I was a Nike employee in Brand from 2003 to about 2007. I left of my own accord because of the never ending politics and need to mingle and connect with other employees to further the advancement of you own departments growth. I had always thought that the company could have been half the size and twice as profitable if they cut all the flab. Soooooo many meetings, so many approvals needed to move on the simplest of programs. In the end I realized that to survive and prosper you needed to shed your morals, play the game and get ready to point the finger where needed. They were the people that advanced and survived. When Trevor Edwards really started to rise to power in 2005 ish is where the culture of "life balance" really changed. Like others have mentioned, a 50 hour week is now considered part-time. Incoming call at 11pm, you better take it, take a flight out to an install on July 4th, you betcha; "we need you in NY on Thanksgiving" - absolutely.
The biggest problem of all though, is employees, and I mean lifers, thinking that Nike IS their life. Nike first, Family second, is almost the 21st century mantra. People need to wake up, be happy that they have Nike on their resume and start working to live and not living to work. One ladder climbing Exec. once told a NA group "It doesn't matter if you miss your kids school event, they're too young to remember anyway". . . . . . . . . And there you have it.