Leo Manzano running without a shoe contract?

What does NKE want from distance runners? they want, "the phalanx". They want to see a lot of NKE singlets at the front. Nobody really cares who these people are. 80% of those wearing the NKE kit are getting their rent paid, and thats about it.

So why would NKE pay Rupp more? Because he draws spectators/fans (in a modest way) and creates an opportunity for, "the phalanx". If Rupp runs a race, a lot of others elites will want to run. So it will be an event with a better chance of success at a number of levels.

why pay Manzano? In one spring season he ran 3:34 and 3:54 for 1500, a few weeks apart. You cannot count on the guy. And that silver medal? He won that while not wearing NKE kit. So if you have an event and Manzano is the headline athlete, who knows who will show up. It is not nearly as sure a bet as a Rupp event.

And that is why Rupp gets paid, and Manzano is negotiating. The Rupp machine delivers the good for NKE much more consistently.

nice one fam wrote:

*Fam* wrote:false idealistic expectations created by marketing campaigns.

You mean like Reckless Running?

Run reckless is genius!!! Lay off Fam

He shouldn't of paraded around with that Mexican flag at the Olympics...people would like him more and he would be more marketable.

The fact about shoe contracts or sponsorship is more of a subsidized stipend because these athletics supposed having achieved something nearing great. Nike just have a soft spot for T&F athletics. Even ones nobody cares outside 100m sprint. There is no way Leo is giving back in revenue for free money to play he gets from Nike. Nobody bought a Nike shoes because he won a silver medal. Nobody cares.

BordaJumpa wrote:

He shouldn't of paraded around with that Mexican flag at the Olympics...people would like him more and he would be more marketable.

TRUUUUUUUUUUU

If no one cares why is everyone talking about the guy now.

The fact that he bombs in some races just makes him standout from the rest. Most runners like Lopez Lomong, Centro and Wheating under perform all the damn time and get one or two good races. Why can't Leo bomb a few times during a season??

He is still very marketable and if you haven't googled or youtube'd his name, you wouldn't know he is a big hit in the Hispanic community and in Texas. And everyone knows Texas produces the most athletes in this country and maybe the world.

Every picture I have seen of Leo and him on shows and the ones I have taken with him, he wears the Nike check all through his clothing. And the US Olympic uniform is a Nike one.

So is Manzano Mexican or American? Or is he Mexican-American? I want to be called Scottish-German-American and get benefits for it, like for starters being able to hold up the flags of Scotland, Germany, and USA at the Olympics. That sounds like fun

He is mocking, Insulting Mexico-- holding up the flag of their country when he doesn't even compete for them!

Now where did I put that Japanese flag...

The fact that Leo is Mexican-American makes him incredibly MORE marketable. The Latino community is an untapped market for shoe companies, especially in the running market, and utilizing athletes like Leo can be very profitable.

For what it is worth, according to Running USAs 2013 National Running Survey, only 10% of "core runners" know who Leo is.

Top Runners/Running Personalities Recognized:

Jeff Galloway 70%

Ryan Hall 69%

Hal Higdon 62%

Paula Radcliffe 61%

Alberto Salazar 61%

Kara Goucher 58%

Joan Benoit Samuelson 58%

Dean Karnazes 56%

Bary Yasso 54%

Meb Keflezighi 54%

Frank Shorter 52%

Deena Kastor 51%

Bill Rodgers 48%

Shalane Flanagan 46%

Mo Farah 44%

Scott Jurek 42%

Amby Burfoot 39%

Galen Rupp 36%

Jim Ryun 33%

John Bingham 30%

Katherine Switzer 29%

Alan Webb 22%

Dathan Ritzenhein 21%

Jenny Simpson 17%

Josh Cox 13%

Matt Centrowitz 12%

Leo Manzano 10%

Morgan Uceny 10%

Those percentages are pretty shocking. I find it hard to believe that Jim Ryun is so low.

Josh Cox!

Those Reebok commercials w/ Kenny Powers paid off.

This thread is too long for me to read but I saw some big $$$ so I'm interested. Who is this Leo Manzano guy?

Fam,

Do you honestly think Leo is clean just because of this slow time? Ever think that maybe he wasn't clean and now he is because of the WADA passport system?

Noticing a lot of guys getting much slower due to the system????? He does afterall have a dirty coach, lots of bad rumors about him. Why hang around a coach with a bad rep?

*fam* wrote:

Motto "Run with reckless abandon and let go of fear, doubt, anxiety, negativity or anything else that holds us back." That sounds pretty darn good to me.

Just call up Brad Pitt, get him to say that on camera, render in black and white and you're golden.

"It's not a journey. The journey ends, but we go on. The world turns and we turn with it. Plans disappear. Dreams takeover. But wherever I go, there you are. My luck, my fate, my fortune... Running Reckless. Inevitable.

running USA wrote:

For what it is worth, according to Running USAs 2013 National Running Survey, only 10% of "core runners" know who Leo is.

This is exactly the point I was making earlier. If only 10% of "core runners" know who Leo is what does that say about the rest of the population. I am willing to bet those numbers are correct too. I understand the rationale behind signing a Bolt or a Lebron to a big shoe contract. They have deep and broad recognition. But US distance runners are so far down on the totem pole of awareness by the general public that I find it difficult to believe that anyone outside a small core fan base is influenced by what brand the athlete wears. Having said that, though I don't understand it, I am glad for those athletes who are making decent money.

A few things I learned about Leo via his Facebook page and other various media in the past few days: He posted a photo of himself horsing around with "Nike model Grace Padilla." He is on the cover of this month's issue of Austin Fit magazine, and he is totally decked out in Nike gear in photos accompanying the article. In the photo he is using for his Facebook cover photo, he is clearly displaying Nike shoes, when he could have easily cropped that out. Doesn't sound like the behavior of an unsponsored professional athlete mere months off of an Olympic medal. And if he IS negotiating, I imagine it's a formality.

Oh, and he says he PR'd in Carlsbad.

Capitalism

OPC wrote:

Every time a thread like this pops up I'm always amazed by the people that think shoe companies are charities, just throwing money around to random athletes.

They expect the fastest guys to get the biggest contracts. You think that Nike are going to give a big contract to random fast Kenyan #1635? Oh you run 7:55 in the steeple? OK well done but literally only a handful of people know your name.

Pistorious isn't the fastest, Jeremy Lin isn't the best point guard, Tebow isn't the best QB. If Bolt never breaks 10 seconds again he'll still be the highest paid guy in athletics until the day he retires.

These companies are out to make money. Does Manzano generate $100k a year in shoe sales? $50k? $20k? $5k?

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Don't forget that we are not just talking about the US. Other countries may recognize Leo more than in the US. Show companies like Nike just love to have the top 3 or the top 5 guys in a race in Europe wearing their shoes.

Canada Coach wrote:

Don't forget that we are not just talking about the US. Other countries may recognize Leo more than in the US. Show companies like Nike just love to have the top 3 or the top 5 guys in a race in Europe wearing their shoes.

How often is Leo a top 3 guy in European races?