It’s a Good Thing Athletes Have Such Big Heads
Athletes often turn to advertising for income.
But seldom do they turn themselves into advertising, as speed skater Apollo Ohno did last night in an interview with NBC’s Al Michaels prior to the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics.
What was Apollo thinking strapping this billboard on his forehead? What was NBC thinking, allowing him to wear it for the interview? (I certainly know what 8 Zone, a nutrition supplement company, was thinking—Ka-ching!)
I’m not naive: We’ve come a long way from the days when being an amateur athlete meant “for the love of” (amo, amare, amavi, amatus).
But that doesn’t mean that Olympic athletes, in competition, should be allowed to start plastering themselves with any other logo but the flag of their country.
Need I say it: It’s a slippery slope. Oh, no…….
Frank J. Oswald
2 Comments
Reader Comments (2)
had the same thoughts last night. then i started criticizing him on the soul patch and had to stop with the judgments.
More like a sold-out patch, if you ask me. But, then again, I don't know why I reacted so strongly Ohno's interview last night. (I actually like/liked the guy.) Clearly, athletes wear logos all the time. And, geez, look at NASCAR drivers (today's winner was brought to you by Ritz and Oreos... for real). Was it because 8 Zone isn't a name brand? Because it's a nutritional supplement company? Because the logo was so nasty huge? Because of the dorky "brand-dana?" What if the logo were on a golf hat, or on his t-shirt instead? (Would I have cared?) The brilliance of Nike "swoosh" (no company name required) becomes clearer and clearer every day.