Unionize?

dimitry · Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:07 pm Post subject: Unionize?

Being born in a socialist country, something like this was bound to happen to me...

consider the following:
* The Olympics (and to a lesser extent the World Champs and Goodwill Games, etc.) generate a ton of TV, ticket, merchandise revenue. Track is a large part of this, but the athlete sees no (direct) money from these events - the largest events in the world!
* I can't tell you what percentage of revenue that the US Track athletes are responsible for, but I guarantee you someone can, with a great deal of accuracy.
* NFL, MLB, NBA players get almost 60% of revenue (that the owners report, but nevertheless, big money) from the sport they participate in, thanks in great part to their UNION.

my idea: unionize track and field for everyone that's hit the IAAF B standard, either in the US or worldwide (the starving athlete problem seems to be much greater in the US, and an international union may not be able to function). People will listen if a large loss of money is involved, even if it's only every 4 years. It might not be huge $, but it will protect the athletes during the 3 years 11 months and 28 days no one gives a crap about them. Just a "league minimum" salary for B-standard athletes, more for "A" and more for AR or WR people, basic benefits, and a revolving 18 months to hit the B standard and stay in. The union could arrange for small prestigious track events, appearances, clinics, and other short-term events (keep the athletes training and happy) to dog-and-pony show track and field around the US and the world.

Imagine athletes striking the Olympics and hosting a meet with all the best talent (and that don't have to run 1000 rounds) literally on the same day, paying the athletes a portion of the ticket and TV take! It was hypocritical to make the Olympic athletes "amateurs" when the games were generating hundreds of millions, and it's still hypocritical to keep generating that money and not share it under the same pretenses of old-guard amateur ideals.

The union could literally circumvent USATF, and reduce their political power to zero -- making them similar the rules committee for baseball. Don't get me wrong - the USATF does the best it can with what must be little or no funds or power, because they have no teeth in the international arena, but has political power here that I feel is not always serving the athlete's (PARTICULARLY the multi-event athlete's) or the sport's best interest. USATF serves the USATF's best interest - an athlete's union would serve the union's best interest, but by definition this would be the athlete's best interest.

I am the most anti-union person in the world (used to work for an auto manufacturer) but in this case, and in sports in general, it makes the most sense to protect and empower the athlete.
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mchisam · Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Boston, MA

I wish I had more info to site from, but I remember a few years back reading about artists doing the same thing. They have a somewhat similar situation in which the small few at the top are making very good money, but there is nothing on the bottom and thus very little going towards development.
The more important aspect tho was the other end - retirement. For the most part, an artist, like an athlete gets paid only while selling. If all of a sudden your pieces fall out of popularity, as when an athlete gets hurt, or if you decide to retire, all form of livelihood seizes.
Thus the strength of a union for them was not simply in the 'the rich helping the poor' but in establishing pensions for everyone when retirement time came.

dimitry · Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:51 pm Post subject:

exactly - had there been something to protect retired athletes in the 80s and 90s, the union (and veteran's pension) might have saved Carl from himself and spared us of this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jamJ4-C_TME

MUST these atrocities continue? How many more exercise equipment peddling ex-athletes have to make "self-promoting" music videos before we realize there is a problem? Does anyone want to see Cantwell or Hoffa in a speedo selling Magnums to the tune of "Greased Lightning"? (Hoffa would do it, too - and by the way, his idea of shot putting in a full bear costume, including being brought out in a cage hanging from a crane, should not only be done in a small, accommodating meet, it should be done at big meets, and often, and in front of the media. It's what the sport needs. This sport should be fun and loud.)

Seriously, though, what happens to track athletes after 30? (or 50, if Kip is reading this.) You've got maybe 3-10 years to generate whatever income/peak performance, sacrificing a "real" career, then it's back to obscurity. You don't get into this sport for money or glory, but if someone is making money off of the athletes, they deserve a LARGE share.
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