Why Was A Man With A 10-Year Doping Ban Enjoying The 2012 US Olympic Track & Field Trials From The Nike Sky Box?

Pre would be proud of you exposing those crooks.

$10 says Nike claims they have no idea how Block got in. Or has some way to blame a clerk.

Which may be the truth, but still Block should be shamed publically like this so it doesn't happen again.

From Ciaran O'Lionaird's twitter @gociaran:

"The gutter press at it again. Actually gutter press is too big to compliment those clowns."

Called "gutter press" for asking why a man with a ten year ban is in the most exclusive sponsor area at the biggest track meet in the country. Great job making yourself sound like an ass, Ciaran.

Props to RoJo for recognizing the guy. He could have been wearing a name tag that said Mark "BALCO" Block and probably most people wouldn't have been able to pick him out of ac crowd.

Jeter the cheater! doped up to the gills!

You don't get into the VIP corner of the Nike VIP area by accident/on someone else's pass/as some random guest without just getting kicked out immediately. The top brass at Nike obviously know who Block is and nothing but complacency - at the very least - would explain his being there. Of course we now await some complete non-answer, or complete silence, from Nike. They have absolutely no reason to say anything of substance. In the meantime I will be buying my shoes from Asics and Mizuno.

Nike VIP Wannabe wrote:

He can certainly be there as a spectator. That's not against his ban. The issue really is that Nike's VIP tent is only accessible with Nike credentials. So even if he bought tickets to the meet, someone at Nike gave him credentials to sit up there during the meet.

You know, I haven't really been following the message boards enough to understand the whole Nike/USATF conspiracy theories going around as of late. BUT THIS MAKES ME START TO THINK THAT THEY HAVE LEGITIMACY.

A sad day for USA track and field.

InWyo wrote:

Excellent work BroJos!

Are you guys pushing this story to other news outlets? Not a fan of Phil Hersh, but I would certainly like to see him do a column on this, and perhaps your friend Time Layden...put a bit more pressure on NIKE to respond.

wejo wrote:

A few points.

...

2) When I contacted USADA yesterday, we said the one condition we would hold off on the story would be if they wanted to do some sort of enforecement/sting opertaion. They did not, so we went with the story.

...

What's the point of a ban if the enforcing agency is not willing to enforce?

Why is everyone jumping to so many conclusions?

Here is a possible (and the most likely) scenario:

Someone who works at Nike is good friends with Block on a personal level regardless of his professional acts. That person decided to get Block a pass into the Nike tent so they could sit together and enjoy the meet.

Likely no violations or reasons to be suspicious here.

It's pretty stupid that this is being so blown out of proportion and being put on the front page.

Lets not get too distracted, here. Block may be an idiot, but it's Nike who needs to get spanked. I'm certain they'll pull the typical PR stunt to diverge attn away from themselves...onto Block. But lets not forget what this entire issue is about = doping, dopers and enablers. In this regard, Block is no more a crook than several dozen coaches, agents, etc. He is small potatoes.

excellent, excellent work.

What was Jeter thinking? Way to dodge the question and lock up. She couldn't have sounded much more shady. Block could have answered your questions and said he was still a fan, like any other fan would do... instead he ran. He is still behind the scenes for sure.

I don't know what his relationship is with other Total Sports Management athletes, but these guys had better stay away as well-- Symmonds, Leer, Nelson, etc etc etc. They have a big stable of athletes.

http://www.totalsportsus.com/page/Athletes

Really the decades of child slave labor camps wasn't enough to open your eyes?

weldawn wrote:

Sitting in the Hayward stands wrote:

There were a lot of things that made me mad as an onlooker at the trials. Really opened my eyes to NIke, and how corrupt they really are.

....do tell

timeforit wrote:

Timeforittostop wrote:

Do you think with enough pressure USADA/WADA could be conviced to test Jeter, Gall, Kipyego, and Symmonds more frequently until the olympics? They all have an affiliation with Nike, Total Sports, and Chris Layne who is and always has been just a brainless follower of Block.

To let this occur is outrageous. Each athlete still competing that has any affiliation with block or once did should have their emails watched, phones tapped, and be frequently tested until the games. If they want to do something about drugs in track and field, they need to put some effort in.

lol why not just water board them

While they probably don't need that harsh of treatment, that strategy should be used with Lance Armstrong this time around.

You can never prove anything ( can you ever?) but there are red flags galore here. Not just the banned drug cheat in the nike box, but check out the photos of her in 2007:

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/RezJGsB9rv4/IAAF+World+Athletics+Final+2007+Day+2/07wGPRrCkSX/Carmelita+Jeter

Solid, but hardly the rock heap she is now at age 33. I think that if you have been around sports a long time and something doesn't seem right, you are probably correct. Marion Jones, Ben Johnson, Lance Armstrong, Floyd Landis, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens. With all of them it just seemd funny how they could keep going at such a high level. And all surrounded themselves with a posse on the fring of the sports drug culture. I get that exact feeling with Jeter a 33 year old rock hard athlete suddenly dominating world track. Its too good to be true.

Is being a spectator part of his ban? Is there evidence of him actually hanging out in the Nike tent? You guys said it yourself that Jeter didn't even acknowledge him when she passed by him. I think questioning her in the press conference was inappropriate. Your investigation tactics are amateur.

utfcjh wrote:

From Ciaran O'Lionaird's twitter @gociaran:

"The gutter press at it again. Actually gutter press is too big to compliment those clowns."

Called "gutter press" for asking why a man with a ten year ban is in the most exclusive sponsor area at the biggest track meet in the country. Great job making yourself sound like an ass, Ciaran.

Also he's a Total Sports athlete. I wonder how he heard about the story on letsrun seeing as how he probably doesn't frequent a website that he refered to as gutter press.

hounddogharrier wrote:

You can never prove anything ( can you ever?) but there are red flags galore here. Not just the banned drug cheat in the nike box, but check out the photos of her in 2007:

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/RezJGsB9rv4/IAAF+World+Athletics+Final+2007+Day+2/07wGPRrCkSX/Carmelita+Jeter

Solid, but hardly the rock heap she is now at age 33. I think that if you have been around sports a long time and something doesn't seem right, you are probably correct. Marion Jones, Ben Johnson, Lance Armstrong, Floyd Landis, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens. With all of them it just seemd funny how they could keep going at such a high level. And all surrounded themselves with a posse on the fring of the sports drug culture. I get that exact feeling with Jeter a 33 year old rock hard athlete suddenly dominating world track. Its too good to be true.

I'm assuming that is her in the front? Doesn't even look like the same person. Sad sad sad.

[quote]Blow out of proportion.... wrote:

Someone who works at Nike is good friends with Block on a personal level regardless of his professional acts. That person decided to get Block a pass into the Nike tent so they could sit together and enjoy the meet./quote]

You see nothing wrong with that? Someone working at Nike thinks it's okay to invite up a guy who has been kicked out of the freaking sport?

Nike is a corrupt. Don't forget that. Salazar, Knight, Armstrong. Those compadres are too close.

I was just watching this.

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Lance-Armstrong-Surprises-Phil-Knight-Video

But anyway, they all respond to criticism the same way, by pushing back and criticizing the skeptics for being idiots or fools who are jealous of their "success".

Phil Knight is a business man, he will do anything to protect the reputation of his product. And I got a glimpse of who he is during his eulogy at Paterno's funeral. Paterno, a corrupt man with too much power, virtually did nothing to put and end to Sandusky's child abuse on campus.

Knight called Paterno his "Hero" and said the investigation would exonerate him.

What? What?

Phil Knight, a bigger jerk than I thought.