A Lesson from College Football: the Camera is Always On
January 4, 2018
By Curley & Pynn
For many Americans, the holiday season is synonymous with college football. From bowl games to playoffs, there are numerous opportunities to kick back and relax, and watch America’s favorite sport. Last week, college football also provided an opportunity for America to learn a valuable lesson in public relations when University of Texas’ head football coach, Tom Herman, was caught mocking University of Missouri’s quarterback, Drew Lock … on national television.
As a Missouri native and fan of Mizzou, our 33-16 loss to the Longhorns was a shame to see, but even worse was Herman’s disrespectful gesture, waltzing along the sideline while imitating Lock’s touchdown celebration move.
Not only did he exhibit poor sportsmanship, but he also encouraged the team to join. Before the display ended, fans were already reacting on social media, either in disgust or in defense of Herman’s actions.
Whether he meant to openly taunt Mizzou or was genuinely caught red-handed, what Coach Herman quickly learned was a lesson we often teach in Curley & Pynn’s Message Matrix® program: “assume the cameras are always rolling.”
But wait … there’s more: role models should model the best behavior.
Here’s to hoping other teams take note as they prepare to compete in the championship game next week.
