Symmonds won't sign contract requiring him to wear Nike at all team functions, threatens to sue if USATF kicks him off WC team

hypebeast wrote:

NJ Possible wrote:

It really is insane that Adidas offered to pay one athlete nearly as much as Nike bought USATF for for 23 years. TWENTY THREE YEARS! Honestly Nike bought an entire sport for a song.

These people need to shut up. If Nike was getting such a 'song' of a deal, the other major companies would've stepped in and driven the bid upwards.

o.

You're an idiot. It was a no bid deal. The same way past corrupt USATF CEO Craig Masback gave away nationals and Olympic Trials in a midnight deal right before he took a lucrative job with Nike.

Nike is corrupt.

So no black polo player or a little preppie croc either ? Prada and Gucci stay home? Hugo goes BOSS-less in Beijing ?

No Mickey Mouse tees-- what will Dwight Stones wear?

No watch that keeps on ticking allowed?

how far does this go??

Jeff Wigand wrote:

... I don't think so. He would have to show that he is missing out on earning potential by not being allowed to wear his Brooks uniform at the official team training sites and press conferences, while all his Team USA teammates, many making more money than he does, have gotten along ok with these rules. ....

You are stating only one aspect of what he may be missing out on, and the long term ramifications.

wejo, you don't get it.

the united states has been going communist for 40 years progressively.

this usatf thing is just the latest progression.

no, you're not free to wear what you want unless you fight for the right.

rights are something someone else won for americans a long time ago.

and people somehow assume you just sit on your butt and everything will be ok.

it is not going to be ok if you just go along with every rediculous thing thrown your way.

this is the problem with america. no balls.

nick has some ball though. without help nick can't fight em. but the rest of the athletes can theaten to walk out and voila, you have some rights back.

Simplistic thinking... wrote:

Jeff Wigand wrote:

... I don't think so. He would have to show that he is missing out on earning potential by not being allowed to wear his Brooks uniform at the official team training sites and press conferences, while all his Team USA teammates, many making more money than he does, have gotten along ok with these rules. ....

You are stating only one aspect of what he may be missing out on, and the long term ramifications.

This is a fight he is picking. Garett Heath ran in the Pan Am Games last month with these same restrictions. He couldn't wear any Brooks apparel when training in Toronto and it wasn't an issue, which is also why you don't see Loxsom standing with Nick on this.

Jeff Wigand wrote:

This is a fight he is picking. Garett Heath ran in the Pan Am Games last month with these same restrictions. He couldn't wear any Brooks apparel when training in Toronto and it wasn't an issue, which is also why you don't see Loxsom standing with Nick on this.

Symmonds has now had most a career to earn money. His success has put him in a position where he can afford to take risks like this. He's got a business to fall back on now, and probably has several other backup plans in place. If he's not allowed to run at Worlds, it stinks, but it doesn't ruin his career.

Heath and Loxsom do not have that luxury. They're not established, recognizable names like Symmonds. Since Nike runs everything related to USATF, they will put their own careers at tremendous risk by participating in something like this. If Brooks were to ever choose not to renew their contracts for any reason, they'd be up a creek, because rightly or wrongly, they'd be known as the guys who shook the boat. They cannot afford to cross this bridge like Nick can.

Easy solution: Wear the Nike crap at the functions and put a piece of white tape over any Nike logo.You may have to wear the crap, but does it say the logo must be showing? Likewise, wear the crap inside-out.

While Rojo and Wejo may think you could easily wear non Nike clothing when not around the track or with the team that is absolutely false. In the team hotels USATF will post signs on each floor and throughout the facility that says "do not wear non Nike clothing ever" and have X's through none Nike logos and a check mark next to Nike. On the poster it also reminds the athletes that if you are caught not wearing Nike clothing you will be removed from the meet. After being apart of multiple USATF trips I can ensure you that if you are caught outside your hotel room with a Brooks logo you will be sent home. There is a reason why they literally say don't bring non Nike clothing..

How many athletes that made the World team will make more than 40-50k this year? How many of them are getting paid by USATF? The fact that the USATF can have millions in sponsorship deals and pay only a handful of athletes a stipend (medal contenders which is insane because they are the only ones already making money) is insane.

I 100% support the fact that athletes wear the Nike branded uniform while competing or in the stadium as Nike has paid for that privilege. Nike did not pay that athletes salary to train and should not be forced to wear the swoosh while practicing or doing not USATF organized functions. If you are going to do a private video interview for your company than you should wear your sponsor logo. If you are going to do a press conference held by the IAAF in conjunction with USATF you should wear the USA gear.

Once USATF starts paying out a check to every single member of team USA for their time wearing their sponsors clothing and competing for the USA than I may change my stance. Say they pay each athlete 5k for the 10 days that they are forced to wear Nike clothing than that would be a start.

The more I read this the more I think Symmonds is raising a big stink over nothing or worse just for attention.

The welcoming letter isn't a contract. It seems it's pretty clear team activies are clearly defined.

And even it is was "vague" as Nick the contract attorney seems to think any ambiguity in a contract is enforced against the party that drafted. In this case the USATF.

Posting the letter was a red herring. I want to see the actual contract that he claims is being forced upon him.

Also he can still wear other brand shoes, sunglasses and watches.

pro runner wrote:

While Rojo and Wejo may think you could easily wear non Nike clothing when not around the track or with the team that is absolutely false. In the team hotels USATF will post signs on each floor and throughout the facility that says "do not wear non Nike clothing ever" and have X's through none Nike logos and a check mark next to Nike. On the poster it also reminds the athletes that if you are caught not wearing Nike clothing you will be removed from the meet. After being apart of multiple USATF trips I can ensure you that if you are caught outside your hotel room with a Brooks logo you will be sent home. There is a reason why they literally say don't bring non Nike clothing..

Wow...can't believe people are taking USATF's side over Symmonds here ... good for him for standing up for the athletes.

I'm not sure what the big deal is here. Nike pays tons of $$$ to sponsor Team USA and provide financial support for everything that they do, and Nick Symmonds refuses to wear their gear for what, a week?

Every year I get more and more tired of Symmonds antics outside of the track. Instead of producing more hot air, it would be great if he could produce more medals.

Looby wrote:

Easy solution: Wear the Nike crap at the functions and put a piece of white tape over any Nike logo.You may have to wear the crap, but does it say the logo must be showing? Likewise, wear the crap inside-out.

Actually it explicitly states he can't alter the logo.

The language has been substantially the same for at least 7 years. You can find the Statement of Conditions online.

Yet this one year Nick raises a stink. The one year drug testing is highly focused, the one year he has no shot at a medal but still need the attention.

blake26.2 wrote:

Two-time Olympic runner Nick Symmonds said that he will sue USA Track & Field if the NGB keeps him off the national team for this month’s IAAF World Championships over a sponsorship dispute. Symmonds will not sign a contract requiring him to wear Nike-branded gear during all team functions throughout the trip -- first to Japan to train and then to the Beijing competition -- which starts Aug. 22.

Link (free):

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2015/08/06/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/USATF.aspx?ana=SBD%20Email

Symmonds needs to understand that he is "Small Fish" in a big pond. He also needs to get off his high horse and realize that regardless of how powerful and overbearing the "Nike Juggernaut" is, they are providing funding for a free training camp in addition to indirectly paying for travel, meals, and all the other miscellaneous expenses athletes need for their world championship preparation and paying for the "Exclusive" right to be the official uniform sponsor of USA TRACK and FIELD. Not to mention paying for our national championships year in and year out which includes prize money of which he's benefited from. I admire Symmonds for standing up and questioning the extent of Nike's control and he can probably pursue this further after the world championships. Unfortunately his window of being a world class track athlete is closing quickly and he needs to concentrate on performing his best in China. I'm sure he wouldn't complain if Nike stepped in became a major sponsor of the USA National Beer Mile Championships!!!

Chug Chug Chug......

It can be overturned wrote:

Posted the person who doesn't understand that law is a living, breathing entity that can change with time and even lower court judges can overrule laws they find illegal. Have you read and understand the Stevens Act? Show where it gives USATF a sports monopoly.

Who can afford the time and money required to change the law? You? I thought so.

Have you even read the law?

I think it was the second Dream Team, so I guess that would've been '96. Shaq had a Pepsi sponsorship deal, and Coke was the official Olympic sponsor. There was a brief period where the spat between the two companies looked as if it might hold Shaq off the Olympic team. Both companies basically realized how bad the story would look, though, so the whole thing kind of got sorted out behind the scenes since Shaq was insanely popular.

Problem here is that Nick is not Shaq. Other posters are right, I think, when they say that other athletes need to stand alongside Nick here. Nike has pull, sure, but if it's adidas, brooks, saucony, NB, asics and all of their athletes against nike, that's going to make more waves, even if nike wins round one.

If I was Nick, I'd probably just do as little interviewing as possible, keep as low a profile as possible while under the nike-only time period, and wear jeans and a plain white t-shirt at all times when I'm not specifically forced to be wearing nike. Is Nick banned from even talking about Brooks? If not, he should just bring up Brooks in every single interview he does. Or say things like, "I really owe a lot to my sponsors out in Washington. My sponsorship company does a great job, and I couldn't be her without their wonderful, superior running shoes and apparel."

USATF reminds me of my 4 month old puppy.

You have it on a leash, but the puppy will keep tugging and pulling trying to go in the direction it wants to go. If you keep giving the puppy slack and letting it go in the direction it wants to, it'll learn what it can get away with and keep pulling because it knows you will give in to him eventually.

USATF will keep putting in little additional requirements that force the athlete to lose control. Keep letting it happen, and the athlete soon has zero right and you are back to 1970 with the AAU.

USATF is CRAZY for telling athletes to only pack nonbranded gear. I didn't realize they actually tried to enforce this. I am corresponding with Nick and will have an update. I had no ideas about the signs in the hotel

The funny thing is almost no one sees athletes in the hotel. USATF comes across looking so bad in this.

NY Times- Jere Longman has a nice story on this:

that clarifies it. Nick doesn't have a problem wearing gear at official events, his problem is USATF doesn't define what these events are and tries to stretch what an official event is. Jill Geer points out Lebrone wears adidas at the NBA Finals, but doesn't point out Lebron isn't told to only pack adidas gear when he travels to the games.

wejo wrote:

USATF is CRAZY for telling athletes to only pack nonbranded gear. I didn't realize they actually tried to enforce this. I am corresponding with Nick and will have an update. I had no ideas about the signs in the hotel

The funny thing is almost no one sees athletes in the hotel. USATF comes across looking so bad in this.

.

Nick shares his own story related to the 2014 IAAF Indoor Worlds:

"Since signing with Brooks on Jan. 1, 2014, Symmonds has been asked by American officials to remove Brooks gear, even while having morning coffee at the United States team hotel at the 2014 world indoor championships in Poland, he said. Surely, coffee is not an official team function, Symmonds, who was formerly sponsored by Nike, said."