The Inevitable 2021 Pros Switching Sponsors Thread

[Tomphoolery]

I basically agree.......but, the above give no consideration to another 2 month shut down. And I think that is VERY likely.

Also a good point that no one (myself included) has brought up yet.

If we shut down again though, it probably won't be til January. That's about as dead season as disc golf gets. If we shut down in the winter, things will probably open back up come Spring (warm weather + vaccines rolling out + cabin fever). The only big tournament I can think of that takes place in winter is the Vegas open. So even if that gets cancelled/postponed, we still have 9-10 months of disc golf to look forward to in 2021 (maybe more like 7-8 mos cuz the season sort of ends after Oct).

Do you think sales will still be through the roof during winter months when people aren't playing as much? I'm in CO, and we have lots of sunny days in the winter, but if there's snow on the ground, it takes a lot to motivate me to go to the course. Maybe a lull in sales in the winter can naturally give the mfgs time to recoup their stock and retool their supply chain. Of course, maybe sales won't lull at all and it'll continue to be a cluster, but even when we aren't shutting down, commerce slows after Christmas.

 

[Orioles_Lefty]

I'm not an expert in any of this by any measure, but I would expect companies to want to grow the market and grab as much individually as they can. When would disc supply issues actually start creating real unhappiness? As far as I can tell, no manufacturer has quit pushing all of their discs, whether they are available or not, so not yet seems to be the answer.

Will be interesting to see what the allotments are for tour series discs. I've never bought a tour series disc so not that interesting but perhaps a glimpse into where production is at, nonetheless.

 

[dehaas]

Considering that a key reason for a manufacturer to sponsor a player is for them to generate media attention and increase sales, you wonder if the Covid boost has changed the nature of contracts for 2021? We know that every manufacturer got behind in production due to being closed for a few months and having additional costs for making the workplace safer for employees. Now, if you're a manufacturer running additional shifts and still can't catch up, other than loyalty to your current sponsored players, aren't you thinking the money generated would be better spent on increasing production in 2021 than taking on more "salespeople" trying to boost sales even higher when there's not enough production capacity to even provide their own signature discs? Or is this a too simplistic assessment?

I think there's some validity to this, however...

When things started getting weird in March, pros weren't playing and making money so they eventually turned towards YouTube...

The ones with personality (Simon) gained substantially...others attempted to play the game but either have personalities of bricks (Ricky) or just weren't keeping up with consistent and quality videos. And the pros who were trying to play the game were those responding to Simon's challenges and trying to create their own for the sake of content. Paul and Bro did ok with with the Foundation videos, and Jerm, Nate, and Uli did ok with the Showmez stuff while there was no tourney action.

The point is, those hungry for more had their opportunity to prove their worth off the course for several months...

Decisions are now being made on who's worth what...and more than ever off course worth to a sponsor to a starting to flex muscles.

 

[Nick Pacific]

The ones with personality (Simon) gained substantially...others attempted to play the game but either have personalities of bricks (Ricky) or just weren't keeping up with consistent and quality videos. And the pros who were trying to play the game were those responding to Simon's challenges and trying to create their own for the sake of content. Paul and Bro did ok with with the Foundation videos, and Jerm, Nate, and Uli did ok with the Showmez stuff while there was no tourney action.
.

Rick is a good guy and he has improved big time behind the camera. It's just that he isn't that technically proficient in media production to do the work himself nor is he rich enough to pay someone to do it of high enough quality for him, he's known as a guy who pinches pennies and TBH I don't blame him.

Simon on the other had is just a smart guy with a computer and media editing. Even in the beginning he could edit at a pretty high quality for a noob and has just gotten better and better at it, spending over 10 grand on equipment and putting in the hundreds of hours in editing that it takes to get proficient at it.

Of all the high level pros Simon is just the most technically strong with media and editing. Eagle is pretty good and could be great but you can tell his heart isn't in it as much as Simon's is.

 

[hurricaine]

Conrad can't go to MVP. There's no distinct BBQ style in MI...


<--has no explanation for PMcB going to Discraft...

Yes we do. Bad bbq. bad bbq everywhere

 

[dorseymatt]

Considering that a key reason for a manufacturer to sponsor a player is for them to generate media attention and increase sales, you wonder if the Covid boost has changed the nature of contracts for 2021? We know that every manufacturer got behind in production due to being closed for a few months and having additional costs for making the workplace safer for employees. Now, if you're a manufacturer running additional shifts and still can't catch up, other than loyalty to your current sponsored players, aren't you thinking the money generated would be better spent on increasing production in 2021 than taking on more "salespeople" trying to boost sales even higher when there's not enough production capacity to even provide their own signature discs? Or is this a too simplistic assessment?

Whatever the manufacturers' current cash flow looks like, I have to imagine the value of their businesses/brands went significantly up during COVID. If they don't find ways to capitalize on that and invest in smart ways, I'd be surprised.

 

[dorseymatt]

If you're operating a business in a booming market where every manufacturer and downstream retailer is constrained by capacity (demand >> supply) that's not a time to stop investing in sales and marketing. I expect most major manufacturers will be looking to raise new debt financing to support investments in manufacturing while also ramping up marketing spend to continue grabbing market share. Granted I am not familiar with these companies' financials, but I think the business case for a lender would be relatively straight forward.

Totally agree.

 

[Innova63]

I basically agree.......but, the above give no consideration to another 2 month shut down. And I think that is VERY likely.

One can hope for only 2 months...

I am expecting about the same length of time as this year...

But I wish it would happen during a nicer season (fat chance)...

 

[nothinbuttree]

Of all the high level pros Simon is just the most technically strong with media and editing. Eagle is pretty good and could be great but you can tell his heart isn't in it as much as Simon's is.

I think Eagle's heart is more attached to winning tournaments.

 

[Nick Pacific]

I think Eagle's heart is more attached to winning tournaments.

The two aren't mutually exclusive. Eagle at this point is simply more skilled than Simon due to being healthier (Simon has elbow injury), having a much better left to right shot, and being a better putter (although I think Eagle is a better putter than EVERYONE).

 

[Flick Maniac]

Eagles vlogs were killing already like 3-4 years ago. I dont watch any more but he had all the editing skills back then and then some.

 

[Nova P]

I'll be with Team MVP again in 2021, and I will be moving up from the Orbit Team to the Pro Team.

 

[Jimb]

I'll be with Team MVP again in 2021, and I will be moving up from the Orbit Team to the Pro Team.

:thmbup: What does that advancement mean? Just curious.

 

[Nova P]

:thmbup: What does that advancement mean? Just curious.

I'm under an NDA so I can't really talk about compensation, or even make coy hints about it. On the Team MVP website you can see that the team is broken out into five tiers (six if you count the "we are directly employed by MVP" tier).

The Pro Team is described as such: "It ain't easy being pro, though Pro Team will certainly make it look that way. Pro Team players have the skills to challenge the best in the world – they're just earlier on their journey to the top. You'll find Pro Team players crushing A, B, and C tiers around the globe, and they'll even be found in the hunt for DGPT, Major, and NT events. Pro Team players are no stranger to shooting the hot round of a tournament – they've even got a few 1070+ rounds under their belts – so keep an eye out for them on moving day."

The Orbit Team is described this way: "Our beloved team of ambassadors, the Orbit Team is jam packed with goodies. Orbit Team has been lucky to call itself home to super fans, media producers, up-and-coming disc golfers, and even USDGC qualifiers. The only prerequisite for Orbit Team membership is an extreme love of GYRO and a joyful personality! Orbit Team players are universally awesome and do a lot of great promotional work for MVP – make sure to show them some love if you see them on the course!"

 

[Jimb]

I'm under an NDA so I can't really talk about compensation, or even make coy hints about it. On the Team MVP website you can see that the team is broken out into five tiers (six if you count the "we are directly employed by MVP" tier).

The Pro Team is described as such: "It ain't easy being pro, though Pro Team will certainly make it look that way. Pro Team players have the skills to challenge the best in the world – they're just earlier on their journey to the top. You'll find Pro Team players crushing A, B, and C tiers around the globe, and they'll even be found in the hunt for DGPT, Major, and NT events. Pro Team players are no stranger to shooting the hot round of a tournament – they've even got a few 1070+ rounds under their belts – so keep an eye out for them on moving day."

The Orbit Team is described this way: "Our beloved team of ambassadors, the Orbit Team is jam packed with goodies. Orbit Team has been lucky to call itself home to super fans, media producers, up-and-coming disc golfers, and even USDGC qualifiers. The only prerequisite for Orbit Team membership is an extreme love of GYRO and a joyful personality! Orbit Team players are universally awesome and do a lot of great promotional work for MVP – make sure to show them some love if you see them on the course!"

Excellent! Nice work.

And I didn't mean to pry regarding details of the arrangement. I totally understand.

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

Sounds like higher tier tournaments, and touring.

 

[Moose33]

I'll be with Team MVP again in 2021, and I will be moving up from the Orbit Team to the Pro Team.

Congrats! That's quite the accomplishment. I've applied to their orbit team, but have not heard back.

 

[DiscFifty]

I'll be with Team MVP again in 2021, and I will be moving up from the Orbit Team to the Pro Team.

Your rating is going the right direction for sure. Congrats!

 

[Jimb]

Congrats! That's quite the accomplishment. I've applied to their orbit team, but have not heard back.

What about the Stego?

 

[elmexdela]

I'm under an NDA so I can't really talk about compensation, or even make coy hints about it. On the Team MVP website you can see that the team is broken out into five tiers (six if you count the "we are directly employed by MVP" tier).

The Pro Team is described as such: "It ain't easy being pro, though Pro Team will certainly make it look that way. Pro Team players have the skills to challenge the best in the world – they're just earlier on their journey to the top. You'll find Pro Team players crushing A, B, and C tiers around the globe, and they'll even be found in the hunt for DGPT, Major, and NT events. Pro Team players are no stranger to shooting the hot round of a tournament – they've even got a few 1070+ rounds under their belts – so keep an eye out for them on moving day."

The Orbit Team is described this way: "Our beloved team of ambassadors, the Orbit Team is jam packed with goodies. Orbit Team has been lucky to call itself home to super fans, media producers, up-and-coming disc golfers, and even USDGC qualifiers. The only prerequisite for Orbit Team membership is an extreme love of GYRO and a joyful personality! Orbit Team players are universally awesome and do a lot of great promotional work for MVP – make sure to show them some love if you see them on the course!"

so you just copy and pasted a response