Is Bolt being properly handled?

[Willi]

Again you compare him to other T&F athletes.

I know you have your agent friends (that is clear from your articles), but it is also clear you are ignorant of what I speak about.

Let us agree to disagree.

[Willi]

So that is the crux. You think Bolt is a relative small fry....fascinating.

[Willi]

Check out this site:

http://sportsbusinessjournal.com/

[Jangle]

This is what I meant, "Bolt needs to be groomed into becoming a media darling like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordon and David Beckham." It is all well and good that the fans love Bolt's youthful exuberances, but he is not 18 or 19 years old but 22 going on. He needs to show a level of maturity when the time calls for it. Minor matters though and easily remedied.



LETTER OF THE DAY - Bolt's behaviour 'nuh cut nuh dash'

Published: Sunday | June 21, 2009



[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Bolt[/COLOR][/COLOR]
The Editor, Sir:
Let me declare, I love Usain Bolt. I love what he represents, I love his energy and most of all I love the psychological impact of his stellar success on Jamaica, the international [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]athletics[/COLOR][/COLOR] community and the world. I have been so inspired that I have written two poems in tribute to Bolt.
However, I was quite disappointed on seeing his antics at the main press conference before the Ostrava Golden Spike event in the Czech Republic a few days ago.
C'mon Mr Bolt, clowning around, and upstaging the person who has the floor in the middle of a press conference 'nuh cut nuh dash'. It is disrespectful to the speaker, embarrassing and makes you seem like a media hog, which is not necessary when you are already a media darling.
Mr Bolt, I love your dancing, I love the youthful spirit which you embody, but sense of occasion and appropriate [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]behaviour[/COLOR][/COLOR] must obtain. Your handlers need to step in and guide you. As ol time Jamaican country people would say 'Tikya' (take care), for the same people who laugh and 'kikiki' and think the behaviour is cute will be the same ones who will eventually crucify you.
Usain, I know you have to 'do yuh ting' but remember a whole country is depending on you.
I am, etc.,
JOAN A. HUTCHINSON joanahutchinson@yahoo.com

[Jangle]

No one responded to my observation above about Bolt in the two video interviews and the ManU picture. He was wearing the same shirt. That's not cool.

[Sickko]

I spoke to about four agents, one with relatively big time runners and new comers as well and asked them about the Bolt situation and almost all were almost identical in their responses.

They said Bolt could be making more money but it would mean he would be working a lot more and in disproportionate quantities as his handlers are sure to have gotten a lot of requests but not in the big figures that we expect.

Therefore having to fly to the US oe even Europe for a few days and miss training for a US$100,000 contract might not be worth it over the long run and it would mean grabbing every crumb that is thrown your way and also it may run the risk of over saturation.

One agent pointed out that Bolt has not even been given an on-line diary by the IAAF like VCB and even Felix as he is still a relative newcomer to the international scene but they exoect that if he wins even two more golds this Summer then the big money will definelty start rolling in.

As for the mega marketing firms like IMG, they all say that all that glitters is not gold as sometimes they demand as much as 40% of every contrcat big or small...kind of like what Don King used to do with his boxers.

[Jangle]

So in conclusion to what I have been saying, next year should be his "windfall" year. He needs to make or slay the foundations to his future earnings next year. I figured that with this year being a Championship year, it restricted his earning ability because of his schedule. 60% of US$10m is still a good payday.

[Jangle]

Garbage...rubbish..you disqualify yourself from all conversations..dont you think these top companies go head hunting cause they can make money for them..why havent we seen them running to Kingston to sign up Bolt.

The fact is Bolt is not that big a marketable product as we would like to think...sue me

My, how eight years have flown by......and here we are today enjoying Mr. Bolt's retirement.

[Rudi]

Heh heh internet history can be an unforgiving assassin.

[Islandman]

Wouldn't we have to conclude that his mostly local management team did a decent job with him though? Sure, more money could have been made but Bolt has done quite well.

Personally I am happy that he never switched from PUMA to Nike/Adidas.

[Jangle]

They did ok but it's not too late to move into phase 2 to maximize on a glittering career. I like the move to open 15 of his restaurants in England as a start.

[Rudi]

Wouldn't we have to conclude that his mostly local management team did a decent job with him though? Sure, more money could have been made but Bolt has done quite well.

Personally I am happy that he never switched from PUMA to Nike/Adidas.

Spot on. It would seem that a Jamaican track and field athlete can/did become a global sports icon with local management. Mea culpas should be forthcoming from one particular occasional poster/sports writer but don't hold your breath.

[Comment]

Garbage...rubbish..you disqualify yourself from all conversations..dont you think these top companies go head hunting cause they can make money for them..why havent we seen them running to Kingston to sign up Bolt.

The fact is Bolt is not that big a marketable product as we would like to think...sue me

Sickko is right. Bolt's management have done well. No real need to question them.

[Mosiah]

I love this thread. At least, in this one, I appeared to be one of the few with a calm, sane head about how Bolt should be handled/marketed. Almost prophetic!

[Willi]

LoL