As if Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher didn't have enough to worry about as he tried to guide his team to a national title last season, it appears the school's apparel manufacturer had an issue with his son's clothing.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a few hours after FSU routed rival Miami (Fla.) in an ACC showdown, a Nike executive emailed FSU athletic department officials asking that Fisher not allow his son -- who had showed up on camera hugging his dad after the win -- to wear an Under Armour sweatshirt any more.
The WSJ said Mark Dupes, Nike's assistant director for football sports marketing, sent this email: "Hey got a text from the USA Director of Sports Marketing last night telling me of how good things look w FSU and our players and sideline staff, exposure for the Brand was exceptional. Then 5 min later I rec a new message ... Said ABC cameras were on Jimbo and his Son ad end of the game ... His son was Wearing Under Armour FSU sweatshirt! Ouch. Can we please ask Jimbo to eliminate that from the son's wardrobe in the future! Let me know if I can help w anything. Thx guys. MD".
FSU senior associate athletic director Monk Bonasorte told WSJ he remembered the e-mail but didn't act on it.
"What am I going to do, go to coach and say, 'Hey, can you take that shirt off him?'" Bonasorte said. "I'm not going to call Jimbo Fisher and tell him what his son can wear."
Bonasorte also said he didn't think the email should be taken too seriously: "It was more just a joke to us. It wasn't Nike being the big, bad wolf telling a kid what to wear."
In a statement to WSJ, Nike said its "relationship is with the Florida State Department of Athletics and does not extend to their family members."
Still, the WSJ reported that in photos from subsequent games last season, Ethan Fisher is seen wearing Nike apparel.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
