Week 4 Digital Leadership Doc

Topic: NFL & Domestic Violence - Nothing’s Sacred on Social Networks

Most of traditional media and social networks have covered hot topics focused on the inauthentic and deliberately behavior of NFL representatives and management not coming forward to divulge a material fact associated with the number of NFL players involved in brain injury and domestic violence. It wasn’t until NFL player Ray Rice was caught on tape assaulting his wife in an elevator that representatives from the NFL finally broke their silence and came forward with a statement regarding the fate Rice’s career.  The flood gates opened with different incidents involving the NFL and their players.  The NFL Players Association interviewed players’ family members, trainers, and spouses who reported similar stories concerning their loved-one’s behavior. It wasn’t until February 2011, when former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson, 50, committed suicide with a gunshot to the chest, rather than his head, so his brain could be researched for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The National Institute of Health later found Duerson suffered from CTE, a neurodegenerative brain disease that can surface after multiple hits to the head and Boston University researchers found the disease in Duerson’s brain. Afterwards Duerson’s funeral the NFL reps finally came forward to make a statement (CNN 2013). 

The number of NFL players acting out or demonstrating behavioral changes and acts of violence is likely associated with CTE disease after years of playing in the NFL. This raises the question, could NFL player Ray Rice’s recent behavior be due to the onset of CTE?  Considering the number of NFL players who have died by suicide from the same CTE brain disease proves the NFL owners and management had prior knowledge that CTE was a strong probability of key players in the league would eventually develop CTE. Public opinion and trust of NFL owners and management began to dwindle, and sentiment for NFL players began to rise. Although NFL player Ray Rice did the unthinkable to his wife, the NFL Association should have demanded Rice to get tested for the early (or late) stage of CTE. Who knows, maybe the next video on social media networks may be of the NFL discussing their knowledge of CTE, years before Ray Rice was born. Someone in the NFL’s upper management will come forward in a timely manner to address consumers’ questions.  As Kerpen (p. 84) pointed out, “No human or organization is perfect and errors will be made, and social networks can easily find the mistakes, so tackle the issues head-on to avoid damaging your reputation.”  

Scenario:  You are the P.R. manager for the NFL, how would you use Michael Turney's, RACE method: Research, Action, Communication and Evaluation (Turney, 2011) to present an effective P.R. Summary to the NFL’s management that describes the most effective PR method to use when addressing the media, NFL stakeholders, and the Ray Rice incident and his NFL status.

 Answer both questions:

1. Did the NFL's senior management have a duty to inform the public about different incidents of NFL players charged with domestic violence?  
2. How can the NFL apply the RACE method to address stakeholders across different social media outlets?

SOURCE:

Kerpen, D. (2011). Likeable social media: how to delight your customers, create an irresistible brand, and be generally amazing on facebook (and other social networks). McGraw-Hill, ISBN 978-0-07-176234-2

Paul Oliver's suicide is latest in a string among former NFL players, Article by Levs, Almasy and Sutton, CNN, September 28, 2013. http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/25/us/former-nfl-player-suicide/

Turney, Michael (2011). Acronyms for the public relations process. Retrieved: September 22, 2014. From: http://www.nku.edu/~turney/prclass/readings/process_acronyms.html