The PB Case Study: Report: Celtics guard Gabe Pruitt arrested for DUI - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

The PB Commentary:

A few brands are negatively affected in this piece, the Celtics, Pruitt's and Marbury's. Now, it makes sense why the first two have some PR clean up to do. But, how did Marbury's get caught up in it? The obvious....his brand has issues of its own. Connecting his brand to the Celtics' brand doesn't help him, at least initially, as much as it might hurt theirs...at least initially. But, the jury is still out.

As for Pruitt. Why wasn't someone driving for him? If he is from the area, I know he had friends who could have and should have taken the wheel. Your circle needs to consist of responsible folks who have your back, especially since you have a "celebrity" status to maintain and a responsibility of representing the Celtics. Come on already!

Source: YAHOO! Sports

Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:15 am EST
Report: Celtics guard Gabe Pruitt arrested for DUI
By J.E. Skeets

Well, this is unfortunate.

Boston Celtics guard Gabe Pruitt (pictured right, driving to the net, sober) was arrested Thursday morning in California on suspicion of operating a car under the influence, according to that pesky little website TMZ.com.

Pruitt was pulled over around 3:15 AM in the Hollywood area. Sources tell TMZ Pruitt failed a field sobriety test and had a blood alcohol level well over the legal limit.

He was taken to a local jail and booked on suspicion of driving under the influence. His bail was $5,000.
The 22-year-old Pruitt scored three points in five minutes of the Celtics' 93-91 loss to the Clippers before (apparently) hitting the bottle with friends. He is from the Los Angeles area and played college ball at the University of Southern California.

So to recap: Stephon Marbury says he'll sign the vet's minimum with Boston, Paul Pierce dislocates his thumb, twice, the Celtics lose to one of the worst teams in the league and their back-up guard gets busted for a DUI — all in the span of, what, 24, 48 hours?
Marbury is incredible. He's like the anti-rabbit's foot.

(via CelticsBlog)

Report: Celtics guard Gabe Pruitt arrested for DUI - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

MWPRINCight: NAACP head wants N.Y. Post editor, cartoonist axed

MWPRINCight Comments can also be found in the USA Today article.

Comment 1:
My issue with their apology is that it was not sincere. It was more an act to eliminate the headache they created. And, my concern with the NAACP, Sharpton and others is that they might mismanage the opportunity by just demanding folks loose their jobs, that makes them instant "stars"....they will find another gig, i.e. Don Imus. The opportunity I refer to is that of "REAL" talk about race. Bump the sensitivity training...folks at the NY Post and elsewhere need to really get an understanding of where those who were offended, mainly African Americans are coming from. That is IF they care to. And, we, African Americans need to open our minds to the thought of educating those who don't have a clue. Now, once they have a clue, if they choose to continue to be insensitive, than they must go. And, do be clear, I am trying to give the editor-in-chief and cartoonist the benefit of the doubt.....but, its hard.

Comment 2:
Now, after scrolling down and reading some of the other comments, it I am officially afraid. There is hatred and ignorance within the comments on this topic and that shows that folks just don't care to heal. The NAACP was created BECAUSE African Americans (or as we were refere to 100 years ago, "colored" had no voice in education, social, political or civic rights). So, we took the word that was given us and used it for our power. As for the references to "BOY"...that right there shows that you know what you are doing and saying. There is no ignorance here, there is just plain old hurt and meanness. God help us all.


NAACP head wants N.Y. Post editor, cartoonist

NEW YORK (AP) — The head of the NAACP on Saturday urged readers to boycott the New York Post, calling a cartoon that the newspaper published an invitation to assassinate President Obama.

Benjamin Todd Jealous, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, called on the tabloid to remove editor-in-chief Col Allan, as well as longtime cartoonist Sean Delonas.

APOLOGY: 'N.Y. Post' editorial addresses cartoon
CARTOON: 'N.Y. Post' depiction of dead chimpanzee stirs outrage

Earlier this week, the newspaper apologized to anyone who might have been offended by the image printed Wednesday, which some say likens Obama to a violent chimpanzee gunned down by police in Connecticut.

Jealous said the cartoon was "an invitation to assassination."

On Thursday, after protests by notable figures including director Spike Lee, the paper posted an editorial on its website saying the cartoon was meant to mock the federal economic stimulus bill, but "to those who were offended by the image, we apologize."

A spokeswoman for the newspaper referred the Associated Press to the paper's editorial when asked Saturday about the proposed NAACP boycott.

Jealous called the editorial "a half of an apology, without elaboration."

The drawing, he said, "picks off the scabs of all the racial wounds."

He spoke as the NAACP gathered for its annual meeting in New York, where it was founded a century ago.

NAACP officials said that if the Post does not take "serious disciplinary action," they would reach out to organizations across the country to join them in their efforts against the tabloid.

NAACP Chairman Julian Bond called the publication of the cartoon "thoughtlessness taken to the extreme. ... Anyone who is not offended by it does not have any sensitivity."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Black Student Athletes: Change We Can Believe In | Donna White | Opinions, Sports + Entertainment and more at RushmoreDrive

My 140 word comment on RushMoreDrive.com to Donna White's piece:

MWPR ( Less than 1 minute ago)You are missing a significant piece to this puzzle, the parents. Has any research included stats on how many parents of Black athletes, who didn't graduate, played a role in that decision versus White athletes and their parents? Unfortunately, economic challenges influence the decision to stay/study or leave/cash-in on talent. And, that is normally the case for Black athletes more than Whites. Thus, the parents view their talented child as a ticket out/up. So, the pressure to leave is greater.

Donna's piece:

Since the election of President Obama, much has been written about the positive shift in attitude among some Black men who have traditionally survived on the fringe of their communities. Many young men (and not so young men) have cited the election of Obama as a turning point for doing better as Black men – being better sons, fathers and law-abiding citizens.

There is a collective sense that Mr. Obama is the representative of Black men, therefore, they have to positively ‘rep’ the race and him. If having a Black president can do what grandmas and mothers have been trying to do for a generation, then I am all for it. I hope that it extends to the classroom as well, finally abandoning the idea that doing well academically is “acting white” or makes you a sellout.

Again, as President Obama demonstrates, you can ball (basketball in his case) AND be academically competitive.Yet, some athletes are still not getting the message. National Signing Day – the day that high school football players sign their letters of intent to play for a college – was held on Wednesday, February 4. Naturally, the most prominent conferences - the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Pac-10, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) - were the big winners in recruiting the nation’s top talent. Most athletes want to play for schools whose games are televised, send the most players to the NFL and have the big name coaches. If I were a star athlete, I probably would want to do the same.

However, I wish more parents and athletes would also look for a program that graduates a majority of its athletes to show their prowess on the field and in the classroom. How many really considered the graduation rate at their chosen school along with the times they would be on SportsCenter? The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida released a report in December that shows that Black football players are graduating at a much lower rate than their white counterparts. Though the graduation rate among Black athletes has increased, only 59% are graduating compared to 76% of white players. Some may say a rate over 50% is good. But a closer examination of the report shows that 19 of the 68 teams that played in recent bowl games graduated fewer than half of the Black students whereas only one (1) school graduated fewer than half of its white football athletes according to Richard E. Lapchick, director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport.

If Black athletes want to do better, they need to start selecting schools not just for the potential of getting to the NFL but also for preparing them for life in spite of the NFL.

Myron Rolle, a DB at Florida State, is headed to Oxford. Grant Hill graduated from Duke and still enjoys a prominent career in the NBA. It is possible for athletes to be serious students while dominating on the field instead of being athletes who just happen to attend class between practices. If we really want to do better, Black athletes need to step up their game in the classroom.

Black Student Athletes: Change We Can Believe In Donna White Opinions, Sports + Entertainment and more at RushmoreDrive

The Playbook Case Study: Jock Sanders of West Virginia arrested on drunken driving charge - ESPN

How did this happen? Why did this happen? This is his second arrest in a year for Sanders. After the first, more restrictions should have been placed on him. Where were his friends, teammates, anyone? Under age drinking is part of the college experience however, when you are an athlete a higher level of expectation should be placed on them.

Student-athletes often do not realize that THEY are their brand. A player's off-the-field/court actions can either help them or hurt them in obtaining their future athletic goals. It doesn't matter if a player successfully scored every time they have the ball on Saturday, if by Tuesday they have done or said something negatively, the potential to instantly wipe out the on-the-field/court success is there. It can take center stage and possibly even destroy their future before it begins.

I am now officially a broken record. Ha!

To learn more about The Playbook: Mentoring Initiative email theplaybook@mwprinc.com.

Jock Sanders of West Virginia arrested on drunken driving charge - ESPN:

"West Virginia receiver/running back Jock Sanders could be facing suspension or dismissal from the team in the wake of a DUI arrest over the weekend.

'I am looking into the situation, gathering facts and will take appropriate action once all the facts are in,' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said through a school spokesman.

Sanders, a junior, was seen speeding near campus and crossing the center lane in a black Dodge Charger early Saturday, according to an arrest report filed in Monongalia County Magistrate Court. Officer C.L. Thomas approached Sanders' car in a parking lot and reported that he could smell alcohol on Sanders' breath, the report said. When asked if he had been drinking, the 20-year-old Sanders responded 'a little,' according to the report.

Sanders then failed three out of four field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol level of .125, the report said. The legal limit in West Virginia is .08.

This is Sanders' second arrest in the past year. He was one of four West Virginia players who were arrested in connection with a fight at a club last February. They were charged in March with battery and each pleaded no contest, receiving a fine and community service hours.

Sanders led the Mountaineers last season with 53 catches for 462 yards and seven touchdowns in 2008. He also ran for 278 yards and two scores."

Brian Bennett covers the Big East for ESPN.com.

The Playbook Case Study: Jock Sanders of West Virginia arrested on drunken driving charge - ESPN

Jock Sanders of West Virginia arrested on drunken driving charge - ESPN

Moral Sense vs. Business Sense

In response to Joe Favorito's Sports Marketing and PR Round-up Blog

It is amazing how the whole Phelps thing has now turned into a morality vs. business debate....should not morality be a part of business.

Now, I do agree with most of what Joe writes in his blog. He proves my point concerning the need for athletes to have another layer of responsibility placed on them, something The Playbook: Mentoring Initiative offers.

PR professionals should be placed on the team. And, as Joe shares, I applaud the NBA's attempt to manage off-the-court actions in creating the new Social Responsibility and Player's Program position. But, what exactly does not that mean? What will that person do? To me, being socially responsible refers to giving back, bringing awareness to issues, etc. That does not mean managing player's off-the-court actions in social environments...am I wrong here?

Anyway, back to Phelps, there is a double-standard clearly. And, it all has to do with what the mighty dollar. Again, a sad, sad reality.

The Playbook Case Study: USA Swimming suspends Phelps for three months -- baltimoresun.com

The Playbook Commentary:

The two biggest disappointments surrounding this whole thing is first, he views this more as a nuisance, not seeing the seriousness in what he did and what it could do to him. He just wants it to past. He, like other athletes, is not realizing that this act (which again is not his first...folks seem to forget that) can instantly erase all the hard work and years of practice and preparation he has endured. And, that alone is sad. But, the other disappointment is the fact that folks are not REALLY concerned about him, but rather concerned about the money attached to him, and how much they tend to loose from endorsement deals, advertising dollars, ratings, etc. if this story doesn't hurry up and die a quick death. Both sides lack sincerity or transparency.

Now, the biggest lesson in all of this is...well, not really, because there was someone before him that he could have learned from. Never mind...for some reason athletes continue to believe they are the exception...that they will not get in trouble for negative behavior. And, if they do there will be no REAL consequence because of who they are. It's ironic, its only then they finally realize that they are their brand and that it has power...day late.


Full story: USA Swimming suspends Phelps for three months -- baltimoresun.com

An Awesome Finish: Steelers take sixth Super Bowl title on late TD catch by Holmes - USATODAY.com

This had to be one of the best Super Bowls in a LOOOOOOOOOONG time. Because no matter who would win both teams had an awesome story. But, one team did become the victor, the 6-time Super Bowl Champions Pittsburgh Steelers!

This game was nail bitting to the last seconds. After the Harrison play at the end of the 2nd Quarter...it was on and poppin'. And, I am so glad I was alone watching this...no distractions with folks talking, walking in front of the TV...just me and my tube. And, I was able to scream without breaking anyone's ear drum. Thank you Steelers and Cardinals for an excellent game played. You both should be proud of what you accomplished. And, now....reality kicks in....no more FOOTBALL!

Oh, yea, there is still the Pro Bowl...YES!!!!

Steelers take sixth Super Bowl title on late TD catch by Holmes - USATODAY.com

Another Playbook Case Study: FOX Sports on MSN - - Phelps acknowledges photo of him smoking a bong

Okay, 2004 Olympics, he was caught drinking and driving, underage. And, he said then, he would not do such behavior again, because he knows he has people looking up to him. Now, after the 2008 Olympics he says, "I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said in the statement released by one of his agents. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."

I ask the same question to him, as I have NFL and NBA players, who do you, have on your "out-of-pool" team to make sure such things don't occur? And, where is his common sense?

Full story FOX Sports on MSN - - Phelps acknowledges photo of him smoking a bong