Papa Johns cowers to Lebron

[Reality]

What the?....
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3381471
CLEVELAND -- Papa John's Pizza issued an apology to Cleveland and the Cavaliers for making T-shirts with LeBron James' number and the word "crybaby" under it.

To apologize, Papa John's will sell Cleveland residents a large, one-topping pizza for 23 cents on Thursday. The 23 is an homage to James' jersey number. The company also will donate $10,000 to the Cavaliers Youth Fund.

The pizza chain's T-shirts were featured during the Cavs' games against the Wizards on Friday in Washington. Wizards fans taunted the Cavs, who won the playoff series that night in Game 6.

The shirts started after James complained about hard fouls, and Wizards center Brendan Haywood called him a crybaby.

[ziggy]

With all due respect I don't see how they are cowering to LeBron.  For a major corporation to do this baffle's me.  The T-Shirt is in poor taste, is a stain on Papa Johns, and there is no way this will add to the bottom line of Papa Johns.  Papa John's looks stupid for putting out this T-Shirt, and I can't for the life of me see how they thought this would be good for business.  I am sure they pulled it because they got lambasted in Cleveland, and it was hitting the bottom line.  This is what you would expect from Dunder Mifflen, it is that absurd.

[Randy]

I can't help but wonder if this wasn't a move by a particular franchise rather than the actual chain.  It's okay when you are a local business but when you are a corporate business with franchises in the city, it's really stupid.  Can't help but wonder if some franchise isn't in a bit of trouble right now.

[WayOutWest]

I can't help but wonder if this wasn't a move by a particular franchise rather than the actual chain.  It's okay when you are a local business but when you are a corporate business with franchises in the city, it's really stupid.  Can't help but wonder if some franchise isn't in a bit of trouble right now.

I think maketing geniuless Realty was behind the fiasco.