"Don't Drop the Ball"

It is clear that the NFL needs to rethink it's PR strategy in terms of maintaining its public image. The recent Rice issue was catastrophic to the league's brand and the NFL needs to find a more meaningful way to balance it's media relations. Effective sports communication during a crisis is vital. The first step to an effective remedial PR strategy is to identify the problem, and preparing for a crisis is an even great tool to have the in the PR war chest(Liss,2002). In this particular case Rice compromised the public image of the brand. The issue here is that the NFL often limits the lack of credibility when it comes down to how they proceed with disciplinary actions. The "alleged" video in question clearly shows that Rice was indeed a culprit in a domestic violence situation, but how much background research went into previous incidents like the Plaxico Buress gun case? 

There needs to be a streamlined means of protocol when handling such cases.This way all the necessary evidence can be gained in a manner to which a more justifiable assessment can be made and effectively communicated to the public. It is within this research and evidence gathering that a carefully crafted message can be generated and delivered in a purposeful manner to the public.  By building a crisis management strategy, organizations can create an infrastructure, a plan, and a process to respond to crisis.(Liss,2002). This blueprint must be adhered to and rehearsed in order to maximize it's effectiveness (LIss,2002). Public opinion is a great measurement tool in terms of evaluating whether a PR strategy was effective. Public perception is everything. If a PR campaign is effectively executed, than the fruits of that campaign will demonstrate a influence of positive perception among consumers while protecting the image of the brand. 

I do believe the NFL should release arrest information. From a PR standpoint they really don't have a choice. Because arrest are a matter of public record, a brand needs to be very cautious as to get ahead to the release of that information so that it can create some sort of damage control. In other words, you wouldn't want the ball dropping before you had a chance to catch it.  

Liss, D. (2002, January 1). Crisis Management | Brand Image | brandchannel.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014.