…

• FAN IQ’s Critical Fanatic suggests the Sacramento Kings make the NBA Draft Lottery meaningful again by sending one lucky fan to the proceedings.

And make sure the Dance Team gets to come along, too.

• Darren Rovell of CNBC advises Chris Long on what number he should wear if he’s drafted by the Raiders.

• THE WORLD OF ISAAC needs their mouth washed out with soap, as they present The Dirtiest Name In Sports Tournament.

• BABES LOVE BASEBALL gets some good chuckles out of last night’s Red Sox-Yankees game.

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• FOOD COURT LUNCH steps up with O.J. Simpson imploring you to “Show them your heels“.

• Darren Rovell of CNBC discovers St. Joseph’s nixing Nike, as the Hawks’ small-business uniform supplier suits them just fine.

• PRO FOOTBALL TALK learns that David Garrard thinks he’s better than Tony Romo.

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Darren Rovell has an hour-long primetime special on CNBC tonight about all things Nike.

The good news for Rovell: For the documentary-style production, Rovell got to interview a sunglassed Phil Knight, Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Tiger Woods, and Charles Barkley.

The bad news for Rovell: He spent a considerable amount of time examining Nike’s business practices in Vietnam, where the company is the country’s single largest employer (we’re guessing Rovell next spent a considerable amount of time being examined by his friendly gastroenterologist after enduring local fare). Read more…

The grandson of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is having fun playing football - American football.

The LONDON DAILY MAIL hikes the news of Michael Thatcher, running back for Highland Park High School in Texas. Having grown up in South Africa playing cricket & field hockey, Michael began playing football three years ago, when his mom moved back to Dallas after divorcing her dad. Seems that the missus didn’t appreciate her husband getting wrapped up in a failed military coup in Equatorial Guinea.

Anyway, Michael has been doing his part for Highland Park, even catching a TD pass in a semifinal playoff game this season. However, Thatcher’s team ended their year with a loss in the state championship game.

We’re not sure how the ex-PM feels about her grandkid playing for a team called the “Scots”. Sounds a little treasonous.

Even more remarkable is how Nike has spread their trademark swoosh onto high school uniforms. Well, if high school stadiums can now have luxury boxes, what’s a little corporate sponsorship on the kids’ jerseys?