[Blind Gossip] This champion athlete occasionally does not perform up to their usual standards. While they do not wallow in the losses in public, there is something very interesting that consistently happens.
[Athlete]’s team will always leak something out right around the loss. It’s always something beyond [The Athlete]’s control. An injury, an illness, a personal situation. Something to either proactively or reactively excuse the poor performance.
Since the team does it instead of [The Athlete], it looks like [The Athlete] is a real pro who would never make excuses. That keeps their endorsement value high. That’s important because [Athlete] makes more from endorsements than from actual sports competition!
Sure enough, we took a look at what happened right before or after several losses, and there was always an excuse that made it seem like it was beyond the athlete’s control! Injury, illness, weather, a second injury, family situation, a second illness, a third injury, weather, etc.
Still a great athlete. Interesting strategy around protecting the brand, though!
Similar: How This Athlete Dodged A Bigger Scandal
Athlete:
[Optional] Complete this sentence: I once won _____ .
JennyJustice says
Cam Newton.
I once won an Andy Gibb album for being first to call into a radion station and identify a song as by Chuck Berry.
Zoe Hart says
Gabby Douglas
PizzaDog says
This reads like a football or baseball player but I have no idea who.
I once won a snowboard in a raffle, which was awesome because I loved snowboarding at the time, and went a lot.
HotTeacher88 says
Sounds like Serena. I won my high school science fair twice. Then I placed in the state science fair. I won the high school social studies fair and my elementary and middle school art contests. I won a district exempt speech contest and then the state level twice, middle and high school.
gailpow says
Serena Williams.
josie says
Not Serena…her team does not speak for her. Guess someone else.
ccrider says
For those who thinks its Tom Brady, wrong! That guy rarely loses. Move on….
MrsBrady says
Exactly.
soxfan says
I know, right? Guessing him is ridiculous. Haters gonna hate…
waysouthofheaven says
Russell Wilson
heartcouture says
Idk. I once won a Pocahontas t-shirt from a contest at a gas station.
jbecray says
This is RG3. Always hurt, always an excuse, never has played up to the level of talent that he possesses. Never makes any excuses personally.
I once won first place in my school science fair- twice actually ?
jbecray says
Clues: red in the picture, changeable placard (if you are a Browns fan you understand the pain of an everchanging QB) , linked blind to Manziel.
BoatGirl says
This reads like Serena Williams to me.
I once won … nothing. I don’t compete.
sheenalynne1 says
Serena Williams
Darkclouds84 says
Serena Williams.
Becky says
Serena Williams.
Wimbledon.
heygirltx says
Tiger woods
I Am PunkA says
Serena Williams
several golf tournaments
JohnnyDerpp says
What a great way to make a living.
whoisthatguy says
Serena Williams
iamcarson says
Tom Brady
Delightful says
Serena Williams.
cheezymoses says
Serena Williams
I once won at hopscotch. ?
wendybar says
Tony Romo
LuckyGal13 says
Serena Williams
CleverVocab says
Serena Williams
TheSalmon says
My first thought was Serena Williams — but she often does make the excuses herself, usually right in the press interview room immediately after the loss.
melito84 says
This is Novak Djokovic
He has always been a bad loser
sabrina325 says
Tom Brady?
droopyorchid says
I’m going to guess Novak Djokovich, family problems at Wimbkedon, blister on his toe at US open.
I once won an Easter egg at school!
FunnyFace says
Athlete: Serena Williams
MinnieMe says
Serena Williams
Nothing
Fatboy says
So many options….
Steph Curry and LeBron James both fit this
12TRG says
Serena Williams. Recently lost the US Open, blames it on ‘knee injury’
tammymcl1 says
Scam Newton
boyjack4 says
Oh! Oh! I change my mind! I think it’s Serena Williams!
boyjack4 says
Dvokavich? Just lost in the tennis!
AmericanExpresso says
I feel like this athlete is Serena Williams…she’s lost some major matches recently and the lack of pronouns in the blind points to it being a woman.
stolidog says
Serena Williams?
I once won the first grade math quiz. All downhill since then.
muffinman says
Russell Wilson
dcbroome says
Serena Williams
Selkie says
Serena Williams.
Moonpie says
Lebron James.
gaelgirl24 says
Serena Williams earns about $8 million per year from tennis ($81.8 million over her career). Forbes indicates she makes about $20 million per year in endorsements. But it could be someone else? She has often cited injuries herself. Example: “I have been having some serious left knee problems. I wasn’t able to move the way I wanted to move. When you’re injured you’re thinking of other things when you should be just playing and thinking of your shots. My mind was just a little bit everywhere…
Lindylou says
I was thinking Serena Williams too, but the blind says that the athlete’s reps do all the excuse making for them.
Serena is quick to blame everything else but her poor performance and she does it during her press conferences, so I’d say she isn’t the subject of the blind.
I’m going with Djokovic.
gaelgirl24 says
I agree. Djokovic tends to skirt around injury talk and the like, but there are always excuses floating around. It’s an odd strategy because he’s one of the best players in history. A loss here and there shouldn’t destroy his endorsements. He will likely win at least three or four more majors, I’d guess.
Molly7111 says
Athlete: Tom Brady
TeacherKat says
Serena Williams? I was reading that she had a knee injury. And she just got knocked from the #1 ranking.
I once won a participation medal. Ooh, actually I did win 2nd place at a high school thing years ago. Schools throughout the state came to compete and my partner and I got 2nd place. Not sure how, but we did!
qweenperky says
Serena Williams
Tequila Mama says
Requires her to be on a team.
aeduko says
Could be her team of handlers, or her PR team. Or Djokovic’s team if it’s him.
KatarinaJ says
Her “team” could be her trainers, entourage etc. Like TEAM SERENA is made up of coach, trainer, publicist, etc. A lot of folks make up the machine of a superstar athlete.
MinnieMe says
Team can also be those surrounding her career.
mikefox23 says
Athlete: Novak Djokovic, US Open Final loss to Stan Wawrinka
Complete this sentence: I once won the award for biggest sore loser.
boston says
Novak Djokovic
twodawgs says
Novak Djokovic
Monysmom says
Cam Newton?
Bela Mac says
Neymar? I’m not sure the blind is about him but he is exactly like this.
PriveNom says
Tom Brady~~ Just b’c it seems like we’ve been hearing a lot about this, or that wasn’t his fault…etc… and he has GIGANTIC endorsement deals
Complete this sentence:
I once won a large bottle of Kahlua in Jamaica, on Christmas Day, for beating a bunch of (other) drunk ppl on an obstacle course race (For Dummies).
MrsBrady says
Tom Brady nor the team never makes excuses for bad performance. If anything, he’s self deprecating and the team finds excuses unacceptable. If you know anything about the Patriots this statement is the antithesis of the Patriot way.
My name is Brady but I’m no relation. 😉
soxfan says
Tom Brady does not consistently make excuses for his losses. His wife does-not him.