Pro Sports PR in the * Era
Cross-posted on the CustomScoop blog.
Watching the saga of NFL quarterback (and alleged dog fighting conspirator) Michael Vick unfold, I can only hope that professional sports associations are watching closely, and planning their public relations strategies accordingly. Responding quickly and resoundingly to these problems is the only way to avoid a massive image problem.
Even without Vick, the image of pro sports has been taking a beating lately—baseball steroid scandals leaving asterisks all over the record books, Olympic judging mishaps, raucous off-field antics from high-profile football players, doping accusations in the Tour de France, the diminishing stature of pro boxing, professional wrestler Chris Benoit’s murder-suicide—the list appears boundless.
Add to that a scandal as egregious as the allegations against Vick, who is not only accused of running an illegal pit-bull fighting operation, Bad Newz Kennels, but of participating in the gruesome, needlessly cruel deaths of the dogs who did not perform up to expectations—including hangings, beatings, drowning, even electrocution. If Vick is found guilty, the NFL would have no choice but to banish him from the league permanently; this is not a situation where a suspension would cut it in terms of maintaining the already shaky reputation of the NFL when it comes to disciplining players for off-field behavior.
Thus far, Vick has been banned from the Atlanta Falcons training camp, pending an official NFL investigation into the dog fighting accusations. Nike and Reebok have also both pulled Vick products from shelves and suspended their endorsement deals with the troubled star. Yesterday, one of his co-defendants pled guilty to the charges, and some are speculating this could be a sign of big trouble for Vick.
Unfortunately for Vick and the Falcons, I can’t foresee an outcome in this case that could allow Vick to return to work this season without massive PR repercussions, including howls of protest (no pun intended) from PETA and other animal rights organizations. And, in the wake of the Pacman Jones debacle and near-constant drum-beating for a crackdown on player behavior, the NFL’s best move may be to ban Vick from playing this season altogether–and to do so immediately rather than waiting for a courtroom resolution.
Justice is blind, but in business, the court of public opinion must sometimes trump our nation’s “innocent until proven guilty” philosophy. Suspending Vick for the season (as the league has already done in the Pacman Jones situation) sends a clear message that pro sports will not tolerate criminal behavior, and win the league some PR points–despite the fact that to do so before due process is served may not be fair.
Do you agree? Should the widespread anti-Vick sentiment color the NFL’s disciplinary decisions? Would you root for Vick again if he is cleared of the charges (though the likelihood of that seems slim)?
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