Adidas offering insane reward to record-breaking NFL combine runner: an actual island!
There’s a lot at stake this week at the NFL scouting combine. Including an island valued at just under a million dollars.
That’s right — the player who runs fast enough (and is wearing Adidas footwear) in the 40-yard dash could win an actual island, one that shows up on a map and everything. Of course, that player must break Chris Johnson’s vaunted 4.24-second 40 from a decade ago that no one has touched since.
Paradise awaits.
Break the 40-yard dash record, win your own island.#teamadidas https://t.co/4y4JdHNTY3 pic.twitter.com/jEETRVA2bN
— adidas Football US (@adidasFballUS) February 27, 2017
It’s weird, right? But also awesome. A freaking island. Who wouldn’t want that? Sure, we’re not up on today’s capital gains taxes and island-maintenance costs, but that just would be something else.
Candidates to win an island: Florida State WR Kermit Whitfield, USC DB Adoree Jackson, Washington WR John Ross, West Virginia WR Shelton Gibson, UCLA CB Fabian Moreau and Minnesota CB Jalen Myrick are some of the fastest guys in Indy. Still, we doubt anyone will come close.
But if someone does think he has a chance to take down CJ2K, that player — or his lawyer — should read through Adidas’ agreement on this island contest. It’s a bunch of legalese. And yeah, Adidas picks the island for them, which limits the cool factor just a bit. But the biggest thing is that someone not only has to register an official time better than Johnson (so that would be 4.23 or better) but also do so while wearing 2017 adizero 5-Star 40 cleats. Right, and they also must endorse Adidas for the next year after they win. From the island, yes, but from everywhere else, too.
They’re good at the promotions at Adidas, eh?
This still kills us. You can say, “Here’s a million dollars for running fast,” and it would get some pub. Rightfully so. That’s a million one dollar bills, which is a lot. But if you say, “Here’s an island,” it’s a whole different deal. Isthmus more impressive! (OK, we just made a really bad pun.)
adidas offering an island (up to $1M cost) for player at combine who beats Chris Johnson's 4.24 40 in its shoes. Possible islands to win pic.twitter.com/01c1EbyNAG
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 27, 2017
If you get Lazy Caye chosen for you, that might be a bad omen for your career. Same with Bachelor Island; the jokes write themselves. Cayo Iguana, though cool in name, is in Nicaragua. That’s a far-away place. We personally would be rooting for Greer Island in Maine. Yes, it’s not tropical and getting there could be a chore in summer. You ever try to get up I-95 on a weekend?
Still, we looked into Greer and loved what we saw. This real estate listing boasts that it’s plentiful with “balsam, spruce, meadows, strawberries, wild roses” on its five acres, which could be, very fast runner, your own personal playground. Maine is a bit crazy in a charming sort of way — we grew up near there — but also very relaxing and nice. Root for that one.
Oh, and be prepared to run the 40 of your life. And shill Adidas swag. Do that and you’ve got yourself a plot of land floating in the ocean.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!