Remember, kids: There's no TEAM in BRAND.

Tight end Vernon Davis made a $200,000 decision last week and that decision was to skip out on the 49ers offseason training activities (OTAs). Davis has a $200,000 workout clause in his contract that requires him to be at the offseason sessions, but he decided not to show up.

The reason Davis decided not to show up? He's building his brand.

"You know what, every decision I make is in the best interest of my brand," Davis told Jay Mohr Sports during a radio interview on Wednesday. "At the end of the day, we sometimes have to make a business decision. And my decision is to work out on my own and focus on building my brand."

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24581371/vernon-davis-on-skipping-otas-its-about-building-my-brand

 

OTAs are a big pile of crap anyway. Who cares?

He'll be ready for July.

 

Whoever first introduced the concept of "branding" for individuals should be vaporized immediately.

 

He doesn't even know what he's talking about. Any marketing science professor would tell him it's better for his "Brand" to show up and practice. Dumbass.

 

I don't agree.

Maybe the "building the Vernon Davis brand" thing is kinda silly, but he isn't going to be one ounce less of a football player in the fall because he skipped the silly OTAs.

Sounds like an adult making a decision that he put some thought behind.

Good for him.

Sean Lee wishes he could have spent last week building his brand.

 

But Johnny Football threw three INTs in his.

 

Darren Rovell approves.

 

Really? It doesn't hurt the "brand" for his team's fans to think he's a selfish player, not a team player?

Whether that is true or not isn't the point, for "branding" purposes -- the perception is.

 

Its June workouts in shorts. Vernon Davis skipping it doesn't make him a selfish player in my opinion. I'd guess most fans with a brain think the same.

Maybe Davis is narrow-casting his "brand" to smarter fans.


Listen, the "brand" thing may very well be stupid. But I have no problems with players skipping these stupid offseason practices.

 

This is all about his alliance with Fantex, which sells suckers, er, investors on buying stock based on the future sports-related earnings of an athlete. I think I'd rather buy a fund from Madoff. Or as Felix Salmon put it (http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2013/10/18/bad-investment-of-the-day-fantex-edition/):

Before you put any money into Fantex, then, ask yourself two questions. First, do you want to make a really stupid investment? And second, do you really want to buy shares in a company which treats young black men as property to be acquired and then privately taxed? Because that’s exactly what you’re going to be doing.

Any agent or attorney allowing his client to be a Fantex stock should be frogmarched out of the business and into something more respectable, like reverse mortgages.

 

It's entirely his decision as to what course of action will put him in the best position to compete and optimize his career earnings.

 

They seriously need to stop calling this shit "voluntary."

It's "voluntary" the same way paying taxes is "voluntary."

I find it hilarious how the NFL's "voluntary" OTAs have roughly 99.9% attendance.

My niece and her husband have been in Cincinnati since before April for the "voluntary" off-season workouts. The kid is a workout warrior who would be in the gym six days a week back home, but that wouldn't be good enough. NFL culture dictates that you're a slacker if you work out on your own six days a week at home, but you're a great team guy if you work out four days a week in front of the team's training staff.