5 Star Recruit, 5 Star PR Problems

This past week, I was asked to answer a simple question in my Social Media course at GW. The question: what is social media? Among some of the answers offered by myself and my classmates, one posted by Michelle Edelman stood out in particular. "Social media gives voice to everyone with access to the internet. This allows us to gain exposure to an abundance of information but also gives those, with not such great things to say, a voice as well." It is the last part of that answer that has stuck with me. We all have that friend who posts things online that should never see the light of day, things that would make any parent or potential future employer squirm in their chairs. Thankfully, these messages are usually limited to the few amount of followers or friends they have online. However, there are a select few who are graced with not only a large online audience, but a lack of a filter as well. Prime example of this group: college football players.

Don't post that photo from Friday night!

Now, I am not saying that all college football players are dangerous on social media. I am currently friends with a number of college athletes via Facebook and Twitter and have never seen a truly cringe worthy post. However, when it comes to social media gaffs, it seems that a few rotten apples (in this case, young men who are oblivious to how their words and actions will affect others) have spoiled social media for the group as a whole. Even worse, when these gems catch the eye of a reader, 11 times out a 10, the post will end up making its way into a sports news report in front of a national audience. 

Here is a recent example: Jayru Campbell is a 4-star recruit who had recently received a scholarship to play at Michigan State next year. Michigan State is coming off one of its best seasons in school history, going 13-1 and winning the Rose Bowl. With that success comes intense media focus on the team, including its new recruits. So, when a video of Jayru throwing a school security officer to the floor surfaced earlier this week, the video quickly went viral and made its way onto national newswires. For all we know, this could have been sparked by a set of freak circumstances and we may not be able to see all sides of the story. Maybe Jayru is not completely at fault for the incident. Regardless, in the eyes of the viewers, Jayru comes off as a unstable, emotional young man, one who may not be able to handle all of the pressures of being a starting quarterback and leader of a prominent football program.  Comments across the Internet call for Michigan State to revoke Jayru's scholarship. Just goes to show you how quickly one post online, even if you are not the one who posted, can ruin a life. 

Unfortunately, Jayru is not the only one who has generated a bad image for himself via social media. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Johnny Manziel has made himself "the bad boy of college football" with his off field antics. Photos of Manziel at a Texas fraternity party or drinking at the bar with his mom have been mercilessly dissected on national news programs including ESPN. While this may look like harmless college fun to some, others have taken note of Manziel's actions. There are some executives in the NFL that have some reservations about adding Manziel to their team this year due in large part to his off field issues. Regardless of his talent, Manziel can't outrun, out pass, or out perform his negative social media image.

So what can we do to help these young men clean up their social media lives? Do we limit their social media use, potentially banning it altogether? While that has been done by other teams, it does seem a little bit Orwellian. One remedy is the growing trend of introducing a "Process" into the lifestyle of the team, one that holds the players accountable for their actions with a zero-tolerance party. It seems that new Texas coach Charlie Strong has begun to install his own version of the Process into the Texas football community. Included in this new vision for the Longhorns includes a list of rules and expectations for all of the players. Included are rules forcing the players to live in athletic dorms, stricter requirements on class participation, and a stronger policy against drugs and alcohol. All of this comes with a zero-tolerance policy. The goal of this program is to not only bring the focus of the team back on playing and winning football games, but to also make the players more well rounded individuals. I can only imagine that as part of this new code of conduct, the social media presence of each player is a keystone issue that needs to be addressed. I am excited to see how well this program functions, both on and offline. I believe that Coach Strong has the ability to bring a well rounded and winning football team to Texas, one that makes noise on the field, but remains silent off the field. 

Like I said, not all college football players have this problem with social media. Unfortunately, it is the vocal minority that becomes the face of the majority. So, regardless of whether you are an athlete or just a spectator like myself, be mindful of what you post. And please, don't post those pictures of me taking down the school security officer. I can't afford to let the NFL scouts see that. 

Goodbye NFL dreams

Happy "Rebecca Black" Day #1

Welcome to the first edition of Rebecca Black Day, a tradition I am "borrowing" from my previous internship with D.C. United. Nothing makes you feel more alive than listening to a wonderful rendition of her timeless classic when you first wake up on the last day of the work week (read: I just flew in on a red-eye flight from SF and am rather delirious at the moment). To start it off, we are going to go with the original, in all of its glory!

Hmm, why did I suddenly just lose a few readers?

Now that we are ready to either a) get down on Friday or b) find a remedy for the ringing in your ears, it's time to move onto the news coming out of college football this week. Three major stories broke in the days following the end of the BCS (and SEC domination) Era. Our first story takes us down to the heart of Texas, in College Station where....

1) Johnny Manziel announced that he would enter the NFL Draft

In a move that was shocking to absolutely no one, Johnny Football declared that he was done with the whole "college thing" at Texas A&M and was taking his talents down to South Beach the Radio City Music Hall for April's draft. This move comes as no surprise given his off season tensions with the city and the fact that he is consistently ranked as the #2 Quarterback in the draft and slated to go in the Top 10 picks. Guess that means his side market autograph days are truly over now that he will be swimming in money.

What he will be doing as he walks up to the podium

So, what does this mean for college football? Well besides his almost infinite off field antics, Manziel leaves behind a legacy as one of the most entertaining players to watch on the field. Over 7,800 passing yards, 93 combined touchdowns, and and average Adjusted QBR of 88.4. Oh and just a few important awards like the Heisman. His plays will run as highlights on SportsCenter for years. Congrats on your decision, Johnny. The NFL just got an upgrade. I feel for the young Quarterback who has to fill his shoes next year (although he looks like he will fit right in). Speaking off filling shoes in Texas, the new coach of the University of Texas is....

2) Charlie Strong

The search for Mack Brown's replacement is over! And Charlie Strong is just the man to turn the program around. Although "turn around" is a bit of exaggeration. Last year, the Longhorns went 8-5, including an Alamo Bowl lose to a high powered and vastly superior Oregon team. However, for the Longhorns and their fans, its is BCS or bust (well, for next year its College Football Playoffs or bust).  In addition, they are losing the recruiting battle in the state of Texas to A&M and TCU, a battle that the University of Texas has always dominated. This is where Charlie Strong come in.

Already in good form with the hand signal

Strong has a proven track record of taking programs from .500 to winning conferences in a short span. When he took over the reigns at Louisville in 2010, he took a team that had been 4-8 in the previous year to 7-6 and a bowl victory. He went out and actively recruited players to come build his program into a national contender at a school known more for its basketball program. With the help of a couple key signings (looking at you Teddy Bridgewater), Strong was able to build up his initial success with an 11-2 and Sugar Bowl winning 2012 season and a 12-1 record this past season. In his four years at Louisville, Strong was 37-15, with a winning record in each season. Even more impressive was the fact that during his tenure, there was an absence of off field issues with his players (the exact opposite Manziel). With his ability to win early, recruit well, and hold his players to a higher standard, Strong is the perfect fit for a young Texas team looking to reclaim the glory days of 2005. Speaking of glory days, the AD of Louisville was probably feeling a bit blue and nostalgic following Strong's departure, so he decided to bring in....

3) Bobby Petrino

You may be asking yourself, "Wait, Bobby Petrino is still coaching college football?" Trust me, this was the first thought that popped into my head when Louisville announced that Petrino would be returning to coach the team. Most people these days seem to forget that Petrino coached the Louisville team from 2003-2006, where he went 41-9 during his first tenure, giving him the best winning percentage of any coaching in Louisville football history. Similar to Strong, he led his team to both and 11 and 12 win season as well as an Orange Bowl victory before heading to the NFL to coach the Falcons. Unfortunately, Petrino is known more for his final days at Arkansas, where he was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident which revealed is extramarital affair with a female staffer. This discovery led the university to fire Petrino, who then went on to coach a forgettable season at Western Kentucky University, going 8-4 and missing out on a bowl game bid.

Hopefully people will remember this Petrino when he begins coaching

So, where does this leave Louisville after they brought Petrino back as their coach? All bad PR aside, they bring back a coach who has not only had a great deal of success, both at Louisville and elsewhere, but a man who has been humbled by his mistakes. Yes, there will be some initial recruiting backlash, as prospects will begin to move away from the program. However, that issue will remedy itself after Petrino leads the Cardinals to another set of successful seasons. For know, Louisville and Petrino must focus their efforts on a young squad who lost Teddy Bridgewater to the draft, a daunting task on its own.

That wraps it up for the major college football news of this week. I'll be taking the weekend off to enjoy my first week back in D.C. (read: sleep the entire weekend as my internal clock is so messed up, I don't even know what year it is). I'll be back on Monday with any breaking news and remember: Don't Rebecca Blackout too hard this weekend.

I'm with ya there Robin