There is no doubt 2008 is a big year for Track and Field. The increased attention Track and Field will receive this year is due to the appeal the Olympics have to the Average Joe. People love having a team or individual to root for, and the Olympics gives us this opportunity on the largest of scales. The Olympics unites every American behind a single team, USA. In August, it does not matter if you're a Yankees, Red Sox, Bears or Packers fan... all Americans will be chanting USA together!

Track and Field can be hard to understand for the Average Joe who sits at home and happens to turn on the Pre Classic. Who should he be rooting for Wallace Spearmon or the X Man (Xavier Carter)? Both Spearmon and the X Man have the same jersey on so they are probably on the same team? The general public has no idea b/c they do not know Wallace or the X Man, but on the other hand, they get the Olympics. The public understands and cares if the fast guy with the USA on his chest beats the Germans, Chinese or Brits. This happens all over the world. The Kiwis want to beat the Aussies, the Aussies want to beat the Brits, and everyone wants to beat the French. The Olympics is the time the world comes together and root for their countries most talented athletes.

Average Joes around the world care about the Olympics; therefore, so does Coke, Mcdonalds, Nike, Bank of America, Visa and the entire corporate world. The billions of people watching give corporations a great opportunity to showcase their brand so they are wiling to invest their money into the Olympics. Most revenues go to NBC and the Olympic committees, but inevitably there will be a trickle down effect which reaches the athletes, so this will be a big year for a couple of very talented college athletes, who have a shot at making the team this year.

The NCAA Track Championship in Des Moines is the last collegiate race for seniors, which means that right after the seniors cross the finish line they can sign with an agent, and many athletes do. Track does not have a draft, but many athletes do go Pro after their last collegiate race and since Alan Webb went Pro folowing his freshman year at Michigan, more and more go pro before their senior year. This Olympic year will entice a few athletes to jump school early. In track, the athlete usually first signs with an agent, who then goes to the shoe companies to gauge interest. Then the agent works out a deal to get them wearing their companies' kit before the US Olympic Trials.

We will try to keep up with action. We have asked the managers to let us know when they sign athletes and shoe deals. If you have any info let us know. Below are three columns, one has 7 shoe companies that sign most of the athletes, the second has some agents and some of their current athletes, and the third column has a list of the 2008 Pro class.

The Companies   -adidas Tyson Gay Jeremey Wariner Allison Felix Halie Gebreelassie   -Asics Deena Kastor Ryan Hall Lolo Jones.   -Brooks Hanson-Brooks project   -New Balance Josh McAdams Stephen Hass Khalid Khannouchi -Nike Bernard Lgat The Gouchers Wallace Spearmon Alan Webb   -Reebok Carolina Kluft Aries Merritt Shalanda Solomon   -Sacouny Molly Huddle Gabe Jennings Magdalena Lewy Boulet.

The Agents   -DMG- Paul Doyle Asafa Powell Breaux Greer Bryan Clay -Elite Athletes Network-Karen Locke KD Toby Stevenson Chelsea Johnson. -Flynn Sports -Ray Flynn Ryan Hall Deena Kastor, Wallace Spearmon. -Global Athletics - Mark Wetmore Tyson Gay Lui Xiang Treniere Clement -Kimbia Athletics - Tom Ratcliffe Matt Tegenkamp Chris Solinsky Michelle Sikes. -Octagon -Renaldo Nehemiah Allyson Felix Vigina Powell -PSM - Peter Stubbs The Gouchers Shalane Flanigan Brad Wlaker. -Total Sports -Mark Block X Man Lolo Jones Nick Symmonds. -UPSM - Michael Johnson Jeremy Wariner Natasha Hastings Darold Williamson   Will add more as we get more managers as athletes sign. Complete list of managers here

The Players   Bianca Knight -Signed with Global - adidas.   Lopez Lomong - PSM - Nike   Arianna Lambie - PSM - Bobby Curtis  - Nick Bideau  Walter Dix   Leo Manzano     Brent Vaughn     Josh McDougal     Richard Thompson     Lionel Larry     Kelly-Ann Baptiste     Simone Facey     Lakecia Ealey     Jamil Hubbard     Tim Harris     Duane Solomon     Russell Brown     David Torrence     Kurt Benninger     Billy Nelson     Kyle Alcorn     Stephen Pifer     Sean Quigley     Ty Akins     Dusty Jonas     Shana Cox     Carol Rodriguez     Alysia Johnson     Diane Nukuri     Sharon Day     Jessica Pressley     Jacquelyn Johnson     These are just some of the   seniors. There will def be   some athletes that will   come out early and will   we keep you posted on   the underclassman that   come out.