From: parinell@athena.mit.edu (James C Parinella) 
Subject: Re:  Cuervo and Sponsorship 
Date: 16 Mar 1994 18:15:04 GMT

I spoke at length with the Cuervo Regional Manager in charge
of promotional events at the tournament in Boston in 1992, and
he said that between prize money, advertising, freebies, and
everything, they spent over $100 000 that year, and even that
was peanuts to them.  I don't know the details of their
problems at later stages with volleyball players.  The players
didn't seem to mind Cuervo as long as they (the players) were
nobodies, but as soon as they were established professionals
they didn't want to be told what to do.  I think that if a
subset of the UPA wants to go along with sponsorship, they
should be allowed to.  Other sports (rugby, golf, tennis) have
slightly different rules at the top level, mostly regarding
referees.

Is Ultimate that different?  Maybe I'm overstating it, but it
seems to me that many people are saying that Ultimate is fun
only if SOTG is an integral part, and referees will destroy
it.  Didn't the game once have referees somewhere (Eric?
Moons?).  My perspective has changed over the years on this.
When I first started playing the game and explaining it to
people, I would proudly proclaim, "... AND THERE ARE NO
REFEREES ON ANY LEVEL!!!"  After a while and I was working in
the real world, I would just state that matter of factly.
Now, I feel sheepish telling people that I travel all over the
country playing a game that allows players to cheat as much as
they want (not as much as they can get away with).  Spirit and
getting along and being friendly isn't a bad thing, but there
is room in this game for players who want to treat the game
more "professionally".

As far as Cuervo in interested only as much as it can help
them sell tequila, of course they are.  They're a business,
and they're out to make profits.  The philanthropy of most
large companies is NOT based on altruism.  They give or become
environmentally friendly because they feel their the increased
sales because of an improved public image will make up for the
cost of their program.  To take this one step further, each
individual acts to benefit himself.  If I go out of my way to
push someone out of a snowdrift, I'm doing it because I get
some benefit (pleasure or perhaps eternal salvation) out of
it, not because of some vague concept of "helping our fellow
man".  I've digressed into metaphysics, but each of us is
looking out for #1, Mother Theresa included.

Jim Parinella "Death before disclaimer"