Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun has joined the list of athletes who have had contracts with Nike terminated. KeJuan Wilkins, a spokesman for the world's largest shoe and apparel maker, acknowledged Friday that the company no longer has a relationship with Braun. The outfielder accepted a season-ending 65-game suspension imposed last week by Major League Baseball for his connection to the Biogenesis drug scandal. Braun had been wearing Nike shoes and batting gloves for his entire seven-year major league career, and the company recently began selling "Big Bat Like Braun" and "Braun Owns Milwaukee" T-shirts in stores. Braun has lost nearly all of his endorsement deals in the two years since he became connected to performance-enhancing drugs: • Wisconsin-based Kwik Trip canceled its "Lunch With Ryan Braun" promotion; • Although Wilson sold a Braun game-model glove this year, his name is no longer listed on the company's website. A representative from Wilson could not immediately be reached; • Braun's deal with Muscle Milk was not renewed last year; • Braun's name is still on a restaurant, Ryan Braun's Graffito, in Milwaukee. Omar Shaikh, co-owner and president of the SURG Restaurant Group, which owns the establishment, said he could not comment on the status of the relationship with Braun. Source: ESPN
