As a faithful Seattle Seahawks fan, a win is a win in my book. However, after Monday night’s football game against the Green Bay Packers, others may not share my sentiment. For those who didn’t catch the game or for those who may have been living under a rock the past week and avoided every existing news outlet or social media channel, let me quickly recap.
Among football fans, it’s fairly common knowledge that the NFL referees union has been on strike (or locked out by the league) since before the official season started. For the past three weeks, replacement referees have officiated games and from the start, have been met with an onslaught of criticism for their series of blunders and ridiculously inaccurate calls. However, when Monday night’s replacement refs signaled a game-winning Seattle touchdown, while replays demonstrated the refs may have made the wrong call (again, as a Seahawks fan, I’ll refrain from commenting on the legitimacy of the ruling), it was enough to send angry football fans into overdrive.
Almost immediately, social media channels and media outlets lit up criticizing the NFL and sending the league into a PR crisis management firestorm. Even President Obama spoke out saying, “we’ve got to get our refs back” and top-tier sports media outlets such as Sports Illustrated claimed that the replacement refs have, “significantly impacted the NFL’s product on the field.” According to The Wall Street Journal, the NFL demonstrated that they’re willing to put an inferior product on the field all over a $3 million fight with the NFL Referees Association—pocket change for the $10 billion industry.
So how does the NFL recover from a debacle that opened them up to public scrutiny and damaged its reputation? Well, for starters, it likely pressured them to finally reach a deal with the referees union, with official refs making their season debut in last night’s game. However, while the NFL clearly took a hit to its image, many claim that if there’s a brand that can stand the test of poor PR decisions, it’s the NFL. Although football fans nationwide began questioning the integrity of the game, is it enough for them to take action and stop watching? Likely not.
While the NFL will undoubtedly come out on top of this fiasco, no organization is immune to a potential crisis and it is how you handle the situation that really counts. For tips on how to help prepare for a crisis and protect your brand, check out our blogs on What Not To Do in Crisis Communication and Key Elements of a Crisis Communication Plan.