Drew Hunter goes pro (just as we told you weeks ago) - signs with adidas

doot doot wrote:

Kate Murphy?

LOL thats not even legal

Trueeee wrote:

+1 He wants to keep hitting it

It's not her dude

Nope... wrote:

Gvl wrote:

I figure 10-year, $50k/year, $500,000 deal.

You figure wrong.

Well, he's a pimply white guy in a country that hates it's world-class black distance runners, so the mere fact that he might one day be able to get his ass handed to him in an international competition makes him highly marketable to the people who can't see themselves rooting for Mead, Lagat and Chelimo. He could be like Ryan Hall - never win anything at an Olympics or World Champs but still make a fortune. He's probably getting a 6 figure annual salary.

Yeah, that was very, very strange, that post from Drew's neighbor. There could be a Lyme Disease explanation.

I don't think Drew runs nude down that road -- he'd be even more of a target for ticks, little b*stards he'd like to avoid.

Rupp got $500k per year after Oregon

Centro got $400-700k per year (contract also includes $1 million bonus for Olympic gold) after Oregon

Webb got $250k per year after one year at Michigan and was supposedly offered $2 million a year after his 3:53 and Letterman appearance

Fernandez was offered $200k per year out of HS

Boris Berian signed with New Balance for 125k per year earlier this year

Jager got $30k per year after one year at Wisconsin

What's Hunter's value given both inflation and the dramatic rise in talent in recent years? $200k per year base plus another $100k in easy-ish incentives?

Where do you guys come up with stuff like this? This scale that you are off is pretty large.

Running Rovell wrote:

Rupp got $500k per year after Oregon

Centro got $400-700k per year (contract also includes $1 million bonus for Olympic gold) after Oregon

Webb got $250k per year after one year at Michigan and was supposedly offered $2 million a year after his 3:53 and Letterman appearance

Fernandez was offered $200k per year out of HS

Boris Berian signed with New Balance for 125k per year earlier this year

Jager got $30k per year after one year at Wisconsin

What's Hunter's value given both inflation and the dramatic rise in talent in recent years? $200k per year base plus another $100k in easy-ish incentives?

Herzo Resident wrote:

Where do you guys come up with stuff like this? This scale that you are off is pretty large.

The Centro, Webb, and Berian numbers were widely reported in reputable publications, not just on message boards. Fernandez we know had a six figure offer and $200k is the number I've seen on here most frequently. Rupp's number was the consensus speculative amount on here when he left Oregon but that is only speculation and I should have marked it as such. And for Jager Nike paid for the cost of his college, which was about $30k.

The Hunter number is nothing more than me trying to figure out what adidas might have done based on the information we know from similar caliber runners. Given his age and the number of talented young runners $50k annual base plus $50k if he makes a team and further incentives for medals and records makes more sense but would be low given his historical counterparts.

Hunter got $60,000/year.

Why are the salaries of track and field athletes such state secrets? All other pro sports are mostly transparent about player salaries. As if the "Runners must be amateurs to be Olympians" taboo still surrounds the sport. They run for money, we pay to watch (and then chat on LRC MB) them. What's the hush hush for?

I'd love to be excited about Drew Hunter but I'm not. I've learned as a US fan to be extremely cynical. I remember the Lukas Verczbicas's of the world, the German Fernandez', the Mary Cains, the Jordan Hasay's. High school means nothing.

Ask any NCAA all-American senior if they want to go pro. That's really the point of college running when you are that level of athlete. Drew has already proven himself and can now take an offer that gives him a free degree.

Fact nor fiction, I guarentee you that chinese take-out in Purcellville VA today is up 20%.

Does anyone know what speed the other runners on the Loudoun Valley team are after Drew? When I was a senior, I was only an 18:00 runner but was the fastest on the team. It's crazy how much faster Valley has gotten.

LV had a 4:21 sophomore this year.

Drew's brother (freshman) went 4:31/9:48

quite good. From memory:

1:55 4:25 9:23 sophomore

4:21 9:23 sophomore

A crapload of 9:xx underclassmen; Jacob Hunter is barely the fastest freshman, if he is at all, and he runs 4;31 9:49 or so. Their team is good now.

Whoa I didn't see that on his Diego Zarate's twitter. With DZ recently winning the Junior Olympics after one season of running VT, and expressing the exact same marketable features of Hunter (blonde hair, blue eyes, humble, well-spoken, very fast), what are the rates that we start to see other runners gaining some of these five-figure contracts?

Keeping in mind Hunter, so far, has only beaten high schoolers, a decade long contract is a bit of a stretch.

For his sake, I hope it's a lot more than $60,000 per year for 10 years; that's just next to nothing to give up the college experience in my opinion. To each his own, and I'm sure the decision is right for him at the moment. Hopefully it turns out to be something he never regrets.

And, yes, I see that Adidas will pay for him to go to the college of his choice. That's nice. Won't be the same though.

The contract may not average more than $60k per year once all is said and done but my guess is that would be the minimum if ALL the reductions kick in.

Everyone has different views of college. Some would see college as a 4/5 year pressure cooker (and hate academics anyway) where you could lose your scholarship if you can't quite kick Lyme disease or barely get injured.

I am sure that Drew made the best decision for Drew.

I heard he was going pro before the Pre Classic. If you go back and watch our interviews of him after that date, we ask him about it but he sort of brushes it off.

I think the guy above is close on most of those except for the $2 million for Webb.

The 50k per year for Hunter is laughable. Maybe 8 times that.

Jeff Albertson wrote:

Another clincher may be that Drew has a serious girlfriend. So he wants to stay close to home rather than going to Eugene.

This serious girlfriend may or may not be a very fast runner.

after today's meet I am inclined to agree with this.