A dog got the message: Kids and puppies bust publicity meters, even at the Olympics. And we’re not talking about the Snoop kind.
At 2 years old, Nazgul still has puppy in him and let’s face it, he has the “it” factor for the Italy-based Winter Olympic Games. He probably figured (insert imagination), “Hey, what have I got to lose — join the party and get millions of media views — maybe an NIL deal.”
Let’s say the runaway Czechoslovakian wolfdog only wanted a chance to medal in team cross-country skiing on the Tesero, Italy, course when he crashed the event this week. His photo finish, thanks to Omega, rivals cats on a football field. If only Kevin Harlan had jumped in to call it. 🐕 **It was reported that Nazgul was safely returned to his family.
Omega, the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games since 1932, gave fans what they wanted — it shared a runaway pup’s finish on the cross-country skiing course.
Speaking of sports broadcasters
Shoutout to Terry Gannon, who took it in stride when I supported Elmo over him in the figure skating booth. You might know Gannon’s voice as a host for the Winter Games’ opening ceremony and longtime figure skating play-by-play host who sits alongside former professional skaters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir. (Their stars shine brightly away from the rink, too.) One of Jim Valvano’s stars on North Carolina State’s historic 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament title team, Terry is one of few broadcasters who effortlessly moved from analyst to play-by-play years ago. He’s also a basketball, golf and gymnastics announcer. If you want to know more, I’m happy to share a story I wrote about him early in his TV career. LMK
Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski welcomed Elmo into the Olympic ice skating broadcast booth. Host Terry Gannon might have been a little offended 😂.
But back to figure skating — during a month that celebrates love and hearts, you can feel it in that booth. Having worked with dozens of broadcasters, you can’t fake that kind of chemistry.
👇🏼 Next: AI creates its own crisis 👇🏼
Crises rise for AI in journalism
There’s little love for artificial intelligence reporting this week. Anticipate more of this as AI continues to seep deeper into our lives.
Critically assessing sources that publish what we as consumers read and hear should not be new. That some media outlets are replacing educated reporters with AI is. From my blog this week: https://gpublicity.com/2026/02/18/the-ick-factor-why-ai-is-not-journalism
In Brief — ⏱ 10-Seconds of PR to remember
The "Puppy" Principle: Nazgul proves that kids and pups still shatter the publicity meter. If your story lacks an emotional hook, it’s missing its greatest asset.
Human Play-by-Play: A viral moment is just a silent clip until a human voice provides emotion and the "why." Don’t let your content speak for itself; add an expert perspective that an algorithm can’t replicate.
The Trust Premium: As media outlets experiment with AI-generated reporting, the value of an educated journalist —and a vetted PR source — skyrockets.
Real Rapport: PR and core journalism are built on decades of human rapport. AI can’t feel or share a career story. Only people can.
©2026 Gail Sideman, gpublicity.com, SIDEbar
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