should sponsors...

Zaskar · 12-20-2005, 07:57 AM

should sponsors be liable for their atheltes injuries? in bender's case should his sponsors be paying for his surgery etc? i think that if riders are pushing it like they do for the sake of the company and getting paid very little in return, it only seems fair that a big company should insure their rider is taken care of in the event of an accident.

i mean, this guy sticks his neck out for the company and they pay him pocket change (when compared to the risk of paralysis etc) and then he's not covered for injury?

i dont mean every cut and bruise, i mean major surgery. life changing, empty bank account, can't work, near death sorta stuff.

am i nuts?

Grumster · 12-20-2005, 08:02 AM

deffintly should be an option with large companys.

Zaskar · 12-20-2005, 08:08 AM

i mean, why should companies expect something they cant insure and why arent riders demanding this?

short term 15 mins of fame and some 'bros' and 'schwag', as dope as they are, arent gonna pull you out of the debt a hospital bed thats costing you thousands of dollars.

matt shaw · 12-20-2005, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zaskar

should sponsors be liable for their atheltes injuries? in bender's case should his sponsors be paying for his surgery etc? i think that if riders are pushing it like they do for the sake of the company and getting paid very little in return, it only seems fair that a big company should insure their rider is taken care of in the event of an accident.

i mean, this guy sticks his neck out for the company and they pay him pocket change (when compared to the risk of paralysis etc) and then he's not covered for injury?

i dont mean every cut and bruise, i mean major surgery. life changing, empty bank account, can't work, near death sorta stuff.

am i nuts?

its a privilege to be a sponsored rider. bender doesnt have to push it; but he wouldnt want a desk job so this is what he does

DmR-DiRt · 12-20-2005, 08:33 AM

Those things would be negotiated in a contract, if it was left out then Bender liked the deal regardless. Most pro riders that are pushing it would still be pushing it regardless the sponsors. Injuries suck but I dont think a sponsor is responsible for it in any way. If anything a sponsor aids a riders career entirely, it lets them ride their bikes and make a living, keep gettin new shwag, big events, etc. Bike companies arent exactly like an NBA team or a car company, i doubt they have the money for injuries into contracts.

Zaskar · 12-20-2005, 08:42 AM

nba and nfl players arent throwing themselves off cliffs. sure these riders would still be pushing it but if the sponsors want to use them to sell bikes and make money, they should be looking out for their well being. so bender didnt sign it in to his contract, who does is what i'm asking. is the option there? if so, why isn't it an industry standard.

is it not enough that riders are unerpaid but not covered for injury? it's sad when you'll get more insurance for getting in a minor car accident than you will for breaking your back for your sponsor.

risking your ass isn't a "privilege", it's a necessity as part of the job. therefore, necessitating for a certain ammount of "danger" to be present in the job. so shouldnt this danger be counterbalanced by, even if minimal, some kind of coverage? not just a pat on the back and 30 seconds in a bike movie somewhere.

DmR-DiRt · 12-20-2005, 09:09 AM

NBA and NFL players put their entire lives into doin what they do, some NFL players have died on the field, some have been injured for life, many have insane brain damage that impairs them or kills them. Id say they put their lives into what they do just like bikers. While there is no similarity in paychecks, bikers still sign the contracts. They dont need injury coverage, if they thought it was necissary they wouldnt sign the contract. If companies threw all their money at their riders they wouldnt be profiting nearly as much. While I think riders should be getting more, I think the sport needs to grow more than that...the companies are what makes it all grow and we need them to grow first before it can be a high paid sport where guys are makin tha real chedda yo. Everything started out like this, bikes are gettin great publicity but there still isnt that great wealth in it yet and if riders are still happy riding for free bikes and living costs and a lil extra then whats wrong with the way things are while the sport is growing?

Zaskar · 12-20-2005, 09:14 AM

it's not an issue of what 99 out of 100 bikers are cool with, it's the one guy in a wheelchair. NFL and NBA didn't start out at what they are either, and it shouldn't take those deaths and injuries to bring about change. tell that to the families, it shouldn't take an athlete being paralysed or killed to bring about methods of comphensation.

i just think it's an unrealistic expectation sponsors make on their riders, yet it's a reality they've come to live with out of necessity. who wouldnt say no to being covered for injuries? i think the number of injuries amongst professional riders is very low compared to the number riding, so how high can pay outs really be? there has gotta be a way of working something out.

it seems irresponsible and short sighted to leave this until something more serious does happen

DmR-DiRt · 12-20-2005, 09:32 AM

Death and injury is a risk all riders choose to take, for some people its a reason they ride. You shouldnt need to be compensated when you injur urself by your sponsor. If you think you should be covered for injury then dont sign the contract. Sponsors right now are mostly scene as something that gives them an oppourtunity to realize a dream of riding a bike as a career, i doubt any of them expect injury covery and when they sign that contract they shouldnt bitch about it after(not that i know of anyone that has tho). The system seems to be working just fine as it is.

Pedro2005 · 12-20-2005, 09:51 AM

Zaskar. I completely disagree with you.

Nobody puts a gun to bender's head and tells him to jump of the cliff. Bender chose a profession and he understands what the job offers. If he doesn't like it, he is welcomed to leave.

I think quite often it's not the sponsors that are pushing the riders, it is the riders themselves that are pushing each other. In weird way, bike companies actually provide bikes for all of us to enjoy pushing our limits with a bike that is safer to ride/huck/land. Bike companies simply pick the top 20 riders; it is the riders themselves who define what their limit is.

Furthermore, maybe this is a stretch, but couldn't he himself afford some form of insurance?

In a weird way, the lesson is, don't jump off of 40 foot cliffs if you are not ready to live with the consequences. I believe that there are many people out there who have the skills to jump off of such height, people are simply not ready to live with the consequences...

Pedro

zahgurim · 12-20-2005, 01:38 PM

I think a sponsor shouldn't have to bail you out after the fact. If anything, a rider should be riding with at least a minimum of insurance. If you are riding/racing/hucking while uninsured, going into debt for your own stupidity is a leson learned.
Having a sponsor paying for that insurance would be cool, but that is something to work out with them before you get fubar.

Keefer · 12-20-2005, 04:37 PM

I bet it's negotiated into a few contracts as well.

On a related note, look how well Tarek Rasouli was taken after by RM after his accident. Who was the australian guy that really wrecked himself in a crash, and he got taken after too.

The companies don't just tell you you're SOL if you hurt yourself, they offer these guys some support.

12-20-2005, 07:57 AM	#1
Zaskar back in the ussr Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 7,718 Rep Power: 6312	should sponsors... should sponsors be liable for their atheltes injuries? in bender's case should his sponsors be paying for his surgery etc? i think that if riders are pushing it like they do for the sake of the company and getting paid very little in return, it only seems fair that a big company should insure their rider is taken care of in the event of an accident. i mean, this guy sticks his neck out for the company and they pay him pocket change (when compared to the risk of paralysis etc) and then he's not covered for injury? i dont mean every cut and bruise, i mean major surgery. life changing, empty bank account, can't work, near death sorta stuff. am i nuts?

12-20-2005, 08:02 AM	#2
Grumster tangent teeeee'ss Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 1,101 Rep Power: 2145	deffintly should be an option with large companys. __________________ TANGENT bikegangGANG

12-20-2005, 09:51 AM	#10
Pedro2005 Watching you Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 2,259 Rep Power: 8330	Zaskar. I completely disagree with you. Nobody puts a gun to bender's head and tells him to jump of the cliff. Bender chose a profession and he understands what the job offers. If he doesn't like it, he is welcomed to leave. I think quite often it's not the sponsors that are pushing the riders, it is the riders themselves that are pushing each other. In weird way, bike companies actually provide bikes for all of us to enjoy pushing our limits with a bike that is safer to ride/huck/land. Bike companies simply pick the top 20 riders; it is the riders themselves who define what their limit is. Furthermore, maybe this is a stretch, but couldn't he himself afford some form of insurance? In a weird way, the lesson is, don't jump off of 40 foot cliffs if you are not ready to live with the consequences. I believe that there are many people out there who have the skills to jump off of such height, people are simply not ready to live with the consequences... Pedro Last edited by Pedro2005; 12-20-2005 at 09:55 AM.

12-20-2005, 01:38 PM	#11
zahgurim ≈ > ♥ Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Away from the Valley; lol Asia Posts: 3,857 Rep Power: 13686905	I think a sponsor shouldn't have to bail you out after the fact. If anything, a rider should be riding with at least a minimum of insurance. If you are riding/racing/hucking while uninsured, going into debt for your own stupidity is a leson learned. Having a sponsor paying for that insurance would be cool, but that is something to work out with them before you get fubar. __________________ The best things in life all start with the letter B Hooray for: Bacon, Bikeys, Boobies, Boards, and Beer!

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12-20-2005, 08:08 AM	#3
Zaskar back in the ussr Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 7,718 Rep Power: 6312	i mean, why should companies expect something they cant insure and why arent riders demanding this? short term 15 mins of fame and some 'bros' and 'schwag', as dope as they are, arent gonna pull you out of the debt a hospital bed thats costing you thousands of dollars.

12-20-2005, 08:33 AM	#5
DmR-DiRt mtbmtbmtb Join Date: May 2005 Location: Victoria Posts: 1,448 Rep Power: 1483	Those things would be negotiated in a contract, if it was left out then Bender liked the deal regardless. Most pro riders that are pushing it would still be pushing it regardless the sponsors. Injuries suck but I dont think a sponsor is responsible for it in any way. If anything a sponsor aids a riders career entirely, it lets them ride their bikes and make a living, keep gettin new shwag, big events, etc. Bike companies arent exactly like an NBA team or a car company, i doubt they have the money for injuries into contracts.

12-20-2005, 08:42 AM	#6
Zaskar back in the ussr Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 7,718 Rep Power: 6312	nba and nfl players arent throwing themselves off cliffs. sure these riders would still be pushing it but if the sponsors want to use them to sell bikes and make money, they should be looking out for their well being. so bender didnt sign it in to his contract, who does is what i'm asking. is the option there? if so, why isn't it an industry standard. is it not enough that riders are unerpaid but not covered for injury? it's sad when you'll get more insurance for getting in a minor car accident than you will for breaking your back for your sponsor. risking your ass isn't a "privilege", it's a necessity as part of the job. therefore, necessitating for a certain ammount of "danger" to be present in the job. so shouldnt this danger be counterbalanced by, even if minimal, some kind of coverage? not just a pat on the back and 30 seconds in a bike movie somewhere.

12-20-2005, 09:09 AM	#7
DmR-DiRt mtbmtbmtb Join Date: May 2005 Location: Victoria Posts: 1,448 Rep Power: 1483	NBA and NFL players put their entire lives into doin what they do, some NFL players have died on the field, some have been injured for life, many have insane brain damage that impairs them or kills them. Id say they put their lives into what they do just like bikers. While there is no similarity in paychecks, bikers still sign the contracts. They dont need injury coverage, if they thought it was necissary they wouldnt sign the contract. If companies threw all their money at their riders they wouldnt be profiting nearly as much. While I think riders should be getting more, I think the sport needs to grow more than that...the companies are what makes it all grow and we need them to grow first before it can be a high paid sport where guys are makin tha real chedda yo. Everything started out like this, bikes are gettin great publicity but there still isnt that great wealth in it yet and if riders are still happy riding for free bikes and living costs and a lil extra then whats wrong with the way things are while the sport is growing?

12-20-2005, 09:14 AM	#8
Zaskar back in the ussr Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 7,718 Rep Power: 6312	it's not an issue of what 99 out of 100 bikers are cool with, it's the one guy in a wheelchair. NFL and NBA didn't start out at what they are either, and it shouldn't take those deaths and injuries to bring about change. tell that to the families, it shouldn't take an athlete being paralysed or killed to bring about methods of comphensation. i just think it's an unrealistic expectation sponsors make on their riders, yet it's a reality they've come to live with out of necessity. who wouldnt say no to being covered for injuries? i think the number of injuries amongst professional riders is very low compared to the number riding, so how high can pay outs really be? there has gotta be a way of working something out. it seems irresponsible and short sighted to leave this until something more serious does happen

12-20-2005, 09:32 AM	#9
DmR-DiRt mtbmtbmtb Join Date: May 2005 Location: Victoria Posts: 1,448 Rep Power: 1483	Death and injury is a risk all riders choose to take, for some people its a reason they ride. You shouldnt need to be compensated when you injur urself by your sponsor. If you think you should be covered for injury then dont sign the contract. Sponsors right now are mostly scene as something that gives them an oppourtunity to realize a dream of riding a bike as a career, i doubt any of them expect injury covery and when they sign that contract they shouldnt bitch about it after(not that i know of anyone that has tho). The system seems to be working just fine as it is.

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