No shortage of opportunities

You won't read about it in the Oregonian, but a local company made the news in connection with the NCAA tournament. From Think Progress:

Eleven of the men’s college basketball teams that have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen fail to meet the NCAA’s minimum academic standards. Eight of those teams are sponsored by Nike, who will profit as players sport their logo on national television.

Through our Graduation Madness campaign, ThinkProgress readers have sent thousands of emails to Nike demanding they take action to help ensure more college basketball players graduate. Thanks to your efforts, Nike has responded. [. . . ]

[W]e are also aware of the diligent efforts made by all the NCAA-governed institutions to raise the graduation rate among student-athletes at their schools. We believe that school administrators and team coaches have made this issue a priority within their ranks, and are actively implementing programs that address this concern. [. . . ]

Translation: everything is going fine and we don’t plan on doing anything.

But while the Big O didn't devote any ink to Nike's indifference to graduation rates for the athletes wearing the Swoosh, this item found its way to a prominent position in the business section:

Nike's third-quarter profits surged 19.2 percent over the same period last year, the company said Tuesday, easily topping analysts' expectations as sales for sneakers in the United States and Asia helped fuel growth for the world's largest athletic footwear manufacturer. [. . . ]

"Nike has no shortage of opportunities," said Nike chief executive Mark Parker in his first earnings conference call since succeeding CEO Bill Perez in January. "Prioritizing those opportunities with the strongest potential for growth is a primary focus."