Jason Lezak: America's Unemployed Olympic Hero

[oiuyt]

Interesting article from the new issue of Newsweek (3/23/2009).

Jason Lezak: America's Unemployed Olympic Hero

-B

[Pieter]

Do any of the US fencers get big corporate sponsorships?

[noodle]

Do any of the US fencers get big corporate sponsorships?

to the best of my knowledge, no. no one gets sponsorship enough to cover their training and competition expenses, let alone living expenses.

[epeemike81]

Do any of the US fencers get big corporate sponsorships?

Mariel Zagunis is a Nike sponsored athlete.

-m

[Capt. Slo-mo]

And a number of the fencers get USOC stipends, which could conceivably cover living expenses...if one is living in a van down by the river.

[Fencergrl]

WOW! Waterfront location... where do I sign up???

[10000Fencers]

I wrote about this article also at my blog: http://timmorehouse.wordpress.com/20...o-jason-lezak/

None of us have major major sponsorhips...yet. Until then, my van down by the river is comfy enough.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

WOW! Waterfront location... where do I sign up???

www.povertybyfencing.com

click the link: "Going bankrupt from international fencing?"

and follow the prompts for Google maps to the best water-view tent village sites...

[mgriff]

I like one of the comments to the Newsweek article--take those AIG bonuses and fund our Olympic athletes with them.

[heretic]

Not surprising, given the state of the economy. Of course, this begs the question: if a relatively high profile athlete in an accessible sport like swimming can't get sponsorship, can fencers do it? Hopefully all those who think that our elite athletes are living some glamorous “lifestyles of the rich and famous” existence will recognize that is not the reality. Competing on the international level requires significant personal and professional sacrifices with no guarantee of success. Even if one does achieve the loftiest of competitive goals, there sure ain’t no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

With all due respect to Tim, I think you can only bask in the luster of an Olympic medal for so long before the public stops paying attention and it becomes an exercise in narcissism. Whatever happens, good luck.

[Greg]

What do you mean nothing for swimmers? Doesn't Phelps get sponsorship from High Times magazine?

[occasionalfencer]

What do you mean nothing for swimmers? Doesn't Phelps get sponsorship from High Times magazine?

I think the point is nothing for anybody other than Phelps, even the guy who did so great on his relay team.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Avoiding such an indignity is part of why he's here in Phoenix subjecting himself to another one. USA Swimming created the "speed-dating" event this year to help its athletes connect with representatives from corporate America and, with any luck, find themselves a steady paycheck.

Is this anything fencing could ever do?

[erooMynohtnA]

How financially distressed is Lezak, and how expensive is it to train and compete as a swimmer? Just looking at all the figures from the article, Lezak was getting at least 100,000 from Nike, gets 15,000 (average) per speech, and gets 1,750 per month, and is now looking for 200,000.

I can understand the frustration, but I have a hard time feeling sorry for him. It doesn't sound like he was really scraping by before the Olympics. I think this quote best sums up why I take a dim view: "Lezak has to pay for his own swimsuits, which cost $550 for a top model; he could use an old one, but that's like bringing a wooden racket to Wimbledon. And anyway, which old suit? He doesn't feel comfortable wearing his Team USA suit to a local meet, where he's swimming for himself." I sense entitlement.

[Fencergrl]

How financially distressed is Lezak,

Perhaps he's married to a fencer?

[big daddy]

All glory is fleeting.

[rocky]

"...but obscurity is forever." - Napoleon Bonaparte

[oiuyt]

"...but obscurity is forever." - Napoleon Bonaparte

I see your Bonaparte and raise you a Falco:

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever."

-B

[rocky]

As someone who has that movie memorized by heart, I can't argue with The Replacements, other than to add another pertinent quote:

"When the Washington Sentinels left the stadium that date, there was no ticker tape parade, no endorsement deals for sneakers or soda pop, or breakfast cereal. Just a locker to be cleaned out, and a ride home to catch. But what they didn't know, was that their lives had been changed forever because they had been part of something great. And greatness, no matter how brief, stays with a man."

[DJ Apostrophe]

I see your Bonaparte and raise you a Falco:

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever."

-B

As someone who has that movie memorized by heart, I can't argue with The Replacements, other than to add another pertinent quote:

"When the Washington Sentinels left the stadium that date, there was no ticker tape parade, no endorsement deals for sneakers or soda pop, or breakfast cereal. Just a locker to be cleaned out, and a ride home to catch. But what they didn't know, was that their lives had been changed forever because they had been part of something great. And greatness, no matter how brief, stays with a man."

In the word of Keanu:

Whoa...

-w