From Sameer Reddy at Newsweek: "... Media pundits seized on the deals as a chance to knock Phelps down a few pegs, holding up Dara Torres' (who recently sealed a $3 million two-book deal for a memoir and health and fitness book) taste for LivingFuel, which she plugged during an appearance on Late Night with Jay Leno, as a more admirable example of athletic endorsement. ..." [Link]As for me: I should not get on my high horse here for if I was offered 3-million-dollars to eat some crow or drink some snake oil, It's a possibility that I could be leased for such an endeavor.
I could not even finish up the rest of the article. They bring up Michael Phelps, Amanda Beard, and others. We all know the real reasons that individuals become Olympians and it has nothing to do what you can buy in a bottle and how you cow is flavored at a fast food restaurant : [Link]
2 comments:
Evan Morgenstein, President of Premier Management Group, whose clients include Amanda Beard and Dara Torres, points out that, "My clients view their responsibility [as] helping young kids and athletes on making the right choices in life, nutrition, education and sportsmanship. They primarily function as role models associated with health and fitness. If you take on the role of being a world-changer, then you need to make decisions that reflect those ideals. In my experience, there is no higher standard set for a celebrity than to be an Olympic athlete."
Is this the same agent who was so proud of Torres attending the 2007 U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis he was quoted saying, "thrilled that she did what she did - she focuses on a demographic in which there is no competition. She didn't make any money today - she didn't make a dime. She came because she wanted to win a national championship."
Going to your country's national championships without an appearance fee - wow, what a unique role model. What a giving person. Someone who came out of retirement for a third time on a whim if we're to believe her. Her unbelievable success and the resulting multimillion dollar contracts are only a fortunate and unplanned coincidence.
Unfortunately there are a lot of people around the world who'll be happy to point to her as a perfect example of what America has deteriorated into all too quickly. Their vaunted productivity - a fraud. Their vaunted economic system - a fraud. A Government by the People, for the People - a fraud. Why should we expect anything more from their athletes?
I really don't have an answer to that.
Evan M. has a reputation all right. PERIOD! I have to end it there. I won't say anything bad about him and I certainly won't say anything nice.
It's become laughable that the road to riches is to be good at sports and pretend you use a certain product. Sad thing is, it works and the public want to believe that the product really did make you a star. People need fairy tales I guess.
As for American productivity: Americans are outrageously productive. To be employed in this environment you need at least 5 skills that you can offer an employer.
Web-based companies are now looking for programmers that both artists and writers so they can only pay one person to get a site up.
In fact, I just saw a writer get "laid off" on Friday because she they could was write.
As for capitalism and government, it is all bait-and-a-switch here and probably always was. I live in a country where laws are selectively enforced, trade deals nullify unions, Our Bill of Rights has been supplanted by "Patriot Acts" and "FISA bills", and a President who is seemingly ineffectual because 70% of the voters regret having him as President.
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