Nike Oregon Project Update?

where can I find more about this program?

do they have a website?

This whole project makes me laugh. Al Sal's approach to the sport since his long ago glory days has been, in no particular order: prayer and God, prozac, various other drugs, and now this project. When I look at Salazar I see someone who did run out of his mind several times. But never at the Olympics. There was always an excuse or a "reason". And now he coaches. Forgive me for being underwhelmed by the "Oregon Project". Call me up when any of these dogs in the special house make an Olympic team never mind medal at an Olympics or a World Cross.

Why try anything different? After all, the American development system is working very well. No excuses have been tossed about by the cavalcade of medalists residing in the good ol' U.S. of A! It's to the point where you can't throw a stone without hitting a 2:06 marathoner. Those Africans must feel like giving up when the red, white, and blue shows up.

Ask Dan Browne how well it's working for him.

God help anyone for trying something new in order to improve. And BTW, it's more of a Nike deal with Salazar named to head it than a purely Salazar creation.

Hey guest skeptic... Alberto did not run well in the Olympics? OK, but he still ran 2:08, 13:12 and 27:25. To quote the great Chris Katon, "I'd rather run great sometime than never."

Also, since you're such an authority on the Oregon Project based on what you've read, perhaps you should know that Karl Keska finished 8th in the Sydney Olympic final and that Phillimon Hanneck has performed very well in an Olympic 1,500m final. But what do I know since you're so well-informed.

Keska-NOT an american.

Hanneck-1500 run during his time representing Zimbabwe.

Bottom line-With all of the $ behind this project from Nike, one would like to think that these guys would be making much more noise than other smaller groups(i.e. Hansons). Especially with Salazar behind the wheel. I'd rather not bash someone so early in the game, but what are some of the other guys in this group doing right now? Specifically guys like Chad Johnson and Dave Davis?

Dude, take it easy!! I was just asking a freakin' question!!I have nothing negative to say about this group. I just wanted to know why, as the person who started this thread brought up, we have not heard that much from this group that has all the gizmos. I would hope Johnson and Davis and the like would be training their asses off, but you must admit, the article said they were pointing towards doing something to change the game in US marathoning and with the exception of Browne running one (and I feel he will pop a good one), they have apparently been silent on the marathon front thus far. I know it can take years to get guys to train to run one the right way, so like I said I'm not slamming anyone. I was just kinda curious to hear from some of the other guys in the project. Do you have any inside info to pass along since you're sooo pissed at me and the guy who started this thread??!!?? Because I'd love to hear it.

As the person that started the thread, I just see several contradictions.

1. This is a Marathon group.

No one has yet to run a marathon, including Browne.

and he is the only one that has one planned.

2. Alberto has said on many occasion that the problem with U.S. marathoners is that they wait too long and that they can run competitive on the track and the marathon at the same time (as he did). It has been one year and how have they done thus far. He is inconsistent to now tell us that he is going to work on other distances first. Donnelly, Johnson, Hanneck ????

I think what has dissappointed me the most is that they (Nike) sucked me in. I was really hoping that this would lead to something. I new that when the Farm Team brought in Gags and he said "I was brought in here to produce a 3:31 1500 man in the next year." This was just hype and after a year would come and go no one would ever question his failure to do what he claimed he was brought in to do. Nike received the attention that they were looking for and the results are irrelevant. I feel that Nike has already received enough press (hype) from the signing of Webb that it is worth their while. Once again the results are irrelevant. The same is true of N.O.P. (Nike Oregon Project). It is a way for Nike to keep their name in the spotlight and if they produce great, if not, their name was still in the spotlight. Who was it that said "Image is everything"? I feel bad for us stupid fans that are so desperate for something to cling to that we buy it. Damn you Nike you got me on this one. Remember back a decade or so ago when New Balance offered a million dollars for a W.R. in the marathon. Never had to pay but there was never a televised marathon on T.V. that I didn't hear it brought up. The shoe companies are not doing a damn thing to help american distance running as a matter of fact they are currently hurting development. I also feel for the athletes that buy into this hogwash for a $15K shoe deal or worse yet, a 2:15 marathoner that thinks that a $15k shoe deal is helping them develop.

"skeptic" asked: Who was it that said "Image is everything"? Most famously, Nike pitchman Andre Agassi, tho he was plugging cameras at the time (Canon?).

Nike was late on the Webb Publicity Avalanche, in relative terms -- last year was far more Webb-saturated than 2002 -- but they had the good luck or good plannign to swoosh up his high school's uniforms while he was having a better season. Trust me, they don't throw that kind of money away, unless they are idiots who happened to "luck into" and maintain their global-leading market share (highly unlikely), they would have had had some smart running specialists look over the kid and see if he was a good multi-year risk.

Old-timer basketball fans may remember groundbreaking long-term contracts for Magic Johnson and Patrick Ewing that paid them then-ridiculously high salaries of about $3 million a year. Those soon looked very cheap, enough so to be renegotiated.

All that said, I am in very close agreement with "skeptic" -- Nike OP is at least theoretically a ploy to sell more sneakers (or else Phil Knight is stealing from his shareholders) -- the best way to keep publicity going is to get good results, and I wish that for every one of those guys in the "High-Altitude PlayStation Lounge."

The whole Project thing is very interesting, but do you really think that even if they do get some positive results, that they have any idea what did the most good?

There are just so many things that they are trying, hoping that this will produce a world class performance. If one thing ends up being useless or detrimental and everything else is beneficial, do they scrap everything and try something else. My point is that it seems a little too hit and miss.

Bottom line: Salazar has no clue and is basically guessing while providing runners with false hope!

I thought I read somehwere that Salazar's runners were attempting to get their pr's down (5k, 10k, etc.) before moving into the marathon. I thought that was the reason why no one had raced a marathon yet.

Mr. Mcveigh,

Thank you for the support. I in no way think that Nike is being run by idiots. I think that no one is better than they are at marketing. I am just mad at myself for not recognizing N.O.P. as just that. I am always the skeptic and they got me. The wired article also stated that this program came as a result of frustration watching several Kenyans cross the BOSTON finish line before an american. Any bets on whether or not any of these guys run BOSTON this year or ever? American Distance Running problems are not going to come from someone who has to answer to shareholders.

The Skeptic

MUAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

see that very nike shoes you bought? you had just helped them in this project, DIRECTLY.

You obviously didn't notice that Chad Johnson was from Connecticut on the results, not Oregon... not the same guy. Get your facts straight before you shoot off your mouth.

browne recently completed a 22 mile run @5:05 pace and per salazar is ready to run 2:10 @twin cites.

That 22 miler is typical Nike propoganda. Tell us what someone is going to do and when they never do there is no follow up. Meanwhile keep building up what they "might do". I heard (and later read) Frank Gagliano say "I was brought in here (farm team) to produce a 3:31 1500 over the next 12 months." It has now been 18 months and how close are they. Are they asking for his resignation? Hell no, it was just hype and it produced attention towards Nike and that was the real goal. Results are irrelevant. The N.O.P. in its first year can only muster one person on the starting line so lets build up the one guy now because we will not be able to produce a whole lot of hype after he runs 2:14 and we blame it on the weather or competition or whatever else. It is humorous that the program began because Nike was annoyed by the kenyan domination at Boston. So they chose to run at a race where zero kenyans will be participating (a U.S. championship). I wonder do you think that Nike cares about the development of U.S. distance runners and are just incompetent at doing anything about it? Or, Do you think they only care about their image and the appearance that they are trying to do something?

While I understand your frustration with shoe companies, I don't think you are correct in asserting they are doing nothing to develop american distance runners. The $15k contracts that some sneer at actually make the difference for many runners. The runners that are supported are usually identified at NCAA's. The fact is that distance running does not have much marketing value except within a small community. So, while I definitely believe the shoe companies such as nike could do much, much more to support american distance running, I am grateful for what we get. I also believe that we are on the upswing. The depth is not there yet, but it is coming. One thing you may think about when you get "suckered" by nike or another shoe company is that it is the story that compels and the story that sells.

Dan Browne's a teriffic runner. My guess, tho, is that if he had a choice, he would have asked Coach Salazar to keep his mouth shut. When it comes to the marathon, I usually refer to phrases like "He's ready to run x:xx" and "She's in x:xx shape" as pre-epitaphs.

In case you're reading this, Dan...go get 'em. Just run with heart and remember all the training you've done is so you can run when you feel bad; anyone can run when he feels good. What other people say you "could" run is worth s--t (and of course that includes what I'm saying here).