No matter what industry you work in, throwing people in your organization under the bus in public is never a good look.
And how many who follow football figured the Buffalo Bills of the last decade would resemble that sentence?
In a cluster of a PR blunder, Bills owner Terry Pegula and newly minted president of football operations Brandon Beane defended firing head coach Sean McDermott while sending him under the wheels of a six-wheeler🚍. Current receiver Keon Coleman and the officiating crew from their NFL divisional playoff loss to the Denver Broncos joined the former Bills’ coach for that ride.
As a result, the public today sees dysfunction within a Bills organization that lost to a good getting-better Broncos team. Could Buffalo have played better? Most teams that lose usually can. Instead of putting the focus on a new hire, however (aside: did the Bills have anyone in the wings when they let McDermott walk?), a sports-loving public is talking about a disjointed press conference.
Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula undermined his general manager/president of football operations and others in his organization by answering questions not posed to him during an end-of-season press conference.
How can you avoid the same? For starters, take responsibility for your organization. Sometimes it’s simply time for a change. We humans get it. But by saying so, don’t point fingers or speak for someone who played a big part in what transpired. More:
Your PR guide for moving forward, not back
Accountability starts at the top – Blaming subordinates in a press conference shifts the narrative from "leadership makes a tough choice" to "leadership plays the blame game."
Power of the pivot – A personnel change is a transition point. Using that time to rehash old grievances prevents the brand from moving into a new phase. Will coaching candidates consider that when interviewing for the Bills’ job?
Align, and define respect – Public venting suggests a lack of internal alignment, which is often more damaging to the reputation of one or more people than the original loss or mistake.
©2026 Gail Sideman; gpublicity.com; SIDEbar
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PR vs. Journalism: Leavitt was wrong. Again.
From pissedoffpublicist.com — Why one of the recent White House missteps is a clear desecration of norms and the First Amendment between public relations specialists and journalists. https://pissedoffpublicist.com/pr-vs-journalism-why-leavitt-was-dead-wrong/
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