Bob Cramer inked several star athletes to lucrative endorsement deals in nearly a decade as a marketing executive for Mastercard International Inc. But he might be best known for walking away from a deal with Barry Bonds.

In 2005, the company called off negotiations with the San Francisco Giants slugger when it became clear that Bonds wouldn't soon extricate himself from a burgeoning scandal involving his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.

"That sealed the deal," Cramer said.

Bonds might be destined for baseball immortality as he closes in on Hank Aaron's career home run record, but he never has been a popular pitchman. Perhaps it's a prickly personality that drives his Madison Avenue toxicity. Or the steroid rumors he can't seem to shake. Or the ongoing federal criminal investigation into the truthfulness of his grand jury testimony. Or all of the above.

"Whether he's guilty or not, no one is going to attach themselves to him now," said Cramer, now president of th......