I am sure you sports fans are sick of hearing about this one now, BUT, it is a pretty good PR topic. If you don’t know, Alex Rodriguez, known to most as A-Rod, is the third baseman for the New York Yankees. He is considered by some to be the best all-around player in baseball. On February 7, 2009 Sports Illustrated put out a story claiming that sources indicate that he took anabolic steroids in the 2003 season. To Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees, this is a problem. This casts a cloud over any accomplishment A-Rod has ever achieved. Bouncing back from this report would require some great PR.
Some paths he could have taken with this accusation of steroid use was denial, or, he could admit to doing it. The latter was exactly what he did.
In a press conference on February 17, 2009, A-Rod told the press that he did "experiment with a banned substance." in the 2001-2003 seasons. In the interview, he stated things about his steroid use like "it was a stupid mistake and a lesson learned" and that he "didn't know what he was doing." Now, he swears that he is clean and has followed every drug rule that the MLB has set since 2003. A-Rod talked about how people will never look at him and his records the same. However, he told us to try to look past this "mistake" and hopes he can move forward. He even became a little emotional at the end and said things like "baseball is a lot bigger than Alex Rodriguez."
I think whoever is Alex Rodriguez's public relations person did a pretty good job. It seems like theres always someone who is caught in a steroid scandal in the MLB. Instead of denying all accusations of steroid, use he came clean and talked about what he did and when. He showed remorse for his actions and pledged never to fall into his old ways again.
If his statements are true and he is clean, I believe I can look at A-Rod in the future and say he was one of the baseball greats. However, if he was lying at that press conference, I'm sure the future will expose him sooner or later. I believe that with all the good public relations people out there, there must be some deceitful ones that allow their clients to lie about the problem in hand.
Therefore, if you are telling the truth A-Rod, my hat is off to you. It is quite a noble thing to sit in front of a press conference and admit your mistakes. Good PR too.
You did a great job analyzing this from a PR prospective. PR practitioners are believing more and more that just telling the whole truth and taking responsibility is being accepted a lot more with viewers. You will eventually get caught in a lie sooner or later. A-Rod's public relations practitioner obviously knows what he or she is doing. Great post overall.
ReplyDeleteGood blog. You really put things into perspective as far as as the public relations is concerned. I agree with you that his publicist did a good job with helping him deal with the press. I think it's better that he came clean and told the truth than lie about his steroid use, which would eventually turn around to haunt him and his team.
ReplyDeleteA-Rod’s story is big time in baseball new lately and will be at the beginning of the baseball season I am sure until something else major happens with another major league baseball player or team. There has been a lot of professional athletes that have thought about using or trying different types of steroids and I am sure there are many using them that have not been caught yet. Unfortunately, when they do get caught the media is all over it, especially if they are a very popular athlete and known by everyone.
ReplyDeleteYou stole this before I could get to it. :) I also like how you put this in the perspective of PR. Steriods have been a huge issue with MLB within the past few years. A-Rod's story is a good one because he is one fo the few that came out and admitted to using them. He may have made a bad mistake but he fessed up aand was a good role model by saying that it was wrong.
ReplyDeleteHahaha aahhh, the good ole A-Rod story. I would consider myself a passionate baseball fan and I am strongly against steroids.
ReplyDeleteOk, A-Rod took steroids from, from what we know, 01-03. But do you know what happend in 01, he signed a HUGE contract. But who knows if that is all what he took, he may have admitted the truth, but is it the whole truth?
Steroids are also what allowed some medicore baseball players to become professionals and what kept some players from being professionals.
So the way i see it, STEROIDS = $$$$$.
I think A-Rod did the right thing by coming clean. Do I think steroids were terrible for baseball? Not really. I love baseball but I don't think they have ruined the game. If there was something out there that would make a person a better doctor, lawyer, plumber, or whatever and help provide a better living for their family, they would take it. Especially if most of the people in their respective profession were doing it too. Fact is, a lot of professional baseball players, hitters and pitchers alike, were taking substances that were illegal but not policed. It helped make the game more watchable to people who weren't huge baseball fans with the home run chases of Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds. I do feel bad for the guys who played the game clean, guys like North Dakota native Rick Helling. Helling stood in front of the baseball owners at the annual owners meeting to talk about how steroids have become commonplace in the game, and nothing was done about it at the time. Helling played his career through what is known as the "Steroid Era" and probably led to his exit from professional baseball.
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