Mark Block Ban Violation?

[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.

[TrakFan]

Nike tells USATF to kick Brooks employees (who bought tickets) out of the meet and they do.

Wow. Were these individuals simply sitting and watching the meet, or were they working/advertising for Brooks when they were asked to leave?

[guru]

Nike tells USATF to kick Brooks employees (who bought tickets) out of the meet and they do.

Wow. Were these individuals simply sitting and watching the meet, or were they working/advertising for Brooks when they were asked to leave?

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read. ... ad=4663003

[TrakFan]

If that's true (what was mentioned in the LR thread) I agree with them booting the big wigs who authorized the banner. Mary the secretary and the mail room guy should have been safe.

[mump boy]

Jason Richardson ‏@JaiRich
...just getting in from good laughs and great food at Ruth Chris w/ @CarmelitaJeter @TheMarkBlock, my coach, wives, & family
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20 Apr 12


Carmelita Jeter ‏@CarmelitaJeter
Dinner tonite with my parents/manager/coach and @JaiRich. #TeamJet/TeamRich
Retweeted by Jason Richardson
20 Apr 12

[MightyBurner]

How is a tweet by Jason Richardson relevant at all?

[bushop]

How is a tweet by Jason Richardson relevant at all?

It connects Jeter with Block at dinner.

[MightyBurner]

And? It's just innuendo.

[mump boy]

How is a tweet by Jason Richardson relevant at all?

The fact that Jason, Carmelita and Mark Block have cosy dinners together isn't relevant ??

Why are 2 world champions having dinner with someone banned from the sport for 10 year for trafficking drugs ??

[guru]

One can judge a man by the company he keeps ~ Euripides

[26mi235]

How is a tweet by Jason Richardson relevant at all?

The fact that Jason, Carmelita and Mark Block have cosy dinners together isn't relevant ??

Why are 2 world champions having dinner with someone banned from the sport for 10 year for trafficking drugs ??

Well, he was their agent and they may have been on good terms personally. There are 'explanations' short of conspiracy theories that 'work'. Is the assumption that if someone is involved in doping that all of their interactions with people in the sport revolve around doping?

Question (I do not know the answer): aside from his wife, who else was implicated in doping with Block and in what context? There was something above in regards to BALCO, I think, but it is back up a ways.

[polevaultpower]

It's foolish for athletes to associate themselves with people busted for doping violations. It's even more foolish for them to tweet about it. At least Jeter has the good sense to pretend she's not seeing Block anymore. Their agents should be monitoring such things more closely.

[odelltrclan]

It's foolish for athletes to associate themselves with people busted for doping violations. It's even more foolish for them to tweet about it. At least Jeter has the good sense to pretend she's not seeing Block anymore. Their agents should be monitoring such things more closely.

I would certainly agree with this, but, lets just assume that an athlete is associated with an agent and the relationship is totally innocent. If that agent has done them good, earned them a lot of money from endorsements, etc., and later that agent gets into trouble, the athlete may still feel a bit of loyalty toward the agent. People are pretty forgiving of other's mistakes as well so they may not view still having a relationship they way everyone else might.

The "Letsrun" owner's who exposed this whole thing have already allowed it to be known, in so many ways, that they feel anyone who has a relationship are as guilty as hell by association, and I think this is unfair.

[bushop]

How is a tweet by Jason Richardson relevant at all?

The fact that Jason, Carmelita and Mark Block have cosy dinners together isn't relevant ?? Why are 2 world champions having dinner with someone banned from the sport for 10 year for trafficking drugs ??

I also find it interesting that while Richardson mentions Block, Jeter ommits him from her list of diners.

[ExCoastRanger]

It's foolish for athletes to associate themselves with people busted for doping violations....

Agree here.
A professional T&F athlete should probably be as careful his or her social calendar as he or she is with WADA's banned substance list. When the career is over he or she can enjoy whatever substance and whovever's company they want.
That said, guilt by association is a slippery slope and meaningless without real evidence.

[TrakFan]

Regardless of how badly some of you probably hope for Jeter's guilt and ban by association, it doesn't work that way.

[bushop]

Regardless of how badly some of you probably hope for Jeter's guilt and ban by association, it doesn't work that way.

Missed that one... who is looking for a ban?

[Dutra5]

Regardless of how badly some of you probably hope for Jeter's guilt and ban by association, it doesn't work that way.

Missed that one... who is looking for a ban?

Euripedes?

[wamego relays champ]

Jason Richardson ‏@JaiRich
...just getting in from good laughs and great food at Ruth Chris w/ @CarmelitaJeter @TheMarkBlock, my coach, wives, & family
Expand
Reply Retweet Favorite
20 Apr 12


Carmelita Jeter ‏@CarmelitaJeter
Dinner tonite with my parents/manager/coach and @JaiRich. #TeamJet/TeamRich
Retweeted by Jason Richardson
20 Apr 12

For CJ's sake, I hope that Chris Layne was the manager she was referring to, rather than @TheMarkBlock that JR mentioned.

.

[polevaultpower]

How does Block get past this security guy at the end of the video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... x9xRxS6rsA

[gh]

err... cuz he's wearing a ticket around his neck? That's just the general-traffic tunnel under the south stands isn't it?

[polevaultpower]

err... cuz he's wearing a ticket around his neck? That's just the general-traffic tunnel under the south stands isn't it?

I don't know. It looked like Robert was getting stopped by a security guy, so I wasn't sure if Block was entering a restricted area or not. The video cuts out pretty quickly so it's hard to say for sure.

[gh]

I don't see any evidence of people coming the other way being vetted at all, and note also that at the moment Block gets to the "guard" that because of the traffic pattern he has to turn away from the guard, so unless the guy picked up on it earlier in the tunnel, he'd have no idea if Block was wearing any kind of tag at all.

[26mi235]

As I understand it, Block had been Jeter's agent -- that relationship is not active but her knowing Block is not exactly news and is of no real import itself. I asked, and have not seen an answer, if Block was connected to any banned athlete's other than his wife? If not, even though he is banned, it does not particularly indicate that his clients are typically users because it was not Block's role (solely) as her agent that links him with P-B.

[wamego relays champ]

It's foolish for athletes to associate themselves with people busted for doping violations. It's even more foolish for them to tweet about it. At least Jeter has the good sense to pretend she's not seeing Block anymore. Their agents should be monitoring such things more closely.

Agreed, and the problem lies in whether the ban prohibits Block from participating in the relationship between Total Sports Management and its track athlete clients.

Over in the Locked Dope Talk forum, a thread dating from when the ban was announced included this exchange between a poster and gh

7-sided wrote:Now the question is what the IAAF and USATF does with his agency. The ban has to include his management agency. A list of his athletes below....

gh wrote:
If you're suggesting his agency be shut down, I concur wholeheartedly. If you're suggesting that his current clients receive some kind of censure I couldn't disagree more strenuously...

Well, the agency was not shut down or banned so there is now this gray area. Since Jeter's agent is Chris Layne of Total Sports Management (an authorized IAAF Athlete's rep), then she should be untarnished by Mark Block cheering her performance in Eugene. If Block no longer has any financial interest in Total Sports Management, then the ban is effective and he can certainly continue to be a fan of the sport and its stars.

But if there is a loophole in the ban such that Block can participate (financially or in other material ways) in the activities of Total Sports in its representation of its track and field athletes, then what real affect is the 10-year ban actually having?

.

[mump boy]

I feel the same way about clean athletes who are happy to socialise with or be represented by an agency so closely associated with Mark Block, the same way i feel about those that chose to be coached by Trevor Graham

[polevaultpower]

I feel the same way about clean athletes who are happy to socialise with or be represented by an agency so closely associated with Mark Block, the same way i feel about those that chose to be coached by Trevor Graham

I don't think that's fair. TSM and Chris Layne represent a lot of athletes, and I am sure some of them have no idea who Mark Block is.

[mump boy]

I feel the same way about clean athletes who are happy to socialise with or be represented by an agency so closely associated with Mark Block, the same way i feel about those that chose to be coached by Trevor Graham

I don't think that's fair. TSM and Chris Layne represent a lot of athletes, and I am sure some of them have no idea who Mark Block is.

Chris Layne is still in business with Mark Block http://totalsportsbaseball.com/Who_We_Are.html make of that what you will

[26mi235]

I asked this earlier -- who besides his wife, has Block been linked to [in a legal/process manner, not someone's guess]? I think that there were others involved, but I am not sure.

[guru]

I asked this earlier -- who besides his wife, has Block been linked to [in a legal/process manner, not someone's guess]?

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

[26mi235]

The answer seems to be that he was implicated in multiple ways but only with regard to his wife. The implications are that in his role of agent he has not been connected with doping for his clients. Thus, taring his one-time clients because he cheated in an attempt to make his wife the top sprinter is not a particularly argument for their druggy implications.

Further, the notion that his ownership rights in his company are forfeit does not seem to appear anywhere in the arbitration decision.

By the way, if a bank employee talks to a felon released from prison should we immediately suspect that employee of a crime worthy of removing him or her from employment.