Nike is among the potential buyers for the troubled surfing apparel brand Billabong, according to several news reports.

Nike spokeswoman Mary Remuzzi said today the company does "not comment on rumors or speculation."

None of the stories cite a source for Nike's place among other identified suitors such as Bain Capital. All of the stories make clear that Billabong is in a potential wipeout phase, having drastically diluted share value with a recent stock offering.

Billabong traded at $17 a share on the Australian Securities Exchange five years ago but slumped below $1 on Sunday, reports

. More store closures are in the offing,

. And, says

, Billabong founder Gordon Merchant feels bad "about rejecting a private equity offer four months ago and was now prepared to accept less."

Last June, Nike leaped into the action sports fray with invigorated fury. The company unleashed

which has not resulted in any notable bottom line success. Meanwhile, Nike last year quietly excised the brand name "6.0" from its action sports lexicon -- one way of tailoring its action sports message.

Nike has been in the action sports world for more than a decade, launching Nike SB ("SB" for skateboarding) in 2001. It started

(named for six action sports activities) in 2005 (and ended in 2011), and Nike Snow (covering snowboarding and skiing) was launched in 2007.

And in 2002, Nike purchased

, an established action sports brand based in Costa Mesa, Calif. Hurley is often a co-sponsor with Nike of action sports events, as is another Nike subsidiary, Converse Inc. of North Andover, Mass.

Willy Wonka:

Earlier this year, Nike and Sarah Reinertsen, who helped start the Challenged Athletes Foundation, took the wraps off a vastly improved running surface for prosthetic limbs. Reinertsen collaborated with Tobie Hatifeld on the creation of the

, after having spent years cobbling together makeshift surfaces.

Having spent a long time around the Innovation Kitchen at Nike, she tells

, "I call it Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory."

This weekend at a race in Philadelphia, it was Reinertsen's bicycle wheel that needed some work.

Ben Cohen, activist:

British athlete Ben Cohen is known as the David Beckham of rugby,

. Cohen, who spoke at a summit about antigay bias in sports earlier in June at the Nike World Headquarters near Beaverton.

In 2011, he started the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation to combat bullying, especially the bullying of children who might be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.



Sneaky thieves:

Sneaker thieves can by sneaky and clever at the same time, reports

. Retailers put one shoe on the shelf, usually have just left shoes on the floor. Or right. Thieves know this, the Post says.

Linsanity revisted:

It's off-season, so basketball sensation Jeremy Lin has turned his attention to strengthening his basketball game to ensure long-term success in the National Basketball Association. Probably, but that's not what this article is about.

is about protecting the Jeremy Lin brand.