I suggest that you contact the WTC with your complaint. The great thing about our sport is that it is still small enough that voices do get heard.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Welcome to the Mad Cash Grab that is triathlon. This sport is currently a bright star in an otherwise lack-luster economy. The smart players know that there are only a few years left before this boat rolls over. By 2007, things will be much different. Hopefully, the good guys will keep their game tight and not get too crazy with the long term debt 'cause when this baby cools, it will be fast and hard. Right now, there is crazy amount of growth in this sport which makes lenders eager to "help" companies "grow." Folks like the WTC are cashing in with high margin low quality merchandise before the ride is over. Look at Trek: several not so serious attempts to enter the tri market. Why? Because they know that it would be foolish to sink lots of dough into attempting to grab a slice of pie that will evaporate in a few years.

M-Dot, dot-com, same story, same ending.

Brett

Hmmm. That is disappointing and interesting. We just got a huge order of Ironman logo hats, visors and other stuff and it is all Chinese made, Headsweats brand gear. It is nice stuff but it is imported. I have been in those factories in Asia and the conditions are not what manufacturing workers in the U.S. would likely regard as acceptble, but it is survivable. At which time those societies do what we did and determine those conditions are unacceptable they we will do what we did in 1776 and: A. Leave it. -OR- B. Change it. for their sake, the sooner the better. Another thought that I learned travelling in Africa and the Middle East: How dare us Americans presume that anyone outside of the U.S. aspires to live the way we do, with our standard of living (lack of) morality, (lack of) ethics and sense of values. Rampant materialism and consumerism is not the holy grail to every society. Just ours. Many Iraqis will tell you right now "Things were better before the Americans got here, now they are a mess..." I don't happen to agree, but I respect thier opinion. Afghans, on the other hand, seem to be developing a sense that their association with the U.S. can develop into a favorable, mutually beneficail association. They drafted a new constitution yesterday which establishes their independance as an Islamic Republic. Not what I want, but it is what they want. My point? We'll be buying M-dot logo products from what we call their "sweat shops" in two years (or less). And they will probably be thinking "This is OK, it is better than what we had, and as much as I want".

Not every country aspires to be the United States. It's important we respect that for the people who feel that way, and offer a safe haven and land of opportunity for those who do want to live like we do here in the U.S. That's how we got started back in 1776.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com