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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [avatar78] [ In reply to ]
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my initial thought is this...

a professional athlete in this "small" sport needs all the dollars they can get. life isnt free, and the purses for races are not that substantial. the more sponsorship, and more lucrative, the more money in the athletes pocket to live on and also not have to get a day job.

this idea was reinforced when i saw heather jackson's pics on her facebook page when she "hosted" a zwift ride. she had her setup in her garage, and it looked like my garage. nothing fancy at all.

as far as the rest of us, id wager its either ego, the cool factor of having a company give you free stuff to shill for them, or a combination of those two.

80/20 Endurance Ambassador
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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SBRcanuck wrote:
Ego.

Yup
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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SBRcanuck wrote:
Ego.

I get a good laugh at people who tell me they are 'sponsored' by Giant, because their LBS got them a discount on a bike. So now they feel obligated to wear their Giant shirt everywhere and talk about it.....lol
I'll get flamed for that....
I think we should define athlete... pro or amateur... agree on the amateur thing with it being ego driven.

When I got into the sport I did well and in year three got invited onto a local "Elite" team with a laundry list of sponsors. There was a bank, SnapOn tools vendor, yoga studio, local artist, talent agency, etc. I'll admit it was sort of cool to be a sponsored athlete and part of the team.

The main sponsor was a bike shop that worked on my bikes for nothing, got me parts at close to cost or below, sometimes even for free... gave me a road bike at/or below cost which was pretty awesome. I did some group rides for them, road with their kit, participated in parades, etc... appreciated them and did all I could do to help pay it back to them!

All of the other sponsors were nothing more than logos printed on the kit... that I didn't have to pay for... which was the only perk for being on the team, the free kit.

After that team folded I applied and got some ambassador gigs... sometimes up to like 50% off of some product and I had to pay for logos to be on a kit... I found myself using things I wasn't really a fan of for a % off.

I now have a kit with my name on it, zero sponsors, zero ambassador gigs and I use what I like, ride what I like, etc. To each their own but this is where I'm at in terms of sponsors and ambassador things.

For Pros it's a whole other gig... I get why they have sponsorship relationships and hopefully they get more than a % off of some product they're really not into.
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [len] [ In reply to ]
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Um its to get the chicks...duh

I was a sponsored surfer. You brought a board down without stickers on it and girls didn't pay much mind...you brought one with sponsor stickers on it - suddenly you are turning heads and getting any wave you want. Same person, same skill, different board.

So I am going to go with chicks haha free stuff is cool, but girls are more cool.
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [LuchaLibre] [ In reply to ]
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LuchaLibre wrote:
Um its to get the chicks...duh

I was a sponsored surfer. You brought a board down without stickers on it and girls didn't pay much mind...you brought one with sponsor stickers on it - suddenly you are turning heads and getting any wave you want. Same person, same skill, different board.

So I am going to go with chicks haha free stuff is cool, but girls are more cool.

My next kit I'm gonna invent a bunch of sponsor logos for it. Probably feature a large Rebel Alliance logo on the back and chest.

I'll work my wife and kids' names in there somehow too.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [Jloewe] [ In reply to ]
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Jloewe wrote:
Me, I'm way too fat and slow to ever be sponsored.
However fat and slow you are, if you really wanted to be “sponsored”, you can. For AGers, sponsorship is less about results and more about involvement/willingness to promote the brand etc.

Personally, I avoid it because I feel is limits my clothing and equipment options-I want to be able to ride and wear what I want and buy it where and when I want at a price I want.
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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JasoninHalifax wrote:
LuchaLibre wrote:
Um its to get the chicks...duh

I was a sponsored surfer. You brought a board down without stickers on it and girls didn't pay much mind...you brought one with sponsor stickers on it - suddenly you are turning heads and getting any wave you want. Same person, same skill, different board.

So I am going to go with chicks haha free stuff is cool, but girls are more cool.


My next kit I'm gonna invent a bunch of sponsor logos for it. Probably feature a large Rebel Alliance logo on the back and chest.

I'll work my wife and kids' names in there somehow too.
I'm about to send off my Kiwami kit for this year to get it printed... back and forth on putting a dragon logo on it... why because I like dragons!!!
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [DFW_Tri] [ In reply to ]
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IMO people are going after the same old triathlon sponsors. Here are some companies I would approach if I was a pro (somewhat tongue in cheek):

Banana Boat Sunscreen
Imodium anti-diarrhea tablets
Jiff Peanut Butter
3M Electrical Tape/Zip Ties
Hormel Bacon
Hostess Cupcakes
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [milkman1982] [ In reply to ]
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milkman1982 wrote:
IMO people are going after the same old triathlon sponsors. Here are some companies I would approach if I was a pro (somewhat tongue in cheek):

Banana Boat Sunscreen
Imodium anti-diarrhea tablets
Jiff Peanut Butter
3M Electrical Tape/Zip Ties

Hormel Bacon
Hostess Cupcakes

Im at work literally dying hahaha
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [milkman1982] [ In reply to ]
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milkman1982 wrote:
Hormel Bacon
Hostess Cupcakes

If you add a nice brewery to this list, we would be off to a very good start...
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [LuchaLibre] [ In reply to ]
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Imodium is the best thing for long course since the invention of the tri bike. i like to take one before bed the night before, and two when i wake up on race morning..

I cannot wait until we have the "Imodium Ironman World Championships" it is just a matter of time.
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [DFW_Tri] [ In reply to ]
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DFW_Tri wrote:
Jloewe wrote:
Me, I'm way too fat and slow to ever be sponsored.

However fat and slow you are, if you really wanted to be “sponsored”, you can. For AGers, sponsorship is less about results and more about involvement/willingness to promote the brand etc.

Personally, I avoid it because I feel is limits my clothing and equipment options-I want to be able to ride and wear what I want and buy it where and when I want at a price I want.

Back in the days when I was sponsored by my LBS, I could get a better price through the team discount than anywhere else. I "could" buy from anywhere else if I wanted to at whatever price I could get, but I rarely did because it didn't make sense, only exception was when it was a product that they didn't sell. The owners were awesome guys and really flexible with us, I didn't "have" to ride one of their brands. During mountain bike season I rode a brand they didn't sell (Specialized) because I already had it. I usually rode with a helmet and shoes that they didn't sell either, cuz I have a funny shaped head and hard to fit feet.

The only thing I was really locked into was the team jersey. I usually rode the team shorts, but there were guys who rode their own plain black ones too.

Sponsorship isn't necessarily limiting your options.

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [milkman1982] [ In reply to ]
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milkman1982 wrote:
Imodium is the best thing for long course since the invention of the tri bike. i like to take one before bed the night before, and two when i wake up on race morning..

I cannot wait until we have the "Imodium Ironman World Championships" it is just a matter of time.

Do you have a TUE for that? ;-)

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [avatar78] [ In reply to ]
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I am just a lowly age grouper.... but I get sponsorships, because it gets me huge discounts on the gear I use. Why pay full price when you can request a sponsorship and get great rates?

For age groupers, it really isn't a sponsorship, but a Pro Purchase and influencer program.
Last edited by: Etexag: Apr 4, 18 7:37
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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SBRcanuck wrote:
Ego.

I get a good laugh at people who tell me they are 'sponsored' by Giant, because their LBS got them a discount on a bike. So now they feel obligated to wear their Giant shirt everywhere and talk about it.....lol
I'll get flamed for that....

Well, I guess since Giant bikes are sold at the Giant store in HFX now, technically they are sponsored by "Giant". Just not the factory.

Even when I was sponsored by my LBS back in the day, I never used the term "sponsored by". I wasn't that good to warrant "sponsorship". I just said I rode for that team, and wore the jersey to / from races and Sunday training rides if there wasn't a race that weekend.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [avatar78] [ In reply to ]
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avatar78 wrote:
This time of year, I see a lot of social media posts about new sponsors. I don't know, I guess to me I like the freedom to be able to try new brands and products if I want. I feel like you can be a pretty high-level athlete without being on the absolute cutting edge 2019 equipment. I'm just mulling why so many athletes seem to seek out sponsorship, when it seems kind of limiting in some ways.

sponsored, ambassador, free socks and bottle atheletes and all ...

Illusion for non pro athletes to feel like pro. Also a way for companies to get relatively good exposure for fraction of what real Pro would ask for.

You need to define some meanings:

Pro athletes make a living out of sport , they do not work, they get paid to race, some make quite good living out of it.

Sponsored\ambassador crap...Again illusion for non pro athletes to feel pro, another marketing tool to sell more stuff to them.
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [avatar78] [ In reply to ]
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avatar78 wrote:
This time of year, I see a lot of social media posts about new sponsors. I don't know, I guess to me I like the freedom to be able to try new brands and products if I want. I feel like you can be a pretty high-level athlete without being on the absolute cutting edge 2019 equipment. I'm just mulling why so many athletes seem to seek out sponsorship, when it seems kind of limiting in some ways.

Having been sponsored in a different sport, because I suck too much at triathlon to be sponsored, I can tell you that I did it because I got gear I would have been buying anyways for free, trips that I probably couldn't have afforded to go on for free, Etc.

So, for me it broke down to free trips, free gear, and more time spent doing a sport I love in exchange for the brands that sponsored me using my image/endorsement. All the brands that offered to sponsor me I would have endorsed anyways, because I like their product and I like the people making them, so I guess I was lucky there.

If you really want to get down to it, sponsorship is a great example of capitalism. The athlete values the benefits of sponsorship more then freedom to choose whatever gear they want, and the company doing the sponsoring values of the ability to say said athlete endorses them more than they value the product, travel, pay/whatever they give the athlete.
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [sebo2000] [ In reply to ]
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sebo2000 wrote:

Pro athletes make a living out of sport , they do not work, they get paid to race, some make quite good living out of it.


Well, speaking of pro triathletes, probably most have a side gig. I don't think very many exist purely off of sponsorships and prize-purse dribblings.


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Again illusion for non pro athletes to feel pro.

I don't see any problem with that though. All amateur racing of every kind is an illusion to feel pro. It breaks us out of our dreary daily existence and lets us get outside. You get to feel like a racer for a few hours. Nothing wrong with that. And getting stuff for free is fun.

*Acting* excessively pro is another story. I agree some people go away over the top with stupid hashtagged FB posts, etc.




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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [milkman1982] [ In reply to ]
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milkman1982 wrote:
Imodium is the best thing for long course since the invention of the tri bike. i like to take one before bed the night before, and two when i wake up on race morning..


I cannot wait until we have the "Imodium Ironman World Championships" it is just a matter of time.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5565161/Man-29-died-overdosing-ANTI-DIARRHEA-medication-mimic-opioid-high.html
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [sebo2000] [ In reply to ]
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sebo2000 wrote:
avatar78 wrote:
This time of year, I see a lot of social media posts about new sponsors. I don't know, I guess to me I like the freedom to be able to try new brands and products if I want. I feel like you can be a pretty high-level athlete without being on the absolute cutting edge 2019 equipment. I'm just mulling why so many athletes seem to seek out sponsorship, when it seems kind of limiting in some ways.


sponsored, ambassador, free socks and bottle atheletes and all ...

Illusion for non pro athletes to feel like pro. Also a way for companies to get relatively good exposure for fraction of what real Pro would ask for.

Harsh. I'll be 61 this year and sponsor myself. I can buy what I want to buy, and I travel internationally on my own dime to race. It wasn't always that way. In my 20s I was a pretty decent runner but with a young family to feed. I was sponsored by a local running store in a large metro area to include 8 shoes per year, kit, running clothes, and all my local race entries paid. It had nothing to do with feeling like a pro, but simply a means to reduce the expense of my hobby/addiction. To the extent that Age Groupers can use a sponsorship to reduce out-of-pocket expenses in a very expensive sport then more power to them.
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [HuffNPuff] [ In reply to ]
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To the extent that Age Groupers can use a sponsorship to reduce out-of-pocket expenses in a very expensive sport then more power to them.


This is where I am at.... Helps a ton
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [avatar78] [ In reply to ]
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Pros = money and best newest gear they otherwise could not afford.
Age Groupers = cool to say you are sponsored when most "deals" are just discount codes on the sponsor's products.

Ryan
http://www.SetThePaceTriathlon.com
http://www.TriathlonTrainingDaddy.com
I got plans - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/...dotcom#trainingplans
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [HuffNPuff] [ In reply to ]
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HuffNPuff wrote:
milkman1982 wrote:
Imodium is the best thing for long course since the invention of the tri bike. i like to take one before bed the night before, and two when i wake up on race morning..


I cannot wait until we have the "Imodium Ironman World Championships" it is just a matter of time.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5565161/Man-29-died-overdosing-ANTI-DIARRHEA-medication-mimic-opioid-high.html


holy cow that is awful
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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I'm assuming by "back in the day", that was before Ebay and ST classified were a fantastic option to collect new and used gear at a great price, before the advent of Flo wheels and the increased competition, and thus dramatic price drops in powermeters etc. I'm not saying it could never be cheaper. I could develop a list of companies I would be thrilled to legitimately sponsor me and exactly zero of them would do so!! At at least on the local level, I just watch so many "sponsored" athletes pay more money for slower equipment.
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Re: Why do athletes like to be sponsored? [SBRcanuck] [ In reply to ]
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I am a MOP athlete at big races and a FOP athlete at local races. I am technically sponsored by a LBS. The shop sponsors a handful of people at a variety of different speeds and ages via a shop "racing team". The majority of my local shops do this. You might see a difference between being on a shop "racing team" versus being "sponsored". But, I don't really see the difference so long as I am not paying to be a part of it.

Why do these shops do it? Because they want to show that their shop is accessible to everyone from pro athletes to average Joe's (and in particular, Janes).

So what does that mean for me?
I get free bike kits and race uniforms, free bike tunes and servicing, discounts on everything in the shop, and free or severely discounted race entry into local tris.

What do I give them in return?
I promote their shop by racing in their gear. I attend their weekend group ride as much as possible (or at least start out with them). I post on social media in promotion of the shop, etc.

So why do I do it? Because this sport is really effing expensive and I have no problem being in a relationship with a shop (that I would likely go to anyways) that makes it less expensive for me. I don't care about saying that I'm "sponsored". I just personally enjoy not having to pay 80 dollars to a tune-up every time I have a race coming up.
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