http://www.nike.com/index.jhtml
Nike apparently feels that just because they have a ridiculous amount of money that means they should have as many graphics as possible. The biggest downfall of the site is that unless you have high speed internet it is almost impossible to open the website in any sort of timely manner. It is also one of the only websites I have ever been to that has 'loading' when it is going to the next page. They also have one of the more annoying features of bad websites which is playing video and audio automatically when the site opens. I have no problem with their commercials but I don't need to see them again when I want to go shopping online. From the main page you must choose one of the branch sites to go off to. If you go to the basketball page you are flooded with things about Lebron James but no information about any sales. Furthermore, there is no text only small graphics that you must rollover to find what they mean. Nike is a good site if you are interested in just browsing around, but if you are actually looking for a product than it struggles.
The drawbacks of flash
Mike, I find a number of things interesting about your post. You're not the only one to go to a website designed using flash technology and reject it. What fascinates me about your comments is your focus on the audience's purpose. The purpose of the website is, of course, to advertise, and to get you to buy as much as possible before you leave the site. Your purpose as an audience member, however, is to get there, get what you want, and get out. For your purposes, the site isn't doing its job. However, for Nike, the site does exactly what they want it to -- it holds you. It shows you awesome pictures of people doing amazing things in Nike shoes. And it makes you wait. It also attacks your senses with sound and visuals.
The aware consumer is able to overcome this attack -- for example, you are able to discern what Nike is doing and ignore it -- but many consumers will find something else in the site while they are "stuck there" trying to find what they want, and they'll buy more.
Your post raises the question; whose purpose counts the most in web design? The advertisers', or the consumers'? Or should there be a balance of some kind? How so?