Case Study: PR Lesson on How to be the Pittsburgh Penguins Comm. Dept.

Pittsburgh Penguins PR department have had their hands full.
Here's a look at the roller coaster of events that they have dealt with in the last few months and how they have handled them.
I call this section: PR 101

Evgeni Malkin out with season ending surgery.
How the PR Team did: B-
What is more than a nightmare for the team became irrelevant as the Penguins clinched fourth spot. There was internal knowledge of the state of Malkin's knee, so an explanation to the public was relatively simple and they delivered a good message: "It's bad. He's done for the season."


Sergei Gonchar, top defenseman, traded.
How the PR Team did: A
Dealing with the explanation of trades are actually relatively easy for the PR team. They often stick the spokesperson at the helm with some media training (or not) and let them answer the tough questions. It's the coaches/GMs career on the line; and no one else. In this case: "Gonchar is old and expensive".


Captain Canada aka Sidney Crosby suffered two consecutive vicious hits in early January and was concussed.
How the PR Team did: C-
Plans to return any day, now...but the PR team has said that for over a month now. It's time to be clear - is he playing in the playoffs or not? Their response: "We're not taking risks".
OK BUT WHEN WILL HE PLAY AGAIN!?

Lastly, the Penguins had to deal with GM (Super) Mario Lemieux's comments about head shots and dirty play from specific players in the league (to remain unnamed) seems quite satirical considering this...

Matt Cooke - A goon amongst gentlemen

How the PR Team did: A+
He has been suspended for his sixth time in 800 games, this time, for the remainder of the season (14-plus-games). Cooke has only 300 points but managed to rack up just under 1000 PIMers in his career (988), more than one minute per game.
Complete knucklehead - but despite this, he has a great PR team around him. He publicly admitted he has to change his game and what he is doing is inappropriate conduct.

Good work PR team! Next, keep Matt Cooke out of the papers after his next stunt (which will happen) and you're communications department will remain the best kept secret in the NHL.

I guess winning a Stanley Cup pays the bills for the future - what happens next year?!

Last-Call Pick Up – A Quick Look at Upcoming Free Agency

Easy-pickings.

It’s past last-call, the house lights are on and people begin to clear out of the club. As desperation sets in, each man begins to pick up a prospect and plan the rest of the night quickly before competition settles in. But there’s always one lonely, drunk, unattractive girl in the middle of the dance floor (who just can’t find a man) and similarly, here is a list of the players that have yet to be asked to ‘dance’, either.

Take a brief look at this table. I’ll wait. Done? Great.

Salary shredding has been the theme for this years trade deadline and as of July 1, the above players will be on the market. The NHL may have a public relations nightmare with the drama about to succumb since half of the teams will have money but no affordable players. Get used to it, Bettman.

Who’s worth picking up?

Richards! Undoubtedly the best player amongst the rest of these misfits since the Notables will definitely be re-signed faster than BizNasty2point0 will be able to tweet about it. Any team could use a Brad Richards-esque player but the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs will be the two top-contenders in the bidding war.

Forget about other Centres - Brooks Laich, J. Arnott and M. Handzus who aim to compete for a third line position (maybe second-line-centre for the Senators).

Tim Connolly should have been taken off this list since he’s numbers are ghost like Swayze.

The left-winger market is so pathetic; I wouldn’t even touch them with Chara’s stick.  Sitting second to Richards is Simon Gagne, despite his translucent play for the Bolts. Gagne’s contract will be unbelievable (upwards of $6-million/year) but I’m sure his agent is happy. Gagne’s pitch to teams will likely include: a Social Media Press Release (SMR), a YouTube video of why he would like to play for them, and mention of his Facebook, Fliqr, Del.ic.ious, Digg and Twitter pages. His contract is set to be: non-negotiable, non-refundable, not-two-way with a no-trade clause and, like his play this year, non-existent. Not worth purchasing him, in my opinion.

*Note: All other FA right-wingers are in their mid 30s.

Vokoun and Bryz are both decent goalies but Vokoun will be pushing 35 this year and Bryzgalov will undoubtedly want an obscene contract extension with Phoenix.

Phoenix Coyotes

Money needed for buyout: $200-Million

Paying Bryzgalov’s next contract: $70-million

Keeping up with maintenance fees: $5-million

Staying out of the red: $100-million

Keeping their franchise alive: pricey.

I hope you enjoyed a quick glance at the free-agency market, as bare as it is.

Canada's rate of child obesity in children is rising - CSN Stores maybe the answer

 

It's no mystery why American kids are fat. They love fatty foods, sitting on the couch playing video games and WATCHING sports; as opposed to playing them. So here's an idea to make sure our beloved Canadian children do not follow the path of our southern friends. I'm on a site right now, called swingsetsandmore.com. It offers brand name swingsets, bikes, trampolines and tons of other accessories for bargain prices. CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be swingsets, fitness equipment, or even cookware!

It's pretty dope, actually.

If your kid doesn't like sports or finds themselves not fitting in with athletics at school, you need to hook him/her up with a trampoline! Provides endless physical exercise and tons of fun! Haven't you seen gymnasts' bodies? They're unreal.

If your kid is already over weight, a swingset will help them develop a fit core and build leg strength to get rid of that nonsense and become healthy and comfortable again.

SO - Here's the deal:

The first person to check out this site and comment on it below will win a $25 gift certificate to CSN Stores!

CHECK IT OUT NOW!

http://www.swingsetsandmore.com/

KO's and Oks for the UFC

Chael goes to jail.

 Well, maybe.
Dana White has put Chael Sonnen's career in the UFC on hold after Sonnen had been convicted of money laundering. He illegally transferred $69,000 into his account; how? I don't know. Something to do with plumbing. But it happened. Read more here.

In a press conference yesterday, Dana White made the right call by announcing that Sonnen will be put on 'time-out' until he gets his personal life together. Sonnen's manager also made a statement saying Sonnen plans on complying with authorities (UFC and other) in order to make this event go over as smoothly as possible. 

A good move on Dana White's part since the UFC is still struggling to enter their ideal market and join the ranks of the cable TV network that includes the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL. However, as White tries to legitimize MMA more and more, his efforts are still quite different from other leagues. Simply banning an athlete from a fight may actually be more detrimental to their career than in any other sport.

MMA fighters have a maximum amount of fights that they are allowed in a year. In fact, UFC fighters range between 2-3 a year to 12 times (once a month - if the doctor clears them and rarely does this happen). In considering this, top pay-per-view fighters are looking at $500,000 (GSP made $400k for UFC100) at contract; including bonuses and not including endorsements. For someone of Sonnen's caliber, provided his sponsor(s) drops him, he may be missing out on between $200,000 - $300,000. 
My favourite part about this - he only laundered $60,000. That's not even half of what he could of made at UFC 128.


Here are my predictions for UFC 126:

• Middleweight Championship bout: Anderson Silva (WINNER) vs. Vitor Belfort^[1]
• Light Heavyweight bout: Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin^[1](WINNER)
• Welterweight bout: Jake Ellenberger vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha^[1](WINNER)
• Light Heavyweight bout: Jon Jones (WINNER) vs. Ryan Bader^[1]
• Bantamweight bout: Miguel Torres (WINNER) vs. Antonio Banuelos^[1] 

Well there you have it. I'm out.

And remember...when you're in the eyes of the public: it's better to be safe than sorry.

Technical Knockout: The Boxing Hall of Fame: An Ultimate Embarrassment

Got PR?

Well, International Boxing Hall of Fame, you will certainly need some after your plans to induct two terrible men; one of which is the worst possible choice I could imagine.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, read this post first and I'll just wait here.
Waiting...
Waiting...
Done? Ok, great.

 Let's first talk about Mikey T.
Once named "The Baddest Man on the Planet" along with other monikers such as "Iron Mike", "Kid Dynamite", "The Unbeatable Retard", "The I Guess He's Beatable Retard"and eventually the "Manhattan Molester", we must remember the past of Mike Tyson.
At an incredible 20 years old, Tyson knocked out the aging Trevor Berbick to become the youngest heavy weight champion of all time. He finished his career 50 wins (44 KOs) and 6 losses (5 KOs). But most impressively, Tyson simultaneously pissed off the entire boxing community, most of the USA and eventually most of the world. How?
Total Recall: Rape. Prison. Conversion. Comeback. Failed comeback. Bankruptcy. Retirement.

I guess PR was just promotions back then since both Don King and Teddy Atlas failed to protect a mentally destroyed boy by introducing him to society and not a shrink.

Tyson deserves to be in the boxing hall of fame, but when he dies. He doesn't deserve the ego boost or the press surrounding this introduction.
If you truly dislike Mike Tyson, check out this site for a good laugh. Also funny, Tyson won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1989 - I bet they wish they could revoke that.
Next candidate SYLVESTER STALLONE. Yes, that's right. A movie star, NOT a professional fighter, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. We're talking about an actor, not even his character Rocky Balboa, will be granted this honor. Stallone has never been in a professional fight in his life. But I can understand why they granted him this honor; he created such a great character. Or not. But wait, he based 'Rocky' off of a real person. But, wait, Rocky wasn't original at all. But wait, he made 5 movies. But, wait.

This is the worst thing I've heard the IBHoF doing. Call me when you finally induct your 12 fighters for 2011 and I'll give you some free advice on why your campaign turned ugly and you've lost your crediblity. Hint: Learn from Sesame Street: "One of these things just doesn't belong here": "One of these men isn't really a fight-er."

My suggestions, add Rocky's lady-friend into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and then close it down until MMA and boxing collaborate, selfish children.

While Alex Rodriguez will have asterisks next to his name, Stallone will have a quote: "I feel like a kangaroo... all this stuff in my pocket."

Expecting a call in early 2011, before boxing turns into this.

Hit and Miss - Tom Brady and Peyton Manning: A Case Study

The "changing of the guard" has come for Peyton Manning.
He has lost the yearly competition with Tom Brady for the 'Ultimate Quarterback of the Universe', especially when public relations is involved.


Hit- After having an argument with friends over Tom Brady, here are some conclusions I have come to.
A- Amazing. Not much of a conclusion, I know, but the truth is he has 27 Tds and 4 picks all year. Pretty impressive numbers, all around. Numbers speak louder than words and we all love stats! Free pr.
B- Bundchen, Gisele. He has a gorgeous, super-model wife. If you have an argument, he will always have a hotter wife, end of story. And what a story that the media eats up any chance they get. Remember when Brady had a hurt leg and was using a cane? Good PR move to escape that one.
C- Cassell. People said that the offensive line with the was the reason that Matt Cassell was so good when Brady was hurt. The Pats O-Line is pretty good, but in actuality, Cassell looks pretty good. He started 3-0 with KC and they are currently 8-4, probably making the playoffs and leading the AFC West.
D- Decisiveness. Recently, a small minority of people claim that Brady's receivers are the reason that he has been so successful.

Incorrect. For two reasons:

1. Brady decides who to throw to based on a number of factors such as their position on their field, his ability and the judgment of their ability.
2. Tom Brady shares the ball. Name one receiver that has played with the Patriots in the last few years that has become a standout, incredible player with the Pats and continued to be good anywhere else. Brady makes his receivers good.

In fact, try to name the best receivers for the Pats and then compare them to any other receiving core. Almost Randy Moss, but his best years were way behind him before he came and left the Patriots.
*Wes Welker hasn't played anywhere else yet, so we'll leave this point like Barry Bond's career; an asterisk.
E-Ego. As in keeping it in check. Although Tom Brady might be one of the most confident people in the league, I'm not a statistician, but I'm sure he is one of the league leaders for comebacks; especially in the fourth quarter. He has always kept his cool, from press conference to field. Peyton has been noticeably 'off' of his usual self while the Colts have struggled and this has been evident in his conversations with the media. I guess the clever MasterCard commercials he was in didn't cross-over into showing his real personality.
I could go onto F but I relieve you of my profanity.
As much as I am happy for Brady, there is still hope for Peyton to prove to be the better of the two. In the next three weeks, he is set to play the Texans, who have a pass defensive ranking that is dead last, KC who is ranked 21st and the Titans; who showed that they couldn't stop Indy on Thursday Night Football, December 9th.

Miss- The miss, in Manning's case, is the playoffs. The 7-6 Colts may be near the top of their but they have to play two up and coming teams that will look to literally run all over the 29th ranked rush defence. The Houston Texans, with incredible running back Arian Foster, and Kansas City's HB Jamal Charles, will likely have record setting days with the help of the struggling Indianapolis D. Also, the Texans' and Chiefs' rush defense is slightly above average so watch for them to completely shut down the last ranked and non-existant run game of the Colts.
 
There is hope for Indy to squeak out another win over the Tennessee Titans (Defense Pass Rank #25) at the end of the regular season, who will surely be unforgiving since their two point lost on Dec. 9.

Can't wait to hear the disappointment in Manning's voice when he has to tell the league he is retiring on account of his team being bad and ruining his stats!

Admission: Vick is quite Sick, McNabb is McBadd.

I have to admit: Michael Vick is still quick, slick and a great pick for comeback player of the year.

Even though he has just signed a brand new contract at $40-million to $80-million, Donavan McNabb had 3 turnovers last night. But, Washington front office will only owe McNabb under $4 million, if he is cut within 10 games.

After last night's game, the domination of the Redskins by the Eagles, Vick looks as good as ever. I only hope that for Vick, this isn't his last hooray before the end of the season. The 6-3 Eagles should easily make the playoffs at this point. Their toughest competition coming next week against the 6-3 Giants and again a few weeks later.

Unfortunately for them, they don't get to plow over Washington, again.