Top 10 PR-Sports Stories of 2011

What is the one thing people clamour for most at the end of the calendar year? LISTS! Your eyes cannot travel far between the television, magazines/newspapers and the Internet without stumbling upon a list. Heck there are even top 10 lists of the top 10 lists!

With that said, call me fashionably late, but here are my, "Top 10 PR-Sports Stories of 2011"

10. Ryan Braun - Did he or didn't he?
Just when you think that the steroid-era in baseball is in our rear-view mirrors, 2011 National League MVP and Milwaukee Brewer, Ryan Braun was busted in December for testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone caused by a banned substance. It has not been confirmed by Major League Baseball whether the banned substance was HGH or another Performing Enhancing Drug (PED) but this story certainly came at a bad time. Bud Selig must have been thinking, "you've got to be kidding me?!". MLB had wrapped up a great season with the most dramatic, down-to-the-wire regular season in history and just when we think MLB has moved beyond the PED problem, their NL MVP is busted. Fortunately for Commissioner Selig and the rest of MLB, this story didn't gain too much national attention as there were bigger stories that overshadowed this one, a couple of these stories that are on this very list!
PR Summary: After making significant efforts to change the public perception that the MLB is a no-cheaters league, their MVP, guilty or not, has tarnished said efforts.

9. Tiger Woods - His trip back to normality, including his golf game
Granted, Tiger Woods is so 2010 but the 2011 Tiger Woods story doesn't focus on adult-movie starlets and a multi-million dollar divorce. The 2011 Tiger Woods story rather focuses on the precipitous decline of the greatest golfer of my generation, possibly of ANY generation. Tiger Woods won 1, yes 1 tournament in 2011. You know who know earned more money than Woods in 2011? Woods' fall-from-grace has left a gaping hole in the PGA Tour landscape. The PGA is simply devoid of a star. Because of Tiger's struggles, ratings for tournaments, even the Major Opens, plummeted when Tiger wasn't walking down the 18th fairway in contention for the lead. 2012 could be a damaging year for the PGA if Woods is unable to regain his vintage Tiger form.
PR Summary: The popularity of golf and the PGA in North America rest upon the shoulders of Tiger Woods. If he doesn't regain a small amount of success he had earlier in his career, the sport will continue to lose popularity.

8. "The U" - Miami University highlights the greed and corruption of collegiate football
In the final days of the summer, Yahoo Sports revealed that University of Miami Booster, Nevin Shapiro, who himself had been incarcerated for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme, had  provided 72 U of M athletes with thousands of benefits from 2002 to 2010. Some of these benefits and NCAA infractions included Shapiro paying for: prostitutes, abortions, parties and jewelry. It was also noted that at least seven U of M Hurricane coaches had knowledge of or even participated in these acts. This scandal highlighted everything that is wrong with collegiate sports, the "student-athlete" and the greed of these football programs and the NCAA. It was the largest college football scandal since SMU was handed the "death-penalty" in 1987 when SMU Athletics payed players "under the table" for approximately ten years.
"The U" could face the same fate as the SMU Mustangs, but as of writing, no decision has been made.
PR Summary: This is a PR nightmare for the NCAA who are highly scrutinized for fostering the greed within these football programs. Their Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is a money-pit that every college wants inclusion into and scandal from the BCS extends further than the football programs that compete in the Bowl Championship games. The NCAA and BCS continue to fight the perception their system invites corruption.

7. The NHL off-season - A summer full of heartache
The 2011 off-season for the NHL was filled with tragedy. The deaths of tough-guys Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak were not only devastating to the families and players that lost a cherished Dad/Son/Brother and teammate, but it made the NHL investigate the role of the "enforcer" in the sport. For years it was debated whether there was a place in the league for the player whose sole purpose was to fight in an attempt to motivate his teammates or protect the team's untouchable superstar. After these three losses, the NHL was forced to probe beyond their place in the league and look closer into these players' lifestyles. With drug abuse and suicide in play, the ramifications of encouraging and even celebrating this type of player (as Brian Burke did with his romanticism of Colton Orr's role in the league) have to be scrutinized to the fullest extent.
PR Summary: After this tumultuous off-season in the NHL and having to combat the perception these enforcers are susceptible to a self-destructive lifestyle, it would seem the league's defence of fighting in the sport is nearly indefensible.

6. Vancouver Riots - And here we thought it was only a game?
June 15th, 2011 provided one of the ugliest moments in Canadian sports history. The seventh and deciding game of the Stanley Cup Finals, where the hometown Vancouver Canucks were outclassed by the relentless and hungry Boston Bruins provided the catalyst to city-wide riots throughout the streets of Vancouver, casting an ugly shadow over the city. Although the riots were out of the control of the NHL, these riots provided a bitter aftertaste of what was an enthralling NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
PR Summary: It was a tough two years in sports for the city of Vancouver. First, despite an overall exciting, heart-felt and memorable Olympics, there was the tragedy that befell the games officially kicked off with the Georgian Luger who died after sustaining insurmountable injuries in pre-trials on the Luge course. Fast forward a year, and after a thrilling Stanley Cup Finals, the people of Vancouver erased all the good that came from the series. Will we ever see another sport event be awarded to Vancouver again? It will take one helluva PR campaign to do so.

5. NFL & NBA Lockouts - Did they actually help the product?
If you followed the NBA and NFL lockouts respectively, you would have consistently read about the long-term effects missing an entire season would have on the popularity of the two leagues. We had previous proof that there would be ramifications if player unions and owners didn't reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement. The falls in popularity for both the NHL and MLB are well documented. And while there may be a microscopic percentage of fans that tuned out the NBA and NFL because the idea of millionaires and billionaires fighting over money was too ridiculous, when both leagues reached agreements and saved their seasons, the fans came back out in droves!

When the NFL owners and NFLPA came to an agreement in late July, it ushered in a free-agent period that swept the nation into a frenzy. This two week free-agent frenzy carried momentum over into the regular season where the league set rating records.

Similarly, when the NBA owners and players union reached an agreement in December of 2011, saving 80% of the season, it too ushered in a free-agent period that saw one of the best Point Guards in the game be dealt and a slew off wildly entertaining game scheduled for opening tip-off on Christmas day. The NBA has carried this momentum into January where they too, have set rating records.

PR Summary: Disasters averted. Rebuilding the image of a professional sports league after a suspended lockout is a bumpy road to travel. Ask MLB and the NHL. However, by saving their respective seasons' both PR departments for the respective leagues can campaign and spread their message that the owners and player unions were able to save their seasons for the fans.

4. Lebron James - Even Ric Flair was jealous of his "heel heat"
Minutes after, "The Decision" on ESPN went dead on that July evening of 2010, Lebron James choice to, "take his talents to South Beach" catapulted him to becoming one of the most hated men in American sports. Shortly after signing with the Miami Heat and aligning himself with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to form, "The Big 3" or my personal favourite, "The Heatles", James quickly proclaimed that the Miami Heat would win, "not 5, not 6, not 7", but 8 NBA championships. That hatred grew.

Then came the Lebron James cartoon called, what else, "The Lebrons". A cartoon with the premise to highlight all the characteristics of Lebron James, *roll eyes*. The hate boiled over. James was hated for his audacity and ego more than his ability to drop 35 on your hometown team. He was the man that left his hometown underdog team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, to join forces with a superpower. Aspiring pro wrestlers who perform under a heel character, take notice, James was making the villainous Joker, from Batman lore, look like Mother Theresa.

The culmination transpired during NBA Championship Finals in June. James, now embracing his villainous persona, were out to vanquish the upstart and underdog Dallas Mavericks. By doing so, James could then look down on everyone he had turn his back on.

However, in typical WWE and Hollywood fashion, the villains were defeated by the heroes. The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Championship in 6 games. James himself, shrivelled when his team needed him most. In fact, many point out James' shortcomings are the reasons why the Heat didn't win and James could not capture his first NBA Championship.

With 2012 upon us, James' villainous role has subsided for now but the 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair would certainly be a fan of Lebron James, circa 2011. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

PR Summary: James' publicists have put in a lot of effort to repair his image after he sullied it with his actions from, 'The Decision'. While time is always the best healer, his late-year interview with Rachel Nichols also helped considerably.

3. Tebow 3:16- Tebowmania ran wild whether you liked it or not
Considering this is my third time blogging about Tebowmania, even if you try to resist its force, you're going to be sucked in, one way or another. Tim Tebow. There's not much else that can or should be said after saying that name. You all know the player and situation by now. Tebow is the quarterback of the Denver Broncos that is revered across the nation except for the executives that employ him. He's the quarterback, pundits say can't throw the football yet he keeps pulling off miraculous victories.

Without a doubt, Tim Tebow has presented the most unique NFL story ever; he is a beloved player that isn't very good but keeps on winning.

Sure, we've seen Heisman trophy-winning quarterbacks in the NFL. We've also seen many of these award-winning quarterbacks that couldn't hack it in the NFL. However, we have never seen a collegiate player this popular, who threw the football like he was throwing a javelin, struggled to complete a pass all game but in the 4th quarter would flip the script and pull out the aforementioned miraculous victory. I stress miraculous because he also happens to be one of the most spiritual players in the league.

The story of Tim Tebow reached all new highs in Wild Card weekend of the NFL playoffs. Tebow and the Broncos were hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had the #1 rated defence in the league. Many predicted Tebow wouldn't complete a pass. Well, he did. He completed 10 passes for 316 yards including an 80-yard touchdown to win the game in overtime. And no, I didn't make a mistake, he actually threw for 316 yards. Guess what Tebow's favourite passage is in the Bible?

Unfortunately, the Tebow story is done until the summer. The Broncos marched into Gillette Stadium on January 14th to battle the AFC-leading New England Patriots. The Broncos were blown out 45-10. Whether you consider it praise for New England quarterback and former 'Golden Boy' Tom Brady or an indictment on Timmy Tebow, but half way through the third quarter, Brady had twice as many touchdowns than Tebow had completions!

Despite the horrific end to the 2011 season, I'd bet money on my organs that the #1 story going into the 2012 season will in fact be, "Timmy T".

PR Summary: Marketing and PR departments in the NFL must act quickly to exploit the goldmine that Tim Tebow is right now. Schedule your Tebow TV appearances, sell your Tebow jerseys and book your magazine covers while the iron is still hot. Something tells me, he may a flash-in-the-pan by this time next year.

2. Jerry Sandusky & Joe Paterno - The crumbling of an empire
The most horrific part of this story is without a doubt the sexual abuse from former Penn State Nittany Lions Assistant Coach, Jerry Sandusky. There was nothing sadder in the story than what these victims endured at the hands of Sandusky. However, Sandusky was also able to shake a collegiate football empire down to its very core. Happy Valley is sacred grounds to Pennsylvanians; their messiah is Joe Paterno. Paterno or "Joe Pa" is an icon at Penn State and was their Head Coach for 46 years. In 2011, that came to an abrupt end. Many thought Paterno, 85, would eventually retire due to age but no one could have predicted that Paterno would get tangled in a grand-jury report which saw Paterno along with 5 other officials resign or be relieved of their duties. The school, the campus, the state and the country were all saddened by the perverse acts of Sandusky and the loss of a guilty and misguided state figurehead. Penn State University and the Nittany Lions will try to rebound from this saga and for the first-time in nearly half a century, a man not-named Paterno will jog out onto the field at College Station as the football program's Head Coach.

Joe Paterno - Coach of the Nittany Lions for 46 years

PR Summary: Specifically speaking from camp Paterno, his decision to not release an immediate statement after his name was dragged into the story was his biggest miscue. It may and probably wouldn't have mattered, Paterno was a lame-duck, but immediate and complete disclosure is crisis communications 101.

1. Year of the concussions - Sid the Kid bookends a year of "head drama"
January 1st, 2011 was supposed to be one of the most important and signature events on the NHL calendar. The 4th annual NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh would feature two of the games biggest stars, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin face-off in an epic encounter. The game received significant momentum with the airing of the HBO series '24/7', a behind-the-scenes look into both Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins and Ovechkin's Washington Capitals. The result of this showdown may have changed the NHL forever. However, it wasn't what the NHL was hoping for.

Half way through the game, Crosby was hovering around the Capitals goal when the puck went blazing by him. Crosby turned around to find the puck;Capitals Centre, David Steckel, was rushing out of the zone. Steckel never saw Crosby and certainly, Crosby never saw Steckel; Steckel's shoulder caught Crosby flush on the jaw and Crosby went down in a heap.

This altercation led Crosby to suffer ongoing concussion-like symptoms and miss nearly 100 games in the last calendar year. As of writing this, Crosby has no immediate plans to return to the Penguins line-up.

However, the story of concussions goes back a lot further than the 2011 Winter Classic. Concussions have been a part of sports forever. What has changed dramatically, is the culture regarding concussions. Gone are the days of the "gutsy" quarterback that would get his "bell rung", shake it off and head back into the game as if nothing happened. The NHL and NFL have instituted strict protocol in handling head-injuries, even if they may not be concussions.

The concussion issue amplified several years ago with the formation of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI). The organization was started by Harvard graduate and former WWE pro-wrestler, Chris Nowinski; Nowinski was forced to retire from contact sports because of the effects of concussions. The research and testing of SLI highlighted the lasting effects concussions can have on a life passed the athletes' playing careers.

In 2011, the concussion issue reached its summit. The NFL and NHL both put bans on direct head-shots that could lead to concussions. Penalties, fines and suspensions were issued at a consistent rate. The NFL was also subpoenaed from former football players alleging that team doctors' knew the effects of concussions and the teams tried to hide the information from players.

Late in November, Sidney Crosby made a triumphant return to the NHL. In a storybook night, Crosby came back to action with no rust and contributed 4 points in a Penguins win. However, shortly after, Crosby  once again experienced concussion-like symptoms and hasn't played since.

We may have reached the apex of the concussion issue in professional sports but we certainly have not seen the last of this issue. In the coming years, rules will be amended, more testing will be done to assure that the safety of the players' brains are the utmost importance.

PR Summary: This issue extends much further than the professional leagues of the NFL and NHL. The concussion discussion will ripple down to minor hockey and football. Any executive in these respective sports, from Commissioner Goodell and Bettman to the Convener of your local minor hockey association must display their commitment to erase the type of head-hunting hits that are susceptible to concussions and must also display a commitment to thorough precautionary measures and evaluation of players they feel may have experienced a concussion.