NYT Obliterates Lolo Jones

In today's Times Jere Longman is highly critical of Lolo Jones for her self promotion. Seems out of character for The Times. Longman is critical Jones posing nude in ESPN body issue in 2009, but makes no mention of all of the Olympic athletes who posed this year. He also pretty much paints her as a marginal Olympic performer but gives her no credit for the fact that to make it to London she had to qualify.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/sports/olympics/olympian-lolo-jones-draws-attention-to-beauty-not-achievement.html

" LONDON — Judging from this year’s performances, Lolo Jones seems to have only a slim chance of winning an Olympic medal in the 100-meter hurdles and almost no possibility of winning gold.

Still, Jones has received far greater publicity than any other American track and field athlete competing in the London Games. This was based not on achievement but on her exotic beauty and on a sad and cynical marketing campaign. Essentially, Jones has decided she will be whatever anyone wants her to be — vixen, virgin, victim — to draw attention to herself and the many products she endorses.

Women have struggled for decades to be appreciated as athletes. For the first time at these Games, every competing nation has sent a female participant. But Jones is not assured enough with her hurdling or her compelling story of perseverance. So she has played into the persistent, demeaning notion that women are worthy as athletes only if they have sex appeal. And, too often, the news media have played right along with her.

In 2009, Jones posed nude for ESPN the Magazine. This year, she appeared on the cover of Outside magazine seeming to wear a bathing suit made of nothing but strategically placed ribbon. At the same time, she has proclaimed herself to be a 30-year-old virgin and a Christian. And oh, by the way, a big fan of Tim Tebow.

If there is a box to check off, Jones has checked it. Except for the small part about actually achieving Olympic success as a hurdler. "

How do you feel about beach volley ball Jere?

 

To be fair - it isn't Jones. I'm sure there are dozens of athletes who would do the same, but just aren't getting the support from sponsors and or news orgs.

I'd love to sit in on a Nike meeting where they decide on whom to focus their sponsorship and advertising dollars.

 

Sounds like the typical snarky post on sj.

 

Exactly. Jones must have turned down Longman for an interview.

 

That's bullshit (the story, I mean, not the previous post). She would have been a story at these Games even if she looked like Abe Vigoda and posed in an overcoat because of what happened to her in Beijing. She had that race won and fell over a hurdle, which would have made this year a "redemption" story no matter what.

Plus, she's a recognizable name. I've seen tons of ads featuring Bryan Clay and David Oliver, who aren't even on the team. Natalie Coughlin is prominent in ads even though she raced only in one prelim heat (I think -- please correct me if that is incorrect).

To slam Lolo for this is ridiculous. Companies pay for names people recognize and personalities people want to identify with, and no, it doesn't hurt if they are attractive. What is she supposed to do, give back the money? Track doesn't pay that well -- you make your bucks on sponsorships. The successful ones are usually good at selling themselves. That's how the game is played.

 

Has Jones done very well off-track for little accomplishments on-track? Sure. But this is America. She didn't get all the endorsement money by holding CEOs at gunpoint. Wonder what Jere Longman would do if offered a gig at CNN for being a mediocre writer?

 

No one makes it without help in America.

 

That 12.48? You didn't run that!

 

darren rovell ‏@darrenrovell

Garbage piece on @lolojones by the New York Times. She's marketable because she knows what it takes & deserves it all http://sprts.bz/lologames

 

Ripping athletes for posing nude is one of the silliest tropes in Old White Guy sports writing. Seriously, who cares? This idea that it's a "distraction" is superficial tripe. Longmann knows as well as anyone the sponsorship money for track athletes has totally dried up in recent years. And the window to grab what little money there is left is tiny.

Is Jones too much hype and too little substance? Maybe, but you can make that point without the same boring cliches, as if, instead of posing nude, she would have been better served in those four hours the photo shoot took running an extra set of 800s.

 

Well, somebody had to build the track.

 

Her ESPN pose was in 2009. Longman must not have gotten his 2012 ESPN Body issue featuring 2012 Olympic athletes.