Hall-of-Fame Human Beings

The landscape across American sports has possibly never been rockier. Between the ongoing Michael Vick saga, questioning surrounding the legitimacy of a certain NBA referee, and steroid allegations across baseball, sports marketers have got to be reluctant about engaging any athlete in a long-term endorsement contract. With all of the negative press that sports fans have been subjected to as of late, this past weekend provided a refreshing reminder of the positive side of sports.

On Sunday Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Both athletes embody all that is good about sports. In an era where most athletes are quick to bolt to a new city at the first hint of a bigger contract, both Ripken and Gwynn spent their entire careers with the same team and by all accounts are genuine, likeable people. Sports personas have long been a staple of big brands and their marketing efforts. With the bad press continuing to stack up against so many athletes, never before has character like that embodied by Ripken and Gwynn been as important as it is now, and will continue to be in the foreseeable future.