Where is the “glaring misunderstanding”? Seems you’re still confused. The idea that she should have signed around the Olympics is obviously incorrect, if she wants to be able to “entertain” offers from other companies.
Why would any company table a serious offer knowing their competitor can effectively block it?
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Wayne Gretzky. Michael Scott.
I don’t know. I’m just another message board rat disappointed that the “professional” side of professional track and field isn’t more transparent as it is in so many other sports. And I’m genuinely curious about NIL agreements and what they will do to our sport and high school and college athletics.
The apparel/shoe companies sign deals with athletes to sell more of their products. They make deals based on their evaluation of an athlete's public visibility, positive public image and potential to influence people to buy their products. All those things are somewhat, but not totally tied to the athlete's race performances. Based on the number of media articles, threads and comments here, and on other social media about Valby, she has a lot more market value than most of her peers who are at a similar running performance level.
If she actively posted content on social media then I would agree with you but she doesn’t. She’s not exactly ‘engaging’
The other day I was walking through a dusty alleyway and saw an envelope marked "Parky Valby" which had some details on this inside of it. These were the contents...
Post NCAA's Nike had a very good offer on the table and there was an expectation from the Nike side that it was basically a done deal. Valby was at the Portland Track Festival with her mom and dad involved in lots of conversation with PM down the western end of the track. "I read" that on the following Tuesday (2 days later) they were going to be in Beaverton to sign it which was of course the first of two Tuesdays before the trials which would have been the logical and perfect timing.
However Tuesday came and went, so did the next one and then the trials - no announcement. No idea what was going on.
I then "read" that Valbys father (btw he's not a giant or actually physically imposing in real life) had basically taken the Nike number and shopped it around other brands for leverage. Nike contracts since Cap days have always had great upside if you break AR's, make teams, win medals but are still notoriously brutal in terms of reductions etc if you don't. In recent years other brands such as New Balance have simply offered more fixed, guaranteed $$$ which is probably why McLaughlin - even though she ticks the box with medals and records, feels no need to really promote New Balance outside of major events where she wears a Nike kit with NB spikes that nobody really notices.
When I read this (the leveraging part) I kind of had a double take. This is where I think having an agent with some knowledge of the sport might have helped the Valby camp. Firstly I would never be doing this with Nike for a number of reasons. Through guys like Caprioti (still heavily involved), they have connections with meets and meet directors in what is still a very insular, old-boy network world. Nike had also done special footwear for her that she had worn at NCAA's - not a great look in my opinion.
Then there was talk of a separate apparel v footwear deal (think Lulu lemon + a footwear brand) but this never works, meanwhile time is ticking towards Paris, the sports marketing arm of brands have so much to do and that's why she went in without a pro sponsor. Now the season is winding down, the Valbymania hype from college is definitely over. The last thing I "read" on this is that the numbers for her are dropping. I don't believe they got the timing on this one right. She will of course end up with someone - though I'd be surprised if it was Nike now and if it is it won't be the deal that was first offered.
Of course I then took this envelope, found a convenient 40 gallon drum and burned it. This could be why she is still unsigned, could be not...
This post was edited 3 minutes after it was posted.
We are in a brave new era of contracts for college folks. While an NIL seems to be a no baggage deal, for folks like PV it may turn out to be a net loss. No one has been able to give a date for when the Nike right of first refusal clause expired (expires?). Her popularity was never going to be any higher than it was at the NCAA meet earlier this year and Nike may have set the NIL deal up to make sure she could not directly exploit it outside the Swoosh family. I think she is awesome, but with her lack of a kick she needs to be leaps and bounds above her competitors to dominate which is something 2024 NCAAs afforded her. I am betting she may regret not signing the deal on the table on the Tuesday after NCAAs, but hindsight is surely more accurate.
We are in a brave new era of contracts for college folks. While an NIL seems to be a no baggage deal, for folks like PV it may turn out to be a net loss. No one has been able to give a date for when the Nike right of first refusal clause expired (expires?). Her popularity was never going to be any higher than it was at the NCAA meet earlier this year and Nike may have set the NIL deal up to make sure she could not directly exploit it outside the Swoosh family. I think she is awesome, but with her lack of a kick she needs to be leaps and bounds above her competitors to dominate which is something 2024 NCAAs afforded her. I am betting she may regret not signing the deal on the table on the Tuesday after NCAAs, but hindsight is surely more accurate.
You done understand NIL. It just helps your number go up. All it means is the company you have a first rights to refusal with gets first chance to match any offer. If any company wants her they bid more and Nike says no then it’s that simple. It’s standard and simple. Parker is not signed because he Dad is screwing up and no one wants to give her the amount her Dad / Agent is asking for.
The other day I was walking through a dusty alleyway and saw an envelope marked "Parky Valby" which had some details on this inside of it. These were the contents...
Post NCAA's Nike had a very good offer on the table and there was an expectation from the Nike side that it was basically a done deal. Valby was at the Portland Track Festival with her mom and dad involved in lots of conversation with PM down the western end of the track. "I read" that on the following Tuesday (2 days later) they were going to be in Beaverton to sign it which was of course the first of two Tuesdays before the trials which would have been the logical and perfect timing.
However Tuesday came and went, so did the next one and then the trials - no announcement. No idea what was going on.
I then "read" that Valbys father (btw he's not a giant or actually physically imposing in real life) had basically taken the Nike number and shopped it around other brands for leverage. Nike contracts since Cap days have always had great upside if you break AR's, make teams, win medals but are still notoriously brutal in terms of reductions etc if you don't. In recent years other brands such as New Balance have simply offered more fixed, guaranteed $ which is probably why McLaughlin - even though she ticks the box with medals and records, feels no need to really promote New Balance outside of major events where she wears a Nike kit with NB spikes that nobody really notices.
When I read this (the leveraging part) I kind of had a double take. This is where I think having an agent with some knowledge of the sport might have helped the Valby camp. Firstly I would never be doing this with Nike for a number of reasons. Through guys like Caprioti (still heavily involved), they have connections with meets and meet directors in what is still a very insular, old-boy network world. Nike had also done special footwear for her that she had worn at NCAA's - not a great look in my opinion.
Then there was talk of a separate apparel v footwear deal (think Lulu lemon + a footwear brand) but this never works, meanwhile time is ticking towards Paris, the sports marketing arm of brands have so much to do and that's why she went in without a pro sponsor. Now the season is winding down, the Valbymania hype from college is definitely over. The last thing I "read" on this is that the numbers for her are dropping. I don't believe they got the timing on this one right. She will of course end up with someone - though I'd be surprised if it was Nike now and if it is it won't be the deal that was first offered.
Of course I then took this envelope, found a convenient 40 gallon drum and burned it. This could be why she is still unsigned, could be not...
I don't know why this post got downvoted so heavily. Might be the most plausible in this thread, where a lot of people have no clue and are obviously pulling stuff out of thin air. This scenario actually sounds quite plausible. I did kind of cringe a bit back in June when I heard the dad was doing the agent role.
As far as value. Didn't Drew Hunter get $400K a year for 10 years, back in 2015-16? If that's the case seems like $700K to $1 M a year for say 5 years wouldn't be too great of a stretch. But if you listen to the average letsrunner her value is dropping exponentially, and within a month she'll be paying Nike reps $10K a year just to wear their stuff.