The Most Poorly Timed Athlete Promotion Ever, Starring Jimmy Rollins and Red Bull

As annoying as athlete promotions and endorsements can sometimes be, I try not to begrudge a man his right to make some additional money based on his successes on the field of play. You can bet I'd be doing the same if Doritos or Pepsi or Nuprin came calling. Some of the recent ads starring players are even pretty good, including Jimmy Rollins' last foray. Still, these promotions often add to the identity of the player in the public consciousness, as was the case with Donovan McNabb's Campbell's Chunky Soup ads, and not always in a flattering context.  

But perhaps nothing is worse than the classic poorly timed promotion launch, which brings us to the topic of this post. Apparently, in the midst or on the heels of his career-worst hitless streak, J-Roll will arrive at the ballpark on Saturday in a "hooked up Red Bull MXT truck," a spectacle that can be seen in the Jetro lot and at the player's entrance starting at noon before the July 4th game against the Mets. 
Was there no one in the marketing department meeting to say, "Hey uh... anyone think we should wait until Jimmy at least breaks out of his funk, ya know... gets a hit for the first time in two weeks? This is an energy drink, and he hasn't exactly had wings lately." I say this mostly in jest, as I'm sure this exact conversation has no doubt been broached, and there are likely contractual realities that made it a non-starter. And, hey, maybe they're right to keep the promotion going as scheduled—from the Red Bull perspective, that is—because you can bet it's getting more attention today than it would if Rollins were batting .270 today. But right now, no one in Philly wants to be reminded that post-World Series promotions, appearances, and events have probably affected the team's play on the field (something acknowledged by the still-struggling Cole Hamels). 
And no one wants to see Rollins do anything but get a hit or two against the Mets on Saturday. 
The flipside? If Jimmy goes on a torrid hitting streak starting this weekend, Red Bull will be geniuses... I will personally buy a Jager Bomb in gratitude.