Endorsement deals and dollars

[Ditkaless Wonders]

This labor unrest was easily predictable. Given that, I presume some endorsement deals were contingent upon players maintaining their visibility and their positive image. With a loss of games looming will players, whose visibility will go down if that happens, and whose image may be effected by a cessation of play, lose their deals or have their deals automatically adjusted? Does anybody know?

 

I'm curious at the risk and the pressures individuals may be under. I'm particularly intersted in what might beome of Drew Brees as one of the more militant players, and of Manning and Brady as named plaintiffs. I do note Brees is keeping his brand out their and doing positive PR along with his militant actions and statements. I assume he is bulletproof in N.O., but I wonder about his national marketability right now.

[DMD]

Most of the visibility factor is not an issue since most players are not really seen until training camp and really not until the start of the season when they start playing. Right now about all they can do is hurt themselves (ie. Mendenhall, Peterson) by saying something construed as negative by some. The players also used the most bullet proof names in their lawsuit that no stigma would be attached to them (despite they are clearly among the highest paid athletes in the world).

 

As it continues, it certainly could cut into a player's "brand". The reality is that most these guys have very short careers and marketability for only a few years. They have nothing to gain in losing games in that regard. The tougher sell by the NFLPA is to tell current players to take the potential hit in missing games and checks for the good of later players. That gets tougher to do when a guy is missing a game check and he knows he may not have that many of them. These guys willingness to sacrifice is what is being tested. That's marketing themselves and getting paid to play.