Anyone want to discuss? Justin Gatlin & Jo Pavey

[thom]

www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/justin-gatlin-or-jo-pavey-who-would-you-sponsor-20182/

This article makes me so frustrated. I feel like letting go of sponsoring Jo is exactly what Nike did to Meb several years back too.

Sidenote: I was so thrilled to see Meb find a new sponsor, regroup, and come back stronger than ever. Hello Boston champion.

Anyway, I understand it's all a business, but I don't understand why Nike still justifies cutting her when she's performing so well. I also do not understand why after 2 doping bans they sign Gatlin. I know he's got a story and excuse for both, but doesn't everyone who gets caught??

[thom]

I will also add that I haven't bought any new Nike running (or general) stuff for many years. I'm not throwing out what I have, but going forward I would way rather support brands that support their runners & fairness on the track.

[foundmylazybum]

I cannot stand Justin Gatlin. At all and I can barely stand Nike right now. But honestly I think this article is a little over the top with their "UK concern" over Nike signing him, while over on the right hand banner is the UK god Mo Farah--and Nike sponsored athlete, who trains in Eugene lol. It's intellectually dishonest. Mo ain't speaking up or quitting Nike over this.

Beyond that the article isn't even factually correct. Tons of US athletes are super, SUPER pissed at the politics of the USATF holding hands with Nike right now, which I know is another but tangentially related topic.

Gatlin and Pavey are a sign of the ethical problems of the current sponsorship deals. They represents the fact that many athletes have gotten themselves into a situation where they try to get one or two large clothing sponsorship deals and then risk their livelyhoods on those deals. Pavey most likely only had Nike as her major deal and now that she is let go, she's blowing in the wind with nothing. It's incredibly stupid business handling on her and her agent's part, but it's also very common for athletes at this level.

Meb is repped by his brother and he represents a new and better way to live as an athlete. He has several smaller deals working for him, but if he loses one he's not up shit creek. It may seem riskier but he's not hamstrung by one single giant like Nike either. He's in control of his career.

Quite frankly if I was Nike I would never have risked money on either one of these two athletes. Definitely not Gatlin. He's not popular, and he's a known cheater, and Pavey is too old. She should probably be at Oiselle, as a rep.

[thom]

FMLB -- I agree with your critiques of the article. I also found the whole UK vs. US dynamic strange. Plenty of people is the US ( athletes, coaches, fans that follow it) are definitely upset too. I guess I just posted this particular article because I'd been shocked by the whole Gatlin deal, and this put me over the top.

I'm glad you weighed in. I always appreciate your opinions of stuff going on in the pro world.