From the Notebook

Sportsmanship and Sponsorship

blogqz01 | 07 December, 2009 17:33

 

 

            Ever since the media storm begins with Tiger Wood’s car crash, a question lingered in the media: “What will happen to Tiger Wood’s empire based on endorsement deals?”  Here, I am not going to speculate on this particular question, but will say something about sports and endorsements in general.

 

            People in sports had often look back to day when playing sports means playing sports, that has changed not too long ago, and accelerated in recent years.  Many athletes certainly benefited financially from this trends, but the results are not all positive, and more importantly the underlining rational is questionable.

 

            It is undeniable that top athletes need more than talent to succeed.  Dedication, hard work, persistence, discipline and intelligent are all required to be successful.  Therefore, top athletes could be and should be role models for the public, especially younger generations.

 

            But there is a difference between being a role model and being worshiped as superman.  Nowadays, the line between the two has been very blurry. 

 

            On issues related to corporate sponsorship and endorsement deals, the rational is more puzzling.  In advertising, models are often used to attract people’s attentions to certain products or services, and user testimonies are often used to indicate the values of the products or services.  But when a famous person posts for photos or videos for certain products or services, or speaks on behaves of certain companies or brands, or carry the logos related to the companies or brands, what is the actual indication? 

 

            The effect could be the combination of the two.  Famous people attract attentions, people often want to know more about them, so being associated with famous people will attract attentions, and gets the message out.  At the same time, it will be perceive that the endorsements provide certain personal testimonies and recommendations about the products or services, or the companies or brands, even though people are full aware of the facts that famous people are getting paid to do so.

 

            It seems that for this mechanism to actually work well, the famous people ought to be admired to the degree of worship.  In almost all cases, they are not experts on the products, services, companies or brands, and if as an ordinary users as examples the persuasive value would not carry much weight.  Either in the case of attracting attention, or the case of endorsement based on personal experience, it would not justify the high endorsement payment.  Thus, it is obvious that in order for the endorsement arrangement to work, there ought to be significant degree of hero warship, that the consumers would value things that associate with their heroes differently, in some extreme cases, they will evaluate something solely based on the associations. 

 

            Traditionally in history, hero worship usually is similar to other kinds of worship, which is based on the believes that certain people possessed certain abilities that would help to changes people’s lives for the better, or at least will save them from danger, or crisis. 

 

            In the modern days, the hero worship is often based on more topical values.  The heroes do not need to have magical powers; they only need to someone that others would like to be (which is related to the psycho of modern days, the worship of superman, i.e., the worship of the self).  In many cases, successful athletes have often been chosen at heroes, as they are believed to have superb physical abilities, thus people might make the psychological connections between their abilities to the possession of magic powers (as in the old days). 

 

            Magic powers often are believed as God-sent, so virtue is also necessarily related to heroes.  One the other hand, society would certainly not tolerate the promotion of something less in virtues, so characters and behaviors of them also need to be impeccable.

           

            But all of them are humans, famous people in all fields are famous for their professional achievement, not for their good characters and behaviors, and there is no reason to believe that they will have good characters and behaviors (if we don’t believe they chosen by God) more than anyone else.  In fact, because they are famous, and most likely will have more access to money and power, there will have more opportunities and temptations for them to do behave badly.

 

            If it is dangerous to abandon reason to strictly follow certain doctrines, it is just as dangerous (if not more) to worship certain human beings, even if the human being is a true hero.  Not only because every one including heroes are not perfect, it is also because that the worship alone will almost certainly corrupt the hero, pursues of perfections will soon become corruption, thus will often have devastating effects on the society (If the heroes are given unrestricted power, corruption will be accompanied by suppression.)

 

            In addition, as perfection is impossible for real human beings, and the perceived perfections will lead to hero worship, there will be many cases of manufactured perfections, which by themselves are the cases of corruptions.

 

            In the case of Tiger Woods, it appears that there is such possibility.  Tiger Woods had become a phenomenon that reached far beyond golf, he had built an empire.  But the income of his empire was mostly from endorsement, and as the endorsement goes, he is fully aware that just playing good golf, even superb golf would not do.  As far as endorsement goes, image and reputation is the key. 

 

            Based on what I heard from the media, if most of the allegations had some truth in them, then the Tiger Woods in the public eyes has little to do with the actual person.  We were told that he is a family man, while from the allegations, his secret life style resembled the mile high playboys.  It does not like that it is just a moment of indiscretion, it seems that it is what he truly is. 

           

            From what I heard so far, he probably did not break any law, but the standard of hero could not and would not be just not breaking the law.  And, if he deliberately presented himself as close to perfection, he might commit fraud to the public (as he was getting paid mostly for being near perfect).  Thinking about parents who use him as role models for their children, what the message the children will get from this episode? 

 

            Although at the society level we do not judge people solely based on one particular flaw alone, our social interactions are based on our impressions and evaluations of other people.  We as public cannot tell Tiger Woods or any other individuals what to do or not to do (providing they are not breaking the law), but if he chooses the life style of a playboy, then people will treat him accordingly.  Deception provides the most harms or dangers of the society. If his wife entered into their marriage based on the belief that he is person that the public knew, then he obviously had ruined the life of his wife.  More importantly, having him lingering even as role model would send the wrong message in the society.   

                                                    

            What happened surrounding this event lead us to seriously question the practice of endorsement.  As the endorsement is closely related to hero worship, the results will be the corruptions of the individuals who are elevated to be worshiped, and the corruptions of the followers of the “heroes” following his examples.

 

            In the case of Tiger Woods, apparently corruptions had occurred.  In the entire episode, money seems to be the factor and only factor at work.  We the public (at least a part of the public) are paying him to do good, but the money first fueled his lifestyle of objectifying women, and then helped him to cover up the trace of his lifestyle and dress up his image again (provided that most of the stories are true).  Not only we are being duped, the acts of cover up in front of our eyes are truly chilling.  As truth becomes a commodity to trade, the corruption reached a pivotal point. 

 

            At this point the focus should not be on Tiger Woods, if he continue to act following the same principle, could we relied on what he says or does not say any more?  In addition, as to the society, the damage is already done, what we should really think about is how to prevent this type of things from happening again.

 

            Not only the practice of endorsement lacks rational supports, in practices, it experienced constant failures.  Just about all the hailed heroes had fallen (in most cases we don’t even know the true story), it clearly indicated that the problem does not rest on particular individuals, the problem points to practice of endorsement itself.

 

            Although we cannot rely on the perfection of individuals, and we cannot even rely on the substantive truths of most doctrines, there is something that is truly reliable by definition, that is the real life result.  In stead of throwing money at someone who do not need it, but only could corrupt them, corporation sponsors should focus more on the social causes.   

 

            In fact, the endorsement deals for athletes certainly is related to sponsorship for sports, and the intention of which is to support sports, and by doing social good to generate good wills for the businesses in the community.  Currently, in the practice of endorsement and sponsorship, not all sports are created equal, and there is a large gap between female athletes and male athletes in most cases.  The concentration of distribution is very significant in sports. 

 

            Businesses providing the endorsement deals should rethink their strategy.  For example, how about sponsor more athletic programs in schools, especially for women sports?  With the amount of money many companies spent on top athletes, they can support many programs national wide, or even world wide.  This will certainly increase the spread of their reach, and generating long lasting effects.

 

            There are wide spread problems with young girls struggling with self images and self identity, athletic programs will help them to be healthier, stronger and with more self confidences.  From business point of view, for the sports related business, girls’s early exposure to certain sports and certain brands will help the companies to expand and retain costumer bases.  It will certainly be a win-win situation.   

           

We heard all the talk about what is going to happen to Tiger Woods, what his wife is going to do, but did anyone think about what this will do to the society, especially young people that worship him?  Would not they feel that it is ok to cheat, not just on their spouses, and also to cheat on truth?   Not only winning at all cost, but also getting money at all cost? 

             For this, if he is truly sorry, and really wants to change, there is something that Tiger Woods can do that will make a difference.  Infidelity in marriage and sexual indiscretions had been a serious social problems since the dawn of civilization and had becomes a hot topic in modern society.  In stead of being quiet, hoping the media storm will pass and go on to live his life, he could speak out about his pass and future when he feels comfortable.  If he can truly change, and share with the public with his transformation, he could help to solve a significant social problem.  In stead of giving the impression of perfection, how about inspire to try to do good, and being honest above all?  The damage is done, but he can do something to make a difference in the future.   

**Please look for my other posts regarding the modern life, arts and entertainment, men and women, about discussions related to issues in this post.

 

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Comments

I feel so intoxicate in it.

peyton manning jersey | 20/05/2010, 23:03

The fact is true that although we cannot rely on the perfection of individuals, and we cannot even rely on the substantive truths of most doctrines; there is something that is truly reliable by definition, which is the real life result. In stead of throwing money at someone who do not need it, but only could corrupt them, corporation sponsors should focus more on the social causes. Every time I read your words, I feel so intoxicate in it.

 
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