Having been well aware of what sponsorship could entail in another field sport, I want no part of any sponsorship deal. The most ridiculous thing I encountered was asking someone I knew what he thought of a product he was endorsing in a national (specialist) magazine advert. He answered that he'd not heard of it, never mind seen it.
The closest I got to the merry go round was being loaned the odd bit of equipment to test and feedback on. Only once was I asked to give public feedback. Mercifully, the product in question was pretty good, at least for the money being asked. I didn't get to keep a single thing I evaluated and I certainly didn't get paid. I'd happily work for a company that might wish to sponsor others, but I would not want to be sponsored myself.