Why Crisis Terminator Only Caters To Artists & Athletes

I am often asked why I decided to start a crisis management firm that only caters to artists and athletes. The answer became very apparent this past week. Artists and athletes are a complicated mix of talent, ego and insecurity. Not everyone understands nor knows how to work with that mix. In less than 7 days we saw two athletes and two artists make headlines, all who are in desperate need of crisis management.

1. Dallas Cowboys Running Back Ezekiel Elliott

This week he was cleared of domestic violence charges. He was accused of abusing his ex-girlfriend. It was also revealed that he sent her text messages that he was afraid of failing a drug test. He denies the text. Speaking of drugs, while the team was in Seattle for a preseason game he was “sightseeing” at a marijuana dispensary.

2. NBA Champion of the Cleveland Cavaliers Iman Shumpert

Arrested this week in Atlanta for a DUI and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and failure to maintain lane.

3. Rapper Desiigner

He was involved in a road rage incident that led to him along with 4 others being arrested and charged with three misdemeanor counts of menacing and drug possession. Here is his hit song “Panda.” Video contains profanity

4. Rapper Bobby Shmurda

He has been in jail since late 2014. He is accused of murder, attempted murder and selling drugs. This week he accepted a plea agreement as he was looking at life in jail. Under the agreement, he will face a minimum of seven years in jail (minus the time served) and he avoids a trial.

Here is his hit song. Video contains profanity.

I am a strong believer that these four people did not have a “run of bad luck” one day and get into trouble, in some cases, the worst trouble of their lives. I do believe there were signs along the way that were ignored. It is important that artists and athletes seek crisis management BEFORE a crisis ensues. It is also important to be mindful of the people you keep in your inner circle. You can not have “yes people” around you. Who is the voice of reason? While we would like to think the artist or the athlete should be the voice of reason, that is rarely the case. Of all the places you could visit in Seattle, who thought a marijuana dispensary was the place to go? With the advent of Uber and Lyft, why is a multi millionaire NBA player driving drunk? Why is someone driving around with drugs? A better question is, “why are you using drugs?” The “living like a rock star” image is getting old to record labels, sports teams and advertisers. The public is placing a greater demand on accountability because of the impact the actions have on kids who look up to the artists and athletes.

What We Can Learn From The Ryan Lochte Incident

Four Olympic U.S. swimmers, Ryan Lochte, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen and Gunnar Bentz claimed they were robbed at gunpoint while in Brazil. Questions about the robbery began to arise after this interview between NBC’s Billy Bush and Ryan Lochte. His overly calm demeanor was questioned.

Brazilian authorities found the story to be “fishy” and later requested the seizure of all 4 swimmers passports. Lochte had already landed back in the U.S. when the request was made. Conger, Feigen and Bentz were detained in Brazil. Now it has come out that all 4 members of the U.S. swim team lied about the robbery. Below is the video footage from the gas station.

I don’t need to point out the obvious; this is awful. There is something to be learned from this. Crisis management is needed BEFORE a crisis ensues. Athletes and artists need a crisis manager on their staff or on retainer and need to meet with the crisis manager periodically. This is most important before they leave the U.S. to embark on tours or games such as the Olympics. There is a certain degree of entitlement that the U.S. tolerates that other countries do not. Athletes and artists need to understand and RESPECT the laws and customs that govern those countries and act accordingly. Calling in a crisis manager to handle this case at this point is almost useless, all you are trying to do is save face with your sponsors. It will do little to rehabilitate the athlete.

Should College Athletes Receive Compensation?

I am a fan of college basketball, NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball, specifically, the Maryland Terrapins and the Georgetown Hoyas. I was such a fan of the Terrapins growing up that sometimes my mom, after working a very long day, would take me to the Colefield House (the Terrapins’ home arena) to see the men’s team play. This was the team that consisted of Walt “The Wizard” Williams. My love affair with college basketball was forever cemented.  As I followed the NCAA, one of the oldest debates about their athletic program centered around if the players should be paid. This conversation comes up every few weeks as someone is found to be in violation of the NCAA rules. It could be an athlete, a coach, or even the school itself. The core issue for most of these violations tends to be money related and the fact that these athletes aren’t being paid for their services. Like most fans of the sport, I was saddened when players started leaving college early to enter the NBA. I enjoyed watching a group of players evolve from their freshman year to their senior year and dominate during March Madness. I agreed with those who wanted to put a restriction on when a player could leave college for the NBA.

And then, I did some homework.

The NCAA made close to 1billion dollars in their 2014 fiscal year and ended with a surplus of 80 million dollars! I recall my own college days of being a struggling college student living off of Ramen Noodles and Little Debbie cakes. I remember the excitement of finding the ATM machine near campus that would let me withdraw $5 instead of the standard $20 minimum. I didn’t have $20, but I knew I had at least $10 until mom sent me money or I received my Work Study paycheck from one of my two campus jobs. This is where the issue lies with college athletes; they do not have the time to have a Work Study job. When they are not practicing, then they are training. When they are not training, then they are watching film on their upcoming opponent. When they are not watching film, they are doing their homework and attending class. The money they may have received from their scholarship only provides for their education; not food outside of school, not to pay their cell phone bill to stay in touch with family, not to buy a new t-shirt or toiletries, things we all purchased in college. Most of them do not have a parent that is able to send them money from home. While the NCAA will argue that compensating student-athletes would destroy competitive balance in college sports, I believe that athletes leaving school early to enter the pros, destroys the competitive balance in college sports also. Eighty-six percent of college athletes live below the poverty line. Students are leaving school because they are poor, need to provide for themselves plus their families, and feel used by the current NCAA system. I can’t recall the last time I saw a starting line up of seniors play during March Madness. Now I understand, from a financial stand point, why athletes leave. I doubt I could handle reading that I am worth millions to a team, yet I’m hungry and expected to function on the three meals a day provided to me through my scholarship. I am the furthest thing from an athlete, but when I work out, I’m eating more than three meals a day. Maybe their commitment to a school’s athletic program could also be used as their Work Study pay.

As a crisis manager, I would implore student athletes to tell their stories in their own words. Use photos to show where they grew up and where they are trying not to go back to. Have their friends and family interviewed. Tell the whole story. If such a program were in place, maybe you wouldn’t hear stories of boosters, lavish gifts or even drug dealers getting intertwined with a college athlete’s career. My recommendation wouldn’t necessarily be a salary, but would be comparable to what they would be paid on a Work Study job. I’m a fan of NCAA college basketball. I am not a fan of it’s system, it’s athletes’ struggles, and how their athletes are not compensated nor benefit from the billions they bring in for the NCAA.