Brand Rodriquez
As I write this Alex Rodriquez is on the cusp of being penalized by Major League Baseball (MLB) according to rumors/informed sources (don’t you hate that!) for a season and one half due to alleged drug infractions related to the Biogenesis clinic. While no one knows how this will turn out in either the courts and diamonds, clearly it has had an impact on his Brand, as very important aspect of his life. While we all have personal brands, few have seemingly dedicated the time and effort to burnish a brand as Alex.
Unfortunately for him it has not turned out well. For a performance that would have resulted in a Hall of Fame election had he not abused his talent and drugs, he likely well be condemned to the trash heap of discarded athletes with remarkable talent but fatal flaws.
My view of Alex is mediated and perhaps biased as a result of a number of factors: I am a fan of baseball; a Yankees fan since little; I am competitive athlete; and as a very (extremely short-term) neighbor of his.
In order.
Baseball: a wonderful sport that involves strategic and tactical decision-making. Most kids can play it with some semblance of skill versus the other “ball” sports of football and basketball. While some may still refer it to as the National Pastime, it clearly no longer is having been eclipsed by football. Americans love speed and violence, but it years gone by, it was our national game.
Yankees: My Dad took me to Yankees games as a child., one of my fondest memories As the oldest of four, perhaps I got to see more games than my younger brothers, but my Dad also a baseball fan, took me many times to The Bronx” to watch a game or even better a doubleheader! There was nothing I loved more than to see Mantle, Maris, Berra, Ford et al play. I saw Mantle, Maris and Berra hit numerous home runs, sometimes in the same game. Yankees baseball is the one team sport I watch with any regularity. I prefer to participate versus watch, but the Yankees hold a different place for me.
Athlete: I still swim competitively, mostly Open Water events, some long distance, and recently swam the 28.5 mile Manhattan Island Marathon swim in June, 2013. (My 2-person team won that division). All athletes who push have pain and we strive constantly to be better.. While I wish I had a pill to make me hurt less – forget entirely – or go faster, we all recognize no one gets to the top, meets his or her own expectations without some talent and more importantly, an incredible work ethic.
Neighbor: For less than one week years ago, Alex moved into a house across the street from ours, having swapped his home with one of my former neighbors. I arrived home on Friday to this news and on Saturday, it was announced Alex was traded to Boston. The Commissioner nuked this as an illegal contract (no one knows what this is) and shortly later he was traded to the Yankees. As far as I was concerned, I was happy to give up Alex across the street to see him play for the Yanks.
So, where does that leave us.
As an athlete: Let me deal with the most personal and perhaps painful aspect of this for Alex. He is prospectively being told he can never play the game that not only has enriched him, but that he loves. No true retirement. Will he ever play again for the Yankees, any other team? When we age we lose. While few support the view he is worth his salary that is not the point to Alex. The inability to run up the steps and onto the field irrespective of pay or performance is devastating to an athlete especially someone as accomplished. Bottom line: this hurts tremendously. Reread AE Housman’s, To An Athlete Dying Young.
Yankees: They are/will be glad to be rid of him because he is overpaid, a result of another bad ownership decision. I will remind you that one of the worst professional team owners, Tom Hicks, started all of this with his original Rangers contract that vastly overpaid the market.
MLB: As I write, I am unsure why Alex deserves such a harsh penalty, but this does help not only improve Selig’s legacy as a drug-fighter but hopefully shows young players that drugs have no part in the game. Personally, if you cheat you should be banned as a repeat offender. As an athlete, we have no tolerance of cheaters. The Players Union under Don Fehr perpetrated a climate of drug use pure and simple. Finally it seems that players have realized that drug use tarnishes all their brands and the game. They have come to say “enough is enough.”
Brand Rodriquez
Alex cared deeply about his Brand, which is now irrevocably hurt. Perhaps in the far future via charitable efforts, the view of A Rod may be repaired, but a significant opportunity has been lost. A Rod will have the chance to prove or disprove one of F Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous quotes: “there are no second acts in America”.
What could A Rod have done differently and what implications does it have for brands?
- A Brand is of overarching importance, therefore it must be managed. If you don’t define yourself, others will – and likely get it wrong or far from optimally.
- You must first understand and then determine how you will articulate your Brand. You must live up to this. While athletes are human, we expect they will not use drugs to deliver their brand/performance.
- Consistency counts. Managements/people must understand this and plan for the future. All expressions of a Brand need to be consistently delivered internally and externally. Proper counsel is always required.
- Honestly counts. “To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” (George McDonald)