Good summery wrote:
Swimming with the sharks wrote:
To both posts:
All the groups seem to be building with young guys (except for NOP who lost its original direction and plucks top foreign athletes.
Fisher is the top US distance guy coming out of college. And he has appeal/following with kids and adults. His marketability is better than any other US distance runner in a long time. He is good looking, open to speaking with the press and does that very well, humble yet very competitive, bright and the list goes on from there.
All the groups want US content and will pay more for that then faster foreign athletes.
A) Bowerman has older guys and is rebuilding. McGorty is there, they need Fisher. Big Fish, big pond.
A) NOP has Americans in 800 and 1500. Jenkins in 5k, they need Fisher but they also go after foreign athletes to fill gaps. NOP has known baggage that foreign athletes perhaps are less likely to care about. Little Fish will become big Fish in big pond.
B) Brooks is building with young guys and is ahead of other groups in that regard. Kerr is there, they need Fisher. Big Fish, getting to be bigger pond.
C) Reebok has just started. Knight is there, they need Fisher. Big Fish, pond without much water.
D) Adidas is difficult to figure out. Sure Tinman group has Hunter but that group is not set up like the top three but they would absolutely want Fisher. Big Fish too many puddles.
E) Under Armor. Too early to know what direction they are going in. Big Fish, with no clear pond.
F) New Balance. No men’s group to speak of. Rather sexist slant in my opinion. Big Fish, not allowed to swim in female pond.
G) Sketchers. Would absolutely want Fisher and Cheserek together but who knows about their commitment and resources capability. Big Fish, pond could dry up.
H) Aisics and Saucony are trying to get back into the running market after losing market share and will want an elite focus and may go after Fisher but Fisher but they don’t offer what Fisher needs. Big Fish, murky pond.
Spot on.
Given Schumacher just had his third athlete (Mo Ahmed) break 13:00 in the 5 km, that is something Fisher will take very seriously.