It's official Masback leaves USATF for Nike

The decision to place Championships and Trials rest with the sport committee chairs - Hightower and Chaplin in this case. I suspect that Masback supported the Eugene bid (note that he supported Sacramento during the early 90's) but he never had the authority to unilaterally place any championship meet anywhere -- and did not award the 2012 Trials to Eugene. I go to many annual meetings and, to hear Chaplin tell it, he decides everything. (To hear Hightower tell it, she lets Chaplin play the fool and calls the shots.)

A one time USATF volunteer wrote:

This is borderline criminal. There was no normal bidding process for the 2012 Trials. We have not even had an opportunity to judge Eugene on how well they do this year. In a strange set of circumstances Nike and Eugene are awarded the bid. It almost appears that their was a Nike guy making the calls from Indy. Now we find out that the head honcho is quitting to go work for Nike. Kind of makes you go hmmmmmm.

I feel the need to point out, in the face of considerably biased perspectives from The 'Jo's and every other message board poster, that the trials were awarded to Eugene. Not Nike. Nike would be sponsoring the majority of top athletes in the meet wherever it is. Nike would be sponsoring USATF, regardless of where the meet is held. The meet is being run by Eugene08. The meet is being held in the city of Eugene. Not the city of Nike. Track had a home in Eugene long before Nike was a glimpse on the horizon. Has anyone stopped to think whether Nike could actually headquarted in Eugene because of the town's huge support for and interest in the sport? The city has hosted some of the most hugely successful Olympic track and field trials in the country's history, many of which came before Nike was ever making much of a profit.

I feel like citizens of Eugene would very much object to this characterization of their town. Nike doesn't buy the tickets or sell out the stadium. Nike doesn't create that amazing atmosphere in hayward field that is the stuff of legend.

Let's give the town and people of Eugene some credit where credit is more than do.

climb out from the rock you have been living under. if you don't think nike money influenced the selection of eugene for 2012, you are as dumb as a whore is loose.

Fire-C wrote:

Track had a home in Eugene long before Nike was a glimpse on the horizon. Has anyone stopped to think whether Nike could actually headquarted in Eugene because of the town's huge support for and interest in the sport? The city has hosted some of the most hugely successful Olympic track and field trials in the country's history, many of which came before Nike was ever making much of a profit.

Eugene held the trials 1972-1980. Bowerman (co-founder of Nike) started coaching at the University of Oregon well before then. Eugene was nicknamed "Track Town" because of the University of Oregon T&F team's success.

Perhaps now they'll let runners with sponsors that aren't nike and adidas make money. Greedy bastards never let anything larger than a swoosh on uniforms and now perhaps this could change. Perhaps runners could make money now instead of waiting for the scraps of nike etc.

I'm not sure if you were trying to disagree with me, because that's what i had in mind with my post. Bowerman helped with the organizing committee on at least the '72 trials that turned in record profits. Nike didn't officially become Nike until the late 70s.

Chris Lear may apply for something like this.

this was heard in my area of the country recently from an excellent source. it leads me to ask, who is qualified for the job?

If Masback was only making 200K, he was making far less then his law degree and Princeton education would allow him to on the open market. My impression of USATF when he took over was it was pretty much in shambles. He took over and brought a coherent mission to an organization that had none. A lot of people gave him flack but I think few on this message board would have put up with that flack (most of it unfair) as graciously. I am no one to Craig Masback, but when I emailed him with a question, he always replied. Good luck Craig on your future endeavors.

ghost of larry ellis wrote:

this was heard in my area of the country recently from an excellent source. it leads me to ask, who is qualified for the job?

Well, probably not Chris Lear. Nothing against the guy, but the CEO of USATF should be, first, a business man. What we need is a savvy administrator first and someone with track credentials second. I think it's pretty cool to know that Masback used to toe the line with Sidney Maree et al, but the focus now is how did he manage USATF as an organization? He will be judged as a business man, as should his replacement.

On the other hand, it can't hurt to have a lot of charisma and fame going into the job. This will be one of the faces of our sport in this country after all, when one of the biggest issues we face is relevance and exposure. Just some thoughts.

As for sacking Brooks J., word. I can't believe some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth.

Bill Cosby. Hey Hey Hey.

Stand up guy and a fantastic person.

Big loss for USATF.

Fire-C wrote:

I feel the need to point out, in the face of considerably biased perspectives from The 'Jo's and every other message board poster, that the trials were awarded to Eugene. Not Nike.

Now that is the funniest thing I have read on these boards in a while. Well done.

If it looks like a Duck(Nike), walks like a Duck(Nike), and quacks like a Duck(Nike), then it is a Duck(Nike).

some of you need to get a life. he inherited a sinking ship and did a great job saving it...certainly a lot better than any of you needledicks sitting out there anonymously criticizing him would have done. here's hoping the new guy/gal continues the progress.

I agree, he has done a good job with things such as the Visa Championship series. We now get some T&F on TV which is a good thing, and it is being watched. Are there things you could nit-pick with the TV/track stuff, sure, but it is going in the correct direction.

But this last chapter, as the original poster's name implies, comes off as looking a little Quid Pro Quo-ish.

qdog wrote:

If Masback was only making 200K, he was making far less then his law degree and Princeton education would allow him to on the open market. My impression of USATF when he took over was it was pretty much in shambles. He took over and brought a coherent mission to an organization that had none. A lot of people gave him flack but I think few on this message board would have put up with that flack (most of it unfair) as graciously. I am no one to Craig Masback, but when I emailed him with a question, he always replied. Good luck Craig on your future endeavors.

From a thread over 2 years ago. My guess would be that his salary has increased since then.

Google the annual revenues of the NBA, the NFL and the NHL. ARod makes more in a year than the whole USATF makes.

My point is that any organization that brings in just $19 million a year in revenues...this is revenue people, NOT profits....should not be paying anyone in excess of $400,000.

the USAF is a non-profit, perhaps its better to compare Masback's salary with other non-profit executives

Elizabeth Dole, American Red Cross, Revenue $1.7 billion salary $201,000

David Cooney, Goodwill, Revenue $950 million, salary $209,000

David Mercer, YMCA, revenue $2 billion salary, $249,000

Craig Masback, USATF, revenue $19 million, salary $400,000+

Seems a little out of whack to me.

AKMarmoset wrote:

Well, probably not Chris Lear. Nothing against the guy, but the CEO of USATF should be, first, a business man. What we need is a savvy administrator first and someone with track credentials second.

Mary Wittenberg is the best candidate for CEO... NYRR is as strong, or even stronger than USATF right now... and probably has a larger revenue.... If Mary can swing this with a local club, think what she could do with the reigns of the National Governing body. I know Mary, and nobody loves the sport as much and is committed and capable of making the USATF a truly wholesome and successful organization.

USATF 2003 Compensation:

Name Postion Total Comp

Craig Masback, CEO, $413,143

Jill Pilgrim, General Counsel, $163,220

James Elias, CFO/COO, $154,816

Michael Conley, Exec Dir of Elite Athletes, $124,804

Brooks Johnson, High Performance Division Chair, $107,200

Peter Mahoney, Dir of High Performance, $99,837

Ivan Cropper, Dir of Marketing, $97,549

Jill Geer, Dir of Communications, $86,918