Allyson Felix got dropped by Nike

reb wrote:

I love the sidestep of the issue of you not being able to read the article this entire discussion is predicated on to figure out that she was getting 70% haircut, not a 30% one.

There was no sidestep yes, I made a mistake and I will readily admit that, but it makes zero difference what that percentage is. Had I read it correctly, I would have made thy same post with the 30% number in there and it would have been no different. Nike offered her whatever they offered her and she rejected it, the percentage is irrelevant. You admit to not having read the contract yet you seem to believe that somehow 30% is such an insult to her. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't, however that is NOT what this discussion is predicated on. Nike made an offer to retain her and that is NOT the same as Nike dropping her, as the title of this thread claims and what this discussion is actually about. Maybe you need as much reading assistance as I do.

WinnytheBish 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.

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!

Whilst I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of individual cases, there is often a subtle distinction between being dropped, and not accepting an offer.

There are many occasions where a company makes an offer and the rejects the offer. They can claim to have been ‘dropped’.

As to whether the offer made was ‘fair’ is really only for the individual concerned to judge.

But I think athletes should be honest when they say they were dropped, if the situation is that they rejected a contract offer they felt was too low.

oldmanstillrunning wrote:

Bad subject line wrote:

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.

Yes, Nike IS the bad guy in all of this.......and in other things as well.

They keep a guy like Kaepernick on the payroll and then do this to a running legend. What idiots.

Runners who keep supporting Nike are idiots as well.

Exactly, AF actually does something. Strangely I thought that Nike's current spikes were "her" spikes.

Agree that they are idiots for letting her go. My God, did you hear the crowd when she finished a distant THIRD in a SEMIFINAL?! Every company in the fortune 500 is missing a golden opportunity right now.

You don't sponsor Allyson Felix based on her current level of fitness.

Excellent post. However, I don’t know how much leverage US athletes have. I’ve watched the London DL meet without the US presence and the meet was not missing much without the USA sprinters and jumpers. The biggest surprise for me is that Felix was not picked up by another company after she went public with The NY Times. Maybe she bet on herself thinking a better offer would come after her performance at nationals?

Shut up about the damn contract. My take on this is she hasnt “fallen off” as of it yet. She Got silver in the last WC or OLY can’t rememver which it was but she’s been a staple on the 4x4 as well and has been one of the top 200/400 runners in the world up until this year. Her first weekend racing and she makes the 400 final at USAs and runs 51.45. If any of you have ever run track(especially past HS) then you would know how impressive that is. Her doing this shows me that she’s getting better throughout the rounds and that means she’s been training very well leading up to the championships. I see her making the team. And if not in the 400, mark my words she will be on the 4x4 in the finals, not the prelims of worlds.

Hannah Cunliffe is another one that Adidas has on their roster that hasn't done jack and doesn't deserve the contract she gets compared to Allyson.

Bad subject line wrote:

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.

Bad decision making by Nike.

The way the market is now, continuing to support a top athlete through pregnancy and her thirties after childbirth would have generated vast positive, "woke" publicity for Nike that their entire advertising budget would have struggled to emulate. Doesn't matter how well she ran after pregnancy, the fact that they had continued to support her would have generated so much publicity on its own, it was almost a no-brainer.

Nike are trying to promote plus size sports clothing yet they lose a top athlete who has just given birth?

What idiot made the decision to drop her?

Allyson Felix lost a fan with me. In other careers, when you have a child you can still work. For athletics, it puts you out of competition. Nike should not be on the hook for a million dollars a year when you aren't competing - that money can go to other athletes who are competing and who actually need that money more.

When she went out and complained about Nike's treatment of women, I lost all respect for her. She was one of the highest paid women's athletes in the country and probably one of the highest paid track and field athletes in the world - men or women. Felix is a millionaire. Nike made her a millionaire.

She demanded too much money. Of course Nike and other companies would give her a contract for $200k per year but she demanded $1m. Then she complains that she got dropped. Her contract expired so she was starting anew. It's like you saying Nike dropped you because they wouldn't give you a contract. When a company pays maternity leave, it is all of the coworkers who pay, not the company. Benefits are factored into salaries. More benefits equals less pay.

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.

You are correct, she and her brother blew the deal. They should have taken the lower base and added a bigger bonus for making the teams ( WC and Oly) bigger story. Post career should could have possibly transitioned with Nike as an iconic spokeswoman, very short sighted on her and her brothers part.

Super elites like Felix have a false sense of value. Few understand that time/age/slowing does devalue exactly what your paid to do.

If she makes the teams, she will get offers for bonus structures ( making the final and medaling) but never the base amount she had prior. Relay pool medaling is a smaller bonus option, which she may do as they will take top six finishers at nationals.

Funnily enough, i think the tv coverage yesterday showed why she's so valuable even if she's not performing great.

No one's shoes were on tv longer than hers when they showed her stretching in the warmup area. Most competitors you can't even see what shoes they're wearing as they're running.

Even if she sucks by her standards, as long as she can make the Trials, they'll show long shots of her in her _______ gear during Trials coverage next year

Economist Joe wrote:

She demanded too much money. Of course Nike and other companies would give her a contract for $200k per year but she demanded $1m. Then she complains that she got dropped. Her contract expired so she was starting anew. It's like you saying Nike dropped you because they wouldn't give you a contract. When a company pays maternity leave, it is all of the coworkers who pay, not the company. Benefits are factored into salaries. More benefits equals less pay.

The maternity leave for female athletes should be the same as it is for employees.

Your given a window of time off and may add unpaid leave on top if you so should choose.

Nike or other companies know the law and how that contract is written. No of the so called complaining female athletes cited the maternity laws. They were asking for something more? Why?

lost a fan wrote:

Allyson Felix lost a fan with me. In other careers, when you have a child you can still work. For athletics, it puts you out of competition. Nike should not be on the hook for a million dollars a year when you aren't competing - that money can go to other athletes who are competing and who actually need that money more.

When she went out and complained about Nike's treatment of women, I lost all respect for her. She was one of the highest paid women's athletes in the country and probably one of the highest paid track and field athletes in the world - men or women. Felix is a millionaire. Nike made her a millionaire.

+1

Bad subject line wrote:

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.

Nike chose to not renew one of their biggest stars over the years because she was pregnant. Nike IS the bad guy in all of this. Don't act like weird platitudes like "business is business" are suitable answers for why they chose to screw her over. What money are they wasting by sponsoring Felix here? She's been nothing but a great ambassador for that company. She will find a new sponsor and likely will be better off for it, especially since she's in the 400 final this weekend.

lost a fan wrote:

Allyson Felix lost a fan with me. In other careers, when you have a child you can still work. For athletics, it puts you out of competition. Nike should not be on the hook for a million dollars a year when you aren't competing - that money can go to other athletes who are competing and who actually need that money more.

When she went out and complained about Nike's treatment of women, I lost all respect for her. She was one of the highest paid women's athletes in the country and probably one of the highest paid track and field athletes in the world - men or women. Felix is a millionaire. Nike made her a millionaire.

Sure, Nike made her a millionaire but just about any other company she signed with would have. Nike didn't make her, she was an inevitable force and they won the bid on her with their contract. Nike is notorious for cutting athletes immediately after career defining performances or world championships. They cut Symmonds, Manzano, and Meb after they had great Olympic/WC performances. Nike is just a little quick to pull the trigger on athletes like that. With that said, this is by far the quickest trigger. They tried to offer her less which is total crap. She's still beloved in the track and field community (well except for this idiot poster above). Nike missed out on a great opportunity to promote this kind of support for women. It's just ridiculous.

With that said, AF will be FINE. She has other endorsements and will always have food on the table, but this is a definite black eye on the company.

Yes Nike is quick to cut ties with athletes but the company is worth $billions. They are ranked as the 106th best company for women to work for. They must know what they are doing more than a bunch of crybabies on this site who make only $100k per year.

Why does this have to turn into a feminist girl power women are superior moment? Nike offered her a good amount of money. Allyson turned it down because she wanted a lot more. It wasn't sexist. It was greed - on Allyson's part.

Maybe the problem isn't Nike cutting athletes, maybe it's the athletes think they are worth more than they really are. All the runners you mentioned had a good year and asked for huge raises. They don't realize they are already collecting more money in salary than they generate revenue for Nike. Nike takes a loss for each athlete they sponsor, yes even Allyson Felix.

It’s just business. AF had no trouble ditching adidas in 2010 in favor of Nike. This after adidas provided her initial support and paid for her college expenses. Umm, let me guess - Nike offered more money