BASEBALL FANS REJECT PETE ROSE AS MANAGER, ENDORSER; 56% SAY HE SHOULD BE ALLOWED INTO THE HALL OF FAME

Poll of nationally representative sample shows 91% of fans believed all along that Rose bet on baseball

Menlo Park, CA; January 16, 2004: In the wake of Pete Rose's recent admission that he bet on baseball, a new Knowledge Networks survey shows that most baseball fans do not want him to return to the game as a manager or administrator, and one in three would be less likely to buy a product if Rose endorsed it. A slight majority, however, feel that the record-setting hitter and base-stealer should be allowed into the Hall of Fame.

For a full summary of the results, click here.

Knowledge Networks interviewed 624 members of its nationwide panel—the only online panel based on a projectable sample of the full U.S. population.

Conducted January 9-13, 2004—after Rose publicly confessed that he had bet on baseball games while serving as the Cincinnati Reds' manager—the study shows that 61% of baseball fans feel Rose should not be allowed to manage a team or serve as a baseball administrator.

On the question of whether Rose should be allowed into baseball's Hall of Fame, however, 56% of MLB fans said yes. And while older (aged 60+) fans were generally less charitable to Rose throughout the survey, the generations were essentially in agreement on this point.

The study also shows that 91% of baseball fans say that, even before his confession, they believed Rose had bet on the game; the proportion was highest among those ages 30 to 44 (94%) and lowest in the 18-to-29 group (83%).

Knowledge Networks possesses deep expertise in sports sponsorship, advertising, and media research. Its team has worked with nearly all of the major sports leagues and media companies, as well as many sponsors, determining which opportunities hold the greatest promise for business success. Knowledge Networks/SRI has conducted dozens of sports-related studies on advertising and programming effectiveness.

Knowledge Networks delivers quality you can use—superior methodologies, design, and analysis that give you an edge when it comes to making smart, safe business decisions. KN's unmatched consumer research resources include the only projectable Web-based consumer panel. The company leverages its expertise in brands, media, advertising, and analytics to provide insights that speak directly to clients' most important marketing issues. In addition, Knowledge Networks has built a substantial practice in government and academic research, an area notable for its rigorous methodology standards.