Avoiding The Asterisk Deal

There's a lot of t*lk about the football team of the age - perhaps any age - sullied by the alleged underhand financing of oppressive petro-state gazillions.

Pep Guardiola's pitchside stewardship of Manchester City remains stellar. His genius unblemished by association.

Yet here's a definition, from wikipedia;

"an asterisk attached to a sporting record indicates that it is somehow tainted".

And lo, they are becoming known as The Asterisk Club.

Result considered "dubious", elements "set aside" or with "reasons for concern". As they await the outcome of 115 charges of domestic financial and governance charges, with continental ones perhaps incredulously invalid due to lapsed time.

This punctuation - when distinct from its redactive bowdlerisation usage - appears spread throughout sport nowadays.

In place to denote doping occurrence (even seeing campaigns #PlayAsteriskFree & Don't Be An Asterisk). As well as technological quantum leaps in kit, enhancing performance from swimming to running and all in between. Nor can you gloss over the (Italian) football titles nullified through match-fixing. Now with controlling bodies scrambling to marry integrity with emerging cultural biological shifts.

So what if we see the little * next to a deal name?

Who cares so long as it comes home?

Well, not all dollars are equal.

Far from it.

Imagine why such * might appear.

• outside core market
• crazy discount applied
• unique once-off terms agreed
• non-standard product/service mods
• curtailed sales process due to eg, 'family' connection

And more besides.

Then consider why such deals would be seen after as tainted.

It's likely due to the fact that in the long run, they damage you.

Who wants to either pursue a deal or get one on your books that turns out the debilitating selling vampire.

Taking time, effort and cold hard cash out of your endeavours.

Best you avoid any such *Deal.