Nike shoe designer apologizes for mocking Derrick Rose after injury

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) reacts after an injury during the fourth quarter of Game 1 in the first round of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers in Chicago, April 28, 2012.

/ AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

(CBS News) Twitter trash talk isn't just for NBA players - even the guys behind the players' shoes get in on the act. But for Nike footwear designer Jason Petrie, his online salvo was deemed a flagrant foul.

After Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose went down with a season-ending injury on Saturday, Petrie took to Twitter and suggested that Rose hurt himself because of the Adidas shoes he was wearing. Petrie, who is behind LeBron James' Nike sneakers, fired off this schadenfreude-laced tweet after the NBA MVP went down in agony near the end of Chicago's playoff series opener against the 76ers:

You got one guy only getting stronger, and one guy breaking down before our very eyes. You chose poorly Pooh...#shouldasignedwithNIKE #GWS

— Jason Petrie (@sevenzro1) April 28, 2012

Ouch. (For the record: "Pooh" is a nickname for Rose, who in February signed a deal worth nearly $200 million with Adidas.)

Even if Petrie did not know that Rose had torn his ACL, jabbing a guy right after he crumpled to the floor in agony is pretty low. Not surprisingly, the tweet incited a flurry of online criticism, as followers called it "in bad taste" and "classless." Petrie later apologized:

Wow!Twitterverse I do apologize.It was really just tongue n cheek! Never meant any harm or disrespect!

— Jason Petrie (@sevenzro1) April 29, 2012

Sensing the bad PR, Nike also released a statement on Petrie's ill-advised Tweet: "One of our basketball footwear designers posted comments online that we feel are inappropriate, and he has since apologized. We wish anyone who is injured a speedy recovery."

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[saturn05]

Really people! Is everyone so sensitive that any comment is taken as a death threat? Rose is an adult, he can handle it and if not, get out of basketball.

[mountainstates1]

I don't support nor will I buy Nike products. Not since they endorsed Michael Vick. Anyone who supports dog fighting isn't going to get a dime of my money!

[firejasonpetrie]

FireJasonPetrie dot COM

[thechooch1]

Another good reason to avoid Nike.

[wlhoppers]

What arrogance! Jason Petrie is obviously his own biggest fan. I hope he gets demoted to designing sandals.

As for Nike's press release stating "anyone who is injured" - why didn't they specifically apologize to Derrick Rose?