Crisis Communications in Sports

Feb 28 2024
Crisis Communications in Sports Podcast artwork

Crisis Communications in Sports breaks down the latest news and crises in sports communications. Sports marketing veteran and crisis communications strategist Jim Rocco offers his insight on dealing with sensitive situations and how to rectify problematic actions; whether it is dealing with the media, tone-deaf public statements, or complicated internal affairs. Episodes feature interviews with figures across the sports landscape, and discussions on bold strategies for winning in the court of public opinion.

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Breaking Down the Communication Breakdowns in the World of Sports

Feb 28 2024 34 mins  
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 fo

Legendary NFL Sideline Reporter Michele Tafoya on the Charissa Thompson Admission About Making Up Reports

Nov 30 2023 36 mins  
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 i

USA Today Investigative Reporter Kenny Jacoby on the Unfolding Mel Tucker - Michigan State Controversy

Oct 11 2023 37 mins  
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

Sports Commentator and Writer Sean Keeley on the Suspension of Baltimore Orioles Broadcaster Kevin Brown

Aug 16 2023 35 mins  
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

Attorney Rusty Webb on the Bob Huggins Resignation Dispute

Jul 21 2023 27 mins  
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&a

Sports sociologist Daniel Sailofsky on player and public reactions to the controversy that followed the conclusion of the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship

Apr 12 2023 40 mins  
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, soc

NFL Insider Andrew Brandt on the Unfolding Communications Crisis Surrounding Daniel Synder's Ownership of the Washington Commanders

Nov 07 2022 36 mins  
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

Russia and Ukraine Commentator Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon on the Brittney Griner Detainment

Jun 20 2022 31 mins  
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

Sports PR Vet Denise L. White on Athletes Navigating Reputational Damage

Mar 07 2022 35 mins  
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 situatio

Sports Law Professor Gabe Feldman on Name, Image, and Likeness in College Sports

Feb 08 2022 39 mins  
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