A Rebuttal: My True Position on Athlete Sponsorship and Logos:
Recently, an individual has accused me of siding with USSPEEDSKATING against athletes who breached the Athlete Agreement to wear logos of their own individual sponsors. This is absolutely false and completely the opposite of my true position. Obviously, I have not managed to make myself clear enough, so I will try to say it again.
First of all, I am no friend of the people who were in charge of running USSPEEDSKATING during the time when I was competing. I disagree with the way Katie Marquard was running the federation as Executive Director. I think Mike Crowe's performance as Program Director was deplorable, unethical, and incompetent, as well as personally destructive to my own speedskating career. And, especially relevant to the topic of this post, I think Andy Gabel showed extremely poor leadership as USSPEEDSKATING President, most of all in the signing of a misleading sponsorship deal with Qwest.
For anyone to say that I "flock together" with USSPEEDSKATING is extremely insulting to me and goes against everything I have ever written on this blog. I believe that my writing and ideas have contributed to the downfall of several individuals in power in USSPEEDSKATING who were very bad for the sport, its athletes, and its future.
Second of all, I have always been in favor and in support of the individual sponsorship position. I believe that athletes who are able to find individual sponsors, especially those who do not benefit from any of the services of USSPEEDSKATING, should be able to wear the logos of their own sponsors on their suits. In stating the fact that certain athletes were seen and photographed wearing suits where the Qwest logo was painted over, and an individual sponsor logo painted on top, I was not blaming the athlete for causing problems for USSPEEDSKATING. On the contrary, I was happy, because that was the only way that the whole world was going to see how many problems USSPEEDSKATING was causing for its own athletes!
I think that having the whole world see this issue brought to light was a good thing, not a bad thing. I think that USSPEEDSKATING losing the Qwest sponsorship deal was a good thing, not a bad thing, because it pointed out Andy Gabel's arrogance in signing a sponsorship deal behind athletes' backs, while making a promise to the company that he couldn't keep. In the end, because some of USS's top athletes were seen wearing the logos of other companies instead of Qwest, Qwest had to force Gabel to face the consequences of his mistake.
In a way, I'm glad this issue came up again, because this brings me to something I need to point out. The most important thing USSPEEDSKATING should learn from this Qwest experience is to make sure that Andy Gabel never again has the position or authority to make such a decision.
People have called Andy Gabel a "savvy businessman and a tireless promoter of the sport." But I think Andy Gabel is a guy who "wants to be the next Richard Branson," but he wants to do it not by skill, or by making sound business decisions, but by stepping on YOUR backs, and by kicking YOU for his own mistakes.
The Qwest deal that he signed was not a good deal, either for the company or for the athletes. Qwest did not get what they expected, and the athletes were forced to GIVE UP TOO MUCH IN EXCHANGE FOR TOO LITTLE.
Does anyone still believe that I am a friend of USSPEEDSKATING, who stands with them against athletes who want to wear logos of their individual sponsors? Then read this. I resented the fact that, when I was competing, I was pretty much forced to wear a logo while getting nothing for it; while not benefitting from any of USSPEEDSKATING's training programs and even being denied access to a trainer when I was injured before a world cup, because I refused to train with a program that had admitted to using me as an "experiment." I resented the fact that Andy Gabel told the athlete reps last year, "The reason why the athletes don't get more of the sponsorship money directly is because they'd just go out and buy stereo systems and video games." I resented the fact that Andy Gabel sent our whole World Cup contingent an email threatening to sue all of the athletes who breached the Athlete Agreement, on race prep day!!!
To summarize my response to being accused of being a friend of USS who stands against athletes who wear individual sponsor logos, I'd like to reiterate that I am NO FRIEND of any of the people in USS who were involved in the signing and enforcement of the Qwest sponsorship deal, and that I am IN FAVOR of athletes wearing the logos of their individual sponsors.
Recently, an individual has accused me of siding with USSPEEDSKATING against athletes who breached the Athlete Agreement to wear logos of their own individual sponsors. This is absolutely false and completely the opposite of my true position. Obviously, I have not managed to make myself clear enough, so I will try to say it again.
First of all, I am no friend of the people who were in charge of running USSPEEDSKATING during the time when I was competing. I disagree with the way Katie Marquard was running the federation as Executive Director. I think Mike Crowe's performance as Program Director was deplorable, unethical, and incompetent, as well as personally destructive to my own speedskating career. And, especially relevant to the topic of this post, I think Andy Gabel showed extremely poor leadership as USSPEEDSKATING President, most of all in the signing of a misleading sponsorship deal with Qwest.
For anyone to say that I "flock together" with USSPEEDSKATING is extremely insulting to me and goes against everything I have ever written on this blog. I believe that my writing and ideas have contributed to the downfall of several individuals in power in USSPEEDSKATING who were very bad for the sport, its athletes, and its future.
Second of all, I have always been in favor and in support of the individual sponsorship position. I believe that athletes who are able to find individual sponsors, especially those who do not benefit from any of the services of USSPEEDSKATING, should be able to wear the logos of their own sponsors on their suits. In stating the fact that certain athletes were seen and photographed wearing suits where the Qwest logo was painted over, and an individual sponsor logo painted on top, I was not blaming the athlete for causing problems for USSPEEDSKATING. On the contrary, I was happy, because that was the only way that the whole world was going to see how many problems USSPEEDSKATING was causing for its own athletes!
I think that having the whole world see this issue brought to light was a good thing, not a bad thing. I think that USSPEEDSKATING losing the Qwest sponsorship deal was a good thing, not a bad thing, because it pointed out Andy Gabel's arrogance in signing a sponsorship deal behind athletes' backs, while making a promise to the company that he couldn't keep. In the end, because some of USS's top athletes were seen wearing the logos of other companies instead of Qwest, Qwest had to force Gabel to face the consequences of his mistake.
In a way, I'm glad this issue came up again, because this brings me to something I need to point out. The most important thing USSPEEDSKATING should learn from this Qwest experience is to make sure that Andy Gabel never again has the position or authority to make such a decision.
People have called Andy Gabel a "savvy businessman and a tireless promoter of the sport." But I think Andy Gabel is a guy who "wants to be the next Richard Branson," but he wants to do it not by skill, or by making sound business decisions, but by stepping on YOUR backs, and by kicking YOU for his own mistakes.
The Qwest deal that he signed was not a good deal, either for the company or for the athletes. Qwest did not get what they expected, and the athletes were forced to GIVE UP TOO MUCH IN EXCHANGE FOR TOO LITTLE.
Does anyone still believe that I am a friend of USSPEEDSKATING, who stands with them against athletes who want to wear logos of their individual sponsors? Then read this. I resented the fact that, when I was competing, I was pretty much forced to wear a logo while getting nothing for it; while not benefitting from any of USSPEEDSKATING's training programs and even being denied access to a trainer when I was injured before a world cup, because I refused to train with a program that had admitted to using me as an "experiment." I resented the fact that Andy Gabel told the athlete reps last year, "The reason why the athletes don't get more of the sponsorship money directly is because they'd just go out and buy stereo systems and video games." I resented the fact that Andy Gabel sent our whole World Cup contingent an email threatening to sue all of the athletes who breached the Athlete Agreement, on race prep day!!!
To summarize my response to being accused of being a friend of USS who stands against athletes who wear individual sponsor logos, I'd like to reiterate that I am NO FRIEND of any of the people in USS who were involved in the signing and enforcement of the Qwest sponsorship deal, and that I am IN FAVOR of athletes wearing the logos of their individual sponsors.
posted by Eva at 7:56 PM
<< Home