Reppin’ Ain’t Easy in the Sports Industry
David Belyea // February 22, 2012
The media and sports have an intimately linked and dynamic relationship. Professional athletes and coaches often find themselves in the middle of publicity whether they wish it or not. The media can help athletes launch successful careers, but it can also turn athletes into magnets for unfavourable attention, especially as regards their personal lives. Fans of any sport in the world can surely remember some of the more unfortunate media discoveries that have warped the public image of players and coaches. What fans may not know is that those same unfortunate media discoveries created a living nightmare for some poor public relations practitioner.
Case in point: Tiger Woods. Despite 71 PGA Tour wins, his sex scandal made international headlines, completely ruining his marriage and any dignity he may have had. Other notable situations include the Major League Baseball (MLB) steroid and performance enhancing drug (PED) cases that have in recent years been subject of scrutiny amongst some of baseball’s elite and fan-friendly players. Athletes who were proven guilty in that controversy include Manny Ramirez, Andy Pettite, and Rafael Palmeiro who many considered obvious first-ballot inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
A recent example fresh in our memories is the disturbing case of legendary Penn State University football coach, Joe Paterno. The well-renowned icon had served as head coach for over 60 years and enjoyed an illustrious career, receiving record-setting accolades including numerous Coach of the Year awards–he even had a statue on campus named in his honour. However, Paterno’s dynasty as head coach came to an abrupt halt in November, as an investigation revealed he had failed to report assistant coach Jerry Sandusky to police following sex crime allegations. In the world’s eyes, Joe Paterno’s legacy on the field may very well be overshadowed because of his actions off the field.
Reputation management is the name of the game when it comes to superstar status. The ever-growing fascination between the public and celebrities has steadily risen to unprecedented levels. It’s now gotten to the point where reporters exploring a professional athlete’s background and relationships are considered a common side-effect of fame. When questionable circumstances surround athletes, they present an opportunity for the media to really become involved and develop the story (which, coincidentally, often means attacking players and coaches).
While some headlines may be blown out of proportion, we must give credit where credit is due. Reporters and media outlets ensure that prominent sports figures are held accountable for their actions, however colossal or minor the issue may be. But the media also have a no-holds-barred approach to uncovering stories. Over-dramatizations of small events can therefore become the centre of national or international attention.
The media spectacle LeBron James created to announce he would sign with the Miami Heat in 2010 is a perfect example. As the basketball sensation made it official by airing a one-hour special called “The Decision” on ESPN, the highly unnecessary tribute received overwhelmingly positive reviews and harsh criticisms, depending on how the media outlet’s reporter framed the story.
Since sports celebrities are closely monitored by the media, the message they portray to the fans and general public have direct impacts on the mass audience who admire them. One simple mistake can reflect poorly on an athlete for the rest of their life. They must realize their personal and professional indiscretions can have major side-effects, and leave lasting impressions in the minds of their fans–current or potential. Unfortunately, crises happen on what seems to be a regular basis. Enter the public relations practitioner with an attempt to mitigate the disaster to the best of their ability. Situations such as this can be extremely ethically sensitive; practitioners must step carefully and avoid any actions that may result in them being slapped with the ‘spin doctor’ label, destroying any effort they have made to maintain a client’s reputation (or salvage it, at the very least).
In the case of Coach Paterno at Penn State, his actions resulted in his dismissal from the school’s football program and the statue to be removed from campus. This is one of those instances where the need for transparency was not addressed from the beginning, and Paterno suffered greatly from it. Sadly, Joe Paterno passed away January 22, 2012, at the age of 85 due to lung cancer. Unfortunately, being wrapped up in the Sandusky trial may likely overshadow the infamous coach’s spectacular reputation.
With prominent figures such as Penn State board of trustees and university President Rodney Erickson speaking to how genuine and outstanding a person Paterno was, this should serve as a wake-up call to the sports industry across the globe. Athletes should take to heart what public relations practitioners know to be fact: the media have a significant and potentially dangerous influence over public opinion that should never be overlooked. Underestimate the power of the media, add in a poor personal or professional decision by a celebrity athlete or sports figure, and you have a formula for disasters.
Serving as a global icon for decades and renowned as the face of his sport (much like Joe Paterno) Brazilian soccer player Pele once stated “… I have a great responsibility to show [children] not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man.” As professionals in the sporting world, athletes and coaches must realize that some of life’s most severe penalties occur off the field and not between whistles – and they have the potential to last a lifetime.
