Wednesday , March 27 2024

What Clint Dempsey’s Move to Seattle Means for the Nike Hypervenom

Dempsey at Sounders

When it comes to transfers in MLS, we are never really exposed to those unbelievable deals we see happen in Europe. Then there are the likes of the Beckham and Henry signings that really spark new life into the fans interest in their club. This past week, Seattle Sounders pulled off a monumental signing by persuading Clint Dempsey to join the club. They also had to spend $9million to get him in the process (plus a huge yearly salary).

From a playing perspective, it is difficult to access if this was the right or wrong move for Deuce. I’ve read all the commentary online for both sides and there are some very valid points. Personally, I believe it was Clint’s decision and whatever happens serves justice to his decision. People have a right to their own opinion, but I am a firm believer in personal choice, so most of the commentary from the outside is wasted text!

Clint Dempsey in Hypervenom

From a league perspective, it is a fantastic move and the acquisition of Deuce is only going to increase interest levels in MLS. He has signed for a pretty awesome club, with some of the best fans in the World (yes I said World) and he immediately has the opportunity to make an impact by leading Seattle into the playoffs and beyond. The Seattle squad is pretty strong at the moment, by the way, and the addition of Deuce will make for interesting viewing.

Already, we have seen a tremendous serge in the number of Seattle jerseys sold with “Dempsey 2” on the back. Sales of the jersey are sure to be strong for the next few weeks and I’m sure we will see the jersey pop up in all places around the country. Deuce was wearing #2 at Spurs last season and it was actually his college number. Quite an odd choice for an attacking minded player but if he scores goals while wearing it, I’m not going to judge! You can find plenty of Dempsey Jerseys at WorldSoccerShop right now.

Dempsey Jerseys

Clint in Flight

Then there is Nike. This summer, Deuce made the switch from Vapor to Hypervenom, from Speed to Agility. It is a bold move considering he has worn the Mercurial range for most of his professional playing career, but it seemed like he was ready to make the switch and he actually played a role in research and development for the new silo. This now means Nike has a prime advertising figure located right under their noses. Deuce will now not only be their leading international endorser, but he will also become their face of MLS and that is something I am sure the home of the Swoosh is embracing right now. Not only do they have a high profile player in the league wearing their brand, but he is also the leading candidate for promoting the Hypervenom stateside. This in turn will result in larger deals for Deuce and I believe it will result in more money than he would have got in England.

Expect to see a lot more of Clint Dempsey and the Nike Hypervenom in the coming weeks/months!

[Also: Nike Hypervenom Phantom Review]

I am personally excited to see Dempsey get his Seattle Sounders debut and I am also eager to see which version of the Hypervenom he will choose to wear. Don’t be surprised if we see him don a personalized colorway!

And for you Nike Hypervenom fans out there, you can find a pair at soccer.com or there is a huge selection of NikeID versions to choose from (as seen below).

About Bryan Byrne

The mastermind behind the revolution that is SoccerCleats101. Bryan started this website back in 2008 and has been testing boots on a daily basis ever since. Check out our About Page for more details on Bryan and the website.

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17 comments

  1. You only gave one side of the coin in stating how this will effect MLS. You need to look at the other side of the coin which is will he get any better playing in the MLS as opposed to playing in the premier league. I feel this will hurt his development and will be bad for his career.

    • Clint is 30 – I don't think development has anything to do with it. And again I'm not commenting on his personal choice, he decided to move back stateside and he must have had a reason for that. Who are we to judge what he decides to do with his career.

    • This is actually a bad comment on your part. As stated by the author, Clint is 30 and even if he was looking to develop his play the MLS would be the perfect place to do so. The MLS is a developing league and that is perfect for a developing a player.

  2. Brian your really reaching with this article.. i understand that your website needs content but come on.. “best fans in the world?”.. like really?.. he could have possibly played in the champions league with tottenham.. but i guess thats not as good as the lamar hunt us cup.. foh… now the us best striker is playing in the tough mls.. he can only get better..

    • Are Spurs in the Champions League this year? Are they guaranteed a spot next season? He made the choice/decision to come back stateside, I don’t see how you can make a judgement call on whether that was right or wrong for his career. Plus, I am sure a lot of Seattle fans would disagree with you questioning them!!!

      • Also you have to consider playing time… even if Spurs were in the Champions League this year (which they are not) how much would he actually play? A move to MLS basically guarantees him playing time, something hard to get in a very talented Spurs line up.

    • I suppose he could have possibly played in the Champion's League next season or maybe the season after.. Who knows, Deuce is 30 and Tottenham made one brief foray into CL football before returning back to consistent 5th place finishes. We don't know exactly what teams were interested in his services, however there is a good chance that none of the teams in the top 3 or 4 in the major European footballing nations had an eye out for Clint. He could have moved back to Fulham to get more EPL playing time or tried his hand at WBA, but either way that isn't Champion's League. No, he preferred to move back to the US to a great city with great fans that are at the forefront of developing and supporting soccer in our country. Perhaps he wants to help develop MLS further, understanding that the majority of players in the United States will not immediately be picked up by European clubs and will have to climb the ladder just as he did. In that sense, the MLS is the most important football league in the World. I don't know Clint and I'm quite certain you don't know him either, so arguing with Bryan about someone else's state of mind is a moot point.

    • Honestly I don't understand why people continue to insult the MLS. I really think that this comes from ignorance. People comment on the "competitiveness" of the MLS without actually watching the league games. The fact of the matter is that the MLS is a PROFESSIONAL league. So for you to say that the MLS isn't tough is actually funny on your account. If the MLS isn't that great of a league with only Mediocre Teams, why did the LA Galaxy beat Juventes 3-1?

  3. correct me if i'm wrong, but dempsey was more a laser wearer than a vapor wearer, although he did wear both.

  4. Whats interesting to see is if he'll wear the AG phantoms on the (laughable) turf of Seattle. It'd be a good way for nike to promote their unique – and wise and admirable – investment into this new soleplate.

  5. Going to Seattle was the right choice. Not only do they have the potential to become MLS champs, with great talents like Obafemi Martins, Eddie Johnson, and Brad Evans he will fit in there good line-up. Also Dempsey is a american hero, so he will have really great fan support.

  6. Going to Seattle was the right choice. Not only do they have the potential to become MLS champs, with great talents like Obafemi Martins, Eddie Johnson, and Brad Evans he will fit in there good line-up. Also Dempsey is a american hero, so he will have really great fan support. Also agreeing with Ethan the playing time will be no doubt.

  7. Anyone else notice that Demsey was wearing a Sounders FC T-Shirt with a very large Adidas logo on the front during his media tour on Monday? While I realize all Sounders gear is branded Adidas due to the MLS contract, is was still a strange move for a Nike guy. There is plenty of Sounders stuff with a much less prominent Adidas logo. Make me wonder if his contract with Nike is up for renewal and he was making a statement that he has other options.

  8. So everyone forgot how he told the media he wants to play in the CL. Didn't he even refuse to play for Fulham at one point?

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