NOP is done - Nike CEO Mark Parker shuts down the NOP

Coevett wrote:

Levi.Run wrote:

I heard rumors that Alberto bought some land in UGANDA :D :D :D

He'll have a lot of competition from all the recently arrived Italian coaches there.

And did you hear what Q said about that?

After Alberto is freed on appeal, it will be reborn:

The Nike Alberto Project (NAP)

I had the same thought. Or maybe a "not Rupp certified" t-shirt?

Rupps singlet wrote:

Have the Brojos offered Rupp the opportunity to wear a LetsRun singlet this Sunday?

Dirty americum cheats.

NOP has always been Alberto's gig.

Mark has wanted to retire for a few years now. The Trevor what's his name crap and this has been served when he wanted to leave. Mark stayed to sort out the internal problems of running a huge business. Too bad Salazar's weak ego, along with Tom Clarke, created this crap.

You can hate NIKE, Alberto and whoever you like. There's more to this than you want to know. Not every employee of a large successful company is evil, immoral and unethical.

@Hansonsrun

Tweets

“History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books-books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe.”

—Quote by Dan Brown not Dan Browne one of the original members of NOP

PDX wrote:

Off with his head wrote:

I imagine the next shareholders meeting is going to be brutal for Parker.

You mean because the whole Chinese democracy/basketball thing? Right? Or do you actually think that a running club has any impact on the stockholders at Nike

You got that right. The entire NOP budget amounts to a rounding error in Nike's budget.

If you're Pete Julian, what does this say about you? You're not ready to handle the NOP? You cannot change the image? Alberto is larger than NOP? Julian has been a puppet all along? A watch holder? A minion?

Imagine the department you work in, and you are #1 in succession planning, folds after the President leaves, instead of entrusting you with the future and they just walk away.

What a bunch of morons on this board. While you think you're celebrating the demise of a cheater, you're really ushering in the end of the sport. So dumb.

reed wrote:

My bet is that Nike and Alberto will continue to say that the appeals are ongoing, until we stop talking about it all, at which time Alberto is retired (but still getting paid by Nike) and then we will find out that appeals were squashed years ago

I doubt that they'll appeal. They could only lose.

This is a good opportunity for NAZ, Brooks Beast, Tinman Elite etc to reach out to former NOP athletes and offer them a spot.

They should just tweet something like "we are very sorry for what happened at NOP, but you are welcome to apply to our team and train in a clean environment with other like-minded athletes".

Free marketing, gives them a good imagine, and MAYBE (although very unlikely) one NOP athlete actually switches.

By just letting things how they are, closing NOP and giving it a rebirth as "Nike Elite" led by Julian, none of the things will change. Salazar/NOP wasn't just a one-person empire, most likely everyone was involved in what was going on at times.

NOP website is down.

Frodo’s Gardener wrote:

What a bunch of morons on this board. While you think you're celebrating the demise of a cheater, you're really ushering in the end of the sport. So dumb.

You’re the dummy... the end of the sport came with the introduction of and manipulating the HCrit 1- Viren (72/76) of HGeb and Hermens (~94). NOP just got on board because AlSal realized he couldn’t out work the blood drugged ..so it was just a slippery slope. Don’t worry in a short period of time some other icon will emerge for you to slobber all over. In the meantime get a life and wipe off your mouth and freshen your lipstick.

Wow. This has truly been a whirlwind week for track, for Nike and the athletes who have competed for the now-defunct NOP. I know this may be looking a bit too far ahead, but does anyone know when the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Klotz Center is taking place?

If Nike pulls back any for any additional sponsorship of TandF this sport would crater. Busting cheaters is great, but this sport losing money and track clubs and also losing the marketing of Nike is terrible.

It can’t survive with small clubs like Hoka and NAZ.

"Mr Parker, can you explain why our stock has gone up year over year?"

Wow. At least that was my first take.

My second is that there are either legal things tied to this - can get out of some bad contracts - or Nike needed some tax losses to shield other gains and will take some write downs this period. And they get some goodwill PR by getting rid of the bad omen.

I wonder if the new consultant Albert Salazar (no relation to Alberto) will give the new coach some training plans etc.

Also if someone like Hassay was kicked out of her contract then we'll start to find out her true opinion.

This was my thought. It would be embarrassing for the sport if our top distance stars had to balance their training around their waitressing shifts while other distance stars around the world get to focus on training/recuperation all day everyday.