Could a US runner be successful on a Japanese Corporate Running Team?

Brian,

I spotted this article by Joe Henderson. What came of that?

http://www.michiganrunner.net/features/henderson1104.html

Oops! The article was by Tom Henderson, not Joe Henderson.

Oops! The article was by Tom Henderson, not Joe Henderson.

Brian:

I am, as I'm sure most of the readers of this thread, quite shocked by your story. However unfortunate it had been for you, I would still have to say it is quite a rare incidence. Just as I'm checking the result of corporate Ekiden in the Japanese magazine, I can easily spot 10 African-looking athletes competing for various Japanese corporate teams. As I said, it's either they are so stupid that they don't know they are not getting paid or your situation is very much isolated case.

I am aware of Mazda sponsoring some US athletes in the late 80s and early 90s; however, I don't quite recall Mazda owning "a corporate team" as I know of; likes of Chugoku Electronics, Mitsui Insurance, Konica, Acom, Asahi-Kasei, S&B and Hitachi (where I coached). There are crooks in Japan, there are crooks in the US, there are crooks everywhere. Hate to say but you must have been really put in such a tangled-up situation, without much internal help (it seems like). I've been also involved in consulting work between Japanese companies and US companies and well aware of how tricky that could be as well.

I am quite a bit bothered by all the story you have shared with us (it's been bothering all day). As I said, I'm heading for Japan this Saturday, staying in Tokyo for 5 days before heading down to see my parents (my dad's been ill) for a couple of days. While in Tokyo, I'll be meeting with a representative from Federation, the president of Japan Running Acadmy, a couple of Japanese running magazine people as well as one of the corporate team coaches. If there is ANYTHING I can do to help you, do feel free to contact me directly. I've seen ugly sides of Japanese corporate running program; I've seen great sides of it as well. I hope you don't forget that there are brighter side of it as well. There are nasty agent to send athletes to Japan; there are great ones who helps athletes to Japan; just as I've seen both great and ugly sides in the US as well.

All the best.

Hey Nobby, I did not say that your people are crooks, just those particular guys in Mazda. I had suggested a possible course of action for the obvious victim of scam. Only if he doesn't get a justice, it might become a much bigger issue at the Int. Court of Justice (if he chooses to go that far).

I am sure that ther are hundrets of similar cases all around the Europe. Any so-called manager of 2nd tier road race makes thousands of promises and then never fulfill them... so this was not an attack against Japanese corporate teams, or Japan as a whole. Just one case and one unlucky victim.

Ronin (the unattached warrior):

Perhaps I sounded as if I took it a bit personal. Didn't mean to. However, I actually DID take it rather personally (what Mazda did) and was quite offended by it "assuming" the whole story is true. I'm already in touch with Brian personally (third time I used this word) and I think there's something I can do to help him. We'll see...

The one time I talked to Jeff Schiebler he said he was doing very well financially. Also, after being on the NEC team for a while he was secure enough to tell them their three-a-days/overtraining was idiotic and he was having none of it.

So it is possible to get a good deal.

He has since moved on to other teams, so I guess he liked running in Japan.

This is from an article on him by Marcie Good:

Schiebler's contract promises him a six-figure salary, plus travel and living expenses. In return, he

trains and lives in Japan seven months of the year, competing for NEC. He is released for the

Olympics, the World Championships, and any meets required by Athletics Canada. Marek Jedrzejek

says that, when you add in the substantial benefits, Schiebler's current contract is comparable to that

of an NHL player making half a million. "An athlete of Jeff's level," he says, "if he stayed in Canada,

would make about forty thousand dollars from contracts with shoe companies, carding, and prize

money. There's quite a difference."

The entire article is at:

http://web.archive.org/web/20010803205739/http://www.saturdaynight.ca/Articles/TopStory1.asp?ArticleAction=Archive&SearchText=schiebler+japan&ArchiveIssue=61

Nobby - the Ford automotive company owns appox 33% of Mazda. If you signed the contract here in the USA you should have some legal remedies against Ford/Mazda corporate or at least could attach a lien against their offices and equipment here. You should contact a runner/attorney like Henry Marsh to see if you can pursue your claim here in the US. There is no reason not to try.

Sorry - meant that to "Stuck in Japan"/Brian. Brian, also what about political refugee status in Canada or UK? At least you could get out of Japan and get a country.

The Japanese record for the 1500 is 3:38. I think many American middle distance runners would find a lot of success running in Japan.

Nobby wrote:

Brian:

I am, as I'm sure most of the readers of this thread, quite shocked by your story. However unfortunate it had been for you, I would still have to say it is quite a rare incidence. Just as I'm checking the result of corporate Ekiden in the Japanese magazine, I can easily spot 10 African-looking athletes competing for various Japanese corporate teams. As I said, it's either they are so stupid that they don't know they are not getting paid or your situation is very much isolated case.

Just because some "African-looing athletes" are competing for Japanese corporate teams, does not mean that some of them aren't being badly mistreated. It may mean that they currently don't have other options and are not in a position to flee the country.

Shanni Davis

Great point. From reading Mr. Sheriff's comments, the contract and subsequent payment problems began to occur the same time the previous leadership with Ford/Mazda was driving the company into the ground. I believe Mazda is now under the direction of the same person who righted the ship at Nissan when it was on the verge of going under.

Ford/Mazda U.S.A is located in Dearborn, Michigan and appropriate department contacts can be found from the company web-sites. If this is a "tip-of-the-iceberg" situation with Mazda and employee treatment, regardless if this is an athlete sponsorship program, Ford may want to get this resolved ASAP before the national media in the US gets this story. Ford can not afford more negative publicity, let alone one which involves violations of human rights issues and contract violations. Imagine if this was a UAW member! If I recall, Brian Sheriff is/was/is a Reebok contracted athlete, and isn't Reebok an international advocate of equality and human rights issues?

First things first, Ronin-the International Court of Justice only hears cases presented by sovereign entities, personal actions are not accepted, so this is not an option. There may be a chance of pursuing an action in the United States, contingent upon jurisdiction being established, tenuous but not impossible. (Of course this is not legal advice)

Brian-I just learned of this string of posts from a little guy we both know. I hope to be able to communicate with you directly-it has been a long (too long)time.

How do we make contact? Look forward to hearing from you.CM

Just a reminder to the old-timers and info for you younger guys, Brian Sheriff was a FIRST tier runner, not 2nd.

Past winner of Crim and many other major road races in the U.S. Multiple winner of the San Blas Half Marathon in Puerto Rico.

Trained on the high plains of Texas (Levelland/Lubbock) and a graduate of South Plains College and Texas Tech University. (did not run for Texas Tech).

What...

Bill Gates the first wrote:

http://www.letsrun.com/japan.shtml

bump..

Any word about Brian's status?