Sports teams are vulnerable to crises just like any other business, sometimes even more so because of the large sums of money and public interest involved. Fans of Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates have become accustomed to their team bringing up the rear, but careless handling of questions regarding team finances have landed the organization in hot water. The Meadville Tribune reports:
So how do the crisis management experts at the Pirates handle the news the Associated Press had gotten its hands on and was working on a story that showed the team had made nearly $30 million in 2007 and 2008 (they won 135 of 324 games during that time).
They invited four local media outlets to a press conference to address what they felt was going to be a story that misrepresented the Pirates financial situation.
“The presumed implication that anyone in the ownership group is lining their pockets is inappropriate,” Nutting told the four media outlets.
Hard to figure how anyone would come to that conclusion about a team that had $30 million in profits and consistently had one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.
The Associated Press, the one agency with a national reach and the one working the story was not invited to the press conference. The AP story was picked up by newspapers and every national sports outlet and website all over the country with no Pirate response, further making the Pirates look ridiculous.
Crisis management experts will tell you, “no response” is the same as an outright admission of guilt in the minds of the public. By neglecting to involve the national media or respond to the AP’s questioning, the Pirates have not only alienated and upset their fans, but attracted negative attention across the country.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/