Benji involved in another sham

Kul

Kul

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Staff member
Forum Leader
Unfortunately another sham product has hit the NRL and some tigers players, including Benji, are connected to it.

NRG Titanium Bands are being worn by several NRL stars to "give them added power" or something like that.
Just like PowerBalance this is nothing but complete crap. They use fancy words like "ion" and "titanium" to fool you into thinking that their product is based on science - it is not!
Anyone who has done year 9 science could point out the flaws in their claims.

Here is what their packaging says:

![](http://www.skeptics.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/package_back.jpg)

The product claims that it uses positive waterfall energy to defeat the forces of evil that titanium emits from the space-time event horizon flux capacitor into your blood stream… Or something like that

DO NOT waste your money buying this product. Go and buy a new tigers jersey from Concord instead.

Benji, along with other players, has been helping promote this product. There was even some statement and a video released attributing our 9-game run purely on Benji wearing this band.
Not only is this the logical fallacy _post hoc ergo propterhoc_ (correlation does not equal causation), it's also misleading and a lie.
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The placebo effect is powerful - this is not being disputed. If doing a dance, rubbing your head or touching wood makes you feel more confident then by all means do it. The same goes for a rubber band like this.
The problem lies in the fact that they are making false claims that it's proven to work SOLEY for the purpose of marketing their $80 product (or what ever it's being flogged at) to unknowing people who take the word of their favourite sports star as fact.

It's a disgrace

EDIT:
''Applied Kinesiology'' - video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piu75P8sxTo
 
@Kul said:
Unfortunately another sham product has hit the NRL and some tigers players, including Benji, are connected to it.

NRG Titanium Bands are being worn by several NRL stars to "give them added power" or something like that.
Just like PowerBalance this is nothing but complete crap. They use fancy words like "ion" and "titanium" to fool you into thinking that their product is based on science - it is not!
Anyone who has done year 9 science could point out the flaws in their claims.

Here is what their packaging says:

![](http://www.skeptics.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/package_back.jpg)

The product claims that it uses positive waterfall energy to defeat the forces of evil that titanium emits from the space-time event horizon flux capacitor into your blood stream… Or something like that

DO NOT waste your money buying this product. Go and buy a new tigers jersey from Concord instead.

Benji, along with other players, has been helping promote this product. There was even some statement and a video released attributing our 9-game run purely on Benji wearing this band.
Not only is this the logical fallacy _post hoc ergo propterhoc_ (correlation does not equal causation), it's also misleading and a lie.
\
\
The placebo effect is powerful - this is not being disputed. If doing a dance, rubbing your head or touching wood makes you feel more confident then by all means do it. The same goes for a rubber band like this.
The problem lies in the fact that they are making false claims that it's proven to work SOLEY for the purpose of marketing their $80 product (or what ever it's being flogged at) to unknowing people who take the word of their favourite sports star as fact.

It's a disgrace
Click to expand...

Lol, well atleast we know what will be on the back page of one Sydney newspaper and one channel nine sports reporters lead story tomorrow. ( Disclaimer : The term "newspaper"and "sports reporter"are used loosely)
 
Open Letter to Rebel Sport and NRG from the Australian Sceptics
Published on Monday, September 26, 2011

![](http://www.skeptics.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/nrg_band.jpg)
>
In 2010, Australian Skeptics were instrumental in exposing the PowerBalance wrist band as nothing more than a placebo. PowerBalance was the rubber band that claimed to aid strength, balance and flexibility, and it was endorsed by a number of sporting celebrities. But following a directive by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to publish retractions of the unsubstantiated claims for the wristband and to offer refunds to customers, the Australian franchise has collapsed.
>
More recently, our attention was drawn to very similar product, the NRG Titanium Ion Band. This too has been endorsed by sporting stars.
>
We have written the following open letter to the distributor NRG Australia, and to Rebel Sport, the major sporting goods outlet that is retailing the band.
>
We await their reply.
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–------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
Aussies love their sport and love a fair go for all. Rebel Sport provides a large range of sporting accessories on which everyday people and athletes rely to get the most out of their sporting life.
>
It is therefore disappointing to see that Rebel Sport are selling something that in our opinion does not and can not live up to the marketing claims.
>
The NRG Titanium Ion Band, currently being sold via Rebel Sport outlets, seems to be yet another in the long line of so-called “Power Bands”, rubber wrist bands that claim to aid sporting performance and health. It was not so long ago Rebel Sport were selling the now debunked PowerBalance band.1
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If this wrist band was merely being touted as a fashion accessory we would have no objections to Rebel Sport’s decision to stock and promote it to consumers. However, NRG and Rebel Sport (as stockists) are selling a product which is making questionable but testable medical claims.
>
NRG publicly states that it “…has made a breakthrough in negative Ion technology…” 2 If so, we would very much like to see the peer-reviewed scientific studies. It sounds very much to us that NRG are simply using scientific sounding words and terms in order to market their product.
>
Some of the medical claims made by the NRG company3 are that benefits may include;
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increased blood flow
increased circulation
revitalisation of red blood cells
neutralise free radicals
>
There is no credible evidence that this product can alter the physiology of the human body and until the manufacturer demonstrates this with actual scientific studies, then they are potentially misleading customers with claims about benefits which their products may not have.
>
Upon reviewing the medical evidence put forward by NRG2, Dr Steven Novella, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine said, “None of the proper controls are in place to make the information anything other than a marketing demonstration, similar to the parlor tricks used by PowerBalance.” and “There is every reason to believe that these titanium bands are medically worthless.”4
>
Just like the ill-fated PowerBalance product before them, NRG rely heavily on testimonials from sporting stars, notably from the NRL. However while no doubt heart-felt and sincere, they are not evidence that the product works as claimed.
>
Australian Skeptics urge Rebel Sport to reconsider their decision to sell the NRG Titanium Ion Band. If however NRG and Rebel Sport stand behind the claims of the Titanium Ion Band, we invite them to apply for our $100,000 prize.5
>
Australian Skeptics Inc.
http://www.skeptics.com.au
>
References
(1) http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/964074
(2) http://nrgtitanium.com/?page_id=225
(3) stated on product packaging
(4) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/pseudoscience-sells
(5) http://www.skeptics.com.au/features/prize/

Benji should dump these guys ASAP
 
the all important placebo effect, if he believes it works, it probably does!

That said, I was at a rugby carnival where they were selling the power bands, they were "demonstrating there powers" with a number of exercises, i thought it was a load of crap, but the exercises still worked. I was at a loss to explain it, still am. I was skeptical of the tests which the skeptics refer to as "parlour tricks", but we replicated the tests ourselves, feeling they we "cheating on the tests", but got the same results, perplexing me further.
Someone who knows better than I, can placebo still work, if I think it is a load of crap. In the end I was thinking maybe there is someting to it, but thought it impossible.
 
@Eddie said:
who cares, seriously.
Click to expand...

It's a real concern Eddie. It's easy to simply state caveat emptor, but it is a worry that companies are allowed to market this sort of product without any credible evidence pertaining to it's actual capabilties.

I agree that a fool and his money are easily parted, but when reputable athletes and sports stars are also promoting the product, it increases the profile of a product of which whose credibility is a fallacy, or at least unconfirmed at the very best.
 
@Goose said:
the all important placebo effect, if he believes it works, it probably does!

That said, I was at a rugby carnival where they were selling the power bands, they were "demonstrating there powers" with a number of exercises, i thought it was a load of crap, but the exercises still worked. I was at a loss to explain it, still am. I was skeptical of the tests which the skeptics refer to as "parlour tricks", but we replicated the tests ourselves, feeling they we "cheating on the tests", but got the same results, perplexing me further.
Someone who knows better than I, can placebo still work, if I think it is a load of crap. In the end I was thinking maybe there is someting to it, but thought it impossible.
Click to expand...

It's called **''Applied Kinesiology''** and it's a very simple yet convincing trick to do

This fantastic video shows how it works
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piu75P8sxTo

Sorry Benji, it's a load of crap

There is an international $100,000 prize offered by the JREF for anyone who can prove that this stuff actually works. So far no one has been able to claim it.
Meanwhile average Joe from Ashfield is parting ways with $80 because his kid saw Benji wearing it.
That $80 could have been better spent at GearZone on a jersey, not lining the pockets of a fraud
 
This is even more insulting than the power bands…
Benefits may include indeed... Side effects will include the loss of $80 and constant ridicule from friends and loved ones...
 
It's up to the people to fall for it or not.
I'm not saying this is all a scientific hokum, it probably is, but not sure of it.
Celebrities market a lot of stuff.. this is just one of them, and it's completely up to Benji that if he believes in this product, he will endorse it.
 
@imZerroo said:
It's up to the people to fall for it or not.
I'm not saying this is all a scientific hokum, it probably is, but not sure of it.
Celebrities market a lot of stuff.. this is just one of them, and it's completely up to Benji that if he believes in this product, he will endorse it.
Click to expand...

What do you mean you're not sure if it's scientific hokum? Not one of the claims about what their product "may" do is scientifically verifiable. Consumer law is there to protect all consumers, including dumb ones. You can't (well at least you shouldn't) be able to even suggest a product does anything that there is absolutely zero chance that a product is having that effect. Benji's entitled to believe whatever the hell he likes but he shouldn't be lending his name to something that is going to suck money out of gullible punters.

These things are no better than people who sell betting systems.
 
@Yossarian said:
What do you mean you're not sure if it's scientific hokum? Not one of the claims about what their product "may" do is scientifically verifiable. Consumer law is there to protect all consumers, including dumb ones. You can't (well at least you shouldn't) be able to even suggest a product does anything that there is absolutely zero chance that a product is having that effect.
Click to expand...

Just because it's not proven, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

@Yossarian said:
**Benji's entitled to believe whatever the hell he likes but he shouldn't be lending his name to something that is going to suck money out of gullible punters.**

These things are no better than people who sell betting systems.
Click to expand...

IMO Benji can endorse what he wants, if the product is faulty or whatever, it's his rep, and we shouldn't be the ones telling him what to endorse and what not to.
As for the gullible people, it's your fault for believing it IMO, just because Benji is endorsing it doesn't mean it's 100% good. You should do your own research before going out and buying this stuff.
 
so essentially you are saying that it's OK for Benji to falsely claim that it helped him to a 9 game streak, but it's not OK for us to correctly point out that it's a scam

riiiight….
 
@Kul said:
@Goose said:
the all important placebo effect, if he believes it works, it probably does!

That said, I was at a rugby carnival where they were selling the power bands, they were "demonstrating there powers" with a number of exercises, i thought it was a load of crap, but the exercises still worked. I was at a loss to explain it, still am. I was skeptical of the tests which the skeptics refer to as "parlour tricks", but we replicated the tests ourselves, feeling they we "cheating on the tests", but got the same results, perplexing me further.
Someone who knows better than I, can placebo still work, if I think it is a load of crap. In the end I was thinking maybe there is someting to it, but thought it impossible.

It's called **''Applied Kinesiology''** and it's a very simple yet convincing trick to do

This fantastic video shows how it works
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piu75P8sxTo

Sorry Benji, it's a load of crap

There is an international $100,000 prize offered by the JREF for anyone who can prove that this stuff actually works. So far no one has been able to claim it.
Meanwhile average Joe from Ashfield is parting ways with $80 because his kid saw Benji wearing it.
That $80 could have been better spent at GearZone on a jersey, not lining the pockets of a fraud
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Our first thought is was the test itself was a trick, which this video shows.
We must have subconciously copied there movement when rehashed the test. I wonder if simply trying harder encourages you to push inward…. Now my confusion is centred around when skeptics copied the tests, why/how we replicated the trick.
 
@Kul said:
so essentially you are saying that it's OK for Benji to falsely claim that it helped him to a 9 game streak, but it's not OK for us to correctly point out that it's a scam

riiiight….
Click to expand...

If Benji believes that it helped him to a 9 game steak, then it did. Nothing false about it.

If people want to spend their money on wrist bands, poker machines, horses, first try scorers, then that is up to them. It is their business. Get over it or join the Labor party or the green party.

What a crap subject.
 
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