BREAKING: Symmonds off World team

Confused here wrote:

I don't understand. Why doesn't he just go to worlds and then Sue/protest/challenge/engage in professional dialogue/whatever afterwards? Missing worlds is really mainly hurting him not USATF.

I actually disagree.

I think if Symmonds misses Worlds it is huge, huge publicity for him and USATF comes out looking like a bully.

Symmonds won USAs, but repeating what he did in 2013 was going to be almost impossible. Now he looks like a hero and get 10x times more publicity than if he medalled.

A very possible scenario for Nick this year was he did not make the final at Worlds. He's a competitor and only #19 in the world at 800 this year. He hasn't run an 800 in 2 months. 8 Kenyans are on the list so at Worlds he'll be 14th fastest heading in, but not a lock to make the final.

Now instead of being the silver medallist who didn't make the final (the 800 final is the hardest distance final to make) he's a hero to many.

This is something we tweeted to NIck before the news broke: why not blackline a contract, sign it and give it to USATF? I'd love to know what the dialogue between the two sides was. If it was all via twitter, and "I'm not going to sign the contract" I think was pushing USATF's hand a bit. They should have clarified what a team function was and never kept him off the team.

I'm shocked they didn't put him on the team, but this means Nick will get way more publicity than if he ran worlds.

usatf@fault wrote:

Corrupt to the core wrote:

Nike will lose more than Nick in this situation.

Right or wrong many people think Nike is wrong. Nick is becoming a hero even though he is running horribly.

CEO of Brooks tweeted in support of Nick. His contract will probably increase and his public image most certainly will. All while running slower than High School kids.

Again - its USATF that's the issue. It's ok for Nike to have a uniform contract with USATF. USATF's terms of how they enforce it are what's wrong.

I agree. Nike like any company is going to try and get the most they can. It's USATF that is agreeing to and implementing it.

I know it's fun these days to try and attack Nike at every opportunity but USATF is the problem, in my opinion.

If nothing comes of this what does Nick do next year when an olympic team is on the line? He surely won't sign the same contract...would he?

wejo nails it^

So USATF couldn't write down specifically what constitutes a "Team Function"?

That is ultimately all Nick was asking for, USATF truly sucks.

They just need to go away like the AAU before them.

Fucking despise USATF

Calculated move by Symmonds.

He's sticking up for what he believes in, and at the same time he's enhancing his popularity and publicity.

This turns him into a hero and will increase his marketability.

That has to be at least a small factor in his decision to push the envelope this far.

Nick will get an injunction and go to China.

Wouldn't it be better to have no USATF than one owned by nike? Track is already unwatchable because of NOPe and the rest of the nike doping program.

Wejo,

It sounds like you haven't seen USATF's official response to Nick:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/273698298/Max-Siegel-USATF

There was a lot of back-and-forth between the two parties. What I find interesting is Nicks claim that signing this would violate his contract with Brooks. That makes no sense, and Max calls him out on it.

Notice that in one of Nick's tweets he said "thanks to all of the fans for their support" and NOT "thanks to all of the fans and my fellow athletes" for their support. There has not been a peep from any non-Nike athlete on the team, no matter if they are well-positioned and have "nothing to lose" like Nick (think Jenny S. and Molly H.) or already have an axe to grind with Nike (think Leo M.). To me, that speaks volumes.

yeah sick the way wejo tweeted symmonds right before the news broke and then makes it sounds like he provided a reasonable solution that symmonds ignored. nice journalism wejo.

What an idiot. Everyone else is more concerned about the world championships than what brand their sweats are.....lol I hope he's happy with the attention he's getting, because that's all he's doing it for. Neither him or brooks loses anything from him running at worlds in a nike uniform. no one else has ever complained that they had to wear team usa gear. what a moron, throwing away the last chance he has to make an international final for attention. used to like him, can't stand him anymore.

I don't get this...

After reading Max Siegel's response, this looks dumb. It looks like Nick argued about a couple things that he wasn't even correct on. Max made a very good argument as well.

Why is he crying about this? Honestly, I'm a nick fan and think USATF has some major issues. However, this seems like Nick trying to gain attention. This is pathetic.

read it on scribd wrote:

Notice that in one of Nick's tweets he said "thanks to all of the fans for their support" and NOT "thanks to all of the fans and my fellow athletes" for their support. There has not been a peep from any non-Nike athlete on the team, no matter if they are well-positioned and have "nothing to lose" like Nick (think Jenny S. and Molly H.) or already have an axe to grind with Nike (think Leo M.). To me, that speaks volumes.

This is incorrect. Please do not talk in absolutes if you do not know all the facts. Thanks.

scribd is yo problem wrote:

read it on scribd wrote:

Notice that in one of Nick's tweets he said "thanks to all of the fans for their support" and NOT "thanks to all of the fans and my fellow athletes" for their support. There has not been a peep from any non-Nike athlete on the team, no matter if they are well-positioned and have "nothing to lose" like Nick (think Jenny S. and Molly H.) or already have an axe to grind with Nike (think Leo M.). To me, that speaks volumes.

This is incorrect. Please do not talk in absolutes if you do not know all the facts. Thanks.

Show me public support (tweet, blog post, skywriting, whatever) from ONE athlete currently on the Beijing team.

Mainstream America may look at Symmonds as a traitor. "What! He doesn't want to wear the uniform? He must be one of those that hates America."

Not defining "team function is on USATF. Not competing at Worlds is on Symmonds.

Nick told the NY Times, "I'd probably have to talk to a lawyer" if USATF kicked him off and told Sports Business Journal, "He said he will sue to recover costs if he is left off the team, but his goal is bigger than that. "

Anyone know what his legal options are to get on the team? Might warrant its own thread.

Confused here wrote:

I don't understand. Why doesn't he just go to worlds and then Sue/protest/challenge/engage in professional dialogue/whatever afterwards? Missing worlds is really mainly hurting him not USATF.

He's injured or not 100 percent.

rupp-certified saladbar wrote:Nick is...Strong #2 after Johnny Gray.

Its important that you do a google search for Dave Wottle, at your soonest convenience.

Nick also tweeted that tomorrow he will show proof that USATF is stealing millions from athletes...

Anyone explain?

At this point, it's probably too late to sue to get on the team. Any lawsuit would likely be for damages.

wejo wrote:

Nick told the NY Times, "I'd probably have to talk to a lawyer" if USATF kicked him off and told Sports Business Journal, "He said he will sue to recover costs if he is left off the team, but his goal is bigger than that. "

Anyone know what his legal options are to get on the team? Might warrant its own thread.