London 2012: US athletes launch ‘gag’ protest against Olympic rule that bans them from promoting their own sponsors

July 31st, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

American track and field stars take to Twitter and blogs to demand changes to ‘Rule 40’
Rule states that only approved Olympic sponsors can be advertised during the Games
Hurdler Dawn Harper posts ‘gag’ picture on Twitter
IOC demands American officials quell the protest

By
Adam Shergold

PUBLISHED:

07:07 EST, 31 July 2012

|

UPDATED:

12:03 EST, 31 July 2012

Members of the American athletics team have launched a protest against strict corporate sponsorship rules which prevent competitors promoting non-official brands during the Olympic Games.

Dozens of track and field athletes have taken to Twitter, Facebook and personal blogs to demand reform of ‘Rule 40’ which forbids them to advertise their own personal sponsors if they are not approved Olympic partners.

The 100m hurdler Dawn Harper even posted a photograph on Twitter of her mouth gagged with duct tape with ‘Rule 40’ written on it.

The American hurdler Dawn Harper posted this picture on Twitter in protest at restrictions against sponsorship at the Olympics

The International Olympic Committee issued guidelines to all athletes prior to the London Games saying they could be sanctioned if they openly promote other brands.

The IOC wanted to protect the exclusivity of companies such as Adidas, McDonalds and BMW, who have paid more than £609m towards the Games, and say there would be no Olympics without big-money sponsors.

But the athletes argue that they are missing out on the biggest opportunity to promote their own sponsors, who often pay for their equipment, training facilities and travel to competition.

At the forefront of the protest is 400m runner Sanya Richards-Ross, who pointed out that while Olympic stars can command million-dollar sponsorship deals, many other amateur members of the squad don’t receive any funding and have to combine training with study or part-time jobs.

Richards-Ross, a gold medal winner in the Athens and Beijing Olympics, is married to NFL American football star Aaron Ross, who plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars on a three-year $15.3m (£9.75m) contract.

But she spoke out for her teammates
yesterday, saying: ‘People see the Olympic Games, when athletes are at
their best but they don’t see the three or four years before when many
of my peers are struggling to stay in the sport.

The US sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross is leading the protest about Olympic sponsorship. She is married to NFL star Aaron Ross, who plays on a $15.3m (£9.75m) deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars

Richards-Ross spoke out on behalf of her teammates at a press conference yesterday just days before the start of the athletics events at London 2012

Richards-Ross, as well as the American athletics team, are sponsored by Nike. The official partner of the 2012 Games is rival Adidas

‘The majority of track and field athletes don’t have sponsors. In the sport, a lot of my peers have second and third jobs to be able to do this.

‘We understand that the IOC is protecting its sponsors but we want to have a voice as well.’

She claimed that only two per cent of American athletes would be able to tweet about their sponsors because they are in line with official Olympic brands.

Richards-Ross was also leading the protest on Twitter, where the hashtags #WeDemandChange and #Rule40 were trending yesterday.

She was supported by other members of the US Olympic team, including long distance runner Bernard Lagat, javelin thrower Kara Patterson, sprinter Lauryn Williams and many others.

Sanya Richards-Ross has been leading the protests on Twitter

A tweet by sprinter Lauryn Williams asking why athletes are unable to advertise personal sponsors

A Facebook post by runner Leo Manzano in protest at requests to remove pictures of his running shoes

Harper later tweeted the duct tape gag picture alongside the message: ‘Goodnight world… Can anyone guess what’ll be in my dreams? #Rule40’

Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter states: ‘Except as permitted by the IOC Executive Board, no competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for advertising purposes during the Olympic Games.’

The rule was reinforced by a 20-page briefing note sent to all athletes and agents by Games organisers LOCOG.

It explains: ‘Ambush marketers have, in the past, used their association with athletes to suggest or imply that they have an association with the Olympic Games. This undermines the exclusivity that Organising Committees can offer official Games and Team sponsors, without whose investment the Games could not happen.’

The distance runner Bernard Lagat was among the many American athletes who pledged their support to the protest

The IOC said today that they would be summoning officials from the United States Olympic Committee and asking them to ‘reach out’ to their athletes to quell the protests.

In response, the USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said the athletes should appreciate the investment of official sponsors.

He said: ‘While the athletes are the heart of the Olympic Games, and the Movement more broadly, without the support of our official partners, the Games would not be able to happen.

‘Our partners provide 40 percent of our budget. If the value of those sponsorships declines because we can no longer provide exclusivity, then our level of support for athletes overall will decline. The result of loses by these standards will be less money to athletes, not more.’

This will come as little consolation to some American athletes, who now look likely to lose money on the London Olympics.

The middle-distance runner Leo Manzano said he was ‘disappointed’ after being made to take down pictures of his shoes and comments about their performance from his Facebook page.

‘This rule is very distracting to us athletes, and it takes away from our Olympic experience and training,’ he said.

20km walk athlete Maria Michta wrote an opinionated blog entry in which she talked about the difficulties of making ends meet while training for the Olympics.

She wrote: ‘I have no big brand coropoarate sponosor [sic] who gives me free gear, pays me a salary, and gives me a bonus for making it to events like the Olympics or rewards my spotlight in the media with another bonus check.

‘No my sponsors are my family, my friends, my high school community, the family of race walkers around the country. My sponsor bonus comes from each and every dollar thrown in my bucket and every donation on my website.’

The rebel athletes have gained the support of Ed Moses, Olympic hurdles champion in 1976 and 1984, who said track and field was trailing professional sports in terms of earning potential.

BENDING THE RULES: WHAT THE FUSS IS ALL ABOUT

RULE 40 FROM THE OLYMPIC CHARTER:

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‘Except as permitted by the IOC Executive Board, no
competitor, coach, trainer or official who participates in the Olympic Games
may allow his person, name, picture or sports performances to be used for
advertising purposes during the Olympic Games.’

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THE BRIEFING NOTE SENT OUT TO ATHLETES BY LOCOG:

‘Ambush marketers have, in the past,
used their association with athletes to suggest or imply that they have
an association with the Olympic Games. This undermines the exclusivity
that Organising Committees can offer official Games and Team sponsors,
without whose investment the Games could not happen.

‘The implication of an association
with the Games through use of athletes is particularly powerful during
and immediately before the Games.’

It adds: ‘Participants who do not
comply with Rule 40 may be sanctioned by the IOC and/or by the BOA in
accordance with the Team Members’ Agreement which provides for wide
ranging sanctions, including amongst other things removal of
accreditation and financial penalties.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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you can’t even use an umbrella if it has something other than official sponsors on it

– ambledon, Bude, Cornwall, 31/7/2012 19:09

They know these restrictions are in place before they are even selected for their countries team. To go there knowing this AND then complain smacks of childish behaviour and typical of some over paid “athletes”

– Shaun, East of England, 31/7/2012 19:07

I don’t see why people are saying the athletes are in it for the money or moaning American’s because the UK athletes are in the same position. It’s only the few at the top who can afford to do this full time so the rest have to worry about financing their sport and having time to work, train and rest. You can see what results you get when the goverment invest in it’s athlete’s just by looking at China. We all want the British athletes to win but some people on here think they should work a full time job aswell. but they will be the same one’s complaining when we don’t win many medal’s. So unless your happy for China dominate everything stop moaning.

– ck, uk, 31/7/2012 18:58

It’s all about “me, me, me ,me, me, me, me”. This is the Olympics, for goodness sake, not some two-bit county fair in rural America. There are many rules in life, and if they don’t like the rules about participating in the Olympics, they are free not to compete. Do they complain about having to run in lanes on the track, or having to use standard-weight shots, discuses, javelins? Maybe they feel they should be allowed to do what they like (possibly including taking whatever drugs they fancy)? Sadly, it might be too late to do anything about these prima donnas now – they should have been taught what’s acceptable and what is when they were growing up – instead they continue to behave like spoiled brats. A plague on them!!!!!

– Keith, London, 31/7/2012 18:52

Don’t like the rules, then don’t attend….

– N. Waters, Ontario, Canada, 31/7/2012 18:44

I think the commercialisation of the Olympics is a massive turn off and the mean spirited antics of the ruling bodies won’t be forgotten quickly. The product placement in the opening ceremony was equally laughable. Total turn off, not interested !

– Mummy, The North, 31/7/2012 18:44

The Olympics used to be a venue where the best amateurs could vie for medals. It should go back to its roots. No Professionals, No paid entrants and no sponsorship from companies that expect you to advocate their products before, during or after the games. (They can do that themselves in their own ads, they must not be allowed to coerce the athletes to do it for them!!)

– Bill Wallace, ex pat now in, Vancouver, Canada, 31/7/2012 18:41

I wonder what Tommie Smith and John Carlos would think of this “protest”.

– Ceiling Cat, In the ceiling, 31/7/2012 18:32

The best thing ALL Olympians can do is to wear non branded gear. Nobody at all should wear any of the sponsor’s gear unless they are being sponsored by them. That will upset the sponsors. All ticket holders should take in non branded water or food. Nobody should eat at the fast food shacks, but instead bring sandwiches.

– Kuri, UK, 31/7/2012 18:31

Oh yes, the new Olympic anthem – Money Money Money.

– Sensible English One, Chelmsford, England, 31/7/2012 18:31

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