Occupy Eugene Protesters

[polevaultpower]

http://www.huliq.com/10282/olympic-trac ... protesters

“It’s not a stretch that if Occupy Eugene just continues to grow and grow – with more and more area homeless moving in with the protesters at Alton Baker Park – that this summer’s Olympic trails may indeed turn into a ‘trial’ for those rich cats who are coming to town with their $800 tickets and fine wine to enjoy the so-called good life. I do think our protesters will remind the rich from Wall Street that public opinion wants all people to do the right thing,” added Dean while pointing to a Coos Bay photo of “Pre” on the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 19.

Wait, what?

[26mi235]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

$800 tickets are about $100/day. Better lock down all of the pro football stadiums because those places are not cheap, and many college games have pretty pricy tickets as well. Even baseball games have a pretty high per game expenditure. Basically, the $800 is relatively cheap compared to the cost of getting there and staying a week and a half. Of course, the Occupy set does not seem to be fully inhabited by completely rational types, and have taken some notes from the TeaParty types and their "success".

[GDAWG]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

it'll be interesting to see how the athletes react to the protestors.

[decafan]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

Give me a break. Anyone who claims a dead person would be with their cause if they were still alive is NOT to be trusted. Steve Prefontaine was the first Nike Athlete. To say he wouldn't want Nike sponsoring the Pre-Classic is pretty naive. But then again, how would anyone know? They even went so far as to say Bowerman would be pleased with Occupy Eugene. How in God's name would anyone know where Bowerman would come down on this issue? I found the Occupy Eugene folks interviewed for this story to be very offensive. If you feel the need to recruit dead people to your cause, you probably don't have a strong position. IMO.

[Conor Dary]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

Interesting question on who exactly was the first Nike athlete. The first pair of Nike spikes were made for Virgin in 1973.

[KLocke]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

Dear Protesters,

Meet, Mr. Rome, Mr. Cantwell and a few of their friends

it'll be interesting to see how the athletes react to the protestors.

[decafan]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

Interesting question on who exactly was the first Nike athlete. The first pair of Nike spikes were made for Virgin in 1973.

Phil says Pre was the first. That's good enough for me.

[Conor Dary]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

Interesting question on who exactly was the first Nike athlete. The first pair of Nike spikes were made for Virgin in 1973.

Phil says Pre was the first. That's good enough for me.

That's really swell, but who was the first to compete in Nike gear?

[decafan]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

[quote=Conor Dary]

Interesting question on who exactly was the first Nike athlete. The first pair of Nike spikes were made for Virgin in 1973.

Phil says Pre was the first. That's good enough for me.

That's really swell, but who was the first to compete in Nike gear?[/quote:2zpcqz3n]

You clearly find this more interesting than I do. But now that I am in it...
Just because Virgin was given a pair of Nike spikes, that doesn't make him a Nike athlete. Companies give athletes free merchandise all the time. Gill gives Pacer pole vault poles to elite athletes all the time, but they aren't contractually obligated to use them. None are "Gill athletes" because of this relationship. You become a Nike athlete when you sign a contract. I believe Pre signed a Nike contract in '74. If Virgin signed a Nike contract when he got his spikes in '73, then I would agree with you. If not, this is a rather silly discussion, regardless of who competed in Nike gear first.

[Conor Dary]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

[quote=decafan]

Interesting question on who exactly was the first Nike athlete. The first pair of Nike spikes were made for Virgin in 1973.

Phil says Pre was the first. That's good enough for me.

That's really swell, but who was the first to compete in Nike gear?

You clearly find this more interesting than I do. But now that I am in it...
Just because Virgin was given a pair of Nike spikes, that doesn't make him a Nike athlete. Companies give athletes free merchandise all the time. Gill gives Pacer pole vault poles to elite athletes all the time, but they aren't contractually obligated to use them. None are "Gill athletes" because of this relationship. You become a Nike athlete when you sign a contract. I believe Pre signed a Nike contract in '74. If Virgin signed a Nike contract when he got his spikes in '73, then I would agree with you. If not, this is a rather silly discussion, regardless of who competed in Nike gear first.[/quote:1n1g5zvp]

The reason I know about Virgin is Nike put those spikes in a display case in the first Nike store in Eugene. Virgin ran his HS record in those spikes.

[Pego]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

rich cats who are coming to town with their $800 tickets and fine wine

I recognized Marlow immediately. The fine wine describes him perfectly 8-) .

[Conor Dary]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

You clearly find this more interesting than I do. But now that I am in it...
I believe Pre signed a Nike contract in '74. If Virgin signed a Nike contract when he got his spikes in '73, then I would agree with you. If not, this is a rather silly discussion, regardless of who competed in Nike gear first.

And signing a contract in 1974? What would that entail? Getting gear and that was about it...Remember that was the Dark Ages of amateur track. And Virgin was only a high school kid.

Anyways, I just thought it was an interesting question, who the first Nike athlete was, and not obvious, no matter what Phil Knight says. The Gospels according to Saint Pre are what Nike says they are, and I wouldn't take everything Nike puts out as historical truth. When Nike closed down Athletics West years ago, they put out a press release about its history naming the coaches, Dick Quax and Bob Sevene among others. What they left out was mention of the first AW coach back in 1977, Harry Johnson, former coach at South Eugene H.S. I suppose the parting was not amicable and like old Stalinists who were purged, out of history they go...

[kuha]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

I just thought it was an interesting question, who the first Nike athlete was, and not obvious, no matter what Phil Knight says.

So you believe that the facts of history actually matter?--How 19th century you are! In today's Glorious Brave New World, the past is only what we guess it might have been, or think it should have been, or simply whatever crap we can make up on the spur of the moment.

[gh]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

The memories fade after all these years, but I believe that any talk of a shoe contract in the early/mid '70s is an anachronism; something that at that point was a violation of the amateur code and didn't happen.

What I believe did happen is that Pre was hired as real employee by Nike.

I recall a conversation with him at the San Diego Indoor in '75 in which we talked about growing the brand and my noting that the Golden State Warriors were now running around in Nikes. I think he was out hustling the brand in general. There was certainly no endorsement deal.

[DrJay]

Re: Occupy Eugene Protesters

Give me a break. Anyone who claims a dead person would be with their cause if they were still alive is NOT to be trusted. Steve Prefontaine was the first Nike Athlete. To say he wouldn't want Nike sponsoring the Pre-Classic is pretty naive. But then again, how would anyone know? They even went so far as to say Bowerman would be pleased with Occupy Eugene. How in God's name would anyone know where Bowerman would come down on this issue? I found the Occupy Eugene folks interviewed for this story to be very offensive. If you feel the need to recruit dead people to your cause, you probably don't have a strong position. IMO.

Well put. To some extent, I sympathize with their "movement"--and I am definitely in the 1%-- but it's starting to look like they'll try to co-opt anything/anyone/any event to push their cause. The Olympic Track and Field Trials? Yep, all those rich folks in shorts and t-shirts, staying in basic motels and eating at Tracktown Pizza. And all those filthy rich athletes! You know, like, oh, I dunno, the Gouchers and Adam Nelson and Stephanie Brown Trafton and Phoebe Wright. The height of greed and indulgence!!! Gimme a break. Maybe they should Occupy Augusta.