Originally Posted by Man from the inside of Industry AKA KETO guy
Take a minute to read Matt Meinrod's rationalization of why Evan Centopani was fired from PrimeNutrition (below) as it appeared on Project Bodybuilding. Let me start by saying that Matt happens to be a terrific writer and he spends a lot of time making sure his articles are logical and well thought out. Having said that, it’s also important to understand that he's drunk so much of the Aaron and PJ Kool-Aid these past few years that his view of the situation is a little skewed. After reading Centopani’s resignation-from-Prime Nutrition "post" on social media, I could tell Evan was merely being a gentleman when he delivered his well-articulated message. No drama, no blame, no animosity... he merely thanked Prime for the experience and moved on. This peaceful resolution on his part does not mean that he didn't feel slighted, deceived, or mislead. It just means he walked away with dignity. But Aaron and PJ are not that passive. Their egos need the public to know that they did nothing wrong; Evan was the one who failed to live up to his end of the contract. Public perception is everything to these guys. They don't wanna be the bad guys; the guys who convinced Evan to leave his sweet deal with Universal and sign the "Blockbuster Deal of the Century" with them.....only to have them "change their mind". So they called on their "publicist" Meinrod to plead their case to the public.
Why did Aaron and PJ really get rid of their Superstar athlete? I’m sure most of you are wondering. Well, the truth is that Evan wouldn’t “sell out” his principles to their business model. What model is that, you may ask? Sell product at any cost! Hey, who am I to criticize them; they’re making a lot of money selling everything that people “want” and nothing that people “need”. Mazel tov! Good for them! But herein lies the moral dilemma Centopani had with Prime. Evan, actually, wanted to come out with a supplement line that would improve people’s health—vitamins, essential fats, etc…. Products that people should take to increase muscle gains, increase recovery time, and increase general well-being; not flashy “pump you up” products. But high potency vitamins, minerals and protein powders are not profitable unless there’s a huge education push to teach the public why these should be used. Aaron and PJ’s model is, “sell what people want, whether they need it or not”.
Centopani also had a huge problem with some of the questionable marketing techniques that Aaron and PJ used. Hiring a porn star, for one was offensive to Evan. Likewise, PJ having “mock” sex (on video) with an inflatable blow-up doll to promote a new product didn’t exactly paint the picture of what Evan was hoping to convey from “his” line of nutritional products.
But what about the claims that Evan refused to post on social media or that he failed to cooperate in helping to promote Prime in the same way as some of Aaron and PJ’s other social media mavericks do? On first glance, it appears that this is classic apathetic Evan-as-usual. But once you look closer the reasons become way clearer. Why would Evan help promote a company that is using embarrassing (in his mind) marketing technique; a company that refuses to make his promised line of high quality products; and a company that is run by two “supposed” friend who are now tyrannically dictating to Evan what he should and should not be doing? Evan is not your typical sponsored athlete. He’s supposed to be your “partner” in this business. Just because he doesn’t own part of the company doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be treated with the respect of an equal. This is classic bullying 101 and once Centapani saw the writing on the wall, he bailed emotionally. Once he was no longer emotional invested, Aaron and PJ realized they needed to cut this huge expense to their pocket books and they dismissed Evan based on his failure to comply with his contractual obligations. In one sense, I’m sure Evan was secretly relieved (despite the huge loss of a monthly paycheck).
Were Aaron and PJ legally wrong in what they did? Absolutely not. They have every right to fire an employee who isn’t complying with the spirit of their contract. So no one can doubt them for what they ultimately did. But, to paint a picture of Evan Centopani as an impossible-to-work-with athlete who never wants to leave his house or post on social media is unfair to him. I know Evan very well. He’s a very spiritual soul who is driven by his intuition. He doesn’t allow “the good opinion of others” to control or rule his world. He’ll always be this way; love him or hate him. And I respect the heck out of him for having such strong moral convictions. I usually don’t get involved in this gossip-mongering drivel online but I felt that Evan’s character was being assassinated and I felt compelled to say what he’s too much of a gentleman to reveal.