How the NBA and NFL differ in their handling of PR nightmares
Two of the big professional sports leagues went through some difficult times this past year. The NBA had to deal with the Donald Sterling nightmare, while the NFL had to deal with Ray Rice and domestic violence.
There were vast differences in how each league and league commissioner handled their hot potato. NBA commissioner Adam Silver did well, and received countless accolades for how he handled his trouble, while the NFL, with commissioner Roger Goodell, well, not so much.
The background:
During the NBA playoffs in April, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, was caught on tape saying racist things to his girlfriend. When the tapes were released, it was like a bomb was detonated in the NBA world.
NBA commissioner Silver was still a newbie when this situation fell on his lap. He took over for longtime commissioner David Stern in February, and this was his first major test.
In February, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, are involved in a fight at an Atlantic City casino elevator. Police say Rice and Palmer hit each other and both were charged with simple assault.
A few days later, TMZ releases a video showing Rice dragging Palmer out of the elevator. Charges against Palmer are later dropped, while Rice enters a pre-trial intervention program.
Rice later meets with commissioner Goodell about the situation. Goodell had a chance to show toughness against domestic violence.
This is where the two commissioners diverge. They both faced a situation that could have hurt the league if not handled properly. Adam Silver handled his situation flawlessly, while Roger Goodell failed miserably.
How the NBA commissioner handled his trouble:
Four days after the Sterling tapes surfaced, Silver held a press conference.
Most expected him to announce a suspension and fine, but not much more. With advertisers and players keenly watching what Silver would do, he laid down the hammer on Donald Sterling.
Silver banned Sterling from the NBA for life, and fined him $2.5 million, the highest amount he could impose. The money raised from the fine would be donated to anti-discriminatory groups and tolerance efforts.
Silver also urged the NBA Board of Governors to use its authority to force the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers.
After an unsuccessful try to reverse Silver’s actions, the Clippers were sold for $2 billion. Sterling is out of the NBA.
How the NFL commissioner handled his trouble:
Five months after the Ray Rice incident, Roger Goodell announced a two-game suspension of Rice. The announcement was met with disbelief and anger. Many thought that the suspension was too lenient.
A month after the announcement, Goodell releases a new, harsher domestic violence policy. A first offense of the policy would result in a six-game suspension. A second violation would result in an indefinite ban. In a letter to the owners, Goodell acknowledges that “I didn’t get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.”
In early September, TMZ released a second video, this one of the inside of the elevator. It showed Rice punching Palmer, and she goes down and hits a banister, knocking her out.
The new video drew even more ire, and Rice was suspended indefinitely. Questions about what Goodell knew about the video and whether or not he had the second video were being loudly asked. Goodell said he never saw a video, even though the Associated Press reported that the video was delivered to the league office and there is supposedly a voicemail confirming receipt of the video.
After going underground for a couple of weeks, Goodell finally resurfaced last week to hold a press conference.
The press conference was forty-five minutes of pure nothing. He again talked about how he failed, and that he would fix it. He announced a formation of a committee that would deal with the personal conduct policy. Well, he said he hoped to have that committee assembled by the Super Bowl. No word on when they would actually tackle the policy.
Goodell again was widely criticized for the press conference. Players mocked Goodell on social media. Sidney Rice wrote “Boo this man” on his Twitter page. More calls for his resignation were made.
As you can see, the way these two men handled their PR nightmares were different as night and day. While Silver drew rave reviews for his dramatic and forceful handling of the Sterling case, the man who was known as the “Law and Order” commissioner, Goodell, ends up drowning in his inaction. The NBA players applauded Silver, while NFL players take great joy in making fun of Goodell.
Maybe Goodell should have looked at a video of Silver taking action. He may want to give him a call before he opens his mouth and embarrasses himself once again.
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