Peyton Manning Uses the Media to Make a Strong Point

Generally, in the wide world of sports, when an athlete speaks out and criticizes their own organization in the media, that athlete comes across spoiled and immature and inevitably humbles themselves with an apology (usually by reading an insincere statement drafted by their agent).

But earlier this week we saw an example of a veteran athlete, concerned about the direction of his team, make a calculated statement to the media questioning his organization’s front office leadership and decision making.

In this case, the athlete, Peyton Manning, strategically used the media to not only send a message to his owner and front office but also to the fans and community.

On May 14, Indianapolis Colts’ offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd unexpectedly retired due a change in the NFL’s pension program. In order to save some salary and savings under the new pension plan, the two coaches relinquished their titles and were instead named as team consultants.

However, NFL Coaches Association executive director Larry Kennan has now indicated that Moore and Mudd would have to wait six months before they’re allowed to return to the organization in any capacity.

The Colts suffered a bigger coaching loss in January when longtime head coach Tony Dungy, who guided the team to a Super Bowl title just two seasons ago, retired and was replaced by associate head coach Jim Caldwell - his first NFL head coaching job.

So with a rookie head coach and huge questions regarding the status of the team’s offensive coaching staff, Colts’ quarterback and NFL superstar Peyton Manning stepped up and sent a powerful message to “the powers that be” with the following emotional statement:

“I wouldn’t say I totally like the way it is right now. It’s not normal not having a full coaching staff. I know we hired a couple of guys to come in, but these guys are learning. I think the communication has been pretty poor in my opinion, but that’s what we’re dealing with…

"Somebody says one thing, then somebody else says another thing…I’m not sure everybody’s on the same page in this building. I’m just trying to focus on playing quarterback well.”

Since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Colts in 1998, Manning has become one of the most successful players in NFL history. His clean cut image, dedication to his charitable foundation and his unparalleled success as a celebrity product endorser has made Manning arguably the most popular athlete in all of American sports.

Manning is probably the most valuable asset any sports organization can possess. In no uncertain terms, he’s the franchise and an enormous part of the NFL.

Manning has also been extremely media-savvy throughout his career, always representing his organization with class and never hurting the team or a teammate with a inappropriate statement – even one out of anger or frustration (except maybe one harmless quote a few years ago about an “idiot kicker," but we all know Manning was on the money with that one).

So it was very impressive the way Manning recognized the potential problems affecting his team and, as its leader, stood up and took charge – sending a message via the media.

As a result, the team’s fans and community know that their beloved captain and leader is unhappy with the organization. And if Peyton’s unhappy, oh boy, all Colts fans are unhappy…and probably really mad.

Manning's message delivered through the media puts pressure on the Colts’ front office to resolve the problem, and resolve it fast because now the team’s fans and community are involved.

Only an athlete with the stature of a Peyton Manning could make such a poignant public statement.

Another great display of play calling and execution by #18.

Nike and Vitamin Water Venture into Risky PR Territory with Ad Campaigns

Although most sports organizations divide up its business into separate departments (marketing, advertising, sales, community relations, etc.) the one common denominator in all areas of operations is public relations.

Anytime a sports organization communicates a message of any type to its audience, the message must be vetted by a public relations expert to sniff out any potential communications missteps or embarrassing blunders.

Two separate advertising campaigns promoting LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have been in full swing this NBA Playoff season as Nike’s “Most Valuable Puppets” and Vitamin Water’s “The Great Debate” have pitted the two NBA superstars against each other in a fun and clever showcase.

On the surface the ads are great and, I would imagine, have delivered the two brands immediate marketing success. But it’s clear that the intention for both brands is to ride the ad campaigns all the way through the NBA Finals while promoting the two players as the league’s best.

Basically, Nike and Vitamin Water invested a lot of money on the notion that LeBron and Kobe would meet in this year’s NBA Finals.

The only problem is I’m not sure the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets got the memo that the product pitchmen are supposed to advance and meet in the league’s championship series (both the Magic and Nuggets are challenging, respectively, LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers and Kobe’s Los Angeles Lakers in the Conference Finals).

Now if one or even both players should fail to advance to the NBA Finals, the advertising campaigns would be far from a catastrophe or even an embarrassment. In fact, the campaigns could still be considered a success.

But with the campaigns’ strategy centered on LeBron and Kobe meeting in The Finals, Nike and Vitamin Water put itself at risk for not only a disappointing adverting and marketing campaign but it opened themselves up for negative PR reception in the media and trades.

Remember the marketing and PR nightmare following the launch of Reebok’s Dan & Dave campaign?

The Dan & Dave TV and print ads where a huge advertising and marketing effort from Reebok that centered around rival American decathletes Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson’s bid to win gold in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona.

Considered a lock that both athletes would make the U.S. Olympic Team and strong favorites to medal, the

Reebok campaign featured the tagline, "Who will be the world's greatest athlete – Dan or Dave? To be settled in Barcelona.”

So when O’Brien shockingly failed to qualify for the Olympic Team and Johnson earned only a bronze medal, the entire campaign became a flop and Reebok suffered a serious financial and PR hit.

Whenever you put your brand name behind an athlete, there’s always some level of PR risk.

There are never any guarantees that the athlete’s performance on the playing field won’t diminish or that the athlete won’t be involved in an embarrassing legal or personal issue.

So to take that risk one step further and invest millions of dollars into a prediction on how your athlete will perform on the field (or on the court, in LeBron’s and Kobe’s case) makes your brand even more vulnerable and susceptible to a negative PR impact.

Maybe the NFL Will Let Vick Play, But Teams Should Stay Far Away

With the impending prison release of former Atlanta Falcons superstar Michael Vick on the horizon, there are a number of factors and issues the National Football League has to consider and prepare to deal with. This situation is, for obvious reasons, a highly sensitive and potentially explosive one that Commissioner Roger Goodell will have to thoroughly review and handle appropriately – which there’s no doubt he’ll do.

Regardless of ones personal feelings about Vick, the fact is he’ll soon complete his prison sentence and fulfill the conditions of his punishment for the crimes he committed. So as far as society goes, Vick will be a free man and able to move on with his life – which will most likely involve an attempt at a return to the NFL.

Although the NFL and Commissioner Goodell will have to determine how much longer Vick’s indefinite suspension will continue, individual teams are already considering whether or not they’d be interested in signing the three-time all-pro quarterback.

From a public relations perspective, it will be very dangerous for an organization to publicly acknowledge that it’s even considering signing Vick. The specifics of Vick’s crimes are still very fresh in the minds of many sports fans, and the nature of those crimes will never be understood or easily forgiven.

So for a team to endure the heavy scrutiny and intense negative reaction by the media and to jeopardize the support and trust of its fans and community by signing Vick, you have to be certain the QB will regain his Pro Bowl caliber game and be able to perform at the world-class level he once did.

If Vick joins a team and he struggles, the media firestorm surrounding the organization will burn a thousand times hotter then it would if he had put up big numbers on the field and led a winning team into the playoffs.

America loves a winner. And whether it's fair or not, almost any athlete can be forgiven for almost anything in America…as long as that athlete is a winner.

Look at Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. In 2000 Lewis was indicted for murder and aggravated assault when a fight between his group of friends and a rapper’s entourage, following a post game Super Bowl party in Atlanta, left two men dead.

In exchange for reducing the charges against him to obstruction of justice (a misdemeanor) and probation, Lewis testified against two of his associates and walked away essentially a free man (three years later Lewis reached financial settlements with families of both murdered men and avoided certain civil actions).

Since the ugly and tragic incident, Lewis has gone on to win a Super Bowl, be named its MVP, win two NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards, earned six more Pro Bowl selections and now stands as a certain lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Despite suffering some initial taint to his public image, Lewis’s reputation rebounded quite well and he has since earned millions of dollars in endorsement deals.

If Lewis wasn’t a great player, would the Ravens, along with their fans and community, have stood behind him and allowed to him to continue to play for their team?

Not to mention the NFL (pre Goodell), that only fined Lewis and didn’t suspend him for even one game.

During his time with the Falcons (2001-2006), Vick experienced great success on the field and became a bonafide NFL superstar. But after almost two years in Leavenworth Prison, a federal medium-security institution, it’s extremely doubtful that Vick would be able to perform anywhere close to the level he played at before his incarceration.

For a professional athlete to miss two seasons during the prime of his career is a very significant loss of time. When you add the fact that the athlete has been locked away from society and unable to train or keep up with a proper dietary regiment important for a pro athlete, the probability Vick will rise again as a good player, let alone a great one, is remote.

So for an NFL team to take a chance on Vick would be extremely unwise. When you weigh the pros and cons, it makes no sense to try to incorporate Vick into your organization and your team’s community.

The media, fans and community surrounding a team would voice severe opposition to adding a player of Vick’s questionable character and criminal background, causing a public relations and marketing nightmare.

When you factor in further the extremely thin chance of Vick excelling again at the professional level, you have to realize that even considering signing Vick is a bad idea for a pro sports organization that relies heavily on its team brand and support from its community and fans.

Smooth PR Move Executed by ESPN

ESPN announced earlier this week that Tony Kornheiser voluntarily relinquished his spot as color commentator in the Monday Night Football broadcast booth and that former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden is replacing him.

On the surface it seems like a logical move by ESPN to transition Gruden into Kornheiser’s position.

Kornheiser citied his fear of flying as the reason for stepping down from the booth. No one can blame a person who’s suffering from flying anxiety for wanting to limit his air travel.

Plus Kornheiser is not leaving the network; he’s remaining as co-host of ESPN’s highly successful talk show, Pardon the Interruption.

Gruden was a very successful and respected head coach for the Bucs. During his seven years in Tampa Bay the team won its first-ever Super Bowl, made three playoff appearances and tallied an overall record of 95-81. Considering the history of the Bucs, that's an astonishing mark.

Gruden’s record on the field and his personality and charisma off it made him one of the most popular coaches in the game.

So, all-in-all, things seemed pretty smooth in media-land when a press release was issued announcing the broadcast change and then Gruden hit the airways promoting his new job with ESPN.

But one has to wonder if this was an amicable move for all parties involved or if ESPN pulled off a great public relations coup.

We’re all aware of the problems MNF has suffered during the last few years. Ratings have struggled, the game had to move from ABC to ESPN and certain selections of color analysts have been, to put it mildly, questionable (has anyone figured out yet what Dennis Miller was doing 10 miles within a sports broadcast booth?).

Before joining the MNF broadcast team in 2006, Kornheiser was already a popular and respected personality in the sports media world. His funny and satirical columns made him a popular read in the Washington Post sports pages and put him on the map.

He then parlayed his writing style into a successful sports talk radio show in Washington D.C. and, ultimately, became a national sports personality (along with Post colleague Michael Wilbon) from his work on PTI.

Kornheiser’s style of balancing his witty and sarcastic insight with news and current events in the sports world is his trademark. He’s one of the best at using that technique.

But it was clear he was not a good choice in joining Joe Theismann as a replacement for the legendary John Madden in the MNF booth. And after Theismann left MNF after just one season, teaming Kornheiser with Ron Jaworski as color analysts also did not fare very well.

Although you have to admire the MNF people for trying to broaden their audience with a unique type of analyst, it was obvious that the broadcast suffered and Kornheiser was a mistake.

It’s a mystery, though, as to why ESPN stuck with Kornheiser for three seasons. Maybe they thought he would improve or maybe the network wanted to avoid another personnel decision that would further damage the once prestigious MNF brand.

Oh, and the excuse of Kornheiser being so afraid of flying, all of a sudden, he had to give up the best weekly broadcasting gig in all of sports also seems kind of suspicious.

Although it’s known within the industry that Kornheiser has problems with flying and certainly isn’t comfortable with it, when you look a little deeper at the situation his fear appears more of a convenient excuse than a legitimate psychological condition.

And it’s also convenient that ESPN was able to lock-up Gruden and get him ready for a publicity tour before announcing Kornheiser’s departure – a little too slick, wouldn’t you say?

But ESPN definitely pulled off a smooth PR move with the simultaneous announcements of Kornheiser leaving and Gruden coming aboard the MNF ship.

The network was able to strategically craft the story’s focus to be Gruden’s venture into the MNF broadcasting booth and shifted media attention away from Kornheiser leaving and another failed MNF experiment.

Excellent job by ESPN.

The Yankees Need to Get it Together, PR-Wise

We’re all aware of the public relations problems the New York Yankees have suffered this season. The new stadium has brought a ton of negative press upon the Yankees (tax-free bonds, elimination of city fields and parks, exorbitant new prices, etc.) and the organization, like it or not, has had to recognize and deal with the extra distractions.

Maybe the Yankees PR problems are their own fault, maybe their not. Either way, the Yankees have to accept the glaring PR issues and deal with them much more affectively and professionally.

The worst thing an organization could do, especially one as well known as the New York Yankees, is underestimate the severity of a PR crisis. Like all pro sports teams, the Yankees most valuable asset is their brand. And anything that threatens (or might threaten) the brand must be dealt with immediately, strategically and clearly.

It may be too soon to critique the Yankees overall PR effort for this season. But it’s fair to say, today, the organization has not been consistent and has done a poor job delivering its message to fans, the community and the media.

The team’s PR messaging has not been clear.

The problem, it seems, is that there are too many Yankee representatives speaking to the media on behalf of the organization. When that happens, it’s only a matter of time before PR errors are made. And the Yankees have already made two big ones.

The first error revolves around the recent controversy regarding a new policy at Yankee Stadium. Beginning this year, in the new ballpark, fans were no longer allowed to make pregame visits to the various seating areas near the playing field (unless they had a ticket) in order to meet players and get autographs.

In the past, fans came early to the stadium to hangout near the Yankees dugout or in the outfield-area seats to snag batting practice homers. It was a great treat for fans that, for some reason, was eliminated with the opening of the new stadium.

Fans were understandably upset and voiced strong complaints and expressions of displeasure that have surfaced in the media the last few weeks, adding more embarrassment to the Yankees season.

With pressure mounting on the organization, Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost addressed the media in defense of this Yankees policy with the following statement: “If you purchase a suite, do you want somebody in your suite? If you purchase a home, do you want somebody in your home?"

What? Huh?

Apparently Trost didn’t fully grasp what the issue was about and made the Yankees look even worse in the eyes of their fans and community.

WISELY…a few days later the Yankees announced, via a statement, that the new policy has been relaxed and fans are now allowed to enter those seating sections prior to the game without a ticket. The statement was issued by “Yankees spokesperson” Alice McGillion who is actually an employee of Rubenstein, a huge public relations agency that represents the Yankees.

Rubenstein is a tremendous asset for any organization to employ for its crisis communications and mid to long range PR goals and strategies. But don’t let them be a mouthpiece either. You always want a face to go along with a statement. Rubenstein’s strength is its work behind the scenes, which is where they should always be.

The second error committed by the Yankees PR efforts occurred in late April when team president Randy Levine made a ridiculous and arrogant remark regarding a comment by Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber. Garber was discussing the problems the Yankees were experiencing with selling higher-end seats and he related it to his own league’s financial struggles.

Apparently angered by the comments (for some reason), Levine countered with: “Don Garber discussing Yankee attendance must be a joke…We draw more people in a year than his entire league does in a year. If he ever gets Major League Soccer into the same time zone as the Yankees, we might take him seriously.”

What? Huh?

Now, both Randy Levine and Lonn Trost are highly educated and tremendously successful members of America’s sports industry. They’re both very well respected and considered extremely intelligent.

But it’s clear they should either not address the media in any capacity or undertake some intense media training. Just because you’re successful in one area of sports business doesn’t automatically qualify you to serve as a team spokesperson - leave it to the trained experts.

The Yankees director of media relations, Jason Zillo, is probably the most high profile and quoted media rep for the team regarding off the field issues (aside from General Manager Brian Cashman). Zillo also does a very good job managing the day-to-day media inquires and requests for the players. He’s a PR pro.

So just let Zillo and Cashman field the media questions, and nobody else. They’re both trained experts in public relations and serve as a reliable and trusted source for the media.

The Yankees are a multi billion dollar operation that relies heavily on the media to communicate to its fans and community. The organization has to be better at defining its message and then delivering it through one or two reliable and appropriate voices and faces.

Embattled Athletes Turn to ESPN for Soft Spin

Accused steroid cheat and pathological liar Roger Clemens appeared on ESPN Radio’s "Mike and Mike in the Morning" Tuesday to apparently refute the content of the newly released book "American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime" (authored by the New York Daily News sports writing quartet of Teri Thompson, Nathaniel Vinton, Michael O’Keeffe and Christian Red).

The book, of course, portrays the pitcher, one of the best of all-time, in an extremely negative light and essentially portrays Clemens as, among other things, a fraud for using performance-enhancing drugs to achieve his tremendous on-field success.

Even before the release of this book the Clemens saga has been spinning since his name was found to be included in MLB’s Mitchell Report, released in December 2007.

Since his appearance in front of a Congressional committee in February 2008 to defend himself against the steroid accusations, Clemens has virtually disappeared from the media’s eye and, despite numerous media requests, has not addressed the windfall of allegations until his phone-interview with Mike and Mike…sort of.

Clemens’ lawyer (Rusty Hardin) stated prior to the interview that his client was invited onto the radio show, but it seemed obvious by the very thin and softball-style questions from the two hosts (Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic) that some type of agreement regarding the questioning was reached prior to the appearance.

Although I have no inside or specific knowledge to confirm this, it appeared that in exchange for the exclusive interview (along with the ample time given to ESPN to promote it) the show’s hosts would not grill Clemens, not go into much detail about the book’s accusations and not ask the former Yankee, Astro, Blue Jay and Red Sock to respond to the book’s numerous unflattering topics.

I believe the toughest question Clemens was asked was whether or not he was ever injected with steroids.

Really, Mike and Mike?

Besides the fact that Clemens has already answered that question about a thousands times from other media outlets, did you really think he was going to breakdown and admit he’s been lying for the last 18 months and destroy what’s left of his reputation?

“Mike and Mike in the Morning” is an entertainment-style radio show that discusses news and events in and around the world of sports. It’s a well-regarded and highly-rated national show that has a light and fun format.

Nothin' wrong with that.

But there is something wrong when you venture into the journalistic-side of sports commentary and represent yourself as an impartial member of the media - when you’re clearly not. It was irresponsible for ESPN to have conducted the first Roger Clemens interview in more than a year and promote it as a fair and balanced media interview.

ESPN has a responsibility to its audience to aim for the highest level of journalistic integrity. Promotions and ratings should not supersede standards and ethics, which it did for the Clemens interview.

ESPN did something similar when it aired the first Alex Rodriguez interview this past March after the story broke the slugger had tested positive for steroids back in 2003.

When the explosive news hit the public, the Rodriguez camp immediately contacted ESPN and its senior baseball writer Peter Gammons to arrange the interview. Perhaps not quite as weak as the Mike and Mike segment with Clemens, the A-Rod interview was anything but in-depth or investigatory.

Gammons asked the predictable questions and never tried to squeeze or push Rodriguez on anything. So afterwards, one had to wonder why it was ESPN and Gammons that A-Rod went to so quickly to tell his story.

The same way one had to wonder why Clemens went to ESPN and Mike and Mike to spin his version of the detrimental new book.

The ESPN name and brand is the biggest and most powerful in all of sports media. It offers numerous avenues of sports-related content and entertainment. But it has to recognize the journalist-line and distinguish it for its viewers, listeners, readers, online audience, etc.

Don’t allow your leisurely laid back programs, like Mike and Mike, to conduct serious sports stories and interviews. It’s not fair to the audience.

Have the strength to use an outlet more appropriate for the tougher stuff. If the subject insists on calling the shots, then you must pass on the scoop in the name of ethics.

Name Your Stadium, Then Leave It Alone

The Miami Dolphins recently announced a name change of their football stadium – again.

In a partnership with tropical-rock musician Jimmy Buffet, his restaurant chain and Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Dolphins now play in LandShark Stadium. The naming-rights agreement, however, will last only through the upcoming season, at which point the name will revert back to "Dolphin Stadium".

Although it’s probably a great idea for a sports team in South Florida to align itself, in any capacity, with Jimmy Buffet, I don’t quite see the point of renaming your stadium for just eight months. It defeats the whole purpose of the naming-rights practice, for both team and sponsor.

Unfortunately, during the last 20-30 years, pro and major college sports teams have veered away from naming their stadiums and ballparks in honor of the team or owner, or a prestigious member of the community, or the area the team calls home.

Gone are the days of great stadium names that adds character and personality to the team's brand like Candlestick Park, RFK Stadium, The Boston Garden and Maple Leaf Gardens.

We now live in the generic and pedestrian sports world of AT&T Park, FedEx Field, TD Banknorth Garden and Air Canada Centre.

Naming-rights deals with sponsors are very lucrative and irresistible to owners. Sponsor-named stadiums are here to stay, that’s just a fact of life that will never change.

But regardless of the lost art of great stadium and ballpark names, the absolute priority in any stadium name is consistency and longevity – it’s called branding.

A team’s stadium and stadium’s name is part of the organization’s brand and image. It’s in the same category as a team’s uniform, logo, mascot and even the team’s name.

Since leaving the Miami Orange Bowl in 1986 for a brand new stadium, the Dolphins have changed the name of their home ballpark four different times – and that’s not including the scheduled name change after the upcoming season.

What’s the point of even naming your stadium if your fans and community can’t remember the name or keep it straight?

According to a 1997 report produced by Performance Research, a marketing and sponsorship analysis company based in Newport, RI, it's imperative that sponsors consider the needs of the fans because unwanted and frequent name changes do more harm than good (click here for full report).

Okay, so frequent stadium name-changing hurts the sponsor. But why should the team care? The revenue generated via stadium naming-rights will ideally be the same whether it’s one sponsor paying on a 10-year contract or 10 sponsors paying on a single year deal.

Well, the team should absolutely care for two HUGE reasons:

1. The branding and image issues already referenced, and

2. Keeping your sponsors happy and healthy is vital to the success of your marketing and advertising efforts. The relationship with your sponsors doesn’t end the moment their check clears. It’s an ongoing process of work and communications to ensure they’re getting the most bang out of their buck. If your sponsor doesn’t see results on their money spent, they won’t be a sponsor for very long.

Interesting Fact: The first team to venture into the practice of stadium sponsored naming-rights was the St. Louis Cardinals in 1953. Anheuser-Busch, who owned the Cardinals, attempted to change the name of the team’s ballpark from “Sportsman’s Park” to “Budweiser Stadium.” But the idea was rejected by then-MLB Commissioner Ford Frick.

Anheuser-Busch countered with a proposed name of “Busch Stadium”, in honor of a company founder. That name was approved by the Commissioner’s Office and the ballpark was renamed. The beer company then cleverly released a new product called “Busch Bavarian Beer” (now known as Busch Beer) - So take that Frick!

Losing + A-Rod's Return = More Pressure on Yankee Manager

As a player on the New York Yankees, you’re constantly under more scrutiny and media pressure than if you belonged to any other team in any other sport.

If you’re a Yankees fan or just follow the team, you know the history of players who were very good with other clubs then join the Yankees and struggle. Many times, those same players leave the Yanks and become productive again for another team.

It’s understood to the media and Yankees fans that the pressures of playing in New York and for the most popular sports franchise in the world are often too much and can cause a player to crack and lose whatever it was that made him so good.

Now it appears this same phenomenon may be affecting manager Joe Girardi.

As if the New York Yankees needed more attention and media buzz centered on off-the-field activities, Alex Rodriguez is expected to return from his hip injury and play tonight in Baltimore.

No player in all of sports has received more negative attention and publicity than A-Rod. Although A-Rod brings all of the negative vibes onto himself, the fact is there is a big audience that craves stories about the tainted slugger.

As a result, the Yankees players and manager suffer from the excess media attention just for wearing the same uniform as the most controversial player in sports.

The additional media in the clubhouse, day after day, asking the same questions - not even related to the game - about a player making more than $25 million per-season, who’s accused of cheating on his wife with Madonna, using steroids, habitually lying, etc., puts a 10- ton weight on the rest of the team.

After replacing legendary manager Joe Torre, then failing to lead the Yankees into the playoffs for the first time in 14 years last season, then getting off to a terrible start this season; Girardi is already under an intense microscope.

But with the return of A-Rod and all of the extra media attention it brings, Girardi has a whole new set of headaches and distractions to manage. So far, he’s off to rough start.

During a press conference on Sunday, Girardi was asked about the impending release of the very unflattering and unauthorized biography on the Yankees third baseman, “A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez” by Selena Roberts.

Here’s an excerpt of how Girardi answered the question:

“I have some issues with it, that it’s interesting how the book date got moved up now…and I get tired of answering these questions. I don’t understand why someone would write a book like this anyway, and some people may not care to hear that but I don’t understand.”

Girardi also went on say, “I don’t necessarily know why it has to be put in a book, unless the person volunteers it….I worry about how it affects (A-Rod’s) kids.”

Taking a hostile position on this issue is a big mistake and is only going to draw more media attention and hype for the book.

Girardi was clearly upset during the press conference and I think that led him to make those statements which, by the way, were weak and thin and did not make for a good argument in denouncing the book.

Ironically the Yankee players, so far, have handled the extra questions and media attention very well, uniformly saying that they haven’t read the book so they can’t comment on it. That’s the best response and easiest way to deflect the media. I’m suspecting the players received some media training specifically regarding this issue.

Very smart.

So why didn’t Joe Girardi receive the same training or follow its guidelines?

Girardi ran into some issues with the media last season when he was caught “misleading” reporters about player injuries. Girardi felt he was just protecting his players while the media felt they were lied to.

Never lie to the media.

When pressed about the misinformation, Girardi acted angry and temperamental and came off looking very poorly. It was clearly a rookie mistake during his first year as Yankees manager.

But this time around the heat of the media focus will be stronger, if it isn’t already. Girardi’s got to drop the sensitive act and except the barrage of questioning and media interest in A-Rod and the book.

Girardi’s the manager and he has to project confidence and security or he’ll be eaten alive.

These next few weeks will very interesting for Joe Girardi. With his ballclub significantly underachieving and the circus called A-Rod returning tonight, the manager has to keep it together and sail the Yankee ship back on course.

A Look at the Evolution of Sports Blogs

The world of sports blogging has certainly exploded over the last few years.

Although the World Wide Web has been available to the general public since the mid 1990’s, the practice of blogging didn’t really become commonplace until the early to mid 2000’s.

Two of the top sports bloggers you may be familiar with are Bill Simmons, of ESPN.com’s Page 2 fame, and Will Leitch, co-creator of DeadSpin. Simmons and Leitch are among the most popular bloggers, in any blogging realm, not only because of the strength of their content but as a result of their pioneer status.

Both came on the scene back when most people did not know what a blog was, and they helped launch the “weblog” into the mainstream.

Another pioneer in the sport blogosphere, and an inspiration to this blogger, is someone who does not posses the notoriety of a Simmons or Leitch but was ahead of his time jus the same.

In the fall of 2002, Scott Riecke launched Wide Word of Sports.com, a sports blog forum for him and his friends to post thoughts and opinions surrounding the world of sports.

It was a strong sports site that, at the time, was original and offered some unique perspectives on sports.

Unfortunately Riecke had to shut down the site in the summer of 2005 (a conflict of interest arose and he begrudgingly cancelled the URL). But he’s back with a new Web site, taking another unique approach at e-communications.

A Letter a Week.com is not a sports specific site but an effort to explore various topics and sentiments through the old fashion method of simply writing a letter. Riecke writes the majority of the letters for the site but from time to time he’ll post letters from guest writers.

A fan of Ted Leshinski’s Sports Pub, Riecke invited me this week to contribute a letter to his site.

So please visit A Letter a Week.com (click here) to read my guest contribution, “Can Mike Tyson Save Boxing?”

“The Sports Reporters” Stands Out From the Cluttered Pack

Like any other entertainment-type genre, there is a flood of very weak and unnecessary sports talk shows on radio and television these days.

Sometimes I wonder if TV and radio execs think that all they have to do to create a sports talk show is sit two to four people at a table and have them yell at each other about sports for half an hour…very aggravating.

However, there are a few shows that are not only worth viewing but serve as an excellent source of sports insight by outstanding sports writers and analysts.

The Sports Reporters, aired Sundays at 9:30 am on ESPN, continues to be the best sports talk show around. The program consists of a host and three other sports writers or personalities who tackle current news and events surrounding the world of sports. The format is also tightly structured and well paced, so you never have panelists shouting and tossing out irrelevant and empty statements.

Although the host (currently John Saunders) remains the same, the three panelists on The Sports Reporters tend to change each week and generally represent different media markets. As a result, viewers get fresh and different perspectives each time.

There are some reporters who appear more frequently than others (New York’s Mike Lupica, Detroit’s Mitch Albom and Boston’s Bob Ryan), but you also get a steady mix of talent you otherwise wouldn’t have the privilege of watching.

This past Sunday’s show featured a reporter I don’t believe had appeared on The Sports Reporters before, ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. Nichols is primarily an investigative and features reporter, usually filing stories for SportsCenter, ESPNews and Outside the Lines.

Nichols has been a national reporter with ESPN for more than five years and is generally considered an accomplished and well respected journalist. So appearing on The Sports Reporters gave viewers an opportunity to watch Nichols in a forum that allowed her to inject opinions and knowledge and also go toe-to-toe with the top sports-media minds in the country.

Whenever there’s a fresh face on the panel I’m always very interested in how they’ll perform and come across on the show. Not everybody does well on The Sports Reporters. There’s been panelists who’ve struggled and really weren’t ready for a show of its magnitude.

But Nichols more than held her own on Sunday. I thought she was terrific and I hope she continues to make appearances on the program.

One particular topic discussed Sunday where Nichols rose above the other heavyweight panelists was regarding the situation with the New York Yankees and their ticket pricing crisis.

Offering a perspective on the situation I hadn’t heard or read before, Nichols put a lot of the responsibility on the fans' shoulders. Her point was that fans can not be complaining and raising hell about the outrageous prices at the new Yankee Stadium and then, at the same time, spend money buying tickets.

Excellent point.

The Sports Reporters does a great job choosing the right journalists and personalities to serve on the show’s panel. Many times when a big sporting event that’s not one of the “big three” rolls around, the show will feature an expert analyst of that particular sport.

So for a show airing around the time of Wimbledon, Bud Collins usually joins the program. For The Masters, the great Jim Nantz may make a special appearance.

Of course there are other sports talk shows that should be noted and given its due – Pardon the Interruption, Outside the Lines, Mike’d UP: Francesa on the Fan.

But no program has been as consistently good as The Sports Reporters.