Hip Redux
Yoinks.
It's a dumb stand to take and the team obvious wasn't important to him
Are we there, yet?
Considering all the controversies Nike and USATF have been involved in over the last few years, I think it's well past time that someone made an issue of their business relationship.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I'm trying to find the USA gymnastics rules for international competitions. As a whole, they are sponsored by Under Armour. There are individual athletes who turned pro, one is sponsored by Nike and one by Reebok, but I think both also have a line of leotards through another company. Anyway, I'm curious if team attire is defined for them. In theory, I would think if usatf is paying for the trip, its their rules.
I was in that Bahamas just before the track relays. I saw lots of gatherings of coaches and athletes at the various eateries. It's hard to separate representing the US and having a cup of coffee in that setting. I'm going to guess if an athlete made an ass of the self at a bar, casino or club, they'd be in trouble, team apparel or not.
Mmmmm...beer
Which is basically why he wants to wear his sponsor's clothes, no? Both sides are all about the money, it's just about whose money and when.
True, but I think there's a difference between a sponsored athlete supporting his sponsor, and a corporation unduly influencing the rules and operations of a sport's governing body.
-Dave
My running blog
Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!
It's not like any of it is affecting the actual running performances, is it? If not, who cares? I didn't read the article, and I don't know all the history. So there may be something scandalous I'm not aware of, but otherwise seems like a big yawn. I'm not ready to put Symmonds in the Rosa Parks / Nelson Mandela category.
Dave
Nike is the sponsor of the USATF. So just in the same way he wants to support his sponsor, they want to support theirs.
Oh yeah.
At the Olympics, aren't you bound to wear the USOC picked attire in the village? Or you have to wear some horrendous get up to march in the opening or closing ceremonies?
I think track (and gymnastics & swimming) have a mix of pro and amateur athletes. To the 3rd hammer thrower, getting travel and uniforms is probably a great thing. To the top tier pros, meaning the few making a liveable salary from endorsements, this benefit is likely viewed as nit picking and micro managing every move.
This issue goes way back:
August 09, 1992|By Mike Littwin | Mike Littwin,Staff Writer
BARCELONA, Spain -- The shoe wars erupted before a TV audience of 3 billion people. And it looks like Nike won. Or, at least, Michael Jordan did.
Jordan, the centerpiece of Nike's promotional efforts, had balked at wearing the official United States Olympic Committee awards-ceremony uniform, which was made by Reebok and featured a Reebok patch on the right shoulder.
When the U.S. basketball team took the medal stand yesterday after beating Croatia, 117-85, for the expected gold medal, all 12 players -- half work for Nike -- had unzipped their jackets so that the collars obscured the patch. Jordan, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson took the extra precaution of carrying an American flag over their right shoulders.
And so, as the national anthem played, there was no Reebok patch in sight. "Everyone agreed we would not deface the Reebok on the award uniform," said Jordan, who had been saying for weeks he wouldn't wear the Reebok uniform. "The American flag cannot deface anything. That's what we stand for. The American dream is standing up for what you believe in. I believed in it, and I stood up for it. If I offended anyone, that's too bad."
Jordan, who makes millions a year from Nike, said he wished 12 flags were available because all the players had wanted to join in the effort. From the beginning, Barkley had said he would do whatever Jordan did. Apparently Jordan persuaded the others to follow his lead.
No U.S. athletes from the other sports seemed to have the same objections the basketball players did to wearing the Reebok victory sweat suit. And, in fact, the basketball players were already wearing uniforms designed by another Nike athletic-wear rival, Champion.
But the Dream Team players seemed to adopt Jordan's cause as their own. Apparently, discussions between the USOC and USA Basketball on this issue had taken place for more than two years without being resolved.
"They could have come to us and treated us like men and talked this thing out," Johnson said. "Instead they had to be the big shot, be the big man."
Jordan put the debate in even more direct terms, saying, "When you hire 12 Clint Eastwoods to come in here and do a job, don't ask them what bullets they're putting in the gun."
The bronze-medal winning Lithuanians took a different approach, wearing their own individual, non-athletic wear. In fact, they came out looking less like athletes and more like leftover hippies, or fans of the Grateful Dead.
That was no coincidence, because their red, green and yellow tie-dyed outfits were designed by someone associated with the Grateful Dead. The band donated $5,000 toward the less controversial, but certainly more entertaining, medal platform wear.
race obsessed
First:
T&F unless is a specific team event - relay etc. is a very individual sport. "Team" is a loose term indicating Country of representation.
Unlike team sports that do require group practice and learning to work together.
So to comment on him not caring about the "Team" yup. In the same situation I could give a rats ass about the "Team". But I would care about representing my country. That may be a fine line to some, but to me there is a clear distinction.
Second:
Given the same situation, I would have likely gone the same direction. Asking specifically, what an official "Team" event/ gathering etc. was.
Lets face it, my favorite pair of shorts/ jeans/ jacket/ shirt/ condom is what I like to wear. It feels comfortable and I enjoy it. If I am out and about walking down the street, I am not *owned* by USATF or Nike and thus I should be able to wear my normal clothing.
It would come down to the reply letter indicating me to not pack anything else which would make me pause and bitch.
However, if said letter (which I have not read) took a diplomatic angle and explained the "why" and "when" to everything I would be more likely to go along and wait to bring up the issue in the proper way.
"Please do not pack any non-nike branded items. We have no control over social media etc etc and Nike has paid for your time/ trip/ etc..." I might be pissed, but at least it is something.
Lastly:
There are so many situations that can be avoided by properly worded documents. It is also why speech writers get paid so damned much $$$.
Final:
This isn't the military, where commands and directions are intended to be sussinct and followed.
Edited: some obvious typos...
The point about walking down the street......simple requirement, if you need to wear your credentials, you must have on approved attire. My guess is there are far more athletes on the world championship team (or collection of individuals representing the US) without huge sponsorships, so is he really taking a stand to better things as a whole, or only the top tier of money earners?
Not Parks or Mandela.. try Curt Flood.
And we run because we like itThrough the broad bright land
Not sure I buy that one either. Flood took a stand on labor vs. management (elimination of the reserve clause which essentially bound a player to his team for life), which hurt his own career & reputation, but ultimately resulted the creation of free agency and an explosion in player salaries. If Nick is able to somehow get the Nike contract with USATF changed, will that actually have some kind of long term benefit for runners? I don't see how, but I don't really know the details of how the sport works from a money standpoint. Will he get more money from Brooks if he is allowed to wear their gear at the worlds?
I'd like to see what percent of the world team has sponsorships that cover living and training costs. Let's say USATF does away with Nike and says get your own clothes. It probably hurts the non sponsored athletes more than benefiting others. Just a guess.
Symmonds did reach out to USATF and they did have conversations prior to him being left off the team. He offered to help them define "official team event". Of course they declined. The letter stating that he only bring Nike or non-branded apparel is ridiculous. His analogy of going to the hotel lobby to get a coffee and not having the option of supporting his brand is accurate. USATF countered with saying that NFL players have to wear uniforms and brands darning games, press conf. ect. Which is true, but when they leave the facilities, they can put on their Beats headphones.
USATF reads from a 1950s playbook where we still think of our T&F athletes as armatures. Making it worse is their connection to Nike. Fortunately for them, the athletes are struggling and most just trying to figure out how to make a living.
Keep in mind this is all heading into an Olympic year. Changing this document along with Rule 40 would be helpful if athletes want to be considered "professional" or just want to put food on the table.
Lets face it, my favorite pair of shorts/ jeans/ jacket/ shirt/ condom is what I like to wear. It feels comfortable and I enjoy it. If I am out and about walking down the street, I am not *owned* by USATF or Nike and thus I should be able to wear my normal clothing. It would come down to the reply letter indicating me to not pack anything else which would make me pause and bitch. However, if said letter (which I have not read) took a diplomatic angle and explained the "why" and "when" to everything I would be more likely to go along and wait to bring up the issue in the proper way. "Please do not pack any non-nike branded items. We have no control over social media etc etc and Nike has paid for your time/ trip/ etc..." I might be pissed, but at least it is something. Lastly: There are so many situations that can be avoided by properly worded documents. It is also why speech writers get paid so damned much $$$. Final: This isn't the military, where commands and directions are intended to be sussinct and followed.