Archive for July, 2008

The Reinvention of the Brett Favre Brand

July 30th, 2008

The saga continues. Last night, Brett Favre faxed his official request for reinstatement to the NFL offices.

According to the Packers, Favre will not have the opportunity to earn his starting spot back from now front man, Aaron Rodgers. So, if reinstated, his options are limited.

Option 1. Operate as second string QB for Green Bay. (Farve says that’s beneath him.)

Option 2. Green Bay releases him, and he’s free to sign with whatever team he likes. (Packers say that won’t happen.)

Option 3. Green Bay trades Favre. (Seems to be most probable at this time.)

All options aside, there seems to be an air of arrogance about him these days, and it’s different than his pre-retirement confidence. He is now being classified as cocky, selfish, and a bit immature by a public that couldn’t respect him enough before his “retirement”. How is this soap opera affecting his fans? What has this process done to his brand?

Personal opinion: Brand Farve has changed forever, and it will never be the same. The onetime hometown hero now brings a wave of unwelcome chaos to the team during a time of rebuilding. A time when teamwork, mutual support, and focus are key elements to success in the coming season. What he accomplishes this upcoming season remains to be seen, but regardless of his success, a permanent shade of gray has been laid over his name.

Personal suggestion: You made your bed. Lay in it.

Posted by Krissi Price

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Posted in Athletes, Behavior

Acquiring the Right Sponsorships

July 29th, 2008

US olympic swimmer, Jessica Hardy could find herself swimming in a pool of something other than water if you catch my drift…

Hardy’s drug test at the US Olympic trials came back positive.

I know, I know, we’ve heard enough on athletes and their (alleged) illegal drug use, but this one’s different. The catch here is that Hardy’s camp is speculating that the test was positive due to inadvertent consumption of her sponsor’s supplements!

Hmm…that’s odd. Why would something her sponsor provided even be in the running for this? Well, because her sponsor is AdvoCare, a performance enhancer and nutritional supplement manufacturer. Ok, that in itself might not seem like such a problem, but when you consider the fact that AdvoCare’s products have been BANNED by the NCAA and have previously been linked to positive drug tests, you might start to see the light.

Moral of the story? When acquiring your sponsorships, check them out! Research them. Know their history. Make sure they are reliable, responsible, and won’t lead to positive drug tests!

Posted by Krissi Price

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Posted in Athletes, Branding

“The Michael Jordan of…”

July 28th, 2008

Last week, USA Today published an article about Olympic medal hopeful, Steven Lopez. In the article, Lopez is described by a co-athlete as “the Michael Jordan of our sport.” Might seem like an odd correlation due to the fact that Steven Lopez is a standout on the American taekwondo team.

Twenty, even ten years ago, might be left a bit puzzled — what does Michael Jordan and basketball have to do with taekwondo? But in the past decade, MJ has surpassed our expectations.

Michael Jordan is still synonymous with basketball, he has certainly become more than just a great basketball player. I would go so far as to say he has become more than a man…he is a standard of excellence, a means of measuring talent, an adjective, and a brand.

In fact, it got me thinking about how often I’ve heard someone referred to as “the Michael Jordan of… something” So I did a Google search, and would you believe almost 67 thousand results came back!

And it’s not just in reference to sports anymore either. MJ has appearantly become the pinnacle for washing machines, bagpiping, politics, surgeons, and more.

So, here you go – my bold assertion… Michael Jordan is the Michael Jordan of personal BRANDS.

Posted by Krissi Price

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Posted in Athletes, Branding

Who says there are no more STUDENT-athletes?

July 22nd, 2008

Myron Rolle, starting safety of the ACC powerhouse, Florida State, is making waves. To start, he’s got a few football accolades under his belt.

He was ranked as the number one player in ESPN’s top 150 in 2006, reportedly received 57 collegiate scholarship offers, was a First Team Freshman All-American, named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, and is currently an All-American candidate for 2008. NFL, here we come…!

But, while his play on the field is notable, to say the least, his best stats have been in the classroom. With a 3.75 GPA, he will finish his undergraduate studies in two-and-a-half-years, majoring in pre-med. Not to mention he’s a National Leadership Honor Society inductee, and the recipient of a research grant for his work studying human mesenchymal stem cells. Most impressively, he is a projected nominee for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship – an award given to only 32 students in the country each year.

In a time when many athletes of his ability are taking “cake classes,” just trying to pass and stay eligible for the next big game, Rolle’s pursuit of excellence is raising the bar – on and off the field.

This is the profile of the misplaced STUDENT-athlete, the complete package, the utility player in life.

Posted by Krissi Price

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Posted in Athletes, Behavior