Earned Relevance

NFL Star Dhani Jones’ Agent Is Showing Him the Globe

Sports & Entertainment figures: Your agents and marketing teams suck if their sights are set merely on attaching your faces to local plumbing companies or regional used car dealerships.  That’s woefully shortsighted given the abundance of creative avenues available to notable faces to exponentially broadcast their professional images.  Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones obviously has intuitive and creative professional people around him to have landed his Travel Channel show Dhani Tackles the Globe.  Tell your agents to wake-up. Better yet, fire yours and hire his.

Dhani Tackles the Globe, which was filmed last June and currently airs Monday evenings 9pm EST, tracks the NFL star as he immerses himself in a foreign land for a week and learns how to play that country’s native sport.  During the episode I first saw, he traveled to Thailand to learn the martial art Muay Thai.  At the end of the show he actually battled an opponent in a real Muay Thai fight.  I couldn’t believe how grueling the workouts were even for a professional athlete.  Other stops along Jones’ journey included Switzerland to learn wrestling; Spain to learn pelota; New Zealand to learn sailing; England to learn rugby; and Australia to learn lifeguard competitions.

The treat isn’t that viewers get to travel to exotic locales vicariously through Jones to watch as he competes all over the world in what essentially are “tough-man” events.  At 6′1″ and 235 pounds, the pro linebacker can be expected to pretty much hold his own.  The real treat is that the University of Michigan grad hosts the series, which showcases him as a sapient presence and runs counter to his derisible brethren of the NFL.

One may wonder if it’s ultimately smart for Jones to risk season or career-ending injury by participating in these international contests during the NFL’s off-season.  Only time will tell.  But, until then, Jones and his camp have obviously begun to position him for life after football.  Jones has long been vocal about his passion for the arts and other more refined experiences. Tackles the Globe let’s me in on his zest for competition as well as his intellect, weaknesses, and humorous side, all while allowing him to maintain his masculinity.  I trust that he knows what he’s doing by participating on the show.

To me, all of these contradictions and complexities give this NFL athlete a redeemable quality that undoubtedly makes me his fan.  His agent succeeded.

What Jones Agent Did Right.

1. Identified Jones’ Passions-Jones is in the pocket with Tackles the Globe. He’s believable and likeable in the series because he’s in his element. Culture and Sports. That’s his space. His agent doesn’t have him dancing with the stars or getting a chance at love.  He’s where he should be.

2. Identified a Unique Vehicle-Surely, ESPN or MTV would have been suitable avenues to pitch Tackles the Globe (and perhaps they were options), however the Travel Channel was selected and it was a good choice.  It’s off of the beaten path and has loyal viewers, the kind of loyal followers an athlete would want.

3. Showcase Jones’ Skills-In Tackles the Globe, Jones comes across as articulate, humble, and appreciative of the opportunities that he’s provided.  That’s the kind of trifecta that potential sponsors would want from their endorsers.  He’s also the leading man in the series, which is important in establishing him as a leading man in future business deals and entertainment projects.

4. Involved in Social Media-Jones is engaged with his fans on the frontline.  You can see him interacting with fans on Twitter about each episode of Tackles the Globe or on the series’ Facebook page. Smart moves.