“When you spend your own money you want to be recognized for that. I don’t want to be a hero, but just pay more attention to what I’m doing. People don’t want to give me the recognition for it.”
How many guesses will it take before you figure out who said the quote above? If you picked Odalis Perez, you were right on the money, as good old Odalis has decided to stop his O’s 45’s charitable program after losing his starting job on the Los Angeles Dodgers [Odalis No Idealist]. Sore loser? Sure. Bitter? Definitely. Pure stupidity? That’s what I was looking for. Public relations seems to be a hot topic that players are really messing up on this week. Players need to keep their mouths shut sometimes, and let the people they employ (agents) speak for them. Odalis Perez and any other player should never tell reporters that he/she is stopping a charitable program because he/she did not get enough credit from the public and team for donations made even if it is the truth. Either scrap the program and do not make a stupid statement that makes you look like a jerk in the public eye, or keep the program running and take your demotion like a man/woman.
This is a perfect example of just one more reason why Sports Agents are needed. Most players need to stick to what they are good at, which is performing on the field/court/rink/etc. Let the agents take care of the reporters and charities.
[tags]odalis perez, los angeles dodgers, public relations, pr, sports agents[/tags]
