It's difficult to be anything other than sceptical and jaded when you deal with the world of sport. Disappointment is a daily occurrence and, as such, Maria Sharapova's admission this week that she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open was shocking and yet, at the same time, altogether believable.
That believability has nothing to do with Sharapova in particular, it could have been anyone but the belief among the vast majority of us is that she's just one of thousands of sports stars who are in danger of falling foul of ever changing doping rules. She just happened to be caught.
After that it was time to get the spin machine turning. She's had her supporters in the past couple of days and she's certainly had her detractors. Even if you come down on the side of her 'bravery' and 'honesty' in the face of adversity, it's still incredibly obvious to see just how hard the media arm of team Sharapova is working at the moment.
It's a tough fight given the revelations that have been coming out over the past couple of days but they're giving it a bloody good go and with that in mind, here's Sharapova's first Facebook post since she made the announcement on Monday night.
Bravo. And what do you know, it looks like it's working. After being dropped by a whole host of sponsors this week, this morning has brought the news that not only are Head, her racket sponsors, sticking by her, but they're planning on extending her deal.
Head is proud to stand behind Maria, now and into the future and we intend to extend her contract.
For more than a decade, Maria Sharapova has been a role model and woman of integrity who has inspired millions of fans around the world to play and watch tennis.
The honesty and courage she displayed in announcing and acknowledging her mistake was admirable. We look forward to working with her and to announcing new sponsorships in the weeks and months ahead.
Maria may have made a mistake, but she has earned the benefit of the doubt and we are extending it to her. We look forward to many more years of working with Maria.
Whomever, is spinning this narrative for the former Wimbledon champ is doing a damn good job.
