The Saga Of Brian Sheriff - Part One

Brian Sheriff was one of the top long distance runners in the world from the late ‘80’s to the early 90’s, amassing an impressive resume of podium finishes around the world. In 1991 he signed a lucrative long-term contract with Mazda Motor Corp. to run for their Ekiden team in Japan. But according to Brian, it was not what it appeared to be. Now 45 years old, Brian remains in Hiroshima, Japan some 19 years after arriving. He claims he was defrauded out of over $800,000 he was owed, never receiving a penny from the contract he signed, and conditionally enslaved by the corporation. He says he was tossed out on the streets by Mazda in ’06 leaving him currently stateless, unable to leave the country, and still fighting for what he’s owed.

I remember Brian from his wins at the Grand Rapids River Bank in ’89 and ’90. I grew up in the Grand Rapids area and recently wondered whatever became of the man. Not much comes up when you search his name online. You will find a few archived articles mentioning some races he won and a link to his Facebook page, but little relating to history or accomplishments. After a little digging around I came across a post he made on the Letsrun.com message board in ’06, and an article on Michiganrunner.net, to which he had written a letter in ’04. Both detail his unfortunate predicament in his own words. I found it rather shocking and was disturbed by the story - rare for me. Then there is no follow up, and certainly no word of resolution. His story didn’t sit well with me. So I decided to email the man myself and see how he was doing. Brian responded that same day and we exchanged numerous emails over the next few weeks. He told me everything there was to know regarding his time in Japan and the deal with Mazda. He answered all of my questions and even forwarded emails from the IAAF regarding his situation. From talking with him, Brian seems to be a genuinely good-hearted man who has been broken down by a corporation who intended all along to fuck him over. His tone has been despondent at best.

If you aren't familiar with Brian's history, he was fathered by an Irish-American man, born to a Zimbabwean mother, and grew up a citizen of Zimbabwe. He excelled in running as a junior in that country before accepting a scholarship to run for an American school. But he would be stripped of his citizenship prior to graduating from Texas Tech University in ’90. He would eventually relocate to Boulder, CO in ‘91, where he was recruited to run for Mazda Motor Corporation’s Ekiden team in Japan. A desirable addition to any team, Brian already had a long list of credentials to his name. His wins included; The San Blas Half-Marathon -twice, The Bobby Crim Ten miler -twice, The Trevira Ten Miler -twice, The Grand Rapids River Bank Run 25k -twice, The Texas Relays 10,000m -three times, The New Bedford Half-Marathon, and the Cherry Blossom Ten miler. He was also 2nd in the ’87 Prefontaine 10,000 to Douglas Wakiihuri, running 28:08.

Compiling Brian's emails into a proper story has been difficult and time consuming for a number of reasons. The main one being I'm a shitty journalist. Having worked, and reworked the story over the past few months, I've realized, that for the most part, it's best to just let Brian speak for himself, as he does so well enough. So, here now is Brian's initial response to my inquiry.

Sir, you are the first person to enquire without my direct solicitation to you - I am at a loss for words.
My situation is so embarrassing for the Hiroshima establishment (Japanese authorities included) because they have openly confessed to abetting Mazda in defrauding me. However, as they all tell me and any legal adviser that steps up to help me, Mazda is a Japanese company and I'm a foreign so I must 'understand'...


Yes sir, I am still in Hiroshima. It is impossible for me to leave - I came out here with a contract that was impossible to re-write - TAC/IAAF Trust Fund Contract for Corporate Endorsement of Athletes. The contract was the only type available for me to enter Japan.
Payment was one time per year - at the beginning of each contracted year. At a rate of 10 million yen per year I was to receive 70 million yen. I have not seen a penny. Mazda had also used Massachusetts law to end my contract with Reebok - using the right of first refusal clause. By that law Mazda were legally obliged to honor the contract in full. Mazda has simply told me, "Let's talk about it later..."
All expenses were contractually obligated to Mazda. I was charged for all and told I'd be reimbursed. I was to be repatriated to the US at the end of the contract. No sir, that again Mazda has ignored.
Worst of all is that Mazda raided my private trust fund (TAC/IAAF) in Boulder, Colorado to pay tax on the annual payment I had not received. The company produced fake proofs of annual payment showing that I'd been given the money. However they also produced totally different papers a month or so later showing the money would be paid in due course. The Japanese police and immigration have been asking me to simply take it as a lesson learned and return to the US. It's mind boggling how they can fear no retribution nor remorse.
I have all the papers in my possession. The most damning is the document that came out after my Let'srun.com post. Mazda hauled me in with the intent to sue me for libel and slander. My claims had no proof they said. There had never been a contract as I described.
I simply told them to call the government and the JAAF because there was only one type of contract I could enter into with a Japanese company. Mazda then said they changed my contract after I came to Japan. On that I reminded them about the Massachusetts law under which the negotiation with Mazda had taken place. I also mentioned that Mazda had ended my long association with Reebok.
Mazda told me to just find proof my contract claims were real or I'd be in serious trouble.
I was grilled through three meetings in which their demands for proof grew even more threatening in their tone. They didn't mince their words in telling me that I would get physically hurt. But just before the fourth meeting I noticed a Japanese language reference to the actual date of my contract signing. I also noticed that it showed the full term of the deal. I then asked the lead inquisitor to tell the 'court' what he needed from me. He repeated that I just prove Mazda had promised to pay me 10 million per year.
I pointed out to the wording I'd read and asked him to read it and comment. He read it and stunned the room by his totally casual reply, "Yes, we do have your original contract. We are in this meeting only to discuss your Let'srun.com post. You said, "Mazda would pay me 10 million per year - net", we want to tell you we didn't promise such a thing. We said minus taxes. That would be less than 10 million...
I then asked him, "And what about all my expenses including rent. You charged me rent on for seven years and threw me into hotels for three weeks per year at my expense when you closed your dormitory for the holidays. You put your runners in my hotel rooms - thirteen people, and made me pay for the rooms. What does the contract say about that?


He opened his file and took the document out. For fourteen years they'd been telling me it didn't exist. And only a day before they'd threatened me by saying I had one more day to find it or I was dead. They'd even laughed that immigration would never give me a copy claiming that they had bought immigration.
When I demanded to hold the contract in my hand the man hesitated but I raised my voice and he gave it to me. I was stunned. The amount was not 10 million but 11 million yen!
It was bigger than I recalled. And it was signed in a signature I was not using until about 1996 - five years after I had allegedly signed it.
Mazda had been saying they'd changed my contract because I'd arrived late to Japan. That was of course not true but under Japanese law the company has the benefit of the doubt.
However this new document showed under term of agreement that the deal was based on the issuance of a visa to enter Japan. It would be retro-active to the day of signing.
Mazda had had a difficult time obtaining a visa for me for reasons I can explain later - reasons that prove Mazda intended to defraud me from the very beginning. In fact sir, I was trafficked by Mazda from the US under the pretense of having me stay in Japan for six months only. I am still here 18 years later...


Upon the details of that contract being read to the 'court' the senior gentleman who had attended to prosecute me walked out. He had been told to kick me out of Mazda for failing to prove my internet claims. Instead he told me that my internet claims had been kind to Mazda. He was shocked. Less than six months later I was kicked out onto the streets without a single penny. I had been told to wait while Mazda looked into the new phoney contract. Mazda PR and Mazda Legal Department asked me to get a lawyer. I did but the same two groups asked the lawyer to forget about helping me. This has happened three times now.


There is no more course of action other than the type we never want to take. I am surprising myself by the length of time I have managed to physically restrain myself. What's making it worse is that I have also known the exact cause of sudden acceleration in vehicles since 2005. Mazda claimed that I was dangerous and for that and they tried to keep me from leaving the country. I warned through a number of media organisations that there was a serious flaw with the technology they were using. I had discovered the cause when trouble shooting for Mazda and Ford in Venezuela. A memo was then sent by the chief auditor for Mazda warning the company that I was an extremely dangerous man.
I am at a loss...


I am willing to talk with you, tell you all that you may need for your story, and I am no longer afraid of them. They stole my life from me sir. The least I can do is make sure it never happens to any one else again. I will forward a letter I received from the top IAAF man. It will prove to you the corruption in the sport.

Much obliged to you sir,

Brian  

Much, much, more to come on this in the following days including my conversation with USATF man Glenn Latimer, Brian's agent at the time. Or was he?? The story just gets crazier.