PR Disaster: The Pervasive Mismanagement of High-Profile Athletes

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

As part of a campaign politics course that I took at USC, I read a book titled "Hardball," written by political commentator and news anchor Chris Matthews. In the book, Matthews talks about the various lessons that he has learned during his time in politics through both personal and vicarious experiences. He develops his ideas through countless examples in politics that either directly or indirectly demonstrate the validity of the lesson at hand. Although he gears the book toward managing politicians, I think it applies very well to sports figures, too; both sets of people attract abnormal public attention on a daily basis. Inappropriate comments made by a Congressional leader during a hearing will undoubtedly be deconstructed on Meet the Press or The O'Reilly Factor just as negative comments made by a basketball player regarding poor officiating will air on SportsCenter. That being said, I want to take a particular concept that I came across in "Hardball"--hanging a lantern on your problem--out of politics and into the world of sports.

Here are some direct quotes from Matthews that describe exactly what it means to "hang a lantern on your problem":

• "…it's always better to be the bearer of your own bad news."

• "…if a question has been raised publicly about your personal background, you need to address the issue personally."

• "…when in doubt, get [the bad news] out."

• "[Hanging a lantern on your problem]…protects [you] from being surprised and embarrassed by hearing it from someone outside."

In summary, if there is a blemish on your resume, you, personally--not the media, not your teammates, not an anonymous fan--should reveal the shortcoming to the public. And if you cannot be the first to deliver the news, you need to acknowledge the news then either admit to it and apologize or provide adequate evidence to dispel it. Then move on and begin repairing your image. If you don't follow these steps, you supply your enemies and critics with dangerous ammunition in their war against you. Case in point:  Tiger Woods.

Much has been made about El Tigre's drama. You know the story already:  the prolific golfer drove his (expensive) SUV into a tree after midnight last Thanksgiving. He was then found lying on the curb, unconscious, with more cuts and bruises than Rihanna after an argument with Chris Brown. But what transpired next was the most intriguing; Tiger's PR team, whose name is now the You're F****ed Foundation, went into hibernation and took Mr. Woods with them! They literally disappeared from the face of the Earth for about three MONTHS. Now, I'm not suggesting that Tiger and his crew could have dealt with the rumors/speculation within the hour that the news broke. But why not that same day? What the hell could they have been doing?

Listening to ESPN Radio last night, the host, a woman whose name I forgot, claimed that the reason why Tiger fell so hard, so fast, is because he had given the public a "bill of goods." She claimed that Tiger sold himself as a legendary golfer, dedicated dad, faithful husband, smooth businessman, etc. And I agree--Tiger did create that image for himself. But I don't believe that the "bill of goods" lead to his downfall. Rather, it was his inability to hang a lantern on his problem. As a nation, we waited for him. We waited for his PR team. Hell, we would've been satisfied with his dad descending from heaven to provide us some clarity. We just wanted an answer! Some truth amidst all the rumors and speculation! (For instance, why did he sleep with woman #4 before he slept with woman #5? Woman #4 is so much hotter. Please tell us WHY?!) But instead, we got silence. Well, almost…

• PGA Tour veteran Ben Crane:  "This is not surprise to anyone who knows Tiger. He's a phony and a fake and he can't retain that squeaky-clean endorsement deal any longer."

• Golf great Tom Watson:  "It's bad for our game. It's something he needs to get control of and a handle on and make some amends and show some humility to the public…"

So while Tiger and his staff slept the months away, the media, fans, and other golfers took shots at the guy. Rumors that were not addressed turned into truth. Women who potentially slept with Tiger were crowned official mistresses. All because he didn't hang a lantern on his problem.

We have seen this mistake repeatedly in sports. In 2007, Alex Rodriguez emphatically responded "No" when Katie Couric asked him if he had ever used steroids, HGH, or any other PED. Over a year later, after reports surfaced that showed A-Rod had in fact used PEDs, the Yankees slugger negated his 2007 comments and admitted to ESPN's Peter Gammons that he used PEDs from 2001 to 2003. A-Rod and his PR team dropped the ball on several accounts. First, he had the chance to address the speculation and bear his own bad news, but failed to do so. And not only did he fail, but he lied in the process. It's one thing to dance around the issue (Barry Bonds) but it's another thing to lie and later be caught.

In our media-driven society, athletes are never safe. The news cameramen are everywhere, and when they are on break, average, unassuming citizens turn into nosy paparazzi wielding camera phones and hidden tape recorders. What then, is a high-profile athlete to do (besides stay away from controversy)? All together now:  Hang a lantern on your problem.