• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, November 17, 2014

Hitching your brand to a sports star has never been a bigger gamble, thanks to Twitter and the ubiquity of video-capturing smartphones. Yet, the potential rewards continue to outweigh the risks, marketing experts say. “That’s what resonates with the fans,” said Richard Motzkin, EVP & Managing Executive of Global Soccer at Wasserman Media Group. “We’re only limited by our creativity,” Motzkin told attendees of Soccer in America’s Marketing Sports conference, on Monday. Brands have also become better at riding out the social media firestorms that athletes tend to ignite -- say, by going on an ill-advised Twitter rant, or behaving badly in public. What’s more, “Fans have an immense ability to forgive,” said Darren Marshall, EVP of Consulting and Research at rEvolution. “They also have relatively short memories.”