USATF completely botches selection of 2019 Pan American Games team

Wowowweewow wrote:

These guys continue to prove their incompetence over and over. What are the underlying problems that cause such consistent failure over there?

Do they not have the staff they need? Are they totally underfunded? Are they totally unqualified?

We hate on them all the time, rightfully so. But, what do they need to do to get a fucking baton around the track and start thinking before they literally do anything.

It is a matter of priorities in the national office. IMO, the sporting IQ in the office is too low.

What needs to happen for things to change? A change of leadership, both in executive staff and on the Board of Directors.

Ok I just updated the article. I heard from a person who listened to the Section 9 hearing last night. He or she said that the team will potentially have 39 different people if 2019 marks are used instead of 2018-19. A ruling was supposed to have been made but he or she hasn't heard anything. 39. That's a ton as the team only has probably something like roughly 90 people on it

Wowowweewow wrote:

These guys continue to prove their incompetence over and over. What are the underlying problems that cause such consistent failure over there?

Do they not have the staff they need? Are they totally underfunded? Are they totally unqualified?

We hate on them all the time, rightfully so. But, what do they need to do to get a fucking baton around the track and start thinking before they literally do anything.

Underfunded? Siegel flies in a private jet and makes $1.7 million a year.

Blaming an intern is the opposite of "Leadership." Disgraceful.

It's conceivable that some of those 39 might lose out on a sponsor's performance bonus (or trigger a reduction clause) by not being named to Team USA ...

A suggestion for USATF: Any athletes who suffer a financial loss from this should be "made whole" by Siegel personally.

But his track record suggests he doesn't have the moral/ethical makeup or leadership conscience to do so.

In fact, given the boondoggle his cronies ran with the fees for "negotiating" the Nike deal, it's more plausible that Siegel ends up pocketing a portion of the savings that Nike achieves from the reduction clauses.

WE just received the following email from Josef Tessema who would be on the team if 2019 marks are used:

Tessema wrote:

Hello, my Name is Josef Tessema, I was one of the runner who got selected for Pan In the 5k. They even sent me my flight ticket last week and as far as I knew I was already in the team. I just don’t understand what happened. I am finally healthy and been doing great this year ran a 30secs Pr in the 5k at payton Jordan 13:51-13:22 and ran my 1st sub 4. For me it was finally a breakthrough knowing I will be representing my country in August.i just feel like it’s not fair.

It's totally not fair. I can't believe anyone at USATF woudl think it's a good idea to publish a list saying we'll use 2019 marks, then pick a team off of 2018 and 2019 marks and then buy their tickets before people have had time to file a grievance. Think about the money that will be lost on the airplane tickets.

People were spending thousands of dollars trying to put up marks to make the team based on 2019 marks as shown here:

The personal tragedies of people being screwed over is huge.

I know for a fact that people that are effected, meaning they were rightfully on the initial team, were not even able to listen to this grievance call. They were not notified the hearing was even happening, my gut is this is far from over.

Every affected athlete should sue the pants off of the USATF and Siegel himself as the head man. Make it so financially devastating that he has to step down and or close down the whole organization.

Being left off the team could significantly affect future placements sponsorships and earnings. Every one of these athletes should sue for a minimum of a million dollars.

When they had to submit an entry list last night how many alternates could be named for each event? Would all 39 individuals be able to be alternates?

rojo wrote:

The personal tragedies of people being screwed over is huge.

This has to be the worst part. USATF's handling of the error is bad enough but the way they treat their athletes is a big issue. For people having a breakthrough year or looking to make their first national team, especially heading into an Olympic year, this could have been a great opportunity.

crisscrosscountry wrote:

rojo wrote:

The personal tragedies of people being screwed over is huge.

This has to be the worst part. USATF's handling of the error is bad enough but the way they treat their athletes is a big issue. For people having a breakthrough year or looking to make their first national team, especially heading into an Olympic year, this could have been a great opportunity.

You're almost hitting on the biggest point, which is this meet has huge implications for olympic qualifying. With the new olympic standards much harsher, many more athletes will be relegated to trying to make the team through the use of the new world ranking system. In which the pan am games is valued extremely high, wrongly leaving off athletes who deserved selection is wronging them down the road as well.

Would think you would want to send your top 2019 people that have a chance at making the standard and being

somewhat competitive at the International level not some CIM want-to-be from 2018.

I would be so GD pissed were I involved in this debacle. USATF is unbelievably incompetent and unprofessional. What can I do to help hold them accountable?

For athletes interested in pursuing a class action lawsuit please post your experience in this matter to this board, in addition we well be attempting to contact each of you as well also posting relevant updates to this thread.

walter j wrote:

I would be so GD pissed were I involved in this debacle. USATF is unbelievably incompetent and unprofessional. What can I do to help hold them accountable?

Petition USOC to decertify USATF as the NGB.

Nominate USTFCCCA as the new NGB.

They do an excellent job.

BONUS: Nulls the stupid long term Nike deal. Opens up for renegotiation.

tusanads wrote:

Get rid of USATF for a far better body. Same for the terrible IAAF.

I am sure World Athletics will be a huge improvement over IAAF.

Change the guard wrote:

walter j wrote:

I would be so GD pissed were I involved in this debacle. USATF is unbelievably incompetent and unprofessional. What can I do to help hold them accountable?

Petition USOC to decertify USATF as the NGB.

Nominate USTFCCCA as the new NGB.

They do an excellent job.

BONUS: Nulls the stupid long term Nike deal. Opens up for renegotiation.

Well you're going to have to help me figure out how I'd petition the USOC to decertify USATF.

XCisKing wrote:

What can we do to hold USATF accountable and demand ACTUAL change from the top on down? This situation is extremely upsetting. As a running community we cannot let USATF get away with this. The ineptitude has gone on too long with no consequences. I am just frustrated that I don't know what we as fans and active participants in our sport can do...

1) Be a member

2) Show up to vote when it is time. (Having to vote in person is a nice barrier though).

Hit em in the bank account wrote:

Every affected athlete should sue the pants off of the USATF and Siegel himself as the head man. Make it so financially devastating that he has to step down and or close down the whole organization.

Being left off the team could significantly affect future placements sponsorships and earnings. Every one of these athletes should sue for a minimum of a million dollars.

I would say that the athletes originally named to the team who should not have been have no recourse. The selection procedures need to be followed.

It appears USATF has corrected the error albeit about as cowardly as possible.

I would have far more respect for USATF to say "We made an error in putting in the 2018 times. We apologize to the athletes who were originally named to the team and to the athletes who should have been named originally and were not".

NYC law firm wrote:

For athletes interested in pursuing a class action lawsuit please post your experience in this matter to this board, in addition we well be attempting to contact each of you as well also posting relevant updates to this thread.

I seriously doubt a lawsuit would get very far. If USATF had not followed the procedures it should have followed and athletes had been left off, those athletes would have a case. But I do not see how an athlete who should not have been named can sue.

can anyone explain why the triple jumper McKee who is currently as the number 4 American was replaced by someone much lower ranked?