It is common to hear about athletes’ inappropriate conduct on TV, in newspapers, or on the Internet. Tiger Woods, golfer, and his marital infidelity are the latest athletes to make headlines. Collectors who collect autographs and memorabilia of sports are concerned about the possible impact that athletes’ actions can have on the worth of their items. Will the autograph realize its full worth or will it decline in value? This article examines how athletes’ actions and decisions affect the value of autographs from sports.
Tiger isn’t the first and will certainly not be the last to broadcast inappropriate actions to the whole world. Before him, there was Michael Vick, Kobe Bryant (and others), Ron Artest and Andre Agassi. Ben Johnson, Pete Rose and Mark McGwire all made similar regrettable decisions. Athletes are always in the spotlight, and technology allows bad news to travel quickly 스포츠무료중계.
An individual analysis of the effects of athletes on autographs’ value must be done. Consider the individual athlete as well as the circumstances. Also, consider where the athlete is at any given time in his/her career. Most sports autographs will have a decrease in value over the short-term, but the impact on the long-term value can be affected by the factors described above.
The short term value of the autographs will decrease because there will be less demand. Athletes who have been inappropriately behaved are not wanted to be associated by fans. Accenture was a former sponsor for Tiger Woods and has stopped providing sponsorship following the scandal. Media outlets will concentrate all their attention on the scandal and the athletes. Other concerns include questions about the future for the athlete, and whether the athlete will be able to continue playing in his or her chosen sport. These concerns tend to decrease the long-term value of an athlete’s autographs.
Fans are likely to forget about their mistakes over the long-term. This allows autographs in sports to appreciate at their highest levels. Kobe Bryant’s story is one example of an athlete that was able, after being accused of sexual abuse in 2003, to rebrand. Bryant was released from court and resumed his basketball focus. The incident could be viewed as a personal matter. It had nothing to with his sport of basketball. Bryant was still a young man at that point and still had many years left in the NBA. Bryant’s fans have been enjoying the Los Angeles Lakers fifteenth NBA title in 2009 since late 2009.
However, it can be difficult for athletes who cheat in their sports to stop the long-term impact on the worth of their autographs. Mark McGwire was an example. In 2010, he admitted to using steroids in baseball. Roger Maris had set the 1969 home run record for Roger McGwire at 61. McGwire’s inability to break the record for home runs without steroids will never be answered. McGwire won’t be able break any new records without using steroids, so fans will not get to witness it. McGwire’s autograph in sports is not likely to have the same value as it was before.
It can be argued that autographs of athletes are worth more long-term than they cost if they get many more awards and the issue does not relate to the athlete’s primary sports.