will sponsors drop lance, when ?

[python]

despite the flood of negative news and the expanding federal investigation into armstrong doping, his sponsors remained steadfast. nike even paid for a team that waived livestrong banners at the tour .

i suspect it’s less about true loyalty and more about businesses protecting their multimillion investments.

but at what point will public perception of fraud force the sponsor out?

would an indictment be that point ?

how did american sponsors behave when baseball or athletics drug-related indictments became public ?

im really curious how it works in america ?

 

[craig1985]

According to Alpe d'Huez, unless you are not doing something devious like torturing animals, touching children or women in an inappropriate way, then you are still in the clear with Nike, especially if you are a big name athlete. I think Trek will stick with him, after all the troubles they went through with Lemond. He will need something to win the prison crit with!

 

[Cobber]

According to Alpe d'Huez, unless you are not doing something devious like torturing animals, touching children or women in an inappropriate way, then you are still in the clear with Nike, especially if you are a big name athlete. I think Trek will stick with him, after all the troubles they went through with Lemond. He will need something to win the prison crit with!

Just children I think..... I am pretty sure Nike stuck by Tiger Woods when everything went south for him, and he was touching many women inappropriately!

 

[Fester]

Sponsors seem to go one till the bitter end. Not least I imagine because they likely knew what was going on an d what risk they were taking.

There is also a return to be made from the downfall of the sporting hero. Lets face it, he's in the paper for the wrong reasons -but he's in the papers. And that means dosh.

You as fan might be more sensitive to these scandals, but random joe will go to the shop with, a slight ringing of "nike" in his earn and a yellow tick in his minds eye. That will influence his purchase over Fila or Reebok. At least that's how I think it works.

 

[Squares]

Sponsors will stick by him as long as they make money off him.

Can you demonstrate that Trek has not sold more bikes because of LA?

Can you demonstrate that Nike has not sold more cycling gear because of LA?

Can you demonstrate that USPS didn't raise their name recognition in europe when he was winning the Tour?

The answer is no to all three questions. They got exactly what they paid for, increased brand awareness and sales because they had LA doing ads and winning the Tour with their logos all over him.

In a fraud case, one must prove that through the deception, a party suffered some form of harm. In this case, it is hard to argue that their is an injured party who did not get what they paid for.

 

[python]

squares,

the question was not about the past which is hardly disputable but the future when the fraudulent past is exposed.

 

[Squares]

squares,

the question was not about the past which is hardly disputable but the future when the fraudulent past is exposed.

How many sponsors does Michael Jordan still have?
How many sponsors does Indurain have?
How many sponsors does Jalabert have?

Even Eddy doesn't have sponsors, but does sponsor a team to sell his bikes.

LA is now retired so who sponsors him, and when they drop out in the future, is irrelevant.

That is what LA is banking on.

 

[S2Sturges]

Just children I think..... I am pretty sure Nike stuck by Tiger Woods when everything went south for him, and he was touching many women inappropriately!

I vaguely remember some quote from Alice Cooper when he was doing his "on stage hanging" shtick ,that went along the lines of any publicity is good publicity, frankly I'm suprised that Nike didn't come out with a condom with their swoosh on it right after Tiger's fun and games..

 

[whocares]

I vaguely remember some quote from Alice Cooper when he was doing his "on stage hanging" shtick ,that went along the lines of any publicity is good publicity, frankly I'm suprised that Nike didn't come out with a condom with their swoosh on it right after Tiger's fun and games..

Nike Condoms? "Just Do It"

 

[Race Radio]

How many sponsors does Michael Jordan still have?
How many sponsors does Indurain have?
How many sponsors does Jalabert have?

Even Eddy doesn't have sponsors, but does sponsor a team to sell his bikes.

LA is now retired so who sponsors him, and when they drop out in the future, is irrelevant.

That is what LA is banking on.

How many sponsors does OJ have? Micheal Vick? Barry Bonds? Marion Jones?

 

[David Suro]

I just saw an advertisement on the TV for a testosterone patch to help combat a condistion known as Low-T. Low-T is natural with aging, but there is a pharmaceutical product to help fight it.

Last time there were commercials on this morning, there was an advertisement for a drug that will help men attain and maintain an erection.

America is a drug culture. We are also an advertisement culture. For every dollar the pharmaceutical companies spend on research and development, they spend many dollars on promotion.

If lance is revealed to be a doper, there is the possibility that he will beocme a spokesman for the companies that sold him the products. Imagine the possibility of a man with one testicle telling how he had elevated testosterone levels and was able to be one of the greatest champions in sport as a result of medical science.

 

[luckyboy]

Really can't imagine that tbh.

I can't see how they (Nike etc.) could still run adverts with him if it's proven he/the team doped/committed fraud.

 

[David Suro]

Yeah, it's probably a stretch of the imagination.

As for Trek, Lance is part owner. He makes his money from them with or without sponsorship. Trek will probably focus on Phinney to re-brand their bikes in a youthful and optomistic light.

Nike can do with or without Lance. They survived Jordan's retirement without a problem.

The Nissan Leaf comemrcials seemed to be designed to run during the Tour as an introduction of the car. They will likely use hip young actors in their continues marketing campaign.

It's will be interesting to see what the ramifications of this investigation will be. Until we know, it is kind of fun to speculate.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

I just saw an advertisement on the TV for a testosterone patch to help combat a condistion known as Low-T. Low-T is natural with aging, but there is a pharmaceutical product to help fight it.

Last time there were commercials on this morning, there was an advertisement for a drug that will help men attain and maintain an erection.

America is a drug culture. We are also an advertisement culture. For every dollar the pharmaceutical companies spend on research and development, they spend many dollars on promotion.

If lance is revealed to be a doper, there is the possibility that he will beocme a spokesman for the companies that sold him the products. Imagine the possibility of a man with one testicle telling how he had elevated testosterone levels and was able to be one of the greatest champions in sport as a result of medical science.

If the USA keeps on trammeling head-first into greater growth, debt and consumerism, then such a vulgar cash-in isn't too much of a stretch! When markets dictate taste and values it's a natural consequence.

In the meantime, he could satire himself on SNL...or more likely its less glamorous cousin, MadTV.

 

[Squares]

How many sponsors does OJ have? Micheal Vick? Barry Bonds? Marion Jones?

OJ had used his football fame to launch a successful acting career and was still doing ads when he was arrested for murder. Had he simply retired as an athlete he would never have been in the limelight to get on the Hertz commercials in the first place.

As for Vick and Bonds, they were busted while active in their sports and their ads were entirely tied to their active careers.

Marion Jones was not doing advertisments at the time of her bust, which was several years after her big wins in Sydney but she wasn't doing big commercials on TV when she was busted.

So, if Lance is gone from the limelight of active racing the only people that will care that he was busted will be those cycleing entusiasts on sites like this where he has already been convicted in public opinion.

 

[Race Radio]

OJ had used his football fame to launch a successful acting career and was still doing ads when he was arrested for murder. Had he simply retired as an athlete he would never have been in the limelight to get on the Hertz commercials in the first place.

As for Vick and Bonds, they were busted while active in their sports and their ads were entirely tied to their active careers.

Marion Jones was not doing advertisments at the time of her bust, which was several years after her big wins in Sydney but she wasn't doing big commercials on TV when she was busted.

So, if Lance is gone from the limelight of active racing the only people that will care that he was busted will be those cycleing entusiasts on sites like this where he has already been convicted in public opinion.

Jones was not still a Nike sponsored Athlete when she was busted? To pretend that only cycling fans would care if Armstrong is busted is myopic at best.

As Armstrong rapidly becomes more of a punchline then a hero his chance's for endorsement income will diminish.

 

[David Suro]

It was recently reported that Lindsay Lohan has a book deal, or exclusive story deal, worth over $1,000,000 upon her release from jail. She has nowhere near the celebrity status of Lance.

In the USA, being a criminal with some charisma has become a marketable asset. It's a shame, really.

As long as the crime isn't murder or something involving cruelty to animals and the celebrity has a good PR machine, crimes can be turned into dollars.

There is a law that exists that prevents criminals from turning a profit from their story while they are still incarcerated. This came to be because convicted serial killers were signing book deals from death row.

Americans have a fascination with the bizarre.

I hope Lance doesn't go this route. I doubt he will. He has enough money and enough future earning potential from his investements to do as he claims he will and live a private life. For the sake of his family, I hope he does.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

It was recently reported that Lindsay Lohan has a book deal, or exclusive story deal, worth over $1,000,000 upon her release from jail. She has nowhere near the celebrity status of Lance.

In the USA, being a criminal with some charisma has become a marketable asset. It's a shame, really.

As long as the crime isn't murder or something involving cruelty to animals and the celebrity has a good PR machine, crimes can be turned into dollars.

There is a law that exists that prevents criminals from turning a profit from their story while they are still incarcerated. This came to be because convicted serial killers were signing book deals from death row.

Americans have a fascination with the bizarre.

I hope Lance doesn't go this route. I doubt he will. He has enough money and enough future earning potential from his investements to do as he claims he will and live a private life. For the sake of his family, I hope he does.

Lance would have to confess first and he won't. True to its puritan origins, the public confession is a central one to US culture. No guts no glory.

 

[David Suro]

Interesting point.

If Lance sticks to his story and is found to be innocent of whatever charges are brought against him, then his legend will be solidified in the mind of America.

If Lance is found to be guilty of fraud or perjury, then his public relation's team has their work cut out for them.

Given what others have achieved post-conviction in the USA, he is probably going to be just fine either way.

 

[sartain]

Really can't imagine that tbh.

I can't see how they (Nike etc.) could still run adverts with him if it's proven he/the team doped/committed fraud.

Just watch . . . we can use TW as a good barometer!

 

[Cloxxki]

Interesting that pretty much only animal cruelty seems to stand as a sponsors turn-off. So there are things WORSE than standing up to the world, telling it a lie, and taking absolute maximum profit from the crime as well as the denial of it?
I think a guy was almost impeaced over a little inbetweener with an intern groupie?

Yet, we all (apart from 3 or 4 TdF riders) eat meat from animals who lived utterly dreadful lives, without freedom of movement, 100% destined to be consumed. Cut short by machine operate killing, at the exact second of optimal return for investment of feeding and nursing costs.

Don't forget that Nike's empire was built on false premises. The claim that think, shock absorbing shoes are good for runners, make them faster and help prevent injury. No greater lies were ever told. And we so want to believe it. We even change the way we physically run, to support our beliefs.

Don't go looking for ethics at Nike.
What's their deal with cycling anyway?

 

[Colm.Murphy]

Nike will drop Lance as soon as he is indicted.

Any other sponsor with whom Lance has some % of ownership, Trek, SRAM, FRS, etc., will stand by him till he goes to the big house.

Oakley will stick by him no matter, and will roll-out a campaign targeting the inmate population: Optics for the joint.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

Bling shades for the big house

At least we know one former(?) Oakley rep doesn't think much of him. Which Oakley bigwig has his back?

 

[flicker]

Interesting that pretty much only animal cruelty seems to stand as a sponsors turn-off. So there are things WORSE than standing up to the world, telling it a lie, and taking absolute maximum profit from the crime as well as the denial of it?
I think a guy was almost impeaced over a little inbetweener with an intern groupie?

Yet, we all (apart from 3 or 4 TdF riders) eat meat from animals who lived utterly dreadful lives, without freedom of movement, 100% destined to be consumed. Cut short by machine operate killing, at the exact second of optimal return for investment of feeding and nursing costs.

Don't forget that Nike's empire was built on false premises. The claim that think, shock absorbing shoes are good for runners, make them faster and help prevent injury. No greater lies were ever told. And we so want to believe it. We even change the way we physically run, to support our beliefs.

Don't go looking for ethics at Nike.
What's their deal with cycling anyway?

I love NIKE products. They fit me. Cycling shoes I ride NORTHWAVE. Has nothing to do with LANCE. Maybe I will try Bont sometime.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

I love NIKE products. They fit me.

Fred and Nike. If the shoe fits.