Since the day of Nike’s first Sports Marketing deal with Michael Jordan, the world of Sport has grown to become a sophisticated & hugely influential industry within popular culture. It is an industry involving money, power, influence and more money. Made up of League’s, Franchises, Agents, Sports Brands, Car Brands, Music, Fashion, the list goes on. Combined, these create a complex swirl of interest & excitement for the Athlete’s who were lucky enough to make it.
On a basic level, children & adults alike have always been inspired by the fairytale stories of professional athletes. The Athlete who was born in to a tough environment, worked hard their whole life, fought against all odds, went to College & made it to the big League. What’s interesting though, is what happens when they do make it, today in 2016…
Surrounded by everyone who wants a cut, The Athlete is required not only to perform in their Sport, but to quickly adjust and become astute & ruthless businessmen and women. Their business is their image, their connections inside & outside of Sport & ultimately their influence in the world. They operate like Marketing Directors, like CEO’s in some cases, their focus is no longer just what happens in the gym, on the court, on the field, but everything that goes around it. Why, because they don’t want to just be the best, they want to be the biggest, the richest, and the most influential.
Recently, many of these modern day Superstars have been criticized for their motive & dedication to their sport. Good or bad, the landscape has changed & will continue to change. I don’t believe for a second that in most cases ‘The Athlete’ has forgotten where they came from or what it took to get there. What I do know though is that in this industry it has become far more complex & there are more distractions than ever before. The Athletes who will win in the long run are the ones who stay true to these values & surround themselves with positive, selfless & good people who have The Athlete’s interests at heart as well as their own.