Want bad publicity to fade?

A felony? A felony. Hahahaha!

Celebrating a sports win with a flag against Ohio State on its home field could be tabbed a felony if an Ohio legislator has his way.

Want to perpetuate negative publicity and add fuel to a firestorm of a story? Propose legislation like Ohio Rep. Josh Williams. He’s pushing the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act, which would make planting a flag at Ohio Stadium by the opposition a felony, complete with jail time and fines for violators.

This stems from the University of Michigan football team’s upset win over Ohio State on its home turf at the end of the regular 2024 season. Michigan players celebrated a big win, and bitter Buckeyes tried to brawl their way out of misery. The Big Ten handed out fines. End of story, right?

Nope. Williams offered a case study on how to keep a negative story top of mind.

That brawl didn’t break out only because Ohio State was beaten at home by its archrival, but sure, the sting had to feel like a stadium of angry bees. It was something more embarrassing. Some Ohio State players threw punches at their victorious visitors. Visitors fought back.

Obviously, neither school was proud of the fight, but I spoke with a few public relations agents and journalists who said the school would want to blot the stain of an unexpected loss, not make it bigger. Instead, Williams, while trying to defend his favorite team, added a laugh track to the episode and kept the topic in the news.

The Big Ten hit Ohio State and Michigan with $100,000 fines. Few would argue that fists belong in players’ pockets, but were Michigan players supposed to stand there and take punches? Asking as an objective sports fan.

College football is one of the most emotional sports in the U.S. Fans are fiercely loyal to their teams, even as athletes transfer schools at crazy rates.

While Williams’ proposal is unlikely to budge beyond paper, it keeps a bad story spinning for Ohio State. Want a story to die? Don’t douse it with gasoline.

Good Big Ten news – This fall sports season, the Big Ten partnered with Abbott Laboratories to create a competitive blood drive.🩸🩸University of Nebraska boasted the most blood donors and received $1 million to advance student and community health. As a frequent blood donor and sports fan, this was a brilliant way for Abbott to engage students at each school and simultaneously help tens of thousands of people.

More organizations need crisis communications according to journalist

A sports journalist told me this month that crisis communications is the most valuable service I provide (thanks, Joe C.). I get that it’s important, but I thought most people would know how much handling crises with care, credibility and compassion matters.

With that in mind, let’s talk about how to keep 👉🏼you 👈🏼from becoming a watercooler laughingstock -- or worse. Contact me for a consulting call, and let’s talk about how you can prepare yourself for anything.

© 2024 Gail Sideman, gpublicity, SIDEbar 

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