First Aden athlete arrested

eswallace wrote:

http://www.efe.com/efe/espana/deportes/detenido-el-atleta-musaeb-balla-acusado-de-colaborar-con-jama-aden/10006-2962702

Looks like a 1:43 800 runner was arrested for colloborating with Jama by Spanish police.

Translation

The Police have arrested in the last hours the Qatari athlete of Sudanese origin Musaeb Abdulrahaman Balla , a specialist in the 800 meters ( 1: 43.82 ) , accused of colluding with the Somali coach Jama Aden in the plot that allegedly supplied substances dopants other athletes .

As reported Efe sources close to the case, the Catalan police have arrested Balla , who yesterday was initially reported , amid signs of his alleged collaboration in the alleged network of trafficking of doping substances in which yesterday were arrested Jama Aden and one trust their therapists .

5th at Portland World Indoors and 6th in Beijing.

Stinking nest of vermin.

It reads like he was supplying. That's bad for him. Too bad they weren't in the U.S. It's not a crime here.

eswallace wrote:

http://www.efe.com/efe/espana/deportes/detenido-el-atleta-musaeb-balla-acusado-de-colaborar-con-jama-aden/10006-2962702

Looks like a 1:43 800 runner was arrested for colloborating with Jama by Spanish police.

In other words a 1:43 runner who does not make anywhere near 2 million $$$, but we expect that Donavan Brazier to make 2 million? Riiiight.

For some reason, people on these boards always think times directly correlate to how much money you make. Sponsorships are all about promoting and growing the company, you are a walking/running advertisement. Brazier has been all over magazines, sports networks and even the WSJ. That is how you get to a $2 million evaluation.

Gimme some truth wrote:

eswallace wrote:http://www.efe.com/efe/espana/deportes/detenido-el-atleta-musaeb-balla-acusado-de-colaborar-con-jama-aden/10006-2962702

Looks like a 1:43 800 runner was arrested for colloborating with Jama by Spanish police.

In other words a 1:43 runner who does not make anywhere near 2 million $$$, but we expect that Donavan Brazier to make 2 million? Riiiight.

Completely off topic, but do you actually understand how a marketability valuation comes about? It certainly isn't "x time equals y pay".

A runner from the USA is many, many times more marketable to a larger, richer audience (Americans) than a runner from Sudan.

Unfortunately, this sport is not football. You don't just get paid based upon how good a player you are, regardless of your nationality. You get paid based on how much money you can make for the company sponsoring you.

Who has made more money do you think? Mo Farah or Bekele?

I have some question for you.

How much do you think can be a contract for a Kenyan running 3'30" in 1500m (for example, such as Collins Cheboi 3'30"34), or running 1'43"37 in 800m (for example, such as Edwin Melly or Nicholas Kipkoech, at the moment number one in the world), or running 2:04:56 in a marathon (for example, Jonathan Maiyo) ?

I wait your answer, before giving you the RIGHT numbers.

Renato Canova wrote:

I have some question for you.

How much do you think can be a contract for a Kenyan running 3'30" in 1500m (for example, such as Collins Cheboi 3'30"34), or running 1'43"37 in 800m (for example, such as Edwin Melly or Nicholas Kipkoech, at the moment number one in the world), or running 2:04:56 in a marathon (for example, Jonathan Maiyo) ?

I wait your answer, before giving you the RIGHT numbers.

I would guess essentially a living wage, scaled to the cost of living of their respective countries. These athletes individually don't really make NIKE that much money, but they are the backbone of international competition.

Renato Canova wrote:

I have some question for you.

How much do you think can be a contract for a Kenyan running 3'30" in 1500m (for example, such as Collins Cheboi 3'30"34), or running 1'43"37 in 800m (for example, such as Edwin Melly or Nicholas Kipkoech, at the moment number one in the world), or running 2:04:56 in a marathon (for example, Jonathan Maiyo) ?

I wait your answer, before giving you the RIGHT numbers.

I don't think much. Supply and demand. If a 3:30 Kenyan runner asks Nike for more, Nike will just sponsor the 3:31 Kenyan runner instead

ezby wrote:

Renato Canova wrote:

I have some question for you.

How much do you think can be a contract for a Kenyan running 3'30" in 1500m (for example, such as Collins Cheboi 3'30"34), or running 1'43"37 in 800m (for example, such as Edwin Melly or Nicholas Kipkoech, at the moment number one in the world), or running 2:04:56 in a marathon (for example, Jonathan Maiyo) ?

I wait your answer, before giving you the RIGHT numbers.

I don't think much. Supply and demand. If a 3:30 Kenyan runner asks Nike for more, Nike will just sponsor the 3:31 Kenyan runner instead

An actual value: I'll say $30,000.

Also, if Renato gives us figures here that is truly awesome!

THIS IS HUGE NEWS, why are people not talking about this now?

$22,000 base pay

COACH Canova what are your thoughts/your opinion on what is going on with COACH Aden? Did you expect this? What do you think this means for the sport?

These athletes are not with Nike. Anyway, the contracts for athletes of same value are almost the same for every Company.

Nicholas Kipkoech, 1'43"37, doesn't have any contract for money, only equipment. For that reason, he was one of the main pacers in the competitions, since pacers can have some money, already negotiated before the race. Of course he was athlete for 1'45" before this year, and this means there was no way he could have a contract with money. The situation can change for next year, but it's difficult to think he can have more than 15 or 20000 USD, if doesn't go in Olympics winning a medal.

About marathon runners for 2:08, nobody of them can have a contract from any Company, if Kenyan. And the reason it's clear : looking at the world lists,

we can see they are n. 51 in the World, and 31 in Kenya.

So, really somebody can think these athletes can spend a lot of money for having sophisticated doping ? How is it possible that stupid people in Letsrun can continue to compare these athletes with Lance Armstrong ?

And, speaking about management (normally working with 15% of percentage), how much money can produce one athlete winning 10000 USD in one year ? 1500 USD (that, cutting the cost of office, communications, employees, and travels, is no higher than 10% of net income, so about 1000 USD) ? So, really somebody can think that managers go to ruin their image risking to be banned by the Kenyan Federation, and go to spend maybe 1000 USD of doping with one athlete, for having back the same amount ?

Really, here we see a lot of people speaking about a world they don't know.

You seem eager to change the subject. Here we have reports that of elite athletes with a coach caught with EPO. Are you here to tell us that the EPO could not work on these athletes too?

Canova your point is worthless. Athletes keep testing positive so they must be getting the drugs somewhere. Why does EPO and etc have to be "sophisticated" to take? I could order EPO over the internet and have it next week. Managers/Coaches don't ruin their reputation on 1:45 runners. They ruin their reputation trying to create 1:41 runners with drugs. Is that hard for you to fathom? They aren't being doped in the hopes of maintaining status quo of 2:08. If drugs can get a guy to 2:04 than it's well worth the risk.

Open your mind up a little Canova.

We probably don't know that world, but why don't you enlightened us?! Here on these boards we talk about mostly (the issue at hand) big names that might be involved in the doping scandal. You bring a good point about Kenyan Athletes not making good money, why are they getting busted then? Maybe to direct the heat away from big fish like Forah and others!! You seem to know a lot more than just what's going on in coaching, why don't you help the sport?

Coach Canova -

Your argument raises an assumption that the Kenyan athletes pay for all drugs out of pocket.

What about athletes who are supplied drugs by coaches, trainers, agents, etc... in exchange for a bigger share of race prize winnings? This scenario seems to be occurring in various locations. Mr. Torrence claimed that Aden may have tried to supply him with drugs (for free), but Torrence refused to take them.

Also, I agree that a Kenyan who is not ranked top 5 or 10 in a respective distance is not going to make a lot of money at his or her event, regardless of how they rank on the world stage. Same with an American runner. An American who is top 30 in the US and top 50 in the world is not going to be making a lot of money on the endorsement side of things.

Times are nice, but champions are nicer.

If a German or Belgian athlete were to run 1:43 800m they would earn a lot more from local/regional endorsements and most certainly would get a decent amount of sponsorship cash from a shoe company.

Renato Canova wrote:

I have some question for you.

How much do you think can be a contract for a Kenyan running 3'30" in 1500m (for example, such as Collins Cheboi 3'30"34), or running 1'43"37 in 800m (for example, such as Edwin Melly or Nicholas Kipkoech, at the moment number one in the world), or running 2:04:56 in a marathon (for example, Jonathan Maiyo) ?

I wait your answer, before giving you the RIGHT numbers.

Obviously an athlete who can promote your brand beyond their race performances is more valuable to a sponsor. Being an educated English speaking athlete living in the country that buys the largest amount of your products is without a doubt a big plus. Also, based on comparing USA vs. Kenyan GNP, a USA $2 million dollar contract is about equal to $250 thousand dollar Kenyan contract. Btw, it is not impossible for African athletes to get big contracts; Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat in the late 90s were in the top-10 highest grossing track & field athletes.

Btw, there are even disparities even in the USA. Take Mary Cain and Candice Hill for example, both athletes turned pro at the same age. Cain's 1500m PR was 4:04 when she signed her contract with Nike. Cain's 4:04 ranked her 26th on the 2013 world list and ranked 24th on the all-time junior list. Hill's 100m PR was 10.98 when she signed her contract with Nike. Hill's 10:98 ranked her 18th on the 2013 world list and ranked 3rd on the all-time junior list. Who do you think has bigger Nike contract? - Life isn't always fair.

With all of that said, on a basic human level, the income disparity between an American versus Kenyan middle distance athlete is not right. The Kenyan athlete is being penalized for his country's GNP and the fact that his country produces a lot of great middle distance athletes. The same thing applies to the fact that USA the produces a lot of great sprinters versus middle distance runners. - Again, life isn't always fair.