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Gail Sideman

Author Archive | Gail Sideman

Athletes Step Up to Help Haiti Earthquake Victims

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…

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

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’…

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Florida Football Coach Provides PR Case Study to End the Year

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…

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

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…

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Tiger Tales…This is No Children’s PR Story

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…

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The Bowl Conundrum Structure Needs Public Relations Help

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…

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No Rush To Invest In Questionable PR

Most everything that could be written and discussed about in recent news that Rush Limbaugh wanted to buy into a group seeking to purchase the St. Louis Rams, has been said and documented. What’s lingered in the back of the room is the reality of why the conservative talk show host was bumped from potential…

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T.O. Blames Media for Reputation. Really?

Buffalo Bills receiver, Terrell Owens, went into a postgame press conference after his team was defeated by the New Orleans Saints because it was mandated by the National Football League that he do so. (He also went catchless for zero yards and touchdowns for the first time in 185 games.) {The following is the background…

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Serena Steals the Spotlight for All the Wrong Reasons

Will public relations help dig professional tennis star out of controversy? Two weeks later, and people are still talking about the Serena Slam on a U.S. Open linesperson. I spoke to a friend today who just got off the tennis court and described a controversial call. She said not to worry – that she didn’t…

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It Takes More Than Balls To Achieve PR Success In Sports

I’ve recently seen several people say they would like to see the meaning of PR change from public relations to people relations. Whatever you call it, teams and athletes are better for using it in their professional arsenals. As we take in the U.S.(tennis) Open these next two weeks, we’re reminded of the added value…

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Sports Public Relations Critical to Athlete Playbook

We’ve heard the words “public relations” tossed around quite a bit this summer, particularly when an athlete or coach scrambles to save face after behaving badly. My concern as someone who’s worked in sports PR in some shape or form for most of my professional life, is that I increasingly hear consumers talk about press…

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SEC Caught in PR Firestorm Over Social Media Policy

Southeastern Conference associate commissioner for media relations, Charles Bloom, has had better weeks. Actually, so has everyone in the SEC offices in Birmingham, Ala. Just days after a conference ticket policy went into place, the SEC began to receive unprecedented criticism from season ticket holders at its 12 member schools to media nationwide. The primary…

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