‘Tis the season for truTV and NCAA tournament-style PR

Bob Long said if everyone who claimed they were at the Ice Bowl were actually there, Lambeau Field would have to be 10 times bigger.

Well, he was there, and proudly played alongside a slew of eventual Pro Football Hall of Famers. With them, he earned three championship rings—for the last-ever NFL World Championship and Super Bowls I and II—as a Green Bay Packers receiver/flanker.

I met Bob and his wife Joni years ago at an American Heart Association event that Bob chaired and for which I volunteered.

For history's sake — Bob, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1964, was traded to the Atlanta Falcons after Super Bowl II. He led Atlanta in receptions before an accident sidelined him—one of two major health setbacks during his adult life. Vince Lombardi knew Bob’s talent and heart, though, and after he recovered, Bob rejoined his former Green Bay coach, this time to play in Washington.

After retiring from football and while working as a real estate developer, Bob suffered a debilitating stroke. Despite a long recovery, he thrived, making trips throughout Wisconsin as a Packers’ ambassador and connecting with managers of the dozens of Pizza Hut stores he helped bring to his new home state.

Like many teammates, Bob’s post-football life embodied Lombardi’s lessons in discipline, leadership and teamwork. Bob always arrived at our lunches early, perused a folder with my name on it to be sure he didn’t miss something and the best part—veered off on spectacular tangents about his playing days and nuggets about his teammates who became lifelong friends.

I worked on a few publicity projects with Bob, but it’s his friendship I already miss. In recent years, we talked football and basketball (he played more basketball than football at Wichita State University) and swapped a few friendly generational digs. No matter the day, he always left me better informed — and laughing.

Rest easy, my friend. We were blessed to have you beyond your jersey number, after all. (Hey, the man had goals!)

🏀 Onto the NCAA Tourney … I trust you’ve rediscovered truTV by now. 🏀

NCAA basketball tournaments are huge undertakings for hosts from booking hotels and coordinating practices and media sessions to ensuring athletes have what they need. As someone who’s worked on the host and broadcast sides, I can tell you—the event playbook runs deep. It’s also ripe for publicity.

NCAA tournaments are PR goldmines on their own, but teams and host cities that build hype attract more fans and create opportunities beyond arena walls. If you publicize a single thing and look to piggyback on a major story, take note.

✅ Build excitement before big dates – NCAA teams don’t wait until the tournament to get people fired up. They drop hype videos, player spotlights and storylines weeks in advance. You can do the same. Tease new products, share peeks behind the scenes and give people incentive to pay attention and spread the word before big dates on the calendar.

✅ Tap into the moment – You may not have a Power 4 budget, but you can still align your brand with high-profile events (just don’t use the words “March Madness” in promos or NCAA trademark bosses will come barking).

✅ Make supporters feel like VIPs – Reward loyal customers with exclusives and early access to new products or services. Shout ‘em out on social media. It lets your customers and clients—your fans—know they matter.

✅ Stay flexible and ready to jump on publicity opportunities – With constant media churn during March Madness, be ready to pounce on trending topics. Create content that connects your business to basketball, your city or competition in general. Timing is everything.

Use these tips year-round, but if you have something remotely tied to basketball, now’s the time to pull the trigger on your most fun, fan-friendly publicity.

✳️ Think you have a story you could connect, even indirectly, on an upcoming event? Let me help you jump into action.

© 2025 Gail Sideman, SIDEbar for gpublicity

🦋 Follow me on Bluesky 🦋 for a growing social media community.

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