by Larry Eder
In the pursuit of reaching the level of a David Beckham, Tiger Woods or Roger Federer, there are prices to be paid. Some have handled the media fascination with aplomb-Tiger Woods, Federer. People close to David Beckham tell me that Mr. Beckham has found the way to keep his real friends close and some sanity in his constantly watched life. My brother in law, a French chef, got to meet Mr. Beckham a few months ago, and was taken by his ability to be comfortable in his own skin.
I have enjoyed Usain Bolt’s rise in our sport, and believe that he will find this season, that he needs to still be careful, train well and race well to keep the mantle of the world’s fastest man. In no way do I appreciate the work that must go into making sure one’s athletes are well paid, well managed and protected from over saturation. Selfishly, I will miss Usain Bolt not being, at the Reebok Grand Prix NY. That meet last year was his message to the world that Usain Bolt was here. The crowd was amazing and the race was electrifying…
PUMA will use Bolt, so will Gucci ( which is owned by PPK, the company that owns the majority of PUMA AG, as well Gucci and Yves St. Laurent).
Usain Bolt is now a global superstar. That is good for Bolt and his sponsors. It is curious to see how that will affect, if it will at all, his being such a huge draw as a track & field athlete.
BOLT NEWS
BOSTON (USA): As Boston Globe writes, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt had a photo shoot featuring Gucci and Puma clothing in a penthouse condo at the Residences at the InterContinental. Hip-hop music plays in the background. Bolt‘s agent, Puma representatives, and other Jamaican sprinters roam around. When Bolt emerges from a back room with a snug-fitting, ‚80s-style leather jacket and jeans, he turns to the crowd and jokes, „You guys are not paying me enough.“ When Bolt emerges from a back room with a snug-fitting, ‚80s-style leather jacket and jeans, he turns to the crowd and jokes, „You guys are not paying me enough.“ As Bolt tries to translate his astounding speed and playful personality into long-lasting, profitable fame, he may have a point. Bolt and agent Ricky Simms talk about earning $10 million a year with revenue coming from endorsements, appearance fees, and prize money. They look to David Beckham, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer as models. If Bolt reaches the $10 million goal, he will have set standards on and off the track. When asked if that retirement would come after the London Olympics in 2012 or after the 2016 Summer Games, Bolt said, „I‘m looking at two. If I get to three, that‘ll be good. I‘m trying to look at Michael Johnson. He left the sport on top . . . If I‘m still on top with the third Olympics, I‘ll definitely stay and run. If not, I‘ll leave.“ Later Bolt predicted for Reuters: „I think I could definitely go faster 9.5. I think I could go 9.4, but I think the world stops at 9.4.“ With both Robby Andrews and Brett Johnson coming off hard efforts at the Penn Relays late last week, the two Jersey friends and rivals battled over 1 kilometer in the streets of Boston on Sunday to a dead heat. Their race through the circuitous course was ruled a tie and both were congratulated heartily by Usain Bolt.
Special thanks to EME News and Alfons Juck.
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