Under Armour Recalls 200,000 Cups

Injuries involve cutting and bruising

Under Armour calls itself the the athletic brand of this generation. Thanks to a problem with their athletic cups, they may guarantee that there isn't a next generation around to form a brand to challenge their position.

The company is recalling about 211,000 athletic cups after receiving reports of the cups breaking upon contact. That, obviously, is exactly the opposite response to contact that purchasers of cups are hoping to receive. One of the cups caused an injury involving cuts and bruising, which sounds quite unpleasant indeed.

Purchasers of the cups are asked to return the cups to Under Armour in exchange for a $20 gift card. They are left on their own to figure out the best way to protect their groins while walking to the mailbox to retrieve the card. The company also directs parents to remove cups used by minors to ensure that they don't continue using them behind their backs.

Those darned kids and their cavalier attitude toward groin injuries! 

The announcement of the recall comes a day after Under Armour posted a 27.1 percent gain in net revenues for the first quarter of 2009, a gain realized in a tough economic market and on the back of a shift in corporate priorites to footwear. Never has Grandpa's warning to not protect your testicles with a loafer been more prescient.

The stock shot up yesterday, and has dropped significantly today, leading Sports by Brooks to wonder if they held news of the recall until realizing the gains from their good news.

Let's hope they aren't being as cavalier as those meddlesome teens when it comes to the safety of their consumers.

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us