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 g...

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...

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 ha...

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 man...

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 a...

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...

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...

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 e...

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 util...

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...

In this edition of Crisis Communications in Sports, EAG Sports Management CEO and Founder Denise L. White discusses the short and long term reputational damage professional athletes face when they are embroiled in a PR nightmare, such as the one golfer Phil Mickelson is currently traversing. Denise utilizes more than two decades of experience to offer her assessment of the situation and advice on...

Crisis Communications in Sports returns with an all-new episode that delves into the complex and hotly-debated topic of college athlete compensation and the chaotic start to the Name, Image and Likeness era in college sports. Gabe Feldman, one of the country's foremost authorities on NIL, speaks with hosts Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce about the complexities involved, the seemingly ever-changing f...

Crisis Communications in Sports is back with a brand new episode that features an in-depth interview with the former Chief Marketing Officer of the United States Olympic Committee, Rick Burton (10:01). Rick speaks with hosts Jim Rocco and Isaac Benjamin about his experience handling the marketing responsibilities for previous olympics and the daunting challenges his predecessor faces with this yea...

This week's episode of Crisis Communications in Sports features a fascinating interview with Derek Rucker , a marketing professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (7:25). Hosts Jim Rocco and Isaac Benjamin talk to Derek about the challenges of advertising during this year's Super Bowl, brands that dropped the ball in years past, and how they recovered. Jim a...

This year's final episode of Crisis Communications in Sports features an interview with a New York-area public relations legend (7:08). Jay Horwitz was the Mets venerable PR chief for nearly four decades and currently serves as their head of alumni relations. Jay sits down with hosts Jim Rocco and Isaac Benjamin to discuss his time devising public relations strategies for the team's fron...

This special Thanksgiving-week episode of Crisis Communications in Sports features a conversation with renowned NFL journalist Peter King (7:08). Hosts Isaac Benjamin and Jim Rocco asked Peter to weigh-in on the very public crisis that's unfolding within the Houston Texans' organization and the baffling personnel moves that have ensued, including the firing of the highly-regarded ex-VP o...

The newest edition of Crisis Communications in Sports features Kery Davis, Athletic Director of Howard University (12:04). Davis speaks to hosts Jim Rocco and Isaac Benjamin about some of the remarkable achievements on the sports front that have transpired during his time at "The Mecca". From NBA great Steph Curry pledging his financial support to start a new D1 golf program at Howard Un...

This week's episode of Crisis Communications in Sports features an interview with former NBA agent and sports & entertainment executive Graham Boone (11:14). Graham speaks with hosts Jim Rocco and Isaac Benjamin about his experiences handling crises and media relations through the lens of player representation. The interview begins with a fascinating conversation about Graham's time...

This week's episode of Crisis Communications in Sports begins with a conversation between hosts Jim Rocco and Isaac Benjamin about the initial fallout from the tragic injury to Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (0:42), and how owner Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys organization have responded publicly, particularly in light of last season's contentious contract negotiations. Following that conve...

Thursday's edition of Crisis Communications in Sports features an insightful interview with sports broadcasting legend Mary Carillo. Over the past 40 years, Mary has seen it all, but as she explains, there has been nothing quite like covering Grand Slam tournaments during a pandemic. In her discussion with hosts Jim and Isaac, Mary talks about her experience calling the US Open on-site but wi...

This week's featured interview of Crisis Communications in Sports is with Darcy Raymond , who helped the Tampa Bay Rays go through a name change as a former marketing executive with the team. Darcy speaks about his time with the Rays while outlining the challenges facing the Washington Football Team as they go through a similar process. In the Sports Crisis Wire, hosts Jim and Isaac run throu...

This week's episode of  Crisis Communications in Sports features an interview with Kevin Keating, who is a professional sports memorabilia authenticator, author, and baseball historian. The conversation touches on Kevin's love for the game, how he got into authenticating, and his advice for MLB as it grapples with declining viewership. Hosts Jim and Isaac open the show with their Sports...

In Thursday's episode of Crisis Communications in Sports, hosts Jim Rocco and Isaac Benjamin speak with USA Today writer Jeff Zillgitt on potential problems at the NBA Bubble in Orlando, and his concerns and expectations a few weeks out from reporting to the camp himself. Jim and Isaac start Episode 2 discussing the Washington Football Team's difficulty handling a myriad of crises all tr...

This week's episode of Crisis Communications in Sports introduces its hosts, sports marketing veteran Jim Rocco and crisis communications strategist Isaac Benjamin, who will delve into the latest news and crises in sports communications. The inaugural episode features an interview with Aryeh Schwartz , the founder of Winsidr , the largest outlet devoted entirely to covering the WNBA. The conv...