Crisis Communications in Sports

On this episode of Crisis Communications in Sports, hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce examine five separate hot-button crisis topics that are currently trending in the world of sports and offer their unique takes on where things went wrong and what can be done going forward. A hard five minutes is spent on each topic with this week's episode being devoted to football in honor of the NFL season getting underway.

The action begins with frank discussions about Tyreek Hill's run-in with Miami police, the 49ers' injury report controversy, and Tom Brady's uneven debut as a TV analyst. The attention then shifts to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders' unflattering comments directed towards his teammates and then wraps up with an analysis of the Browns' quandary in light of the latest sexual assault accusations against Deshaun Watson.

In this special edition, we speak with renowned sports television commentator Bob Costas about all of the new challenges related to sports betting that have arisen for leagues, commissioners, coaches, officials, the athletes themselves, and of course, fans. With the advent of smartphone technology and legalized sports betting now being allowed in 38 states and counting, we asked Bob about the ways he sees sports betting affecting the games we love to watch (11:06). Hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce open the show by breaking down the three most interesting crisis topics that are currently trending in the world of sports, and offer their unique takes on where things went wrong, and what can be done going forward (01:18).

Every so often, there's more communication breakdowns in the world of sports than a person can keep up with! So on this episode of Crisis Communications in Sports, hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce examine six separate hot-button crisis topics that are currently trending in the world of sports, and offer their unique takes on where things went wrong, and what can be done going forward. With a hard five minutes devoted to each topic, the action begins with a revealing discussion about player discontent towards the new Major League Baseball uniforms, then takes on the growing debate over court-storming in college basketball, and is followed by a look into the extreme public tactic that St. John's coach Rick Pitino employed in an attempt to motivate his team. The attention then shifts towards the flap over an on-air argument related to the 3-point contest between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, the high scoring-no defense NBA All-Star game, and finally the beef between two NFL players that got way too personal.

Questions and opinions about journalistic integrity began flying when NFL personality Charissa Thompson very casually mentioned in an interview that she had sometimes made up reports early in her career as a sideline reporter. We spoke to Michele Tafoya, one of the most respected NFL sideline reporters of the past 25 years, to help us break down the fallout. Michele explained why it rankled so many people both inside and outside of the television industry and also discussed the curious fact that the admission did not result in any official repercussions (07:22). Hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce open the show with a conversation about the bizarre rumor that the Chicago Blackhawks were recently forced to address and how they deftly handled their public statement (01:12). 

The massive contract extension former Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker signed in November of 2021 made headlines, both because it established Tucker one of the highest paid coaches in the sport, and because it was a fully guaranteed deal. The feel-good story, however, came to an abrupt halt less than 2 years into the deal when Tucker was accused by Brenda Tracy, a prominent rape survivor and activist, of engaging in a sex act without her consent. On this episode of Crisis Communications in Sports, we speak to Kenny Jacoby, the investigative reporter from USA Today who broke the story (09:44). Hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce get things underway with a discussion about the recent video put out by one time Major League Baseball star Trevor Bauer who is seeking to clear his name and restore his reputation following a settlement in his own sexual assault case (01:00).

When the reason why the Baltimore Orioles play-by-play man had been suspended went viral, fans and fellow broadcasters coast-to-coast began chanting, "Free Kevin Brown!" On this episode of Crisis Communications in Sports, we speak with Awful Announcing's Sean Keeley about the ill-advised move by the team's hypersensitive owners and how it backfired spectacularly (10:00). Hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce get things started with a discussion about a developing controversy involving one of baseball's brightest young stars, Wander Franco (01:43).

Bob Huggins' startling claim that he never resigned as the men's basketball coach of West Virginia University, nearly a month after it had been widely reported that he had, is one of the more bizarre sports stories so far this year. On this episode of Crisis Communications in Sports, we speak with attorney Rusty Webb, a West Virginian who is a graduate of the university's law school, to discuss the perplexing communication claims and tactics that led to the drama that has unfolded (06:45). Hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce kick off the show by analyzing the current public-facing salary battle taking place between NFL running backs and team management. Based on their statements and social media posts, one side might be causing themselves irreparable harm by overestimating their leverage (00:56).

In this edition of Crisis Communications in Sports we examine the controversy that erupted at the conclusion of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship game and how the public responses from the players involved, LSU's Angel Reese and Iowa's Caitlin Clark, were perceived. Sports sociologist Daniel Sailofsky joins us for a frank discussion about how race, gender, social media, and even a suggestion from the White House, played a role in the statements, strategy and posturing that occurred (06:43). Hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce lead things off with a discussion about how the Minnesota Timberwolves could have better controlled the narrative following a mid-game altercation between two of their players (01:45).

The latest developments in the on-going saga of Daniel Snyder's tenure as owner of the Washington Commanders have yielded some fascinating case studies in crisis communication. On this episode of Crisis Communications in Sports, we speak with esteemed NFL insider and Washington, D.C. native Andrew Brandt to help us break down the X's and O's of all the statements and strategies utilized by the team, the league and by other owners (10:17). Hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce kick off the show with a discussion about the bizarre and puzzling sequence of events that recently took place involving Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, beginning with a botched press conference and ending with a begrudging apology (01:25).

The Russian detainment of American basketball star Brittney Griner has been making headlines over the last three months. On this episode of Crisis Communications in Sports, we discuss the often complex and critically important media tactics being utilized by Griner's supporters, with Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon whose work focuses on the African American experience in the Soviet Union, Ukraine and Russia. St. Julian-Varnon speaks about how she advised the WNBA Players Association and the shift in approach that led to a more vocal public campaign (06:44). Hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce open the show with a discussion about how and why a controversial story involving the Tampa Bay Rays managed to not spiral out of control and escalate to the level it potentially could have (01:16).