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Bad Timing in the PR World

Gail Sideman — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:13:43 +0000

International Olympic Committee, Vancouver Organizing Olympic Committee and Tiger Woods, please report to the first-floor classroom for PR 101…

I really wish I could say that people who work in my industry do it right because we had the best and the brightest teachers. Somewhere along the way, however, some didn’t learn basic public relations, didn’t listen or are allowing a misguided leader to dictate actions instead of what could be a better strategy for relating to the public.

Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, announced that the world’s most popular golfer will make his first public appearance since November when he makes a statement to a “small group of friends, colleagues and close associates” and three pool reporters on Friday at 11 a.m., EST from the PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra, Fla.

The key word is “statement,” as in Woods won’t take any questions. Almost as soon as the “appearance” was released to the media, speculation and chat about the strategy used by the Woods’ camp began to stream throughout social media. The consensus is not positive if the 2009 PGA Player of the Year is trying to make a second first impression.

“So Tiger’s not going to take questions? Why doesn’t he just tape his statement and put it on his website?” asked Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sports reporter, Greg Bedard on his Twitter page. Followed by a later tweet, “The media should show some guts and not televise the infomercial.”

Not much differed in PR pros’ points of view. “Him not speaking in public is not what’s lost trust in millions of people,” said John Sternal. “Don’t waste time by saying the same thing you’ve already said.”

“Whoever is making PR money off Tiger is robbing him blind,” said PR specialist, Toby Srebnik.

Earlier in my fiscal week, it was the IOC and VANOC that drew my ire, not only for poor PR practices. The organizations classlessly blamed Georgian luger’s Nodar Kumaritashvili’s fatal run on the late athlete. The timing, even if the data is statistically supported, was distasteful.

Only hours after Kumaritashvili flew off the track to his death, organizers promptly erected higher walls, padded steel beams that surrounded the course and moved the starting points forward for all racers. Before the last nail was hammered into the new wall, the IOC read a joint statement from the International Luge Federation that blamed the tragedy on athlete error.

The day prior to his final run, the Georgian luger told his father that he was terrified of the track at the Whistler Sliding Center. He wasn’t the only one. Others expressed concern over the degree of difficulty and said that there wasn’t ample time to safely prepare for the course. Despite these concerns, governing bodies were quick to deflect blame to the dead athlete. It just didn’t sit well with many of us who train to communicate news and prepare for crises.

The Olympics PR problems didn’t start or end there. VANOC will reportedly have to refund up to $1.5 million for more than 20,000 tickets because rain caused potentially dangerous viewing conditions at the snowboard and freestyle ski venue. (I personally applaud this responsible, albeit expensive move.) That and the dozens of irritable tweets I read each day from people who resent NBC Sports’ tape-delay of events leads me to believe there was little thought about public sentiment. This has led to criticisms that could have been avoided.

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About Gail Sideman

Twenty years of public relations experience, including 10 in NCAA Division I sports information during which she received national awards for her work, have helped Gail Sideman emerge as a nationally-respected publicity professional in sports, social media and publishing. She is also a veteran support staffer of sports television crews for events that include the NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA regular and postseason and others. You may learn more information about Sideman's business at www.publiside.com or follow her at www.twitter.com/PUBLISIDE and www.facebook.com/gail.sideman.

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Ready, Set, Luge!

Gail Sideman — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:00:52 +0000

Will the Winter Olympics get more attention than people say and if not, is it a public relations issue?

It’s interesting that I hear and see people asking others if they are going to watch the Winter Olympics. A recent poll revealed that just 20 percent of Americans plan to make the Games a viewing priority. I found that number surprising since when it comes to the Summer Games, watching seems to be a foregone conclusion, especially with sports fans.

So, why the difference, or indifference, when it comes to the likes of competitive skiing, ice-skating and luge?

While I can’t answer this definitively, I can say that based on reports from Vancouver, site of this year’s Winter Olympics, challenges abound. There are cuts in NBC Sports’ staff (the network that owns the United States broadcast rights) from previous years, reports that the same company expects to lose money, the event’s covergirl, ski racer, Lindey Vonn is injured with a bruised shin and as of this writing, will try to compete, and from Michael Wilbon on “PTI”, maybe the Games have lost their luster.

One of the biggest public relations challenges this year will be push-and-pull of news that comes out of Vancouver. As we well know, social media has taken a front-row seat at sports events, which could pose a problem for NBC as it plans to again air some events on a tape-delay basis, even though it will share events and results across the NBC Universal family of stations (USA, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC and NBCOlympics.com). The same programming issue plagued the network during the past few Games broadcasts, especially when they were held outside of North America, which obviously isn’t a concern this year. Tape-delay or live-to-tape could become a subject of contention, however, because even since 2008’s Beijing Summer Games, society has come to expect events in real time via Twitter, Facebook and other Internet portals.

The best-case scenario for NBC and the Winter Olympics would be if Vonn recovers from her injury enough to ski competitively, that the ice hockey team is medal-competitive and athletes who have heart-tugging stories remain healthy.

As with all of the Olympics staged in the Television Era, stories will likely be the keys that pull in greater consumer numbers than in past years.

According to Dan Patrick, who is in Vancouver with NBC and spoke on his radio show this week, story packages typically target women. The thinking by the network is that guys will tune in and “get” the sports aspect, so the backstories that come out of the Games have to be thoughtful and gripping enough to rein women into the viewing mix.

As a sports fan and someone who admires the sacrifices so many Olympic athletes make, I’ll watch. However, I’m not a cold-weather sports fan, and the idea of looking at more snow than what lies outside my door is not as enticing to me as watching people twist and maneuver their bodies as they fall flawlessly into the water from diving boards. Like many of you I will watch in wonder at the speed of skaters, skiers and lugers, wonder how a figure-skater can spin so many times without throwing up, and ask how curling is really a sport.

It’ll be fun. Really. Please pass my Snuggie and the hot chocolate…

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Super Bowl Commercials Play Role in Branding

Gail Sideman — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:54:33 +0000

A few days ago a reporter called and asked how I would advise a professional athlete if he wanted to endorse a hot-button topic in a forum as big as a Super Bowl audience.

My answer was not textbook public relations.

(I will reveal the outlet and topic upon its publication).

The reasons that athletes and coaches endorse products and services are as varied as the people themselves. Some do it because they patronize and truly believe in said organizations. Others pitch products because it fattens their bank accounts; some make themselves available for endorsements to keep their face in front of possible post-sports employers.

That’s the people portion of Super Bowl advertising. There’s the business side that pays big dollars to get noticed during the most popular sports event of the year. How they deliver their messages can enhance or break their brands.

Among the most discussed people during the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl isn’t even playing, and yet his image is being bantered among fans and foes alike. Former University of Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow, is slated to appear in a commercial for the conservative Christian group, Focus on the Family, during the National Football League’s grand finale. There is a huge uproar from pro-choice groups over the scheduled airing of a commercial that preaches the opposite. Will this damage Tebow’s brand going forward? Will it affect the opinions or actions of NFL teams that want to draft him?

To be sure, controversy is not new to paid advertising, but it seldom, if ever, surfaces during an event that’s known for its cutting-edge creativity and humor-infused breaks. This year it seems to be playing an extra period:

Audi’s scheduled Super Bowl commercial is attracting criticism for its message that conjures up memories of Nazi Germany. The German luxury automaker produced commercials that feature the “Green Police” – people who don forest green officers’ uniforms and provide tips about saving energy. The controversy lies in the historical meaning of The Green Police. A group by the same name referred to the German Order Police, which housed a battalion that was instrumental in sending Jews, Poles and Gypsies to concentration camps during World War II, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.

Not to be forgotten among the controversial messages are those that didn’t make the cut. Gay dating website Mancrunch.com’s 30-second commercial was reportedly not approved by CBS, the network that will broadcast this year’s Super Bowl.

All of these messages, whether approved for air or not, communicate personalities of people, products and businesses. Will the misguided message of Audi affect the way people perceive the automaker’s brand and thus, sales? Will Tebow’s draft stock change because he’s willing to speak publicly about an emotionally charged topic? Has CBS set a double standard by approving the Focus on the Family ad and not Mancrunch? What makes a commercial too controversial or risqué for air?

Some of the answers to those questions lie in the opinions of viewers. Before hitting the “send” button with language and creative’s for these ads, however, I trust that each person and organization considered the benefits and potential ramifications of their messages. It drives their public images and brands not just during the game, but also for days and weeks to come.

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Find a Job in Sports: Be Your Own PR Agent

Gail Sideman — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:36:31 +0000

I’ve decided to take a detour from writing about current issues and events surrounding sports public relations to provide some simple tips to young people entering the business.

I recently read a query from a college-age man who is set to graduate this spring. He asked for advice from the panel about how to get a job in sports the sports industry. I asked myself, “What took you so long to ask?”

My post today is an effort to help people who are preparing for this stage of education not have to ask that question. You’re read it right – as a second-semester senior in college, you will hopefully not have to ask how to break into your field of choice because you’ll have already done your research, laid a foundation for your own brand and even completed an internship or two. In essence, you must create your own public relations campaign and pitch yourself.

At most universities, students are required to select a major after their sophomore years if not sooner. Of course, there are always going to be those who have realized that they selected wrong and opt for different courses of study and that’s fine. But for those who know what they want to be when they grow up or as they prepare to declare a major, identifying practical work opportunities should be just as important as the classes they choose. When it comes to finding a job in an ever-competitive job market, let alone one that is as narrow as sports, the key ingredient employers look for, is experience.

As a student, you might say, “I’m in class and have to study…when would I have time to work?” I promise you that if you can snag a spot as a student-assistant or intern in a sports information or marketing office, write for your school newspaper or find another opportunity that offers even the most menial job in your field of choice, the experience you gain will far outweigh the extra night out with your friends. There are also semester and summer breaks that allow for time to work in real-world situations that will help you look that much more attractive to potential employers after you have your diploma in-hand. It’s all a part of building your own brand.

Last year a local student contacted me with the same question as the person mentioned above. She was a couple of months shy of college graduation and wanted to find a job in sports. I asked her what internships she’d completed to date, and she said she hadn’t done any. She said she’d worked as a bartender, but hadn’t pursued any professional experience during that time. What I heard was, “I wasn’t ambitious but now I’m graduating and guess I have to find a job.”

Keep in mind that as you gather professional experience, you might have to work for peanuts…even nothing for some projects. It’s worth it. While your friends start below the first rung of a ladder in their first year or two out of college because they didn’t see future passion in their professions, you can emerge from your classes with the a resume that could land you a respected spot in an organization and not only earn a living, but make a difference and great impression.

Tips to land that perfect internship are much like those that seasoned veterans use to find a new job: network (in person and online), volunteer, and try to pick as many professional brains as you can. Share your story; show potential employers that you’re trustworthy, eager to learn and willing to pitch in. These are all elements of your own PR campaign.

In an effort to stand out from the crowd, always write thank you notes after someone has given you their time whether it’s five minutes or two hours. You’d be amazed at how many people don’t even consider this step.

For more information about internships and opportunities for you to grow the buds of your career, consult professional organization directories and newsletters. You can follow a targeted group on Twitter, create a professional profile and answer question on LinkedIn and make sure lots of people know how to contact you. That perfect first job could be yours.

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Athletes Step Up to Help Haiti Earthquake Victims

Gail Sideman — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:00:26 +0000

So many conversations of the last year, and certainly beyond, have focused on huge dollar figures that go along with professional sports and their high-paid, spoiled athletes.

During this past week, players from across the professional sports spectrum who are often portrayed as being little more than indulgent have shown quite the opposite personas. They have let their checkbooks act as their PR agents but most importantly, have proven that humanity comes first. The devastation of the 7.0 Earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12 was on the world’s minds and many who could afford to help, have done so.

Among the most impressive was a quickly planned fundraiser for which World No. 1 tennis player, Roger Federer, rallied with tournament organizers to stage an event on the eve of the Australian Open. Federer is credited for sidelining his own tournament preparation schedule, and gathering a roster of tennis stars that did the same, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams to entertain fans. Along with proceeds from $10 tickets purchased by fans that attended the event at Rod Laver Arena, the pros raised more than $200,000 for earthquake victims.

Williams further put her 2008 Olympic Team tennis dress and autographed U.S. Open tennis shoes on eBay to raise money for Haitian victims.

Another spectacular effort was the result of the “Athletes Relief Fund for Haiti” co-founded by retired NBA standout, Alonzo Mourning, and Miami Heat star, Dwayne Wade. The fund raising project has received donations from at least 27 professional athletes including Wade, who donated a one-game salary of $175,000, and LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul who each poured in $100,000. The fund has amassed more than $800,000.

The National Football League and the NFL Players Association pledged $2.5 million to aid relief efforts, and some of its players went a step further and helped drive donations via their Twitter accounts. New England Patriots receiver, DonteStallworth pledged to donate $1 to Project Medishare and was joined by teammate Wes Welker and Cleveland Browns receiver, Josh Cribbs to raise $34,200 for the emergency relief fund.

Among Major League Baseball’s efforts, the New York Yankees announced a $500,000 contribution to Haiti relief, with other players and clubs following with their own programs. The league itself pledged an immediate donation of $1million.

I know I’m just touching the edge of the great ways athletes and professional organizations have stepped up to help provide medical, food and other relief aid to an already poor neighbor of the United States. Personally, I’m proud to be able to write not of sports public relations challenges this week, but of a victory that is not only publicly appealing, but humanely admirable.

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adidas + UCF + Marcus Jordan – adidas = ???

Gail Sideman — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:00:22 +0000

It came as no surprise to learn that adidas and the University of Central Florida ended their eight-year $3 million marketing relationship five years early, last month.

In what seemed to be a case of miscommunication and disagreement over whether UCF basketball player Marcus Jordan could wear his father Michael’s signature Nike shoes during Knights’ games, adidas, from the outside looking in, missed a huge public relations opportunity.

Last year when UCF told adidas that it was recruiting the son of the aforementioned NBA superstar, school administrators reportedly asked the shoe company’s personnel if Marcus Jordan could wear his father’s Jordan Brand shoes, manufactured by Nike. adidas initially agreed to let the young Jordan wear his dad’s shoes without affecting the status of the school’s agreement with it, but adidas executives changed their minds.

According to a report by Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Daily, on August 28, 2009, adidas and UCF circulated a revised contract with a Jordan clause saying he could wear the family shoe if Nike logos were covered. On October 20, an adidas representative said no exception would be made.

The sponsorship controversy was a heated one in Central Florida and continues to be debated among sports marketing executives. Some said that if adidas allowed Jordan to wear Nikes for a school that had an agreement with the former, others would come to the table with excuses not to wear their shoes. I disagree.

UCF was put in the position to choose to honor a contract that was of great value to its relatively small Division I program, or a player it brought in believing that he would be able to wear the family shoe. While UCF chose to stand by its player, adidas released an up-and-coming athletic program. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the two parties will honor their contract until June 30, 2010.

adidas could have looked like a PR darling by saying the son of arguably one of the most accomplished sports stars of the 20^th Century could wear his family shoe and play for the university program of his choice. Instead, the shoe company played tough guy and despite prior permission, which led to Jordan’s signing a national letter of intent to play at UCF, reneged.

Nike is now in a position to where it can not only save the day, but also generate lots of goodwill publicity if it enters into an agreement with UCF to replace the dollars and merchandise that adidas would have provided. Let it stand by one of its top revenue-generating athletes family and provide everything and more that adidas did not. Nike would win in terms of market size and sincerity.

What do you think – should adidas have maintained its agreement with UCF or was it right to sever the relationship?

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Florida Football Coach Provides PR Case Study to End the Year

Gail Sideman — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:23:34 +0000

Just when you thought you could put the finishing touches on your year-end list of best/worst stories, University of Florida football coach, Urban Meyer, added yet another chapter to 2009’s book of sports public relations case studies.

On Saturday, all modes of media went into overdrive when the 45-year-old two-time national champion coach announced he would step down after the Gators met the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, January 1, in New Orleans. He cited health challenges and priority of family over football in his decision.

We were barely into the first quarter of Sunday’s first NFL games when word started to trickle that Meyer had a change of heart. Later in the day from New Orleans he said in a press conference that he would instead take a “leave of absence” and that assistant coach Steve Addazio would serve in an interim capacity until his unspecified return.

Meyer’s presser provided more questions than answers. Did his doctors suggest he take time off, because of repeated heart and stress-related concerns that led to his announcement, Saturday? What about his family, for which he expressed repeated concern on Saturday, but reportedly contacted only after calling Florida athletic director, Jeremy Foley, on Sunday morning?

Holy Crazy Timing, PR observers! The Allstate Sugar Bowl all ready had its share of off-field media stories as Cincinnati’s coach during the regular season is now the head coach at Notre Dame and its interim coach has accepted a job elsewhere, (those are nuggets for another category header).

In the last couple days, people have compared Meyer to Tiger Woods, Brett Favre and UF colleague and basketball coach, Billy Donovan, all of whom experienced PR debacles in recent years, for mismanagement of their messages.

In this case, Meyer’s flip-flop makes Favre’s look like simple oversights. Favre took weeks to decide after two retirements that he really wanted to play again, and subsequently signed with new teams. Meyer changed his mind in less than 24 hours.

The UF coach’s tale is Tigeresque with ambiguous, unanswered questions that loom as the Gators head into the Sugar Bowl. From recruits to alumni, inquiring minds likely wonder who will have the reins of the team when spring practice begins, because Meyer didn’t provide the who-what-when-where-why-how in the Sugar Bowl presser during which he changed his status from the day prior. Even Woods knows vague comments only fuel speculation.

Then, of course, there’s Donovan, who left UF in 2007 to coach the NBA’s Orlando Magic, only to return to his former Gainesville post five days later.

Granted, Meyer barely got off the plane in New Orleans before he met the press in New Orleans on Sunday. What remains to be seen is if he takes control of the message and puts all of the facts out during the next day or two so that questions regarding his job and health status don’t continue to dominate Allstate Sugar Bowl headlines instead of the game itself.

That being said, I hope Meyer is doing what’s in the best interest of his health for the sake of his family and himself.

What do you think – should Meyer have put everything out in the open to take control of the message, or do you think the public and media will allow him to simply coach a bowl game this week without explanation this week?

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University of Alabama Cancels Classes for BCS Title Game and Escapes PR Wringer

Gail Sideman — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:00:10 +0000

Am I the only one who finds that the University of Alabama canceling classes January 6-8, thus postponing the start of its spring semester so its students and faculty can attend the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena, Calif., ironic?

I’m all for giving Crimson Tide fans calendar flexibility to travel to see their team take on the University of Texas for the right to call themselves title holders, but from a public relations standpoint, the decision flies right in the face of one of the reasons the Bowl Championship Series hierarchy says a college football playoff is not practical.

BCS executive director, Bill Hancock, recently said that a playoff schedule would make it difficult for some schools to schedule academic finals.

So, the administration at Alabama showed its colors when it decided not to turn on the classroom lights when they were scheduled in January. Ok; I’m sure the move wasn’tthat cut-and-dry, but I’ve got to wonder what NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) presidents thought when they learned of UA’s plans. Why haven’t we heard their thoughts?

University of Alabama spokesperson Cathy Andreen told the Tuscaloosa News that the canceled classes would not be made up.

There are a couple of schools of thought with this action. One is, we know the importance of football at FBS schools so Alabama is at least being honest with its stance by saying it expected a drop in attendance, at least on the day of the game, so it went ahead and cancelled classes. The other message is one that contradicts what the NCAA has long worked to communicate – that academics take precedent over athletics in every circumstance.

As a PR professional, I can’t say I would have chosen to cancel classes if I was a college president who works daily to uphold the integrity of the NCAA’s academic-athletic message.

What would you have done?

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Tiger Tales…This is No Children’s PR Story

Gail Sideman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:46:35 +0000

Have you read and heard more than your share about Tiger Woods’ unfortunate meeting with a fire hydrant and a tree last Friday morning?

I think I have. But one last thing…and only because it’s the main, if not the biggest sports PR story this year, and is already leading Jay Leno’s monologue.

The quickie recap: World-famous professional golfer, Tiger Woods, decides to take a joy ride in his Cadillac Escalade at 2:30 Friday morning and upon leaving his driveway, tips a fire hydrant and makes contact with a neighbor’s tree. Upon hearing the ruckus, Woods’ wife Elin rushes out of the house and reportedly helps her husband. A neighbor calls 911 and tells the dispatcher that the victim is lying on the ground.

What occurs for the ensuing 72-plus hours is the making of a public relations case study that is still being written. Initial reports were that Woods was in serious condition after the accident. When his agent confirmed that Woods was treated and released, the public said “phew” … and then “huhhh?”

Gossip tattler, National Enquirer, earlier in the week, reported an alleged affair between Tiger and a New York nightclub hostess. Inquiring minds said, “we want to know what happened and why.” However, according to Florida law, Woods was in a traffic accident and he didn’t have to provide anything more than a driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. His attorney did that and Woods, via his website, said the rest would remain private.

The bottom line is this: In the early hours of the Tiger hunt, I, like many publicity and media professionals, said Woods was damaging his reputation by not talking to the public. If he didn’t want to speak with Florida Highway Patrol, that was his legal prerogative, but the public buys golf tournament tickets and Nike clothes emblazoned with his name….he owed the public and his sponsors an explanation to quell rumors of everything from domestic unrest to drugs and alcohol use.

All along I agreed that it was a double-edged sword. Woods, like all of us, deserves his privacy when he’s not playing golf or pitching a brand. However, His Privacy could be no longer unless he took charge of the message, which after 24 hours in the social mediasphere, not to mention mainstream media, was like a sand trap of rumors and innuendo.

I was in good company. Award-winning sportscaster, Len Berman said, “Finally, something the control freak couldn’t control. He should have pulled a ‘Letterman.’ Confront the issue publicly head-on and move along. (Ok…I said early that Woods should do a T.O. and do a presser in his front yard, but the essence is that we thought he should have spoken quickly and honestly.)

But my question to self is, today, what would Tiger say if he took to a podium now?

Fellow public relations professional, Amy Mengel, answered that question for me.

“At this point it’s been too long,” said Mengel who is @amymengel on Twitter. “[The] Public has made up its mind & judged him, regardless of what he says/does. Nothing to be gained.”

“I think he may have been able to quash things if he had come right out on Friday and said something, but that’s obviously not his style and would have contradicted his intensely private off-the-course lifestyle,” Mengel continued. “Saying anything now would just rekindle the fire. Fire can’t burn without oxygen, and so I think if he just keeps quiet, eventually this one will smolder out. There will always be questions, but if he just gets back to winning Majors, then people should quickly brush it under the rug.”

I tend to agree with Mengel, but only if things remain quiet for the next several days, weeks and months.

Atlanta Journal Constitution columnist, Mark Bradley, put the personal aspect of Woods’ situation in perspective in his blog entry:

“I say again: We are not naive. We have cause to believe something is indeed amiss in the Woods marriage. But that is not our business. Nobody has been arrested. No court documents have been filed. As much as we might hunger for the latest dollop of dope from TMZ, we have no inalienable right to satiation.”

So it’s come to this…nearly 100 hours after the incident. My biggest question now? Why did it take 10 minutes for an ambulance to get to Woods’ house in Windermere, Fla., that has a population of about 2,000, at 2:30 a.m?

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The Bowl Conundrum Structure Needs Public Relations Help

Gail Sideman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:28:17 +0000

BCS.

Sometimes that’s all you have to say to launch a storm of criticism about today’s way to select the best team in college football.

Just ask Bill Hancock, last week’s newly named executive director of the Bowl Championship Series. To be sure, Hancock is no Johnny-come-lately. He was the first director of the Final Four who helped grow that event to its immense stature, and in my brief interactions with him, found him to be one of the nicest individuals in college athletics. None of that would save him from what Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples called “one of the worst jobs in the world”, or an interview with Dan Patrick during which Hancock answered with scripted rhetoric and at times, seemed truly befuddled.

Hancock, in what was likely a planned strategy, took the helm of the BCS at the same time the organization’s social media went live. Almost immediately, the Twitter and Facebook pages’ mere existences brought about loads more jeers than cheers.

So, what’s an organization and seasoned sports manager to do when according to at least one poll, more than 70 percent dislike your system?

Hire outside consultants.

On November 21, BCS officials announced it hired Ari Fleischer Communications, a sports public relations firm headed by a former press secretary for President George W. Bush.

Upon learning of Fleischer’s hiring, I put out a question to my social media posse: Will the hiring of Ari Fleischer Communications help, hurt or not matter when it comes to the image of the BCS?

The answers came from sports fans and media contributors, alike. Among them:

“Not sure it will help,” said Scott Viar, who is @backseatgaffer on Twitter. “[It] will amount to spin control and little actual engagement with public perception of value of BCS v. playoff.”

“To the common fan his hiring will go unnoticed,” said Dave Haase (@cityvol on Twitter) “To the media it will be like blood in the water.”

I have been in the sports publicity business for a long time, and this is the fiercest I’ve ever witnessed a brand bashed by the public. I’ve long believed that the BCS needed image enhancement guidance. Will Fleischer, the same guy who swooped in to help the Green Bay Packers during the Brett Favre fiasco, be the one to help? He certainly can’t hurt, although as Haase said, much of his work may be more evident behind the scenes than to the average fan.

But what about all of the negative comments pouring in on the BCS Twitter page and on live blogs during interviews, such as the one Patrick conducted with Hancock? How does the BCS make it stop?

It doesn’t. At this point, I think it can only calm the waters from tidal wave to trickle.

I agree with Daniel Prager, who in a blog post, wrote in favor of the BCS’ Twitter presence. There must be dialogue between people who have an investment in the event. Right now, the majority sees the BCS as an organization that cares about little more than the dollars it generates. Through its communication via Twitter and Facebook, it must let fans and followers know they are heard and respected, regardless of their opinions. These are the same people who will potentially support modifications to the system, and sing praises to attentive responses, in the future. The BCS needs them.

The public is much more discriminating and has more avenues to voice their opinions than at any time since the inception of the college bowl structure. Condescending or non-attentive messaging have ways of traveling at warped speeds and when people are displeased, they will make sure those messages are shared ten-fold.

I wish the BCS luck, if only to make it a valuable publicity/PR teaching tool for sports administrators in the future. I will be glued to social and traditional media to see how this all plays out.

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