Sports PR

A major function of any solid public relations game plan is media training – the act of preparing a client for interviews and keeping him or her skilled in the specific messaging points that should be delivered to the media. A good PR practitioner should be able to anticipate the general themes and types of questions a client might face and properly prepare him or her accordingly. The teaching and reviewing of important messaging points with a client should also always include what subjects or issues to stay away from – i.e., it’s just as important to know what to [...]

One of the great things about sports is its ability to tap into one’s emotional side. Nothing else in life except sports can make a person experience joy, anger, fear and frustration in a span of thirty seconds. Whether it’s a big playoff game, a coaching change or a simple player acquisition; sports thrives on the emotional rollercoaster it can send people on. Fans, of course, are encouraged to be opinionated, loyal and obnoxious when it comes to sports (hence the term “fan” from the word fanatic). Even players and, on occasion, head coaches and managers are permitted to act [...]

My credo as a sports public relations and marketing professional has always been “Anything Goes Outside the Lines”. By which I mean that as along as you don’t interfere or disrupt the action on the field or court, nothing is off limits when it comes to promoting your team and trying to draw more fans to a game (within the spirit of good taste, of course). Even organizations for the major league-level teams can not just rely on the team and game itself to attract fans, especially in today’s sports age. Now battling numerous other avenues of entertainment that did [...]

It’s always interesting the type of sports stories the media decides all at the same time to pounce upon. Aside from the obvious sporting events that are routinely covered (the World Cup, Major League Baseball, the NBA Finals), there always seems to be an unusual story in the world of sports that most media outlets give special attention to. That story this past week was Abby Sunderland, the 16-year old American who was attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world. Her most recent attempt drew heavy media coverage when on Thursday it was thought she [...]

It is generally considered throughout the sports industry a good idea to stay as far away from political issues as possible. Sports teams understand that they are in the business of providing entertainment via athletics to as many people as their advertising, marketing and public relations efforts can reach. The absolute last thing any sports executive would want to do is alienate a demographic with a political opinion or message. However, once in a great while there comes a time in our country when a political issue collides with sports and some type of public response or action is necessary. [...]

One of the most popular sporting events in the United States is March Madness, the annual NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. Since the mid 1980’s, when the tournament expanded to include 64 teams, March Madness has jumped into the same class as the Super Bowl, World Series, Daytona 500 and the Masters as, arguably, one of the top five American sporting event. So when rumors began to surface recently that the NCAA is considering expanding the tournament to 96 teams, thus tinkering with the enormously successful formula that’s made March Madness so beloved, a reaction of anger and extreme disapproval from [...]

In the most recent chapter of Tiger Woods’ public relations saga, the embattled golfer granted interviews Sunday to ESPN and the Golf Channel that were aired simultaneously. The interviews were arranged by Woods’ new PR representation, Ari Fleischer Sports Communications, and included two unique and (most likely) unprecedented parameters that each network had to agree on in order to receive the tasty media treat. Woods’ reps insisted that the interview last no longer than five minutes and could not be promoted or announced publicly until one hour prior to airing. The networks, it was reported, were allowed to choose who conducted [...]

In an expected move announced late last week, Michael Jordan and his ownership group, MJ Basketball Holdings LLC, have purchased a controlling interest in the Charlotte Bobcats. Already a minority owner and the team’s head of basketball operations, Jordan bought out current owner Robert L. Johnson to take total control of the financially struggling franchise (pending league approval). Since the team’s inception in 2004, the Bobcats have struggled mightily to put fans in the seats and turn a profit. The organization has ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance each of its five seasons and has never come [...]