The Inevitable 2022 Pros Switching Sponsors Thread

[autocrosscrx]

it IS fun to see what the pros throw when they can throw what ever they want.

The putter was a surprise.

Feels like most players that goes to a open bag drops most of the "last sponsors" discs

I think the difference is that an Infinite sponsorship comes with a "Welcome to the warehouse. Grab whatever you want." and the TSA and EV7 sponsorships appear to leave you with taking care of the rest of your bag. And Matt Bell probably doesn't want to dump $500 at OTB or Infinite or buying the latest mystery boxes when he has shelves of proven discs.

With that said, how fun would it be to see pros getting mystery boxes as a means to try to fill/improve their bag the way many of us do?

 

[Jolt]

I think it´s smart of Bell not to learn TO many new discs now. . he needs to learn the TSA moulds, so smart to just "throw what you know" for the other spots.

I don´t know if Oakleys bag will be that "open" . . i guess most TSA and Infinite discs.

I hope we will get alot of videos from the open bag pros testing out a ton of fun molds. . .Eric has started in a good way. fun to see him throw BERG and other smaler brands discs

 

[txmxer]

If you were basically dropped from your previous sponsor, I can understand choosing to not throw those discs at all.

 

[foxdawg10]

I think the difference is that an Infinite sponsorship comes with a "Welcome to the warehouse. Grab whatever you want." and the TSA and EV7 sponsorships appear to leave you with taking care of the rest of your bag. And Matt Bell probably doesn't want to dump $500 at OTB or Infinite or buying the latest mystery boxes when he has shelves of proven discs.

With that said, how fun would it be to see pros getting mystery boxes as a means to try to fill/improve their bag the way many of us do?

I think they kind of do when they receive their annual/periodic allotment of discs from their sponsors.

 

[bbwrenn]

Des Reading joins the Mint Discs family... very cool. You love to see it.

 

[TheOtherBill]

Des Reading joins the Mint Discs family... very cool. You love to see it.

I hope this isn't more of the previous "Innova doesn't take care of FPO champs" stuff. Their parting with Val still leaves a bad aftertaste.

 

[SaROCaM]

I hope this isn't more of the previous "Innova doesn't take care of FPO champs" stuff. Their parting with Val still leaves a bad aftertaste.

Could be part of it, but part of it could also be a local support thing since Mint is based in Austin and Des lives near there.

 

[ru4por]

I hope this isn't more of the previous "Innova doesn't take care of FPO champs" stuff. Their parting with Val still leaves a bad aftertaste.

Why so? I mean, I don't have any real inside knowledge, so I take Val's word at face value. If I recall, she was not the only one saying it?

If true, and something good comes out of it for FPO, I don't really taste anything.

 

[dehaas]

I think Nikko will end up doing the mixed bag thing again. Dave Mac said on the local FB group that he's always welcome at Gateway.

Obviously no clue how much money Infinite is committing to their sponsorships and how much they have to spend. You'd have to expect some of these moves occur as a ripple effect and end up just kinda happening by consequence. The best example of that might be KJUSA…yes his contract expired this year, and yes he was probably talking to other companies in order to have a fair market value for himself, but if there weren't heavy rumors of Ricky going to DD the common idea of KJ ending up at Innova probably wouldn't be there.

I'm kinda getting the same vibe with the Nikko situation. I think if he had found a better deal elsewhere things would've been communicated differently. Perhaps that move was a matter of being able to land Ricky or Matty O. EO to Infinite was one of the first big deals announced for 2022. I know there's a difference in how Oakley and Nikko are perceived, but from a talent perspective I think it's a no brainer.

There hasn't been any talk about Cat and 2022. She had talked early in the season that she was wanting to focus more on home/family life, but I believe that particular interview was before she won Worlds? I want to think she specifically talked about wanting to buy a house and only play a handful or larger events.

 

[SaROCaM]

Why so? I mean, I don't have any real inside knowledge, so I take Val's word at face value. If I recall, she was not the only one saying it?

If true, and something good comes out of it for FPO, I don't really taste anything.

The bad taste to me is having a major company in the sport failing to adequately support their FPO players.

Slapping a #respectHERgame on social media is like an empty platitude without actually supporting and promoting FPO where it matters.

That said, I have no idea how much has changed since Val left, and what prompted Des to switch to Mint. As I said earlier, could be a Austin/Texas thing.

 

[Streets]

I guess Innova just isn't THE sponsor to be with anymore.

 

[Jolt]

Every player and smaller disc company saw what happened to Discraft when they took a chance and gave McBeth a big contract. .
I think many players and companies are taking the gamble. . will everybody survive, probably not.

Maybe Innova is SO big that they don´t need yo pay big money for players?
Smaller companies need a big name to get heard and seen.

I just wonder how much money the companies can throw at players before they get into trouble

 

[snappyj]

Maybe Innova is SO big that they don´t need yo pay big money for players?

If this is their stance, they're in trouble.

 

[seedlings]

I guess Innova just isn't THE sponsor to be with anymore.

Will innova complete remaking the original Discmania lineup just in time to woo DM players next year? Take a year off, save pro dollars, makediscmania molds, boom 2023.

 

[jakebake91]

Will innova complete remaking the original Discmania lineup just in time to woo DM players next year? Take a year off, save pro dollars, makediscmania molds, boom 2023.

They probably don't need to remake anything other than a stamp if I understand the situation correctly.

 

[DanJon]

If this is their stance, they're in trouble.

How so?

Pretty sure they will be fine in the long run.

 

[ChrisWoj]

Ah heck I might as well just blow the thread up at this point.

Conrad = Pat Mahomes
Barsby = Nick Foles
McBeth = Joe Montana
Wysocki = Russell Wilson
Doss = Big Ben
McCabe = Eli
Avery = Aaron Rodgers
Feldy = Kurt Warner
Climo = Brady
Barry = Peyton
Cam Todd = Steve Young

Hmm... I'm gonna try to keep it a little more temporally situated...

Harold Duvall = Bart Starr
(did it a couple of times at the start of the era)

Sam Ferrans = Joe Namath
(won one early in his career)

Gregg Hosfeld = Johnny Unitas
(his prime was before the title era, won it in his 30s)

Ken Climo = Joe Montana
(he won a bunch of rings across a decade [and then some for Ken])

Ron Russell = John Elway
(The GOAT got in the way, but he got his)

Scott Stokely = Jim Kelly
(The GOAT got in the way, and he didn't get his)

Cam Todd = Mark Rypien
(multi-sport capable, got that one world title)

Barry Schultz = Steve Young
(he got his, but his name will never be far from a GOAT)

Nate Doss = Troy Aikman
(grabbed up a bunch by being a solid borderline superstar)

Dave Feldberg = Kurt Warner
(a few superb seasons, one title)

Avery Jenkins = Drew Brees
(has his one truly outstanding skill, used it to great effect, grabbed a ring)

Eric McCabe = Joe Flacco
(a pro's pro that got hot at the right time)

Paul McBeth = Tom Brady
(because obviously)

Ricky Wysocki = Aaron Rodgers
(his skillset indicates he should have more, but.. well...)

Gregg Barsby = Nick Foles
(right up there with Flacco/McCabe in the 'he got one?' trivia round)

James Conrad = Russell Wilson
(he got one, he deserves one, but when we look at the rest of the talent we wonder if he'll get more)

And I could see Eagle or Calvin getting that Pat Mahomes comp... if they can grab up a ring soon.

 

[Jolt]

But just how much money can the companies pay the players?
We know that Lat64 had a profit of $3,5 million in 2020 and we also know that they signed Kristin for $125000 a year.
So they can have a few players at that cost level or even more.

 

[ChrisWoj]

Hammes has done a lot this year to establish himself as a contender for Majors so good on him (and Discraft) for getting something worked out longer term. His game is refined enough (mental + shot selection & diversity) to take on the McBeth/McMahon/Wysocki type. He is in the same age range (21-23) as McMahon/Gibson/Barella/Rathbun so plenty of competitive years left and still growing maturity.

I'm not sure Gibson belongs in that group - he's more into his physical prime at 26-27. Overall - definitely agree that Hammes has every bit the chance to climb onto the top of the sport for a good half decade to come if his head game is there. His putt stands out in a sport where everyone on top seems to be a superb putter.

 

[txmxer]

Kyle Klein is the one to watch.