Agents Say Economy Has Halted Olympic Athletes' Endorsements
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Writer Says Phelps "Looked Like A Fish Out Of
Water" During Motivational Speaking Tour |
Four of the "biggest Olympic agents say the economic slowdown has meant fewer companies are willing to sign new endorsements, and those companies that have signed new deals are unwilling to announce them in the current economic climate," according to Tripp Mickle of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Octagon's Janey Miller: "The landscape's different from what we all expected. A lot of people are on hold, waiting to see what's going to happen." Premier Management Group's Evan Morgenstein said, "It's surprising to me because of how much bigger the Beijing Games were. You can't get any traction in this economy." Mickle notes since the Beijing Games, "no significant, new endorsements have been announced." Octagon's Peter Carlisle, who reps Gold Medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps said, "Normally, you'd get more play in the months after the Games. That's what's been affected by the economy." Shade Global's Sheryl Shade, who reps Gold Medal-winning gymnast Shawn Johnson, said that "many companies are talking to her about Johnson, but most are saying that they're not going to do anything until the first quarter of 2009" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/27 issue).
FISH OUT OF WATER: The NATIONAL POST's Matthew Coutts wrote Phelps, who last week appeared at the Toronto Convention Centre as part of his motivational speaking tour, "looked like a fish out of water" compared with the "seasoned speakers." Clearly Phelps' "goal-attaining strategy, titled 'Dream, Plan, Reach,' has merit." But it is "more suited to inspire youngsters than the crowd of junior executives, entrepreneurs and sales associates who attended the day-long speakers' forum." Phelps at the event said, "There's nothing that nobody can't do" (NATIONAL POST, 10/27). Meanwhile, the N.Y. POST's Page Six reported Phelps recently "picked up $100,000 for appearing at an LA pool party for a TV network chief's wife and swimming some laps" (N.Y. POST, 10/28).
WATERWORLD: In Australia, Jane Schulze reported a survey by sports research group Sweeney Sports shows that Australia swimmer Grant Hackett has emerged as the country's "most marketable Olympic athlete, despite failing to win a gold medal at the Beijing Games." The survey of 1,002 Australians in the two weeks following the Games also "shows swimmers continue to dominate as the most marketable athletes" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 10/27).
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