NFL PR Disaster Narrowly Avoided in 2010 Super Bowl

The importance of the coin toss (Getty Images)

With Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts driving in the fourth quarter; what I’d pay to get inside the mind of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during that moment. Could the Super Bowl be headed to an overtime, where the all-important coin toss could decide the champion? With an NFL PR disaster looming on the horizon, thank you, Tracy Porter. Without Porter’s game-sealing interception of Manning, the game may have been decided by not the players on the field but by a silver coin rotating in the air. Let’s face it; the NFL’s sudden death overtime policy is terrible. Football fans have been calling for reform for many years now. Any time a kicker can sit on the sideline all game, jog out on the field in overtime, and kick a 48 yard field goal for the victory: how is that not considered a disappointment? Four quarters of bone-crushing football all for a slapshot field goal for the win? The NFL can do better, and they will.

Tracy Porter's Super Bowl interception (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

How would the world respond to a Super Bowl overtime decided by a kicker? It wouldn’t be good from a PR standpoint. Anytime there’s potential for an organization to receive scrutiny that harms its reputation, changes need to be made in advance. The NFL would have went into a defensive position if the Super Bowl ended with overtime controversy. The NFL caught a huge break from Mr. Porter in the 2010 Super Bowl. Without his interception, the inevitable coin toss may have factored into the outcome of the game. Following the conclusion of the 2010 Super Bowl, the NFL negotiated a policy change with league owners in its overtime system. According to an article on bleacherreport.com, “The rule change states that if the first team to possess the ball in overtime scores a touchdown, the game is over. However, if a team only kicks a field goal, the defending team will get the ball also.” This new rule also only applies to playoff games.

Although the sudden death format isn’t completely extinct, the NFL has took a step in the right direction and avoided potential criticism in the future.

 

Analyzing the PR Executed by Tiger Woods and Nike

Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world. A year ago, he had a squeaky clean reputation: a private, family man; happily married with two children; the world’s first billionaire athlete. What happened, Tiger?

Thanksgiving Day of 2009 happened. Tiger Woods crashed his vehicle outside his own home in Jupiter Beach, Florida, setting off a series of shocking revelations about golf’s greatest star. Rumors began surfacing about domestic abuse from his wife Elin. Did she play a major role in Woods’ single-vehicle accident? One week later, news unfolded that Tiger had nine mistresses including two porn stars. What would Tiger do now to salvage his career, marriage and reputation? Tiger needed a public relations plan.

Fame is the number one problem for Tiger. Whether he knows it or not, Tiger is a public figure. You cannot be the richest athlete in the world and be a private citizen. It’s a tough reality, and being famous comes at a price. You cannot hide from fame. People take interest in athletes inside and outside the realm of competition. Society calls these people role models. Tiger Woods is a role model, and he must accept this responsibility. When Tiger tells the media that the incident on Thanksgiving is “a private matter and I want to keep it that way,” he is correct. However, Tiger is wrong because it’s a matter of public concern. This story isn’t about the average husband and wife. I don’t blame Tiger for wanting to keep the issue away from the media. Any of us in Tiger’s position would want the same. However, it doesn’t work that way when you’re Tiger Woods. Truth is the best way to free oneself from public scrutiny. Tiger should have issued a press conference immediately addressing his mistakes and asked for the world’s forgiveness. Instead, Tiger delayed and withheld information from the media, allowing for speculation and massive criticism. When a story breaks, the media will dig until all facts become public knowledge. Tiger should have responded differently. The silent treatment to the media didn’t work with a story of this magnitude.

Following the events on Thanksgiving, Tiger has lost many endorsement deals adding up to over $180 million. However, his longtime partnership with Nike has remained intact. Nike has created many commercials promoting Woods since he turned pro as an amateur.

How would the marketing team at Nike handle Tiger’s newly revealed public image? Nike created a commercial using a sound bite from his deceased father, Earl Woods. Tiger and his father had a very close relationship. Nike used Tiger’s infidelity to promote an ad emphasizing that all humans make mistakes, even the people we respect and admire. I thought it was a good marketing ploy on behalf of Nike, even if people disagree with Nike’s position. Everyone needs a second chance, and I commend Nike for revealing that truth.

We’re all humans, and humans make mistakes. Accepting responsibility for our actions will deflect negative publicity in the news. Look at New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte. He publicly admitted his use of steroids. We don’t hear about Pettitte’s steroid use in the media anymore. Compare Pettitte’s testimony with Barry Bonds, and we have a different story. If you make a mistake, tell the truth, and tell it quickly.

 

Chip Kelly’s PR Nightmare of 2010

September 3, 2009 - Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images North America

It’s easy for people to question Chip Kelly’s disciplinary action. With multiple arrests following a historic Rose Bowl season, Kelly had to earn his salary throughout his first official year as the Ducks coach. As a student at the University of Oregon, I love Oregon football. The tension between students and athletes, however, does not resonate with me. Many students at this University fail to understand the complexity of balancing school with a sports schedule. I am a believer in education, but I also understand the importance of athletics to this University.

When separate off-the-field incidents involving LaMichael James and Jeremiah Masoli surfaced in the media, people demanded immediate action from Coach Kelly. Oregonian columnist John Canzano interviewed Kelly on his radio show, The Bald Faced Truth, following the arrest of LaMichael James. In a heated debate, Canzano accused Kelly of running a program similar to UNLV’s former basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian. Tarkanian frequently had numerous players violate the law during his tenure at UNLV. Chip Kelly responded to all the pressure and heat by simply saying, “I will decide on discipline when I get all the facts.”

When someone is arrested, it doesn’t mean the person is guilty. The process of the judicial system supplies the verdict. I commend Coach Kelly for waiting to receive all the necessary facts and information before issuing any type of suspension. The key messages Coach Kelly expressed to the media remained consistent throughout the entire series of off-season issues:

Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James (Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

1) The alleged actions taken by certain members of the football team will not be tolerated.

2) Before issuing a suspension or dismissal, all facts will be evaluated.

3) Player conduct on and off the football field is a message discussed every day.

4) If the player cannot be trusted, the player cannot play football at the University of Oregon.

5) Playing football at the University of Oregon is a privilege not an obligation.

6) Most players on the football team are doing the right thing.

Mike Bellotti never dealt with an off-season quite like the one Kelly just finished. Can you blame his form of discipline? Did Coach Bellotti establish a better system of player conduct? I think it’s a hard argument. Bellotti helped recruit the players who violated the law. Urban Meyer at the University of Florida has had 27 players arrested since taking over as the Gators coach in 2005. Meyer also has two BCS National Championships during that time. Any time a program experiences issues that are rare and foreign, people will react differently. Should we join Canzano and accuse Kelly of not understanding the totality of being a head football coach? Kelly deals with his players every day. Certain information isn’t made public for the protection of his team and the University of Oregon. Canzano has the right to his own opinion, but he’s a journalist who lives in Portland. He doesn’t know what Chip knows.

 

Welcome to PR Sports Spot

My name is Jackson Mehl. I am a senior at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication. I graduate in the spring of 2010; however, my educational journey is not over. I will enroll at Lane Community College in the fall of 2010 to begin my associate’s degree coursework to become a paramedic. I believe public relations is a versatile degree requiring essential skills needed in any type of profession.

This blog is designed to focus on public relation topics in sports. I have a knowledgeable background not only as an avid sports follower but also as a participant playing four years of collegiate baseball. Many sports figures need some help in the area public relations. Through this blog, I hope to explore and engage in the various public relations issues in the world of sports.