Allyson Felix got dropped by Nike

Leave it to Beaverton wrote:

Interesting that she only decided to come out and talk crap about Nike after they didn’t renew her contract at the end of 2018. Running unattached now. I wonder if someone else will pick her up.

She had a baby and they didn't renew her? I would speak out against that as well. The reason she didn't say much before is because believe it or not people do have some professionalism these days. I'm shocked they would drop her, she's still competitive and a great brand ambassador for the company. Nike certainly loves to keep fans guessing!

Neely Spence had a kid and looks nowhere near any sort of form but Adidas continues to keep her on the roster? If I were Felix I would take that spot.

I’d pick her up!

I can def see New Balance coming in and scooping her. There doing great building their sprints team, McLaughlin, Kendall Ellis, Gabby Thomas. That'd be a game changer!

Both can be true at the same time, they dropped her & she felt more comfortable to talk about her experience. The kind of pressure athletes face would prevent her from speaking out under contract. I get how it looks after the fact but that doesn't devalue her experience. We know what Nike is. They're going to try to put their gear on as many athletes as possible for as little money as possible. You don't hit times or miss a team, pay cut. You get injured, pay cut. You want to have a kid, we don't offer any leave and pay cut or contract not renewed. You're an extreme example of an at-will employee in T&F. Put up or make nothing. Meanwhile meets/agents/shoe companies/execs seem to be making okay money. Athletes need to get themselves a collective bargaining agreement. Problem is track is a global sport but I'm sure US athletes could better advocate collectively at some of the bigger meets.

This was a big story a few months ago

www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/opinion/allyson-felix-pregnancy-nike.amp.html

NB professional running sponsorship is not equal opportunity. Seems to be women only.

Even without pregnancy, presumably almost every athlete is going to get paid less for their contract starting at age 32 than their previous contract from roughly ages 27-31?

Leave it to Beaverton wrote:

Interesting that she only decided to come out and talk crap about Nike after they didn’t renew her contract at the end of 2018. Running unattached now. I wonder if someone else will pick her up.

So, she... SHOULDN’T have ‘come out’ and ‘talk crap’ after she was pregnant and dropped by Nike? Is that what you’re recommending? Cuz I can certainly understand why she’s frustrated with the situation.

As far as I have read, they didn't "drop" her, her contract expired. They offered her a new contract that she felt under valued her perceived status as an "icon" of the sport, so she is voluntarily running unattached. Part of her negotiating strategy was to come out and publicly criticize her former employer about a lack of pregnancy coverage that she did not negotiate for in her previous contract and which is available on the open market. It is early to tell if this was a wise negotiating tactic or not.

Gretchen Weiners wrote:

Neely Spence had a kid and looks nowhere near any sort of form but Adidas continues to keep her on the roster? If I were Felix I would take that spot.

Neely is a stud, but there's a BIG money difference between her contract and Allison's. I bet Felix' was 5x or more the $$$

Is New Balance professional running just for women? wrote:

NB professional running sponsorship is not equal opportunity. Seems to be women only.

It’s not that, it seems they just hit out the park with the women, starting with Jenny Simpson, then Martinez and coburn and now with McLaughlin.

They’ve had bad luck with the men with Trayvon bromell and Boris berian getting hurt, but both of these men have either medaled or made a final at WC/OLY

joedirt wrote:

As far as I have read, they didn't "drop" her, her contract expired. They offered her a new contract that she felt under valued her perceived status as an "icon" of the sport, so she is voluntarily running unattached. Part of her negotiating strategy was to come out and publicly criticize her former employer about a lack of pregnancy coverage that she did not negotiate for in her previous contract and which is available on the open market. It is early to tell if this was a wise negotiating tactic or not.

Have to save money so they can keep Kaepernick on the payroll.

joedirt wrote:

As far as I have read, they didn't "drop" her, her contract expired. They offered her a new contract that she felt under valued her perceived status as an "icon" of the sport, so she is voluntarily running unattached. Part of her negotiating strategy was to come out and publicly criticize her former employer about a lack of pregnancy coverage that she did not negotiate for in her previous contract and which is available on the open market. It is early to tell if this was a wise negotiating tactic or not.

This. Far too many people like to make these things out to be "Nike is this big evil corporation". While that point may be debateable, the real takeaway is that a sponsorship from any company is an investment, and even in a sport as small as track, that investment needs to have a positive return. If AF can make the Olympic team, she will definitely be one of the major stories that NBC focuses on. She knows that, and Nike knows that. Both sides come to some version of what that publicity is worth. In this case, they were obviously different enough that they went separate ways.

Leave it to Beaverton wrote:

Interesting that she only decided to come out and talk crap about Nike after they didn’t renew her contract at the end of 2018. Running unattached now. I wonder if someone else will pick her up.

Why would she come out and talk crap about Nike while they are her employer?

so why didn't anyone else pick her up

NBscoop wrote:

I can def see New Balance coming in and scooping her. There doing great building their sprints team, McLaughlin, Kendall Ellis, Gabby Thomas. That'd be a game changer!

Any company with a brain would pick her up. Perhaps Under Armour as well, as they have a stable of sports icons (Phelps, Tom Brady, Curry etc). Felix is arguably the most recognizable T&F athlete aside from Bolt.

Dwightarm wrote:

Leave it to Beaverton wrote:

Interesting that she only decided to come out and talk crap about Nike after they didn’t renew her contract at the end of 2018. Running unattached now. I wonder if someone else will pick her up.

So, she... SHOULDN’T have ‘come out’ and ‘talk crap’ after she was pregnant and dropped by Nike? Is that what you’re recommending? Cuz I can certainly understand why she’s frustrated with the situation.

She’s trying to take advantage of all of the hoodwinked progressives like you to make her case for undeserved compensation

No, she didn’t get dropped.

Her contract wasn’t renewed.

She can look for or create employment wherever and whenever she chooses.

Nike isn’t the bad guy in all of this.

Business is business.

Professional athletics is professional athletics.