Tony Stewart Sounds Off

NASCAR has found itself it in a bit of a PR mess recently. Tony Stewart, one of racing's most notorious and controversial drivers, said in an interview that NASCAR is like professional werestling in that the outcomes are staged. Needless to say, NASCAR officials were not happy. NASCAR has seen a rise in its popularity in recent years and has done everything it could to position itself as one of the top sports attractions in America. By contesting the authenticity of race results, Stewart has undermined NASCAR's credibility and damaged its reputation. Time will tell if the sport suffers serious injury from the remarks. It is unlikely, however, that NASCAR fans will believe the things that Stewart said. The comments probably arose from frustration or anger rather than from actual beliefs. Even so, Stewart has learned a very valuable lesson: you never can be too careful when talking to the media.

SportsCenter Commercials

Over the years, one of my favorite parts of watching ESPN has been seeing a new commercial for SportsCenter. These commercials usually feature famous athletes and always are hilarious. It recently occurred to me that the commercials do more than just promote a TV show; they also allow ESPN to build relationships with the athletes that it covers. These relationships are important to the network, because it needs athletes to participate in interviews and other segments. By having athletes work with broadcasters during the production of the commercials, the network establishes working relationships and ensures that the athletes will be willing to work with the network in the future. Without the commercials, the broadcasters only would work with the athletes during interviews, which probably would not breed the camaraderie that the commercials produce. This friendly atmosphere is what really makes the commercials a good PR move.

Schilling's Sock

Was it really blood? The entire baseball world seems to be asking itself that very question. During the 2004 playoffs, Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling had his ankle stitched up in order to temporarily fix a tendon problem. Schilling then pitched, and won, Game 6 of the American League Championship Series and Game 2 of the World Series while wearing a blood-stained sock. On Wednesday, a Baltimore Orioles commentator said that Boston catcher Doug Mirabelli had told him that Schilling had put red paint on his sock as a publicity stunt. Mirabelli has denied ever saying this, and controversy has ensued. In all likelihood, the sock really was stained with blood. It is hard to believe that Schilling would take the time to come up with something like this while trying to lead Boston to the greatest postseason comeback in baseball history. However, if this was just a publicity stunt, then Schilling is a PR genius. People were in awe of his "bloody sock" performance. He became a legend to Red Sox fans around the world. His sock even ended up in the Hall of Fame. If he could come up with a PR stunt like that, he definitely would have a new career lined up after his playing days are over.

Truth & Consequences

Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson recently was one of several top college football players to admit to past marijuana use. A number of people have had negative reactions to the news, claiming that the marijuana use represents "character issues" and should have a negative impact on the players' draft status. Another issue presented by this story is whether athletes should tell the truth about their behavior. If Johnson and the other players had lied about their marijuana use, then there would be no public issues concerning their character and draft status. However, because they told the truth, they have suffered some image problems. Even so, their honesty still was the best way to go. If the media or the public had found out about the marijuana (and thus, the lying) later on, then the players' problems would be even bigger. By telling the truth, they showed that they are honest and trustworthy. These traits should do more to assure professional teams of the players' character than should the marijuana use. When trying to manage an athlete's media relations, it usually is best to stick to the truth instead of trying to avoid the possible negative consequences.

NFL Draft Approaches

In the world of sports, no event is more overhyped than the NFL Draft. Every year, millions of people tune in for two days just to see which college players will play for which pro teams. The NFL has turned the entire weekend into a huge event. The league invites the best college players in the country to sit in the green room and wait to be drafted. The players' presence adds celebrity appeal to the festivities and can provide some drama when a highly touted player is drafted lower than expected. When the players who are present are drafted, they walk to the stage to receive jerseys and caps from their new teams, providing fans with their first glimpses of their teams' new stars. One of the most entertaining and enjoyable aspects of the draft is the fact that fans are allowed into the event as spectators. The crowd's presence and reactions give the impression that viewers are watching an actual sporting event as opposed to a selection process. The NFL's popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, and the league has used this growth to imbed itself into the public's consciousness, even when football season still is months away. The draft gives fans a brief peek at what the new season will bring, and its continued popularity shows that the league's presentation of the event has been a huge success.

Nationals Honor VT Victims

During the second inning of Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves, the Washington Nationals donned Virginia Tech hats in order to honor the victims of Monday's tragedy at the university. Although this action was undertaken by the team and not the PR department, it was a great way for the organization to reach out to the community. This is not the first time that a baseball team has used hats to pay its respects to victims of a tragedy. Everyone surely remembers when the New York Yankees and New York Mets wore NYPD and FDNY hats following the September 11 attacks. In times of grief and mourning, even the simplest gesture can have a tremendous impact on victims and their families. By wearing the Virginia Tech hats, the Nationals were able to express empathy for everyone involved in the tragedy. The players may never know for sure, but their actions may have helped someone to get through this ordeal.

Who Not to Represent

I give to you my list of the five worst athletes to represent as a PR practitioner:

5. Jose Canseco
No one really trusts Canseco, not even the people who read his book. He's seen as one of the poster boys for steroid use, and he even supports athletes' use of performance-enhancing drugs. The public, as well as other baseball players, are pretty much sick of him.

4. Dennis Rodman
Rodman hasn't played basketball in a while, but he's still in the public eye. When the public does see him, it usually is in a negative light. Many people view him as a freak or an outcast and are unnerved by his piercings, tattoos, and demeanor. His occasional run-ins with the police certainly don't help, either.

3. Terrell Owens
Owens has been called a "cancer" by fellow players, and they may just be right. Owens seems unable or unwilling to get along with teammates (no matter what team he plays for), and he always finds himself in the middle of some kind of scandal or ridiculous story.

2. Mike Tyson
The man bit off the ear of an opponent. That fact alone would make it almost impossible to give Tyson a positive public image. When you throw in the numerous arrests and the somewhat crazy interviews and soundbytes, things only get worse. Good luck trying to explain the tattoo on his face.

1. Barry Bonds
No matter what you do, you cannot get most people to like Bonds. His image is damaged beyond repair. The majority of the general public would like to see him suffer a career-ending injury rather than break Hank Aaron's home run record. Everything he does is smeared by the steroid scandal. He doesn't exactly help his own cause, either. He's never been known as a nice guy, and he frequently has negative encounters with the media. Bonds' PR people have the toughest job in the business.

If you find yourself representing one of these athletes, then you might want to start searching for a new job.