This week in sports: PR pros are 2-0.

I'm not much of a sports guy, but two stories jumped out at me this week, both related to smart PR guys and media placement.

The first is from Sunday's Cowboys-Lions game (Cowboys lost 30-31). Wide receiver Dez Bryant made at two highlight-video catches for touchdowns (he made have made more; I was napping) that were only rivaled by his sideline tantrum that would make the wildest ADHD kindergartner proud. Just in case you missed it, take a look (and this is only one of several incidents).

 

What's impressive are his teammates' responses to media inquiries following the game. In a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article, the Cowboys' coach -- their PR coach, not their football coach -- shines ... well, like the star in the middle of Cowboys' stadium.

Dez invokes Pop Warner football to explain his passion for the game ... a passion demonstrated by sideline tantrums (uhhh ...  yep, tantrums). One "discussion" (his word) was simply to point out that the Cowboys' defense was stopping the Lions and that the Cowboys' offense should politely respond by scoring points. Quarterback Tony Romo even applauded Dez's winning spirit and selflessness, and calls him a "good teammate."

Dez's on-field and off-field childishness is a distraction to the Cowboys, who are struggling to avoid another dismal year by a talented team, and his on-field performance is critical to the team making the playoffs.

More importantly, his on-field performance ... minus the sideline tantrums ... is critical to maintaining the interest of a Cowboys' fan base that is rapidly losing interest. Kudos to the Cowboys' PR guy who scripted Dez, Tony and others, and planted the article in Monday's must-read sports section.

The second story relates to game #2 of the World Series between Boston and St. Louis. NPR reported on the 4-2 Boston win Monday morning. The story included a brief feature on Jonny Gomes, who's home run broke a deadlock tie to put Boston ahead 4-1.

Gomes, described by NPR as "a journeyman who first made it to the majors nearly nine months after a heart attack on Christmas Eve in 2002 (sniffle sniffle)," wasn't even scheduled to play until pre-game batting practice. He was 0-9 in the series until the home run; and, in a post-game interview, he attributed his turnaround to a pep talk by 8-for-11 hitter David Ortiz.

Just like Dez, Gomes takes us all back to childhood. Here's how he described it: "It was like 24 kindergartners looking up at their teacher. He got everyone's attention, and we looked him right in the eyes. That message was pretty powerful."

Here's Gomes home run photo from Sports Illustrated:





NPR broadcast Gomes' comments from a post-game interview, where he thanked mentors and other supporters who helped him get to the majors, then NPR's Mark Memmott talked about Gomes path to baseball. He mentioned Gomes' heart attack, then went into the car accident Gomes was in at 16 that killed his best friend AND followed that with the heart-tugger about his homelessness as a young child (more sniffle sniffle).

My first thought: who is the PR genius who set that up? What a personal, fan-generating story. That's how PR affects the bottom-line.

So, this week in sports, PR pros are 2-0. Go Spin Masters!

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