It’s Not the ‘Roids, It’s Their Age

Are athletes named in the Mitchell Report going to lose endorsement dollars? Of course they are, but it’s because they are old!

A recent study by Paul Verna at eMarketer claims that baseball athletes named in the report will lose endorsement money. Sports Illustrated’s “Fortune 50” has three players named in the report: Roger Clemens (21), Barry Bonds (28), and Andy Pettit (41).

I disagree with Verna’s claim that these players will lose endorsement money because of the report. I believe they’ll lose endorsement money because 2/3 of them aren’t playing! Clemens isn’t coming back (again), Bonds is looking for a team while his federal trial looms, and Pettit has already said that this would be his last year – after nearly retiring this fall.

Unless your name is Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or George Foreman – endorsement dollars drop when you are no longer playing your sport.