My biased feeling about Nick Saban & Public Relations

Ok. I admit it. I’m biased. I love Alabama football and I love Nick Saban.

I know many people hate Nick Saban. I know, the other day, ESPN SportsNation said Nick Saban was a liar, after he made a  “pimp” speech. I know my best friend from Texas hates Nick Saban, so he really hates to see Nick Saban’s first game ticket displayed in my office. But, I love him.

When I went to Alabama for my doctoral program, Alabama just finished 10-2 season and I was excited to see Coach Shula’s pictures everywhere. It was my first big school, which had a big athletic program. But, I, soon, heard about the probation Alabama got from NCAA, observed 6-7 season and firing Coach Shula. Then, ESPN started talking no one wanted to come to Alabama.

Well, in social identity theory, people usually try to find their “in-group” identity more badly, when their “in-group” identity is threatened by others. I felt the same. Actually, that time really got me into the situation that I was becoming a die-hard Alabama fanatic. Then, Nick Saban came and he changed whole community. He immediately pulled bad weeds out from the team and brought players who committed to play. He was in a total-control of whole football program, which was almost everything of Alabama athletic program as well as whole community.

Then, Alabama started winning games from 2008 season and still haven’t lost a single regular season game since then. If you lived in Alabama in that kind of time, how can you not love Nick Saban? For me, I will never blame him, whatever he did before he came to Alabama, unless he is caught for unethical decisions, such as cheating, sexual assault, or something similar to those.

Especially, when I read this article on Al.com (by Jeff Sentell) this morning, I really thought, Nick Saban knows Public Relations, which is one of the biggest reasons I like him.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/07/high_school_coaches_see_the_so.html

First of all, he told to high school coaches,

Saban wanted the coaches listening to him to focus on helping their own players be successful.

“Maybe the participation in all athletics is not what it used to be,” Saban said.

“But I think it has tremendous value. So if they can engage and inspire and influence young people to develop better habits by participating, that would be the one thing I would want everyone to get out of this.”

Well, many people, including Colin Cowherd on SportsNation (ESPN), think Nick Saban is a liar, because he pretends to protect his players. When I heard that, even though Colin Cowherd might not directly mean it, I felt I was blamed. I am a professor. I am paid by University. I try to protect my students. I think about their career, BECAUSE I am getting paid to do that? Part of that, it is true. But, I totally agreed when Nick Saban talked about the agent issue. I could see what he was talking about. Of course, universities need to make sure they offer enough education to their student-athletes about agent issue. But, they are still students. And, it is easy to try to defend those students, if I am on the universities’ side. But, it can also be seen as just pretending or a lie. Maybe, as many people said, Nick Saban was saying that, because it was all business for him. But, sometimes, it’s all business for me, too. I know Nick Saban is paid way much more than I am paid as a professor, but, I think it is same. I do have a teaching philosophy and try to keep it in my mind when I teach and make a class plan. If I am not a professor, I don’t have to have those things. I don’t have to really care about students. Well, if I am a medical doctor, I would take care of patients, because that is my profession. I am always thinking of students and how to make them better, because it is my profession. In other words, it is my business. Then, are you going to call me a liar?

Anyway, my point is that I saw the teaching philosophy from Nick Saban. That is why I like him, even though many people blame him.

Then, Nick Saban has been always consistent with what he was saying, as I know.

Especially, in his first press conference at Alabama, he talked about his players and how he would teach them. And, after that, it was always the same way. Nick Saban always emphasized his players to do their best and to show their best and not to focus on the results.

And, today, what  did Jeff Sentell talk about him  in his article?

The message about freedom of choice not meaning freedom from consequences hit home. Players are free to act how they wish, but are also subject to seeing their careers penalized as a result. Smart high school coaches can motivate by replacing the NFL prize with college scholarships.

Do his players follow every word? The Marcell Dareus story proves that even projected Top 10 picks aren’t perfect.

But a great deal of his players excel off the field.

Aren’t arrest reports down?

Saban said Alabama had a record 22 graduates play in the national championship game. There were 13 players who graduated before the 2009 season and 12 freshmen who made Academic All-SEC.

Isn’t it something the University should do? I know Alabama is eager to sell tickets and have a very good athletic program, part of it, because of money. However, who do not want to make money? Every profession is paid. Who wants to work without being paid? Who wants to just sacrifice without supporting their family? Then, my question is, what is professionalism? Is it doing a pro bono? Or is it doing a right thing for the profession?

Now, it came down to my area. Public Relations, which is criticized by people with a same reason. People call it as a “spin doctor” or a “hype”. I even heard that some journalists said, “I hate PR, because they always try to give media same answers.”

I always teach my students, “don’t be a lazy PR person. If you are lazy, then, only thing you can do is hyping and spreading false information.” For Public Relations, its biggest goal is helping out its organization. To help its organizations, public relations need to consider employees, investors, customers, community, and even CEOs. And, I would say, if CEO does not know the importance of public relations, the company does not have a future, especially, in today, every company needs to deal with lots of media and people. Organizations really need to realize public relations is not a sending out press release, but, in charge of facilitating communication with organization’s all stakeholders.

So, honestly, I love Nick Saban, because he, of course, brought a National Championship to Alabama, but, I also love him, because he knows public relations. He has a philosophy. He understands college football and student-athletes. He can suggest the way where the athletic program needs to go. He does not say really weird thing in front of media. He always tries to give them the most accurate information. He is never afraid of saying, “I don’t know, but, I will let you know whenever I have more information.” He serves community. He is doing a charity. I know he is a millionaire, but, not every millionaire does a charity. The most importantly, he knows who is the most important public for collegiate athletic program. They are players, who are paid for their education. Well, in every sports organization, players are the most important public. But, in collegiate athletic program, they are “students.”

Well, those things are all I teach in my PR classes. I always have a bias toward Nick Saban and University of Alabama, because this is my alma mater. And, I always have a bias toward public relations. I even tell my students public relations will change the world. I also always have a bias toward students, because it is my profession and it is my business. Do you want to blame me, because I have biases? Well, bring it on, then.

Quick thought on NCAA and Agent issue

Marvin Austin created a huge wave in college football. Picture obtained from Espn

 

Marvin Austin at North Carolina twitted he was at the party and that just brought about big wave in college football, because the party was hosted by an agent. I remember that my beloved Alabama crimson tide football team was beat by Utah badly in 2009 Sugar Bowl game, partly because my beloved Left Tackle Andre Smith was illegally contacted by an agent (or Andre contacted the agent, whatever), and had to miss the game. So, I hoped the wave did not reach my sweet Alabama team, again. And, of course, the most influential player in Alabama at this moment was there. Marcel Dareus. Every football analysts predicted him as a first rounder for the next NFL draft. And, now, he is ineligible for now, probably, a whole season. I am feeling pain now as a fan and as a teacher.  

My beloved Marcel Dareus

 

We always have rules to follow. I am from Korea, but, I follow the rules and laws in the U.S., because I do not want to create any problem. That is not because I agree with all the laws and rules.  

If any American citizens go to Korea, they have to follow the rules in Korea. Google had to leave China, because they did not understand what they needed to follow. In my International Public Relations class, my students had a chance to talk with my chinese friend, who also will teach at the university from the upcoming semester, through Skype teleconference. Her opinion about Google was same as mine. They were arrogant to China. Google thought itself so wonderful, and even could change the Nation. Come on~~~. China has been in the world for more than 10,000 years. People’s republic of China was found in 1949. Way to go Google. You were brave.  

Google left China to change the nation LOL. Picture obtained from SEO and Internet Marketing News

 

Well, student-athletes also need to follow the rule, wherever they belong. Not just for student-athletes, every person who belongs to any organizations needs to follow the rule. Even I tell my son, who is 5 years old, “you need to follow the rule”. If I am at the Walmart, I have to follow their store policy, no matter what I like it or not. I learned it from my school. My teachers generously taught me that. So, I, now, can live in the U.S., because I know how to follow the rules. Anyhow, I had to learn it when I was young.  

For student-atheletes, National Collegiate Atheletic Association (NCAA) has a responsibility to teach them. And, schools need to teach them. Nick Saban, who is a head coach of Alabama football team also addressed that.  

Picture is obtained from NCAA website

 

Gentry Estates, a reporter of Mobile Press-Regitster (Al.com), quoted Nick Saban  

“Right now, agents are screwing it up,” Saban told ESPN.com. “They are taking the eligibility of players. It’s not right that those players do the wrong thing. We have a great education process here. We have a full-time worker who meets with players and their families and does everything else.”   

Then, Nick Saban also blamed NFL and NFLPA (Player Association), or, asked them for help.  

“What the NFL Players Association and the NFL need to do is if any agent breaks a rule and causes ineligibility for a player, they should suspend his license for a year or two,” Saban said. “I’m about ready for college football to say, ‘Let’s just throw the NFL out. Don’t let them evaluate players. Don’t let them talk to players. Let them do it at the combine.’  

So, now, it is between NCAA and NFL. I, honestly, have envied their relationship, because no other professional sports organizations require a certain amount of education to players in the world besides NFL and NBA, as I know. I, sometimes, praised NFL about their policies and relationships with players. Their college education requirement was, of course, one of them. OK. This is surely a brilliant idea. Players can get free education, so that, if they cannot make it to the NFL, they, at least, have a college degree. Someone may say the degree is useless, but, I am a college educator and firmly believe that the degree can definitely change one person’s life. At the same time, NFL can have better and mentally prepared players. Especially, student-atheletes have to handle  their time and all the attentions. I usually admire student-athletes, because they put a lot of efforts on their works as well as their future. They are creating their own assets, which they can carry for their whole life. I like it. I hope every student is like that.  

I hope, of course, student-atheletes do not make a terrible choice like Marcel Dareus, who became my new beloved player in last National Championship game, did. Student-athletes should learn the lessons at this time. As Nick Saban said, universities try to educate student-athletes about policies and issues. Well, someone says student-athletes should be paid because they create big revenues for universities. But, I think they are paid with education. That is what universities need to do. It should be about education, not about money. Then, everything will follow. But, still, student-athletes make mistakes, because they are “Student”-athletes. They are still getting an “education”.  

I remember that when I was a student, I, many time, did something wrong. I did not follow rules well. In my freshmen high school year, I was suspended once, because I did not follow one of their rules. I learned from it. I was immature and did not know the consequences. So, I learned a lesson in a hard way. I, sometimes, see the same thing from my students. They just learn from it in a hard way.  

I think Marcel Dareus should be suspended for whole season, if he broke the rule. He needs to learn the hard lesson, because he is a “Student”-athlete. But, there is something more important. NFL needs to listen to what, now, coaches are saying. It is, of course, a responsibility of NCAA, to educate student-athletes, and students should know what they have to do, when agents are approaching. But, remember, NFL. NCAA is one of the most important publics (or stakeholders) of you, if they are not the most important one. I may have a bias, because I am teaching those “student”-athletes. But, I, firmly, believe that NFL is something special today, because it has a special and healthy relationship with NCAA.  

In sports PR, I, personally, believe, and soon research about it, that the core value is understanding players. Not any organization has stakeholders (publics) like players, who are usually richer than their CEOs. So, they are often looked as goods or products. NFL is special, because, they, believe it or not, valued education of players. That, itself, is a good public relations, in my opinion. Agents, who only know (I mean some of them) money, need to understand the value of education. NFL should let them know, they have to follow the rules and understand the importance of education of “student”-athletes, if they want to do a business with them, because that is what the relationship between NFL and NCAA is all about. So, if NFL shows they care, it should mean something to players, who is also one of the most important publics (stakeholders) of NFL. I will surely appreciate that, because they are my students. And, you know what? I teach at least 100 students a semester. I probably tell them the good example of Sports PR. I have twitter. I currently have 300 followers. I probably add 100 followers every semester, since I let my students follow my twitter. Among my followers, some of them are very influential and have more than 10,000 followers. And, I will tell them NFL is a good example of Sports PR, because it considers players as players, not products. I would study this case and try to publish it in major public relations journal (of course, I know it is not easy). My conclusion would be the same. “Players are not products”. And, some scholars, who may be educators, will read my study. It might be good to keep my support. 

And, remember what Nick Saban said,  ” if they are not going to help us, why should we help them?” Well. I’m one of his fans. 

It's me and I'm not kidding.