Following her vault on a bad ankle that helped propel the
U.S. Women's Gymnastics team to a gold medal, 18-year-old Kerri
Strug has found herself in the media spotlight and is being
hailed as the first athlete to emerge from the Games as a
potential marketing star. After her performance, however, Strug
said she plans to attend UCLA and has no plans to cash in because
she wants to retain her college eligibility ("NBC Nightly News,"
7/24).
WHAT IF SHE DID? BBDO's Allen Rosenshine, on Strug's
performance: "It does create an opportunity .... I just hope
that when people do that, they will maintain a relevance because
that's the only thing that creates testimonials that make any
sense" ("Business Insiders," CNBC, 7/24). USA TODAY notes Strug
could make between $3-$5M in endorsements (Dottie Enrico, USA
TODAY, 7/25). In New York, Richard Sandomir notes, unlike
Dominique Moceanu and Shannon Miller, Strug has no agent (N.Y.
TIMES, 7/25). The WALL STREET JOURNAL profiles Strug's marketing
appeal, noting that pre-Olympics, coach Bela Karolyi said she
would not sell out. Roger Thurow: "But the temptations will be
great" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/25). In MN, Jay Weiner calls her
"instant hot stuff" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/25).
THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE AIR: CBS' Mark Phillips: "Forget
the Dream Team. America now has its Dream Teens" ("CBS Evening
News," 7/24). Bruce Willis and Demi Moore hosted the team at
Atlanta's Planet Hollywood on Tuesday night ("ET," 7/24). Strug
is USA TODAY's cover story, while the paper's editorial calls her
a "hero" (USA TODAY, 7/25). A PHILA. INQUIRER editorial refers
to her vault as "The Moment" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 7/25). Olympic
historian Bud Greenspan: "If you write that script, they'd throw
you out of the office" (NEWSDAY, 7/25). In Detroit, Bob
Wojnowski writes, "Moments come, moments go, but the special stay
forever" (DETROIT NEWS, 7/25). In Houston, John Lopez: "The
feeling Strug gave to the Games was something network research
and corporate dollars never could manufacture" (HOUSTON
CHRONICLE, 7/25). In Orlando, Brian Schmitz calls it "the
defining moment" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 7/25). In K.C., Jason
Whitlock writes, "The Centennial Olympic Games has found its
star, its defining moment" (K.C. STAR, 7/25). In Philadelphia,
Gary Thompson: "Everyone who saw it said it was like something
from a movie" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 7/25). PLAYING HURT:
Women's Sports Foundation Exec Dir Donna Lopiano said Strug
helped "bust the myth" of female athletes as not tough enough.
Lopiano: "It does a great service to women of the world" (Steve
Jacobson, NEWSDAY, 7/25). In Miami, Linda Robertson writes, "If
her name was Karl Strug, there would be no second-guessing"
(MIAMI HERALD, 7/25).
BELA & CO.: A New England Journal of Medicine report
released yesterday calls the extreme demands of training on young
gymnasts equivalent to child abuse. The report was picked up in
several papers including the WASHINGTON POST ("A Question of
Balance"), the ORLANDO SENTINEL (front page), CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
("Gymnast's will to win at all costs questioned"), the S.F.
CHRONICLE ("Doctors Debate Famous Vault"), and the "CBS Evening
News" (CBS, 7/24; Mult., 7/25). In New York, Mike Lupica
criticizes Karolyi as an "one-the-make hustler" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS,
7/25). In Phoenix, David Casstevens asks, "What price glory?"
(ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/25). Karolyi, asked by NBC's Bob Costas
last night about the demands placed on young gymnasts: "Please,
watch a very proud and very courageous young woman like Kerri and
you've got the answer" (NBC, 7/24).
