A little over a year ago (September 2008) I scribed a Blog post titled, "Image is Everything!" Within this Blog I discussed the importance of "image" for a professional athlete, especially when considering the potential of endorsements and sponsorships following their pro sports careers. To slightly rehash, the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes the word image as, "a mental picture or impression of something," but to the professional athlete image can be described as money.
I cannot help but refer to the blasts of articles, blogs, and news media revolving around the recent Tiger Woods events. Time will only tell the financial impact of his alleged transgressions, but minimally his image has been altered. The once imper vial picture the world held of this most recognizable athlete has been blurred.
With more and more endorsement contracts (and playing contracts) including "morality" clauses an athlete must be even more diligent to maintain the perceived image in order to maintain the money deal. Case in point, NFL quarterback Michael Vick is reported to have lost up to $100 million in endorsement and playing contracts as a result of his transgressions a couple years back.
I'm not attempting to draw the conclusion that Vick's shortcoming is in comparison to Woods' alleged issues by any level of judgment but endorsement money and morality clauses are becoming a norm. With a staggering statistic of over 75% of professional athletes either bankrupt or divorced within the first five years out, I'm saddened by the sheer number of athletes whose image becomes damaged.
Lesson learned, it's very important for a professional athlete to surround themselves with people who care as much, if not more for their image. As Webster puts it, an image is "a mental picture or impression of something," and if an athlete wants to parlay their pro career into endorsements....."Image is Everything!"
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