Waving goodbye to amateur status, prep phenom Allyson Felix is turning pro!

By Richard Gonzalez
Editor, DyeStatCal

          “Shooooooow me the money!!!”

          It became the catch-phrase of choice regarding contract negotiations ever since those four words were made wholly popular in the Tom Cruise-movie “Jerry Maguire” a few years ago. Now, California-based teen sprint sensation Allyson Felix has taken that same approach, and it appears the globe’s leading shoe companies have been listening.

          Felix, in Paris for this month’s IAAF World Championships, has penned a sponsorship deal with Germany-based adidas, one of the world’s most recognizable sporting suppliers. Details of the six-year agreement have not been disclosed, but it is believed to be a financial package better than that signed by former prep miling sensation Alan Webb of Virginia, who was said to have signed a seven-year pact with Nike in the neighborhood of $1.7 million.

          Felix gained sprint stardom in eclipsing Marion Jones’ American Junior (age 19-and-under) national 200m record (22.51 at the Mt. SAC Relays) earlier this year, then stunned the track world with a 22.11 clocking at altitude in the Banamex Championships at Mexico City.

          She had declared her intent to attend the University of Southern California in the fall, and will keep on schedule in attending the Los Angeles-area campus in the near future. By turning pro, she is believed to be the first U.S. prep track athlete to make the jump directly from the high school ranks to the professional world.

          In an interview with DyeStatCal earlier this summer, Allyson’s father, Paul, confirmed that any sponsorship agreement would be contingent on Allyson being allowed to remain enrolled in college. “That’s very important to us,” the father stated. “Education is something we are keeping at the forefront of our minds.”

          DyeStatCal has been able to confirm that at least four companies — adidas, Nike, Asics and Dada –- had discussed the issue with the family this summer, some more seriously than others. Initially, ‘low-ball’ figures were said to have been offered up by two of the companies, which kicked off the negotiations. At least in the early stages, Paul Felix was handling negotiations on behalf of her daughter. It should be noted, however, that the agent for teen basketball sensation LeBron James had contacted Felix’s dad, offering to help in negotiations. James, fresh out of high school, had already secured multiple endorsement contracts totaling more than $157 million for James with such companies as Nike, Daimler-Chrysler and Gatorade, his agent informed DyeStatCal.

          Dada Footwear, which is based in the Southern California area (Felix has been seen sporting Dada apparel in races on occasion this spring/summer), was said to have offered an annual six-figure deal in midsummer that was “Alan Webb-type money”, as one source put it. Sources within other companies indicated to us that Felix’s early accomplishments were definitely of the head-turning variety, but were cautious as to her marketability in an event discipline – the sprints – where everyone knows who is king, or queen, in this instance.

           “Bottom line, when Marion (Jones comes back), you have to ask yourself, ‘Is Allyson better than her?,’ ” said one shoe company source in June. “Remember, there’s traditionally a huge gap from what a gold medalist can command (in terms of sponsorship dollars), as compared to a what a silver medalist can, a bronze medalist, and so forth. It sounds like they are asking for more than she’s shown so far.”

            Even so, the back-and-forth negotiating ploys always tend to swing into quicker action once the big year-end meets arrive.

            “Right now, it might be where she’s worth just under six figures a year to us,” said a source at another of the shoe companies involved, when discussing the issue in early July. “Expect for things to slow down a bit this summer, while companies take a ‘wait and see approach’ to how she does. Then, depending on her upcoming races, her value could very easily go up. If the trends of success continue, whoever signs her will do it right before Worlds, because it will get awfully pricey to sign her after Worlds if she medals there. The deeper into the summer this goes, the more she’ll likely make.”

             One area of concern to at least one of the shoe companies involved was who was going to coach Felix.

             "If we're making an investment, we'd like to know that there's a plan in place," said one representative. "As dumb as that sounds, we just wish to be sure," said the source, who indicated through a discussion with the Felix camp that no definitive plans were in place at the time. Another involved with the Felix situation claimed that John Smith-coached HSI track club had expressed an interest in working with Felix, a notion which another source confirmed and yet a third source denied.

             Indeed, word began emerging in recent days that the negotiations were in final stages just as the IAAF World Championships were getting underway in Paris, where Felix was set to compete in the 200 meters. Then word broke early Tuesday morning (August 26) that adidas officials had confirmed a signing. Shortly thereafter, Felix emerged from the athletes' warm-up bullpen donning a pair of adidas spikes for the first time. Felix was clocked in 23.46 to earn the fourth and final berth from her first-round heat, advancing to that morning’s quarter finals, where she placed sixth and failed to advance to the semifinals.

             Did adidas receive its money’s worth? Of course, it’s too early to judge. Will it receive its money’s worth? It’s already beginning to.

             “Companies always want their athletes to do well, along with all the publicity it brings,” one of the shoe company sources added. “Everyone hates bad publicity, but losing a race isn’t the same bad publicity as when some of these athletes create embarrassing legal problems. A bad race still keeps the athlete in the public’s eye. Name recognition is key, so long as it’s not for moral ineptitude.”

             Much like Alan Webb before her, Felix will be in a fish bowl from here onward. Ever race will be dissected, every expectation raised, and every mistake magnified.

             Is that too much for a teenager to handle? Who knows. But remember, in terms on many in the sporting public, she’s not a teenager anymore. She’s a pro.