Sports have always been something I have been interested in, but the art of communication, public relations and athlete brand management are things as of late that I have taken more interest in because it can make or break a career. Take legendary NBA player Allen Iverson’s infamous practice rant for example. The soundbites in that interview from 2003 are still brought up regularly today and used as a punchline, and in a microcosm summed up Iverson’s career: Extremely talented, but extremely high-maintenance and egotistical as well. After reports that Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens was contemplating suicide, reporters showed up to his house to see him sit-ups in his driveway. Because of the tense situation, reports were peppering him with very personal questions. What people don’t realize about that incident was that in his ear, his publicist was listening to all the questions and telling Owens how to, or if, he should respond at all. The story was inaccurate from the start, but his publicist helped diffuse the situation by guiding Owens through the firestorm. With 24/7 media coverage due to the rise of social media, a sudden rise of an athlete can be met by an even swifter fall. Before the 2016 NFL Draft, consensus number one pick Laremy Tunsil’s twitter account was hacked, showing him smoking marijuana. A firestorm brewed, and Tunsil ended up falling all the way to pick 13, and costing himself a $12 million loss on his initial contract. This blog will examine crisis communications in the sports world, growing challenges with the rise of social media and the growing role of athlete activism, brand protection and the growing conflicts between sports media and athletes. Not only are athletes facing challenges with poor communications advice and decisions, but executives and coaches have also had their share of missteps along the way as well. Going forward with news being immediate, the challenge for PR professionals to manage chaotic careers of professional, collegiate, and sometimes now even high school athletes has been more difficult than ever. The way to learn from past mistakes is to not repeat them, but another way to learn is to look at athletes who have been responsible in brand-building and examining the model other athletes can follow. For some, this means no social media at all, and for others that means using social media rather than letting it consume them. Stay tuned for future posts, with Friday being a busy publishing day.
Sports Communications with Konnor McIntosh 