Firstly, I didn't initiate the car analogy....
Secondly, what if you couldn't fully inspect the Porsche but it was very very cheap?
Thirdly, if he slipped up once he'd be gone....
Fourthly, what do the sponsors get to decide next?.... Our game-plan? Match-ups? Board members? CEO?....
You missed the point. The initial outlay may seem cheap, BUT its the potential high cost if the 'car' goes off and mucks up on its own. You get it? This is the potential BIG cost to the club....
With taking cousins, there is a significant broader society issue. Like it or not he carries a lot of negative baggage with him, and that baggage is broader than what he does on the field. Therefore, sponsors can get nervous, and their dollars are VERY important for a club’s survival.
Also, like it or not, sponsors have influence on clubs. When a sponsor decides to put big dollars into a club, that money comes off its bottom line. That is a lot of cash that in a recession can be put to other uses. Therefore it rightly expects its brand to be enhanced by the relationship. Therefore, if a club is playing exciting football, is successful and has high profile players with a positive public image, then that club is going to be able to attract bigger sponsorship dollars.
If it is a struggling club and has a bad public image, then its going to lose sponsors.
Like it or not THAT is the real world.