He should finish this year and get his Economics* degree. Unless he is incredibly unlucky and gets injured in track, he can still go pro in six months with a degree from Harvard.
Why not? Plus it isn't like he going to be force to train or race in any way that isn't conducive to his long-term goals. Those days of making a star run ten meets during the regular season (like Athing Mu's senior year) are over.
Blanks is one semester away from graduating and if he leaves now, he has to try to finish Harvard "remotely" which would suck.
* Isn't he a double major? Econ and Philosophy? If you are that smart, you'll finish and run.
Graham BlanksDistance - Junior Year (2023-24) Indoor: Finished in first place in the 5000m at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener, running a 13:03.78,
He should finish this year and get his Economics* degree. Unless he is incredibly unlucky and gets injured in track, he can still go pro in six months with a degree from Harvard.
Why not? Plus it isn't like he going to be force to train or race in any way that isn't conducive to his long-term goals. Those days of making a star run ten meets during the regular season (like Athing Mu's senior year) are over.
Blanks is one semester away from graduating and if he leaves now, he has to try to finish Harvard "remotely" which would suck.
* Isn't he a double major? Econ and Philosophy? If you are that smart, you'll finish and run.
I’m seeing a new relay idea here. If we are throwing mixed gender into the Olympics, can academic relay be far off (runners released when they answer a question)? 😄
Could letsrun at least have had the decency to tell us this race was coming so we could have worked our schedule around it? How would I have watched it on TV or streaming?
I find it hard to believe he'd give up a Harvard degree when all he needs is one more semester... Unless he's already got all his credits?
You are kidding, right?
He can sign for $200k+ per year and finish whatever degrees he chooses.
Dude, no one is getting $200k/yr. Not even close. More like $50k-$70k/yr guaranteed with additive bonuses for AR/medals/teams/etc- and that’s the top tier.
He can sign for $200k+ per year and finish whatever degrees he chooses.
Dude, no one is getting $200k/yr. Not even close. More like $50k-$70k/yr guaranteed with additive bonuses for AR/medals/teams/etc- and that’s the top tier.
He can definitely get $200k. You aren’t familiar with elite pro contracts.
Secondly, Harvard is a Nike school. He could go pro or sign an NIL deal and nothing would have to change other than he would be making money.
“Name, Image, and Likeness” NIL is just an endorsement deal. He can sign a contract and still compete in college you are acting like it’s 1995.
Dude, no one is getting $200k/yr. Not even close. More like $50k-$70k/yr guaranteed with additive bonuses for AR/medals/teams/etc- and that’s the top tier.
He can definitely get $200k. You aren’t familiar with elite pro contracts.
Secondly, Harvard is a Nike school. He could go pro or sign an NIL deal and nothing would have to change other than he would be making money.
“Name, Image, and Likeness” NIL is just an endorsement deal. He can sign a contract and still compete in college you are acting like it’s 1995.
200k is on the lower end of what some of the brands will offer him. NB will definitely offer him at least this much given his existing affiliation/their love of Harvard track athletes, probably more.
The money is less interesting to me than who he will train with. Obvious case is Nike/Bowerman since Gibby's last male pro went there and thrived. But the mens 5000m is in a weird spot with most top US finishers at trials training under their hs/college coaches:
1. Fisher (HS coach)
2. Nur (college coach)
3. Wolfe (college)
4. Blanks (college)
5. Jacobs (OAC)
6. McGorty (Bowerman)
7. Hocker (college coach)
If I'm Blanks and I see Fisher leaving Bowerman to train with his old coach and then win a global medal, I'm looking pretty hard at taking that NB deal and sticking in Boston with Gibby.
Seems so crazy to me that 5/7 of the top runners at trials are not affiliated with one of the pro clubs.
I find it hard to believe he'd give up a Harvard degree when all he needs is one more semester... Unless he's already got all his credits?
I don't think he has to drop out of Harvard to go pro.
Yeah, he can just finish his degree like normal. No reason you can't be a pro athlete and a Harvard student at the same time for a few months, Gabby Thomas did it and plenty of other students do it in different sports.
Only question is how much he wants to run NCAA track vs "sell high" on a pro contract after stringing together an insane series of performances. Especially given his injury last winter I'd be signing now if I'm him (but I'm just over a full minute slower over 5k so I'll leave the running and the signing up to him)
Dude, no one is getting $200k/yr. Not even close. More like $50k-$70k/yr guaranteed with additive bonuses for AR/medals/teams/etc- and that’s the top tier.
He can definitely get $200k. You aren’t familiar with elite pro contracts.
Secondly, Harvard is a Nike school. He could go pro or sign an NIL deal and nothing would have to change other than he would be making money.
“Name, Image, and Likeness” NIL is just an endorsement deal. He can sign a contract and still compete in college you are acting like it’s 1995.
I would say double that and you would be close. The reason he wore Nike this year is because Nike suddenly cared what Graham was wearing again after they lost Parker Valby to NB. Graham is not signing with Nike. This will all be out very very soon. And will not be a part of a group. Hearing that he will be training with Fisher a good bit this summer in Utah. He will remain in Cambridge to finish his degree.
Blanks had/has (?) a NIL deal with New Balance from last year. Was it a 1 year deal? Blanks wore Nike spikes in the XC championships and yesterday. Is he required to wear Nike as Harvard being a Nike sponsored school or is the New Balance NIL deal over?
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