Rolling the Dice on Giambi
Feeling sorry for the Yankees' Jason Giambi after he lost endorsement deals with Nike, Pepsi and Arm & Hammer in wake of reports that he used performance enhancing drugs?
Well, SportsInteraction.com wants to come to his rescue. According to a press release, it has extended an endorsement offer to Giambi's agent, Arn Tellem, for what it says is worth up to $3 million per year. The company believes Giambi "still has huge market value in the sports world. This is a classic story where a star hits rock bottom and someone comes to his side as he rises from the ashes."
So who are these benevolent people who would lift Giambi from the ashes of an endorsement-less life? Well, they describe themselves as "one of the world's largest and oldest online gaming sites." If you visit their site, you'll be able to bet on just about any sports event in the world.
Of course, baseball players can't bet on baseball, which the company admits. It's also highly unlikely players can endorse a gaming site while they're active, which the company does not mention.
Maybe Giambi could do the endorsement under a false name, something like Giovanni Jasoni. After all, he has deceived people before. Or maybe the site should set up a bet on whether or not Giambi will really "rise from the ashes." If it does, "no" would be a good bet.
Comments (1)
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Sounds to me like this company is testing Giambi's credibility and ethics. As in, maybe he's ripe for the taking because he's willing to cheat at baseball, so maybe he'll do this, too. Or, at the least, this company hopes to draw some national media attention -- free advertising -- just by throwing this offer out there. They're even sending out mass e-mails to publicize their actions. That's gotta tell you something.
Posted on June 7, 2005 2:39 PM