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A-Rod Juiced but Fellow Players Will Pay
Endorsements dry up as advertisers avoid risky baseball stars
By Kevin Spak
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Posted Feb 16, 09 11:54 AM CST
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(Newser)
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A lot of people will pay for Alex Rodriguez’s admission that he used steroids—and A-Rod isn’t one of them, writes Jeremy Mullman in Advertising Age. A-Rod’s already shallow pool of endorsements isn’t likely to dry up, but by bringing steroids back into the spotlight, he’s cast a shadow over young, scandal-free superstars who should be getting deals.
In this economy, “anything that carries a risk does not do well,” said one sponsorship firm executive. “And this is a reminder that baseball players are still a very big risk.” But others counter that A-Rod's juicing ways could provide a boost. Bonds and Clemens already put the stink on the sport, and A-Rod just adds to the mess: “People are so sick of it,” says one player agent. "There's a real hunger out there for fresh faces."