After further review … coach goes on a power trip
Alabama football coach Nick Saban helped us forget about Urban Meyer for a day. No, Saban didn’t lie, he was, in layman’s terms, a jerk. The reason I put the two in the same camp is because they violated the simplest of public-relations practices that all coaches, let alone two of the winningest in college […]
After further review … OSU’s PR is PU
The decision has been made. The Ohio State’s Board of Trustees’ announced that head football coach Urban Meyer will be suspended for three games and docked six weeks pay, and athletics director Gene Smith suspended for a little more than two weeks. After further review … You can’t handle the truth — The word “truth” […]
After Further Review … Meyer’s message plus Smith’s spin equals a PR mess
Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer released a letter in response to a media report and within minutes, his recently fired assistant, Zach Smith did a radio interview about his ex-wife Courtney’s domestic abuse accusations. Together the combination made like a parfait made of chocolate syrup, spinach and beets. It was nasty. There are lots […]
Different look, same writer
Welcome to my new blog. And my new look. In an effort to communicate the personal side of the publicity work I do, I decided to use what I identify with best — my own name. I continue to work with and consult with others who know how to do things better than I do […]
Sports PR is about helping media do their job
Sports PR, along with every industry, has changed, but I maintain that those that publicize teams, individuals and products are in the business of making information and access relatively simple for media that cover them. The opposite seemed to happen in Buffalo today where media received a laundry list of “do nots” that essentially gave “get […]
The NFL could generate great PR beyond the Super Bowl
I was interviewed for a podcast last week when the host asked me about sports organizations that do the public relations thing wrong and what they could do to improve. I was really at a loss because there haven’t been any glaring examples as of late. Well … The host responded with, “you’ve been critical […]
Customer service is part of public relations
Get your feet off the counter, stand up and greet your customers with a smile when they walk through the door! I realize that customer service is more than a polite “hello, may I help you?” It’s more than asking a customer‘s name or about their day when he or she calls or engages in […]
Leading the Deflategate PR battle is …
During the last weeks, I have read more sports legalese than most anyone who’s not a sports agent should. I have read about more bickering than you will hear at a dinner table with small children. I have read about leaks and lies and they’ve had nothing to do with the CIA. As a sports […]
Roger Goodell passed on opportunity to reenergize his NFL leadership
Super Bowl XLIX attracted 114.5 million viewers, making it the most watched show in U.S. television history. That’s ALL of television history. Not just sports programming. So it’s all good with the National Football League’s image because so many watched despite a football season fraught with controversy? Right? Not really. The NFL scored BIG thanks […]
Wisconsin company’s endorsement deal with Seahawks’ Wilson is a PR dream
Sometimes public relations professionals work long hours to produce campaigns, craft precisely worded news releases, and hit “send” on messages at just the right moment for businesses. Other times their charismatic, performance driven and kind-hearted football-player endorser leads his team to the Super Bowl and their story tells itself … with thousands of media along […]