Mark Block Ban Violation?

[mcgato]

http://www.letsrun.com/2012/block-0701.php

Letsrun is reporting that Mark Block, who was banned from track and field for 10 years for his part in the Balco doping scandal, was seen leaving the Nike VIP box at the Olympic Trials. A bit of a hubbub on the message boards over there too.

Not sure if this appropriate to report here. Feel free to remove if inappropriate.

[TrakFan]

What does a USADA ban entail? I'm aware that athletes can't compete, and agents can't represent athletes during a ban. But are they prohibited from observing events -- whether in the cheap seats, or a VIP booth?

[Mighty Favog]

Given the rules of this forum, I'm not even going to begin to say what I think. I am curious to see if anything comes of this, and specifically what powers if any USADA has over his associations in the sport (it appears they already knew about him and weren't just taking it lying down). Because a schmuck like me doesn't get where he was just because you hold a ticket to the meet. And there were people in that skybox that know exactly who he is.

[Seahorse Captain]

Does anyone believe Mark Block is surreptitiously coaching despite the 10 year USADA ban?

[ATK]

Jeter was asked a question about her relationship with Mark durring the 200m press conference. Apparently he was at Nikes suite during the trials. She just stated who her current agent is and didn't answer the question.

[gh]

If Block is successfully acting as Jeter's agent, that means that no end of meets are in violation for dealing with somebody on the banned list.

Any black market exists only because "legit" people are willing to deal with those on the other side.

[gh]

Dr. Galea responses have been split into a separate thread....

[gh]

letsrun has jumped into this topic with both feet; see front page.

[KevinM]

letsrun has jumped into this topic with both feet; see front page.

The LR thread is interesting as well, including some recent tweets and pictures connecting Block to Jason Richardson and Jeter.

[guru]

Considering Block's status, is there a penalty for an athlete found to be working with him?

[maroon]

Considering Block's status, is there a penalty for an athlete found to be working with him?

do you mean is the athlete subject to a penalty? i don't think so. but this is an eerie reminder of marion and tim training with charlie francis. t&f doesn't need another big drugs story on the eve of the olympics, so i hope this story has no legs.

[MJR]

The evasiveness of Jeter rings hollow, just as the evasiveness of Regina Jacobs did for all those years. If it sounds like a duck....

Anyone having a credential to the OT has to be approved by the USATF and/or USOC. The fact that he was there says they were ok with it. Another failure of the scratch & sniff test.

[MJR]

The ban also precludes the banned from getting ANY credentials to attend ANY competition in ANY capacity other than as a purchaser of a ticket.

Follow the smell of crap right back to Nike.

[odelltrclan]

letsrun has jumped into this topic with both feet; see front page.

The LR thread is interesting as well, including some recent tweets and pictures connecting Block to Jason Richardson and Jeter.

Let's be fair to Jeter here. The evidence? A picture is shown of Jeter walking down a hallway and everyone presumes a man walking in front of her with his back to the camera facing the opposite direction of the camera is Block. Not strong evidence.

Further, to someone who claimed she did not answer the question, I disagree, when asked about Block, she stated, paraphrasing "I don't know where that [the question about Block] is coming from and stated who her agent was, and when pressed again simply restated what she said earlier about her agent.

I thought this site was supposed to be more or less innocent until proven guilty. Someone sees Block where he was not supposed to be, fine. Immediately Jeter gets crucified on almost NO evidence of a connection. This is a joke.

[j-a-m]

So it seems Nike's invited a guy over who's banned from the sport. Go ahead then and ask Nike critical questions, and not Jeter; it wasn't her vip box.

[beebee]

The evasiveness of Jeter rings hollow, just as the evasiveness of Regina Jacobs did for all those years. If it sounds like a duck....

Anyone having a credential to the OT has to be approved by the USATF and/or USOC. The fact that he was there says they were ok with it. Another failure of the scratch & sniff test.

Either you have something or you do not...you have nothing. I guess to you Mark Block is Ms. Jeter's "Bill Ayers"

[MightyBurner]

Considering Block's status, is there a penalty for an athlete found to be working with him?

do you mean is the athlete subject to a penalty? i don't think so. but this is an eerie reminder of marion and tim training with charlie francis. t&f doesn't need another big drugs story on the eve of the olympics, so i hope this story has no legs.

This is the attitude that hurts the sport. Being terrified of what another drug bust will do.

[gh]

....
Anyone having a credential to the OT has to be approved by the USATF and/or USOC. The fact that he was there says they were ok with it. Another failure of the scratch & sniff test.

Do you know for a fact that he had a credential? Such certainly not required to be in Eugene, at Hayward or in Nike's box. Nike can have Jeffrey Dahmer in its box if it wants.

I'm guessing that the specifics of Block's non-involvement with the sport have well defined legal bounds and are limited to things that WADA has control over. Fortunately, the everyday movements of citizens are not among them, no matter how odious their past behavior may have been.

[MJR]

GH, You know well enough that NO ONE gets into the facility at any OT event without a credential or a ticket, especially in the post 9/11 world of hyper-security. So, he either had one or the other. If he had a ticket, he has no business in the Nike suite, unless he was doing business there. Based upon his 10 year ban, there in NO way he qualifies for a credential unless he is on the Nike payroll. Occam's Razor applies here. Follow the $$ to the dirt & drugs.

[maroon]

Considering Block's status, is there a penalty for an athlete found to be working with him?

do you mean is the athlete subject to a penalty? i don't think so. but this is an eerie reminder of marion and tim training with charlie francis. t&f doesn't need another big drugs story on the eve of the olympics, so i hope this story has no legs.

This is the attitude that hurts the sport. Being terrified of what another drug bust will do.

huh?

[gh]

Did I say he may not have had a ticket? On July 4, of all days, I say hallelujah to that. So long as he is not violating any laws, he is free to do what he wants. Welcome to America.

If Nike invited him into its box, shame on them, to be sure.

But that's a huge leap from assuming that somebody credentialed him (although I don't know for a fact that that didn't happen), which would clearly be a violation of his suspension. If such was the case, head(s) should roll.

[sprintdoc]

a) Block was not credentialed, I am fully aware of that.

b) The Nike hospitality area included many people in the sport and guests. As gh says should they have given him a pass into Cap's Corner, named for John Capriotti, head of Nike's professional track division, is the real question. I think that he was welcomed is all we need to know.

The WADA ban is for serving as an agent and is limited to such duties but I believe he is free to serve in certain roles with athletes still legally.

[Mighty Favog]

Relevant document:
http://www.usada.org/uploads/ArbitrationAwardBlock.pdf

Read up if you wish.

[8aldP|23]

Relevant document:
http://www.usada.org/uploads/ArbitrationAwardBlock.pdf

Read up if you wish.

the last couple pages is where it goes into what he can't do under his suspension.

[wamego relays champ]

Relevant document:
http://www.usada.org/uploads/ArbitrationAwardBlock.pdf

Read up if you wish.

the last couple pages is where it goes into what he can't do under his suspension.

No benefits, awards, titles or remuneration, plus

"prohibited from participating in and having access to the facilities of the USOC Training Center or other programs or activities of the USOC, including, but not limited to, grants, awards or employment..."

Not entirely clear to me, a layman, whether that simply means he can't profit or benefit from the sport. Being a spectator is certainly not participating. If he still has a financial interest in what Total Sports Management makes from its track & field clients, that would seem to be a violation, but one cannot conclude that he has such an interest solely from his presence at Hayward.

.

[Mighty Favog]

Reports are that he's been seen at various other top-level meets such as the Worlds in Daegu, and his own Twitter account indicates he was at the Penn Relays this year (which featured Total Sports Management athletes Nick Symmonds and Carmelita Jeter). I'd like to be at all of those too, but I'm guessing he's not there solely to soak up the atmosphere and down a few brews like I would be.

In any case, the original report at Let's Run seemed to indicate that USADA is aware of at least as much of his whereabouts and involvements as we are, and we can assume they'll go after him if he's violated the terms of his suspension. It looks to me like the rules say he can't get official accreditation, work in an official capacity, or get access to NGB or government-funded facilities or other benefits. Other than that, it appears that unofficial contacts aren't really something that can be stopped. Still, it's telling that when asked Jeter treated his name like it was radioactive.

[j-a-m]

Relevant document:
http://www.usada.org/uploads/ArbitrationAwardBlock.pdf

Read up if you wish.

Didn't read the entire document, of course, but this seems to be limited to specific things Block is not allowed to do. So I don't know why he wouldn't be allowed to watch track events.

[lexvid]

Relevant document:
http://www.usada.org/uploads/ArbitrationAwardBlock.pdf

Read up if you wish.

Didn't read the entire document, of course, but this seems to be limited to specific things Block is not allowed to do. So I don't know why he wouldn't be allowed to watch track events.

It's not a question of why but WHERE and how it LOOKS. If I understand it correctly the Nike Box is not public seating therefore if this gentleman was there then it certainly leads one to believe he was invited. At the least it sends the wrong message and at the worst looks like Nike has ENDORSED this guys past and present actions if he was banned in an official capacity.

[j-a-m]

At the least it sends the wrong message

Agreed that it was a mistake by Nike to invite him. What I was referring to, though, was the title of this thread which says "Mark Block Ban Violation?", and that it wasn't.

[ed gee]

...the Oregon-based sports and equipment company, in a statement issued late Tuesday, said Block should not have had that access and, as a result, the company is examining its policies and procedures for vetting people in the future.

http://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-pro ... track.html

[lexvid]

In other words, heads will roll...

[toyracer]

So it seems Nike's invited a guy over who's banned from the sport. Go ahead then and ask Nike critical questions, and not Jeter; it wasn't her vip box.

Agreed. It is curious though that he appeared to be there to watch Jeter and left the Nike box after she ran, then tried to get to an area where he could speak to her. Curious, but not damning.

[polevaultpower]

I have a friend who worked as a volunteer at the Trials at various hospitality booths, and they were very strict about checking credentials. There's no way he could have snuck into the booth. Someone gave him credentials.

I don't know if it violates his ban, but it sure makes Nike look bad.

[Marlow]

The ban also precludes the banned from getting ANY credentials to attend ANY competition in ANY capacity other than as a purchaser of a ticket.

There's no way he could have snuck into the booth. Someone gave him credentials. I don't know if it violates his ban . . .

It sure seems to, but I'm having a very hard time getting worked up about this . . . Nike doing something, because . . . it can.

[polevaultpower]

I should add that credentials is not the right word. I highly doubt he had any sort of "credential." He would have had some sort of pass or special ticket to get into the Nike booth. It's not something the general public can buy.

I doubt USATF was directly involved, but I have a hard time believing no one from USATF saw him in the booth.

Nike tells USATF to kick Brooks employees (who bought tickets) out of the meet and they do. USATF saying they have no control over who attends their meets is ridiculous. Maybe they didn't know about this in time, but if zero tolerance really means zero tolerance, USATF can absolutely tell Mark Block they are going to kick him out of their meets if they catch him there.

That's not what I see happening here.

With USATF, zero tolerance seems to be very selectively applied.