Its a sad day in USA distance running if the only marathon medalist and recent winner of the ING NYC marathon isn't sponsored less than 12 months before the olympic trials.
I've heard that's been since the begining of the year. Now I saw why. Do you realize how expensive Breathe-Right masks are? Something had to be sacrificed.
That is awesome that Rupp basically ran half the race with less oxygen than everyone else in the race.
I guess Alberto needed Mo Farah badly.
Its the likes of Meb that US distance running is back. The guy just won NYC Marathon and continues to set PRs at the half and marathon. WHY?
Holy Cow! I am a college student looking at different sponsors and this alarms me. I'll think twice before signing with Nike. Meb has been my hero since I started running.
I noticed this, I was wondering what singlet he was wearing because it looked different. If this is true that is pretty sad. He won NYC less than 2 years ago...
I wonder if they kept him out of Boston too.
Based on this picture it's pretty clear that he isn't sponsored by Nike anymore. I thought the contracts usually went through the Olympic cycle.
http://www.runnersworld.com/photo/2011nychalf/slide2.html
I'm starting to wonder if losing his sponsorship played a role in Meb not getting an offer to run Boston.
What company will pick him up? I guess his performance today was good but I'm not sure it will help him get a new deal.
There is no way this is true! I can see if he wasn't running well but I would hardly call winning NYC as recent as 18 months ago a bad performance.
something tells me this stinks of his brother/agent thinking meb is worth more than the market does. first, he asked for an absurd appearance fee for boston and pissed the hancock folks off enough to not counter and now this with nike? it's a shame because meb has earned some legacy deals, but unfortunately, it doesn't look they are coming his way at the price he wants
We don't know for sure what went down but from what I've read about this family and their humble ways. This is bad. If it were Galen or Dathan with Meb's credentials they would have a building named after them at Nike base and a lifetime Nike contract. Meb's lifetime story is going to win Oscars one day, you heard it here first.
Looks like he's still wearing Nike gloves and shoes anyway, I think Lunaracer 2s.
I am sure Meb can get another shoe sponsor but imagine having to change your wardrobe after collecting Nike apparel worth 100's of thousand dollars. It sounds to me like Nike got more than what they invested in Meb over the years. He delivered. If they wanted to they could afford to have Meb. Just look at the daily headlines about all the high tech Alberto's group uses.
Probably because Meb's greed is insatiable and no shoe comapny can offer him a contract that meets his approval. Similar to the Boston Marathon situation.
Chances are they are still negotiating. I highly doubt that Nike wouldn't sign Meb. He is a sponsor magnet. Look at all the sponsors listed on his website. The guy has big name sponsors like Sony and Mastercard. I in line at the grocery store and picked up a women's fitness magazine at the checkout and guess who I see on a full page ad? Meb was on a full page ad wearing his Sony Walkman with Nike gear. That alone has to be worth alot to Nike for the exposure on Sony's dime.
Do the marketing people at Nike see this stuff.
Random Fan wrote:
... That alone has to be worth alot to Nike for the exposure on Sony's dime.
Do the marketing people at Nike see this stuff.
The issue is that the average person sees the person in the ad as a model. They have no idea who he is or what he has done.
The marketing people at Nike are horrible at their job. Nike puts millions of dollars into sponsoring T&F athletes every year, yet they don't do anything to really market their athletes. When was the last time there was a hot selling shoe named after a T&F athlete? The Kennedy was the only one that comes to mind that doesn't have Pre's face on it. It's sad, and says something about our sport, when a dude that's been dead for over 30 years is the most popular athlete.
Btw, good job to Meb for getting sponsors outside of just a shoe company.
Alberto probably had him dropped to make a budget for Mo Farah. What a coincidence that Farah signs and Meb gets dropped. Meb probably refused to join Alberto's group.
