Mary Bono Resigns as USA Gymnastics CEO After Anti-Nike Tweet

Mary Bono, who was appointed the interim president and CEO of USA Gymnastics last week, has resigned, per CNN's Sarah Boxer, in the wake of a number of controversies, including a since-deleted tweet that was critical of Nike's advertising campaign focused on Colin Kaepernick. 

Bono's appointment also came under fire given that she has been a principal at the law firm Faegre Baker Daniels since March 2013.

As Christine Brennan of USA Today wrote: "During that time, the Indianapolis Star reported that the firm worked with USA Gymnastics officials to provide 'false excuses' for Nassar's absence from major gymnastics events in 2015 rather than disclose to parents and gymnasts that Nassar was under investigation for child sexual abuse."

Bono's connection to that particular law firm made for bad optics in the wake of the Larry Nassar scandal, the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor who was accused of sexual assault by hundreds of women and girls.

Brennan noted: "USA Gymnastics is in the midst of a crisis the likes of which we have never before seen in the history of the U.S. Olympic movement. It cannot be led, even on an interim basis, by someone with any ties to that scandal, ties Bono certainly has by being associated in any way with the law firm."

Bono's appointment was also controversial given her prior take on Nike in the wake of its Kaepernick ad campaign. In a since-deleted tweet, Bono wrote: "Playing in a charity golf tournament raising money for our nation's Special Forces operators and their families. Unfortunately had these shoes in my bag. Luckily I had a marker in my bag too..."

The tweet also included a picture of a pair of Nike sneakers and Bono holding a marker, coloring over the Nike logo in black to match the color of the shoe. She also retweeted a response to her original post that read "#BoycottNike."

That tweet did not sit well with Simone Biles, who is sponsored by Nike and has won more gold medals (four) than any other gymnast in U.S. history:

As Biles noted, USA Gymnastics does not currently have an apparel sponsor after Under Armour dropped its deal with the organizing body in 2017.

Bono later said she regretted the Nike post and explained why she deleted it: 

But given the controversy that immediately surrounded her appointment and the disgraced reputation USA Gymnastics is attempting to fix, Bono's resignation felt inevitable.