Further evidence that Tony Romo is a swell guy. Check out this post about his new line of shoes and clothing, distributed exclusively through Wal-Mart:
http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/07/tony-romo-draws-a-crowd.html
As a former kid who couldn't afford cool shoes, and got teased for it a LOT, I really admire Tony Romo's decision. These shoes may still be looked down upon by the snotty kids, but it's a step in the right direction, and I think more athletes should be aware of this and try to support affordable gear for their young, working class fans. I hated 80% of my elementary school days because of the grief I took for being a poorly dressed dork.
Those of you reading who know our friend Mike will appreciate this story. In 6th grade, he noticed that I got some new shoes. They were just some sort of PayLess special. I asked if he liked them, and he said, "Do they stay tied?" My old shoes were falling apart and I constantly had to stop and re-tie them when we were running around during recess after lunch. He teased me for that, but didn't give a dang about the shoes themselves. He was the first true friend I had who just liked me, and didn't care about name brands and labels. I had many good friends just like him through middle school and high school.
I admit that I'm kind of a shoe snob myself now. I don't have many pairs (work shoes, running shoes, camping/yard work shoes, flip flops), but when I do need a new pair, I refuse to buy cheap ones. It's honestly more for practical considerations - I want things that last, and I want to project a professional image at work. But it may be partly vanity and hurt feelings. So while I will not be buying Tony Romos for myself, I do appreciate what he is doing for kids stuck shopping at Wal-Mart and facing bullies. And my own boys, who are blissfully free of materialist school snobbery, would probably love to have the Dallas Cowboys shoes, and I'd be happy to get them a pair.
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2 comments:
Ironic about Mike being concerned about your shoes staying tied: I sat by him in biology freshman year and he would always reach over and untie my shoes if I had them within his reach. Eventually I learned (and it really wasn't too embarrassing of a learning curve) to double knot them. I STILL double knot my shoes these 16 years later.
Growing up we only had Athletic Club shoes (ACs), which all the military brats called Air Chickens. I didn't learn anything about name brands until I got to high school (i.e. Dad retired from the Air Force). And I never noticed the "generic" nature of your clothes or shoes, just that you weren't a sloppy dresser. :)
Please tell me you have a picture of a Pair of Air Chickens. I tell ppl about these all the time but on the Net its as if they never existed...
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