Amaechi's Endorsement Deal Changes America Forever

Via Sports by Brooks, some actual news on the John Amaechi front. Just when you thought dude was destined to quietly disappear, or continue to exist as a novelty, he goes and breaks a barrier. That's right, Amaechi is now the first openly gay pro athlete to earn an endorsement deal. He'll now be shilling for The HeadBlade Inc., which touts itself as "the ultimate head-shaving razor and pioneers of hair care."

Apparently, Amaechi's motivations aren't purely financial:

"I think it's fantastic that HeadBlade has approached me to endorse the brand," said Amaechi. "I jumped on the HeadBlade bandwagon the first time I found out about the product almost six years ago, and have been using it ever since. Whether you're black, white, straight or gay, a shaved head is a shaved head, and it requires specialized maintenance."

Hear that? He genuinely cares about his own head, and the head of others, and that's why he's endorsing the product. SBB has to rain on the parade by pointing out that HeadBlade's 2006 revenues were a paltry ten mill, so it's not like Amaechi's been named the face of Pizza Hut or something. But with all the controversy, and publicity, this will likely generate, "mainstream company" might become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If there's enough of a stink raised, and someone threatens a boycott, all of a sudden HeadBlade will start seeming far more important than it is. And once that happens, you know people will start buying.

All in all, a great second act for Amaechi, a landmark for the cause, and not too bad a business move, either. The real question: how many NBA players will now oppose baldness in the locker room?