Turning On Strange Tides

Colin Bennett — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:00:30 +0000

We, as a society, have come along way into 2012. There have been boundaries pushed and broken through, new movements formed and new paths blazed not only from 2011, but going back since the beginning of this century. In many cases throughout modern history, the world of sports has helped to usher in those new eras.

Civil Rights movements have been edged along by the likes of Jackie Robinson and Jessie Owens. Men like Roberto Clemente have taught us the value of international altruism. Magic Johnson made the pain, struggle, and reality of AIDS the forefront of the global health discussion.

As a society, we still have a long way to go if we are to live in a country where everyone is created and deemed equal. While that is a discussion for another time (and I daresay another blog), it seems that through some of my reading this week that there are certain people who believe that the world of sports should be the spearhead of that change.

Why?

… [visit site to read more]

Turning On Strange Tides - Sports PR 101 - Sports PR 101 - A Public Relations Sports Blog

Ryan Braun, PEDs, the Media, and Other Things That Ruin a Perfectly Good Sunday

Colin Bennett — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:07:34 +0000

Full Disclosure – I wrote this article for the Milwaukee Brewers Fansided site Reviewing the Brew. I posted this article here as well because I thought the subject matter lent itself to our particular mission at Sports PR 101.

Yes, children, reigning NL MVP and Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun has failed a test for banned substances.

I am going to say that again, because I want to make my position on this matter very, very clear:

Ryan Braun has failed a test for banned substances.

There’s no way around this, there’s no way to defend or apologize for it. It’s a tough pill to swallow, Brewers fans – but then again pill swallowing is probably how we find ourselves in this situation today. The way it looks now, if everything from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Fox Sports, and ESPN’s accounts hold up, Ryan Braun knowingly took a substance that he was not allowed to take and did so without telling officials from Major League Baseball and the Milwaukee Brewers. It wasn’t a steroid or a PED, but it was a ‘prohibited substance’. There’s an easier way to say it – he cheated. It doesn’t matter to me if it was a Steroid, a Performance Enhancing Drug, a prohibited substance, or any other euphemism you want to use to justify it. He cheated.

I want to make something else clear as well. I’m not mad at Ryan Braun. I won’t apologize for him, I won’t defend him and I certainly will not justify his actions, but I’m not mad at him.

In fact, I should probably thank him … [visit site to read more]

Ryan Braun, PEDs, the Media, and Other Things That Ruin a Perfectly Good Sunday - Sports PR 101 - Sports PR 101 - A Public Relations Sports Blog