I don't think anyone on this list is naive as to the financial road that
track and field has taken .. I felt all along that Michael had the most to
lose of ANY athlete coming into the Trials .. Because he more than anyone
else had the potential to lose his mantle of invincibility .. And that meant
money in or out of his pocket .. HOWEVER .. Every job/industry has its
occupational hazards .. And in the now professional world of track and field
losing races is the biggest .. Having said that does that mean you do not
compete ?? If you don't compete, you can't win .. And if you don't win races
you don't earn the big paychecks .. PERIOD .. So it still comes down to
competition .. High stakes competition - No doubt about it .. but if you
want the big paydays you have to run the big races .. Part of the territory
.. Part of the job .. And if MJ doesn't want to race over 200 any more,
that's fine . However he will not earn 200 race money .. That's his
prerogative .. However I am not going to feel sad for him when he has won
more money in one race than I would gather to say anyone on this list has
made in one year .. And don't be so naive as to be too worried about HIS
retirement, when he has made enough money to retire quite well even if he
walked away from the sport today and never ran again .. For a Brian Lewis or
a John Capel or I would say 80% of the athletes in the sport the competition
is still a struggle for a payday .. For the Marion's and Michael's and MO's
of the sport there has been enough money that bragging rights and honor and
just maintaining being #1 can still hold the place is SHOULD in the sport ..
Conway Hill
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan Beel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 8:18 AM
Subject: Re: t-and-f: Why is Mike so Afraid?
> John Molvar wrote, among other things:
> > No Mike, it is not silly, it is serious
> > competition and everyone wants to knock you off.
> > It's called competition and it is not silly. The
> > only silly thing is that someone with your talent
> > and accomplishments is afraid.
>
> This and the other messages that followed, nailing MJ for saying this,
> miss one important point: racing nowadays (ESPECIALLY for MJ) isn't just
> about "bragging rights" or "who's the best today" and it's everything
> about something we all need, too: a paycheck.
> If *I* was Michael Johnson and I had to balance "bragging rights" and
> injury VS. my retirement plan and some endorsement money (which I
> certainly would lose alot of if I got bumped off or pulled up lame in a
> race where I already hold the world record), I sure as hell wouldn't pick
> bragging rights and competition.
> Personally, I think competition is a great thing, and I love the
> attraction of "pure sport" but let's not be naive. Michael's got alot
> more to lose in a risky 200 (when he's obviously injury-prone) than just
> his ego.
>
> Bryan
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
