"Sponsorship should be only part of it"- Michael Johnson reacts to Jacory Patterson's confession about being unsponsored

Michael Johnson expressed her thoughts about Jacory Patterson's confession about being unsponsored. Patterson clocked 43.98s to set a new world lead and win the men's 400m in the second edition of the Grand Slam Track in Miami.

Jacory Patterson's dominating performance impressed fans, who expressed their elation about his performance on social media. In a post-race interview, the American spoke about his daily routine and revealed how he was unsponsored. In order to support his track dream, Patterson was working at UPS.

Michael Johnson reacted to Patterson's interview and lauded the athlete for his incredible dedication and hard work. Johnson also pointed out how his track meet, 'Grand Slam Track,' is aiming to revolutionize the sport by offering a massive paycheck to the winners and giving upcoming athletes the opportunity to compete.

Michael Johnson shared how sometimes it won't be enough for athletes to rely on one sponsor, but instead, track meets should offer enough prize money to the athletes, which can form a major part of their payout, and sponsorships should only be a part of it.

"People keep saying, “Sponsor him”. Newsflash: He is sponsored! That’s the problem. For some athletes, relying totally on a sponsor isn’t enough. You need to earn real money competing. Sponsorship should be only part of it," he said.

---

Michael Johnson on social media stars competing in track and field

Michael Johnson at the Olympic & Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 and Beyond - Laureus World Sports Awards Madrid 2024 - Source: Getty

Michael Johnson expressed his thoughts about social media stars competing in races against professional track athletes. According to the legendary American athlete, it was disrespectful to athletes who get to the professional level after competing in multiple events starting from the ground level.

Johnson shared how a person cannot directly go and play in the NBA, and it should be the same for track and field, where one must work their way up to compete against professional athletes.

"To be honest, it starts to get disrespectful to these athletes. Only in track and field. Nobody expects that in any other sport. But in track, we'll just let in anybody come who comes in, says that they're fast, just come in and you know, get a chance to prove it," he added.

Can go and just play in the NBA, just because you are a streetball legend doesn't work that way. You want to prove it? Go compete in the NCAA and become an NCAA athlete, and work your way up. You know, that's the process for every other sport," he said (via Raes Take TV on X).

However, Johnson shared how exhibition races with influential people can bring more eyes to the sport and promote the sport to a wider audience.