Why Product Endorsement Deals Are So Important to Professional Athletes

Not all professional athletes make a lot of money such as those that participate in less traditional non revenue producing sports. In order to be able to be a professional athlete full time, many of these less popular athletes have to rely on the products and paychecks they receive from their sponsors and advertisers. Other athletes, that are in the limelight however, make a lot of money playing their sport and even more from their sponsorship deals. One of the first athletes to really do this was NBA player, Michael Jordan who used his basketball skills to promote several products as well as apparel, toys, products and even basketball videos with his name on them.

Wherever there is space to promote a sponsor, they will find a way to do it whether it is on the helmet of a professional NASCAR racer or in the form of a body tattoo to professional beach volleyball player Gabrielle Reece. Athletes are offered great package deals to promote a certain brand as a sort of spokesperson and in exchange they receive monetary and product compensation. For the lesser known athletes, this is very helpful to provide them with the extra income they need to be able to train full time. For other well paid athletes like professional baseball, basketball and football players it is just icing on the cake.

Michael Jordan was one of the first professional athletes to really be endorsed by various sponsors and he ended up making more from those endorsements than he did playing basketball. Certain businesses saw the total star power in Michael Jordan and knew he could make their product be noticed with him promoting it. One example was Gatorade which was a sports drink that had been around for quite a while but when they got Michael Jordan to endorse Gatorade, sales rose quickly and it became the top selling sports drink.

Now younger professional athletes that are making it to the big leagues see product endorsements as part of the package deal when they sign professionally. Many new athletes that are confident in themselves and their ability to sell items even hold out for multi million dollar contracts today. One example of that younger big time player is Le Bron James. He made it into the headlines for his basketball abilities saying he was the next Jordan when he was just a sophomore in high school playing in Akron, Ohio. Now he is one the biggest paid athletes with multiple endorsements.

The largest grossing professional athlete to receive the largest amount of endorsement deals in history is golfer, Tiger Woods. As an individual athlete, he is not paid by salary but rather by performance and how many big golf tournaments he wins. Because he has been such a high profile, successful and marketable player, his endorsements deals are earning him several million each year on top of his golf earnings. He also has lost several of these sponsors with the recent scandals of his many infidelities.

Coach Connor Sullivan operates a basketball web site that offers basketball videos training aids and coaching/instructional videos along with lots of free training advice. His brother ordered basketball skills aids and training aids videos from his website.

The Dish: Terrell Owens Is The Most Important Person On Earth

Terrell Owens is in your breakfast cereal.

Just look down, and you'll see little "ESPN" logos floating around in the milk, and then every so often you'll see T.O.'s mug pop to the surface for air and say, "My contract is slave wages!" and then re-submerge.

Owens is also in your coffee cup. The moment you drain the last drop of Maxwell House, you'll see T.O.'s simpering face demanding a trade.

He's in your shower for sure. Be careful when you open the curtain. If you find him in a bad mood, he'll jump out and start screaming at you for bad play-calling.

He and Jeremy Schaap are dancing a rallentando on your car roof. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is skiing in your hair gel. T.O. is in the crawl space under your house, between your dog's toenails, and up your wife's left nostril. ESPN's John Clayton, Chris Mortensen, Sean Salisbury, Mark Schlereth and Chris Berman are breathlessly running alongside you on the highway, informing you of another impending T.O. armageddon.

Your eyes have turned Eagle-green. Your lips have reformed in the shape of the team's wing helmet logo. You've put on 300 pounds because Andy Reid is your new Siamese twin.

You can't escape the massive scale of this story. Don't even try.

Well, that Virginia Tech drama lasted for all of 10 minutes. Do you see any way that the BCS title game doesn't come down to USC against Texas? Who has an early lead in your mind on the winner of that game?

Bob Aggarwal, Pro Handicappers League: I don't see anyone beating Texas or USC the rest of the way. Those two teams are head and shoulders above everyone else. The early nod has to go to USC with their experience and team leadership. Not by much, maybe a field goal. I could even see that line possibly opening at 4.

Greg Jorssen, BoDog: Unless UCLA can knock USC from the undefeated rank during the last week of the season, you will be seeing USC play Texas in the Rose Bowl. The Hokies were the only reason all season long that they held off on printing the Trojan vs. Longhorn Rose Bowl tickets. Now that Texas is the clear #2, the two teams just need to concentrate on winning their remaining games to guarantee this epic match-up, as one little slip-up will have the Tide rush in and take their spot in the national spotlight on January 4th. If and when Texas and USC meet in the Rose Bowl, you would have to give the slight edge to USC, due to the game being played on their home turf, somewhat. Updated Power Rankings have USC at 104 and Texasat 103, thus slight edge to the Trojans on a neutral field. With the game being played in their backyard, you would have to open the line in the neighborhood of USC -4 or -5. And besides, can you come up with any reasons at all to doubt Pete Caroll, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart in a pressure game?

The Colts clearly proved New England is too banged-up to be a threat this season. So my question to you now: are the Colts for real? Do they have what it takes (especially on defense) to be a Super Bowl champ?

GJ, BoDog: At the midway point of the season, clear to see that the Colts are the class of the NFL. It was a surprising stat to read today that Monday's performance by Peyton Manning was his first 300+ yard game of the season; however that just shows the shift in the team's focus this year. They possess the league's #4 defense (compared to last year's 29th place ranking) to go along with the league's fourth-best offense. That said, are they for real? I cannot really answer
that until they actually have played someone. Patriots were too beaten up to give the Colts a fair test. The previous seven opponents are a combined 19-38, thus the true test will be November 20th in Cincinnati and then at home to face the Steelers the following week. If the Colts' defense can remain as dominant against these top caliber teams, then, and only then, can I say that they have what it takes to hoist the Lomabardi Trophy in February.

BA, Pro Handicappers League: The Colts showed Monday night they are certainly legit. We all knew in the past that they had the capability to light up almost anyone offensively. That has not changed. It's the defense that has made the difference this year. They are currently ranked 4th in the league overall in team defense allowing just 278.8 yards per game. Last year's weakness, their run-stopping capability, has gone by the wayside as the Colts are allowing less than 100 yards a game. Overall they are allowing just 12.2 points per game as well, good for second-best in the league. Indy has finally put it all together, the stellar offensive capabilities of a Peyton Manning led team and the defense
that Tony Dungy has been working on for the past four years.

Do the Eagles have a chance in the world without Terrell Owens?

BA, Pro Handicappers League: Everyone forgets this club went to three straight NFC title games without TO. This franchise was great before him and they will be great after him. As long as Andy Reid is head coach, the Eagles will always be contenders.

GJ, BoDog: The Eagles would have struggled making the playoffs with or without Terrell Owens due to the division they are in and the injuries they have incurred; however they did what they had to do for the future success of this team. I have managed many an employee that had incredible talent, but had poisonous and destructive attitudes on the work floor. The decision to let that person go, thus hurting my company in the process in the short term, was very difficult yet necessary in ensuring a workforce that was working together as a team. The Eagles were a circus show with Owens on the sidelines. Now, hopefully, Coach Reid can get this issue behind him and focus his team out of the spotlight and onto the task at hand, which is back into the spotlight for a Monday Night game against the Cowboys. Reid has his work cut out for him.

The first NCAA Hoops poll is out. How much stake do you put in it? Is Duke really going to be that much better than everyone else?

GJ, BoDog: I don't put too much weight into pre-season polls; however when a team receives 61 out of a possible 72 first-place votes, you tend to give the pre-season poll a little more notice. Duke is definitely the team to beat this year, with J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams, both AP All-Americans, returning for their senior year. Last time Duke had two All-Americans in their lineup was back in 1992 when Bobby Hurley (remember him?) and Grant Hill were teammates. Redick's stats are quite impressive: he averaged just under 22 points in his junior year, and shot over 40% from the three-point line. Williams is an offensive and defensive force, averaging 15.5 points per game and averaging over 11 rebounds per game. Throw in the fact that the Blue Devils have the best freshman class in the nation, and it's clear to see that they will be the team that cuts down the nets in early April and that we could quite possibly be seeing the start of what could be a Duke dynasty for the next few years. Texas, on the other hand, hopes to rebound from a disappointing first-round defeat by returning four double-digit scorers. The Longhorns possess possibly the most talented point guard in the nation in Daniel Gibson, who is one year older and smarter thus will be dominant all season if he stays healthy and if Texas can develop a back-up point guard to give Gibson some rest. Mark December 10th on your calendar, as Texas and Duke battle for what could be the #1 ranking in the nation.

BA, Pro Handicappers League: I put almost no stake at all in preseason polls. Remember two years ago when Alabama was ranked number #3 preseason and didn't even make the NCAA tournament? The polls are there for exposure and for people to chat about by the water cooler. After that, they mean absolutely nothing. The Blue Devils will certainly be solid, especially in a year when the ACC is a bit down. With that said, they still have just two experienced seniors and several questions at the point. Duke won't runaway with anything, neither will any college club this year for that matter. Its wide open this season with six or seven teams capable of winning it all.

Christopher Harris is a featured writer for the Professional Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com

All Pointe Shoes are Not Created Equal - Consider These Important Tips to Get the Right Fit

There are many important points to consider when purchasing your Pointe Shoes. It is essential to find the right dance shoe that provides the proper fit, support, and comfort.

Dancing On Pointe

Dancing in pointe shoes requires a lot of strength and years of training. To avoid injury, it is recommended that you do not try to dance in pointe shoes if you have not been properly trained in ballet. Also, you should not purchase pointe shoes until you have been instructed to do so by your teacher.

Pointe shoes do not come with the elastic and ribbons sewn on. In most cases, these items are sold separately. Before applying the elastic and ribbons, let your teacher check the fit of the shoe. Once the ribbons and elastic is sewn on, pointe shoes cannot be returned.

Structure Makes a Difference

Pointe shoes consist of many different parts, all of which are fundamental in how the shoe fits. When trying to find the right pointe shoe, consider these very important terms in making your choice:

oBox: the front, wide part of the pointe shoe

The box can be either wide or tapered. A tapered box is narrower toward the tip of the shoe and gets wider as it approaches the drawstring. Shoes with a tapered box are good for dancers whose toes decrease in length from the big toe to the pinky toe. Shoes with a wider box are great for dancers whose toes are all close to the same length.

oVamp: the top part of the pointe shoe, which is a continuation of the box

Vamps can either be "V" shaped or "U" shaped. "V" shaped vamps are usually longer, which gives the foot a little extra support.

oShank: the "spine" of the pointe shoe

The shank is the part of the shoe that must be "broken in." The shank provides arch support in the shoe. Shanks come in different strengths: hard, medium, and soft. Most beginner pointe dancers should get medium or hard shanks to build strength in their arches.

oPlatform: the flat end of the box that you relevee onto

oThroat: the open area where the foot fits into the shoe

Find the Perfect Fit

Pointe shoes must have an exact fit on the foot, almost like a sock. In order to get the correct fit, consider the following tips:

oThere are many different brands of pointe shoes to choose from; all are made differently to fit different types of feet. Do not buy a certain style of pointe shoe just because your friend has them. Try to find the style that is comfortable and fits your foot best.

oThe sizing of pointe shoes is usually different from the sizing of street shoes. Some brands of pointe shoes run smaller than street shoes while other brands run larger than street shoes.

oIf purchasing pointe shoes online, most websites offer size charts that compare the size of the pointe shoe to the size of a street shoe.

oIf purchasing pointe shoes from a store, it is best to let the employee measure your foot, or tell the employee the size of your street shoe.

oWhen standing normally in pointe shoes, toes should reach the end of the shoe, but should not be crunched, bent, or overlapped. If toes are crunched or bent, try the next size up. If toes are overlapping each other, try a wider width or a shoe with a wider box.

oWhen standing in relevee, there should only be a thumb's width of pinch at the heel of the shoe.

oMake sure to pull and tie the drawstring so that the shoe is as tight as it can be. This will help keep the shoe from slipping off.

Alexandra Barbier has worked at Pampos Dance & Swim for three years and has served as a Pampo’s manager for two years. An expert on dance shoes [http://www.pamposdanceandswim.com/dance-shoes.asp] and an experienced dancer for 15 years, she has spent the majority of her dance training was with the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre where she studied ballet and pointe and performed as a company member in their production of The Nutcracker. She also performed in two musicals with the Baton Rouge Little Theatre, danced with Of Moving Colors modern dance company, and was a member of her high school dance team. Alexandra currently attends LSU where she is majoring in apparel design and hopes to become a costume designer.