The Inevitable 2017 Pros Switching Sponsors Thread

[SD86]

Only took her 4 world championship wins to finally get a Sig disc...

Is it ambiguous? She's won Worlds 4 times, same as McBeth. Bet her contract isn't the same.

And the sig disc she got was a not-so-popular mold when they could've given her a better selling mold.

It also occurred to me that the DGWT's snub of not having a women's division added to her frustration. Sarah Hokum refused to play in the DGWT's final event (USDGC) despite being offered a slot after winning the USWDGC. The women of DG (except for Cat) were all angry about that, and some were vocal about it.

 

[lyleoross]

It's Innova's job to sell discs. I'm going to guess that there may be something to women's sig discs not selling well. It doesn't affect my opinion at all. A good mold is a good mold but whateva. I can see her point of view. Prodigy has room for her for sure.

I'm going to have to think that when Innova puts a name on a disc, they expect a return on that. In our male dominated world, that isn't as likely with a woman's name. That said, there were ways Innova could have promoted Val to compensate. As always, I don't know if that happened or not.

Companies make financial decisions, some of which stink but make sense.

It's on us to support Val going forward. Hope she designs and proves a path of success for herself and other women.

 

[DG_Before_Breakfast]

It would be interesting to know if the signature disc was the actual reason, or if it was the contract, or something else, but I also think it is her business to reveal or not.

I admit I was disappointed it was the Starfire they chose for her Sig. Good choice in that it has been in Val's bag forever, but bad choice in that my understanding is she is throwing the Tern some now. With the Tern being hugely popular (think it was 4th or 5th most sold driver at infinite discs), maybe that would have made her more money, and certainly would have put her name in a lot more hands. How does that work, doesn't the player get a portion of the money for every signature disc sold? Starfire is not popular at all, don't know anyone that throws it personally.

Anyway, good for Val! Hard for a white guy in the US to relate to sexism/racism in the work place, but if you employer isn't doing right by you, seems like the right thing to do to hit the road.

 

[loki the trickster]

Huh? Clearly she states..

Valarie Jenkins: "I can no longer represent a company that won't go out on a limb for one of their team's best players."

This may be one of many straws on top of the camels back. But I don't think it is the direct reason, nor do I think that a signature disc is the reason either.

It sounds like she is actually stepping up and going to focus on growing the women's side of discgolf, to which she would need to miss many tournaments.

And dont her and Nate on a small Brewery? Cause that takes dedication to keep afloat, Or did that get put aside?

 

[slowplastic]

Is it ambiguous? She's won Worlds 4 times, same as McBeth. Bet her contract isn't the same.

Bet her rating isn't the same.

(I wish her the best, and more recognition/support than she has, but I don't even know how I feel about expecting "equal" contracts in something like this...)

 

[Finny]

I'm going to have to think that when Innova puts a name on a disc, they expect a return on that. In our male dominated world, that isn't as likely with a woman's name.

I agree with the rest of your post, but I wonder about this part. Would fewer people have bought the Tern if Innovative had put Val's name on it? Personally, I doubt it.

 

[Finny]

Bet her rating isn't the same.

(I wish her the best, and more recognition/support than she has, but I don't even know how I feel about expecting "equal" contracts in something like this...)

So women athletes should only earn the same as men if they can beat men? That's not going to happen in almost any sport, so you'd have to be fine with women athletes ALWAYS making less than men.

If Innova gives her a much worse contract than McBeth, they are pretty blatantly saying that winning Worlds for a woman means less than for a man. I can't see how that's a defensible position.

 

[Broken Shoulder]

So women athletes should only earn the same as men if they can beat men? That's not going to happen in almost any sport, so you'd have to be fine with women athletes ALWAYS making less than men.

If Innova gives her a much worse contract than McBeth, they are pretty blatantly saying that winning Worlds for a woman means less than for a man. I can't see how that's a defensible position.

To your second paragraph, I would assume that innova is not saying what you indicate, but rather their return on investment is different between the two.

 

[Vonbeezy1]

So women athletes should only earn the same as men if they can beat men? That's not going to happen in almost any sport, so you'd have to be fine with women athletes ALWAYS making less than men.

If Innova gives her a much worse contract than McBeth, they are pretty blatantly saying that winning Worlds for a woman means less than for a man. I can't see how that's a defensible position.

Should WNBA players make as much as NBA players even though they don't sell the same amount of tickets, Jersey, merchandise as the NBA?

 

[cjman]

So women athletes should only earn the same as men if they can beat men? That's not going to happen in almost any sport, so you'd have to be fine with women athletes ALWAYS making less than men.

If Innova gives her a much worse contract than McBeth, they are pretty blatantly saying that winning Worlds for a woman means less than for a man. I can't see how that's a defensible position.

What sport do women out earn men? Don't they ALWAYS make less?

 

[Finny]

To your second paragraph, I would assume that innova is not saying what you indicate, but rather their return on investment is different between the two.

Ok. That could be their position. Which I would classify as defensible but sh***ty. I'd like to hear Dave Dunipace say publicly, "We don't want to support women disc golfers at the same level as men because we don't think they will make us enough money."

 

[Finny]

What sport do women out earn men? Don't they ALWAYS make less?

Tennis, gymnastics, and skating come to mind.

 

[Finny]

Should WNBA players make as much as NBA players even though they don't sell the same amount of tickets, Jersey, merchandise as the NBA?

No, but the scale is so different that I don't think the analogy works. The NBA is one of the richest sports enterprises in the world.

 

[tbird888]

Tennis? I'd like to see your source on that.

 

[Broken Shoulder]

Ok. That could be their position. Which I would classify as defensible but sh***ty. I'd like to hear Dave Dunipace say publicly, "We don't want to support women disc golfers at the same level as men because we don't think they will make us enough money."

I understand your point, and I think it would great if they were equal. However, I would also assume that their contracts differ between their male players also.

 

[Finny]

Ultimately, I think (based on some assumptions) that Innova is supporting McBeth at a level that dwarfs what they were doing for Val. If the support of one company that sponsors women and men determines whether the athlete can even make a living, I think men and women should be supported equally based on their accomplishments.

 

[ODRB]

If Innova gives her a much worse contract than McBeth, they are pretty blatantly saying that winning Worlds for a woman means less than for a man. I can't see how that's a defensible position.

No, it does not. It means that she is a less marketable commodity and Innova is investing money in certain players with the expectation of financial returns being tied to investment.

This is not, at all, the same thing as a woman getting paid less to the same work as a man in a factory. Which is discriminatory and illegal.

I am with Val 100% on this. And I have donated money to Bevel Brewing's GoFundMe. And I wish her all the best and admire her for taking a stand.

 

[Vonbeezy1]

No, but the scale is so different that I don't think the analogy works. The NBA is one of the richest sports enterprises in the world.

Are you right even when you are wrong?

 

[Halcón]

I am with Val 100% on this...And I wish her all the best and admire her for taking a stand.

Agreed. :thmbup:

 

[Broken Shoulder]

Ultimately, I think (based on some assumptions) that Innova is supporting McBeth at a level that dwarfs what they were doing for Val. If the support of one company that sponsors women and men determines whether the athlete can even make a living, I think men and women should be supported equally based on their accomplishments.

Eh, see, now you lost me. You're saying that a company should use their profits to charitably provide a living wage to someone, when that someone decided to choose a profession that doesn't pay well.