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December 18, 2007
A-Rod Looks To Push His Image & Brand
Reggie Jackson once said "I guess I underestimated the magnitude of me." Looks like Alex Rodriguez doesn't want that to happen to him.
A hat tip to WasWatching.com reader baileywalk and BaseballThinkFactory.org for this news item from Variety:
Guy Oseary, the former record company executive whose personal management stable includes Madonna, has signed his first athlete, Alex Rodriguez.
The New York Yankees third baseman, considered by many to be the game's top player, has signed with Oseary, who personally manages Lenny Kravitz and magician David Blaine in addition to Madonna. He is also a partner in Untitled Entertainment, whose clients include Hilary Swank, Penelope Cruz, Naomi Watts and Ashton Kutcher.
"He's focusing on baseball and needs someone whose interests are aligned," Oseary told Daily Variety, explaining the rare move of an athlete signing with a manager whose expertise is music and film. "This is to help him have more control of his image and brand."
"As I embark on this new chapter in my career, I know that I have found in Guy Oseary someone who is aligned with my interests and who has earned a lot of respect in the entertainment industry," Rodriguez said in a statement.
While a miniscule number of NFL and NBA players have made inroads into entertainment and other non-playing opportunities, Major League Baseball players have not been as fortunate. Very few have had national endorsement deals over the last couple of decades, and the sport has been clouded in recent years by the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Rodriguez, however, is in a rare league of athletes who are household names, play at the peak of their powers for years and have never experienced serious off-the-field troubles.
"Obviously, there are a tremendous amount of opportunities for Alex," Oseary said. "It's about him having someone who he respects who can look at endless possibilities. I don't look at any one area -- and these are areas he has not explored."
Gee, last time I checked, there's no "image" or "brand" in "TEAM."
Posted by Steve Lombardi at December 18, 2007 02:09 PM
Comments
Gee, last time I checked, there's no "image" or "brand" in "TEAM."
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Tell that to Derek "Cliched Answer" Jeter. Do Peyton Manning's commercials take away from the success of the Colts? How about Shaq and the early-00s Lakers? Entertainment is a part of sports (as covered on the Entertainment and SPorts Network).
One of the funniest commercials I've ever seen was the Degree deodorant commercial that ran in early 2004, right after A-Rod signed with the Yankees. It shows A-Rod slugging a homer and then in the clubhouse afterwards when a writer asks "only one home run today, Alex?" and Alex turns to the camera, smirks and says "Tough town!" It was quite an omen for the double standard to which Alex Rodriguez has been held in the eyes of many fans.
Posted by: mehmattski ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.waswatching.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 18, 2007 02:38 PM
Trust me, I'm not A-Rod's biggest fan, but Jeter is clearly the king of marketing his brand and image on these Yankees. Who has his own cologne again?
It's only natural to attempt to do endorsements - it's not trying to take away from the team at all.
Posted by: CTB2005 at December 18, 2007 03:08 PM
It makes sense. Arod has probably signed his last baseball contract. The primary thing he needs an agent for now is all the marketing and endorsement stuff.
Posted by: Nettles vs. Lee at December 18, 2007 03:17 PM
Gee, last time I checked, there's no "image" or "brand" in "TEAM."
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There is when that "TEAM" is the Yankees.
Posted by: bfriley76 at December 18, 2007 03:35 PM
I think it's pretty well understood that most sports superstars are walking corporations these days. It's just that now that there's so much money at stake - and so much public scrutiny - that there is a greater necessity to manage one's image.
On a side note, how awesome would a Sealy A-Rod/Jeter sleep-over commercial be?
Posted by: brockdc at December 18, 2007 08:54 PM
Uhm, there's a comment worth withdrawing. No image or brand in team? Well, sure. Except, you know, the ways in which every sports franchise works on both its image and its brand. And none more successfully than the Yankees. (Tho' the Cubs and the Red Sox ain't too shabby in this regard.)
Envy is not the best foundation for any comment, let alone analysis. Might want to take a couple breaths before hitting the keyboard next time.
Posted by: Harley at December 18, 2007 10:48 PM