Rupp fires Michael Johnson

Hopefully it means more media and sponsorship opportunities for Rupp. Simms is Usain Bolt's agent and has done a great job of building Bolt's international presence. Happy to see he went with an international agent (seeing the bigger picture).

Possibly counting the chickens before they hatch. He is anticipating sponsorship deals should he bring home a medal. If has been marathoner Ryan Hall can sell Nissans, Rupp should be able to sell something.

Obviously wasn't Rupp-approved.

Literally.

Maybe he realized that it was MJ in name only. Jeremy Wariner only had a 24-Hour Fitness commercial, yet Michael, his own agent had a Coors commercial. A lot of offers missed. It would help if he or Deon returned a phone call, too.

Added slap is, that Galen is now in the company (Bolt) of the guy who is making MJ a distance memory.

The general public doesn't give a rats ass about track distance running. The only reason Hall got those endorsements is because of the marathon.

He is not and never will be qualified as an agent. He is arrogant with a chip on his shoulder. Its a side job for him. Rupp signing with someone who does it full time with a group of athletes knows the game far better.

Its to late for JW to capture his prime years of sponsorship opportunity , MJ blew that long ago.

400m WR holder,

NOT Rupp certified.

I think we can all agree that Rupp is a great distance runner and we respect his ability on the track, but I can't see it being a good investment for any major company to invest money in Galen Rupp. He is dorky, can barely put together a clear and interesting sentence during interviews and he looks goofy. It worked for Michael phelps because he was the best Olympic athlete of all time, but it working for a guy who has a 10-20% chance of a medal, I don't think so.

Ryan Hall I can understand. He is the fastest us marathoner and started a charity which usually counts for something in the eyes of sponsors. Plus Ryan is easy on the eyes and speaks normally.

Probably not a bad more becasue when an agent is in the more than his athletes, that can't be a thing.

Why can't any of these so called distance runners get in a subway commercial? Every other athlete and their mother seems to be in them.

Wallace Gearman wrote:

I think we can all agree that Rupp is a great distance runner and we respect his ability on the track, but I can't see it being a good investment for any major company to invest money in Galen Rupp. He is dorky, can barely put together a clear and interesting sentence during interviews and he looks goofy. It worked for Michael phelps because he was the best Olympic athlete of all time, but it working for a guy who has a 10-20% chance of a medal, I don't think so.

Ryan Hall I can understand. He is the fastest us marathoner and started a charity which usually counts for something in the eyes of sponsors. Plus Ryan is easy on the eyes and speaks normally.

apples and oranges

lots of American gets buckets of swim medals

you can find swim medals in the garbage

10-20% chance at a 5 and 10 medal is something.

Probably a good move. I doubt Michael Johnson really gives a rat's ass about Galen Rupp's success.

fgfg wrote:

10-20% chance at a 5 and 10 medal is something.

Not to the average Subway-buying American... And you can't find a distance runner who looks like Phelps with his shirt off anywhere (except a Crossfit gym).

Michael Johnson is a racist jerk, way to dump that dufus Galen!

Agree. MJ never did much of anything for JW. Apparently he does not want his clients to run in the US. Look how he, MJ, avoided Meets here - didn't pay enough I guess. Good riddance.

To the poster who said Rupp is on drugs, I think you will get sued. I hope so. I'm printing your post out.

im curious if MJ's recent comments have anything to do w/ this, whether it pissed rupp off, was a last straw, etc.

regardless, good move going to the guy who knows what he is doing

Galen shouldn't have dumped MJ. MJ has tons of connections it was a mistake.

Galen probably didn't feel worthy of being represented by MJ because he doesn't have the slavery genes.

MJ also is the agent who advised Jeremy Wariner to get rid of Clyde Hart. It only costs his athlete and himself perhaps a few million dollars in prize money and another Olympic Gold medal. Wariner should have gotten rid of MJ the agent. It was a really bad contract with the coach and the agent getting almost half of the $1 million dollars a year he was making. When you are #1 in the world, you don't really need a track agent, just a lawyer to handle endorsements. Good riddance.