The Real Athlete Blog

So what do you do when you find your star athlete, celebrity, or politician in the eye of a controversial media storm?

Athletes in trouble. Celebrities and politicians, too. We see it every day. Tune into SportsCenter, the local news, CNN, talk radio, troll around the Internet, and guess what? Without fail, you are going to hear or read about someone saying or doing something so unbelievably dumb, so profoundly stupid, you find yourself staring at the screen in utter disbelief saying, "Wow. Really? Did they really just say/do that?!? You can't be serious!"
 
Whether amateur or professional status, one of the things athletes and their "handlers" will face at some point in their career is a crisis. It's inevitable. Unfortunately, it is all too commonplace that the athlete at the center of controversy and their "handlers" will be foolish enough to think, "Oh, we can handle this! Here's what we'll say/won't say. This is what we'll do. What's the worst that could happen? This will blow over...ummm...it will, won't it?" Their reactions and responses will range from blame assessment, vehement denials, finger pointing, and the worst possible response ever, the clueless, deer in headlights "no comment." We've seen it all too often. Athletes and/or teams in peril providing us with case studies in what NOT to do.
 
It is easy to pass judgment and point fingers when watching those in the spotlight flat out flail in front of the cameras. The pressure is tremendous. The world is watching and people who have never experienced the culture of what life is like at THIS level - the level of being inside the world of professional sports and entertainment - have NO idea what these athletes are faced with. 
 
Then there are those who've weathered the storm, lost endorsements, served their penalties/suspensions, etc., and dealt with significant (albeit temporary) damage to their reputations. But they came back, and arguably stronger than ever. Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps, Charles Barkley, Jason Giambi, and Andy Pettite, and you can even toss in LeBron James after his refusal to shake the hands of the Orlando Magic after the Cavs Eastern Conference Finals loss this past season. These individuals lost endorsement deals and credibility, but they all recovered.
 
Why? How? What's the difference between rebounding and faltering? How did these individuals find themselves overcoming the controversial situations they faced in the public eye?
 
For starters, they faced it head on. They owned their level of responsibility. They held themselves accountable for their actions and they worked hard to get through it. Their messages were consistent. Their apologies were sincere. Their "humaness" was believable and real. But prior to whatever reputation or sponsorship damaging issue that confronted them, they built a significant bank of goodwill with the media, the public, and their fanbase. And somewhere in the midst of it all, at the core was a sound communications strategy designed to help them face these painful issues head on, deal with them, and work through them. Both in front of and behind the cameras.
 
So what are you going to do when the situation impacts you? When you or one of the players in your organization are in the hot seat? Well here's one thing you don't want to do - have a group of publicists, lawyers, managers, agents, or "your boys," trying to fix your reputation in the public arena through the media WITHOUT the help of a skilled, seasoned and proven public relations professional. Look, no offense, we work with all of the aforementioned parties, but they are NOT the people designed to handle your reputation and how it is managed in the court of public opinion.
 
You see, it's not about spin. It's about telling your story. It's about accountability, ownership, moving forward, and making sure the story is balanced. When you're honest, no matter how painful it is, the public will tend to forgive you. Will it be easy? No. Will it be painful? Absolutely. Will it impact your bottom line? Potentially. But recovery all depends on the plan you put in place, how well you execute it, and how closely your client (i.e., the athlete at the center of it all) LISTENS and STAYS ON STRATEGY. Do it right and you're on the road to recovery faster. Not so well and sponsorship deals, contract renewals, post-career opportunities, reputation blemishes, along with the fallout in the court of public opinion (and in some cases, legal) can be impacted in less than favorable ways.
 
Recovery depends on a number of factors, many listed above. But one thing is certain. A solid team of PR pros and a sound communications strategy is your best bet. And have them on board and in place from the beginning. Prepare for the crisis BEFORE it happens with anything and everything you do because success for your clients starts and stops with that solid communications strategy.
 
Remember, the fans and the public ultimately are forgiving IF you do not offend them. Yes, nobody is perfect, but normal people do not live under the microscope the way athletes and celebrities do. That's one of the things people forget. If our lives were viewed by all, how would we handle it? In my opinion, it's one of the reasons why if you own it, admit it, ask for forgiveness, be sincere in your apology, show contrition, deal with the pain and anguish and fall out, and show you are committed to seeing it through. You'll eventually be forgiven. Especially if you get back to what you were doing and perform at a high level on the field of play, with solid relationships with media, fans, and teammates to go along with that.
 
And guess what? You got it. It's all centered around a solid communications strategy!
 
Thanks for your time. Hope you found this helpful.

 
 
As the CEO of the Los Angeles, California based Comment Communications (formerly known as Elevation Sports & Entertainment), part of Wesley Mallette's responsibility is to lead his company's crisis response strategy for their clients when they find themselves in adverse situations and their reputation and image is on the line.  Comment focuses on strategic public relations, media training, image consulting, crisis communication and issues management, in the sports and entertainment world. By leveraging the team's expertise and deep relationships with the media, they work with their clients to help tell their stories and position the athletes and companies they represent in a way that will allow them to maneuver successfully through today's complex traditional and social media environment.