TL:

On the CUSP Podcast - NBA PR Memories

2017-11-13T18:22:00.003-05:00

A recent podcast from Columbia University's Sports Management class:

Or Paste this into Browser:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thecuspshow/2016/12/12/episode-45-pr-at-the-nba-1

Memories of Squeeze

2017-05-01T06:17:00.001-04:00

Remember this one?

Can't Get it Out of My Head

2017-03-18T23:17:00.003-04:00

Classic ... basement recording:

Crisis Communication

2017-02-28T10:32:00.001-05:00

Oh boy.

"Bad news doesn't age well," said the chairman of PwC on the day after the 2017 Academy Awards:

Here was the advance PR video:

The steps thus far:

1. Owned it.

2. Owned it right away (and again, and again).

3. Apologized.

4. Promised to review to specifically identify mistake.

5. Followed up with statement.

A Final Q&A ...

2017-01-18T16:35:00.001-05:00

Here's the Answer provided:

"You know, every parent brags on their daughters or their sons. You know, if your mom and dad don’t brag on you, you know you got problems ...

But man, my daughters are something. And — and they just surprise and enchant and impress me more and more every single day as they grow up. And, so these days when we talk, we talk as parent to child, but also we learn from them.

And, I think it was really interesting to see how Malia and Sasha reacted. They were disappointed.

They paid attention to what their mom said during the campaign and believed it because it’s consistent with what we have tried to teach them in our household and what I’ve tried to model as a father with their mom and what we’ve asked them to expect from future boyfriends or spouses. But what we’ve also tried to teach them is resilience and we’ve tried to teach them hope and that the only thing that is the end of the world is the end of the world.

And so, you get knocked down, you get up, brush yourself off and you get back to work. And that tended to be their attitude. I think neither of them intend to pursue a future of politics and in that, too, I think their mother’s influence shows.

(LAUGHTER)

But, both of them have grown up in an environment where I think they could not help, but be patriotic to love this country deeply, to see that it’s flawed, but see that they have responsibilities to fix it. And that they need to be active citizens.

And they have to be in a position to talk to their friends and their teachers and their future co-workers in ways that try to shed some light as opposed to just generate a lot of sound and fury. And I expect that’s what they’re going to do.

They do not — they don’t mope.

And — and what I really am proud of them, but what makes me proudest about them, is that they also don’t get cynical about it. They — they have not assumed because their side didn’t win or because some of the values that they care about don’t seem as if they were vindicated that automatically America has somehow rejected them or rejected their values. I don’t think they feel that way.

I think they have in part through osmosis, in part through dinner time conversations appreciated the fact that this is a big complicated country and democracy is messy, it doesn’t always work exactly the way you might want. It doesn’t guarantee certain outcomes. But if you — if you’re engaged and you’re involved, then there are a lot more good people than bad in this country and there’s a core decency to this country and — that they got to be a part of lifting that up. And I expect they will be.

And in that sense, they are representative of this generation that makes me really optimistic. I’ve been asked — I had — I’ve had some off-the-cuff (ph) conversations with some journalists where they said, “OK, you seem like you’re OK, but really, what are you really thinking?”

(LAUGHTER)

And I’ve said, “No, what I’m saying really is what I think.” I — I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad. I believe tragic things happen. I think there’s evil in the world, but I think at the end of the day, if we work hard and if we’re true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, that the world gets a little better each time. That’s what this presidency has tried to be about. And I see that in the young people I’ve worked with. I couldn’t be prouder of them.

And so, this is not just a matter of no drama Obama, this is — this is what I really believe. It is true that behind closed doors, I curse more than I do publicly...

(LAUGHTER)

... and sometimes I get mad and frustrated like everybody else does, but at my core, I think we’re going to be OK. We just have to fight for it, we have to work for it and not take it for granted."

-- Thus was the end of the Obama Presidency.

End of the World, REM Style

2016-12-29T05:56:00.000-05:00

No words needed;

Vote!

2016-12-14T20:10:00.002-05:00

Tell me something good?

Name your fave (TV sports personality)? #NHL #NBA #ESPN #CollegeGameDay #NBAonTNT #NHLonNBC
— DigitalSportsDesk (@DigSportsDesk) December 15, 2016

Guilty!

2016-12-12T16:28:00.002-05:00

Yep. Guilty as charged.

Just Do It

How to Make an Ass of a Former Political Opponent?

2016-12-12T12:04:00.000-05:00

Goal: To Make an ass of a former political opponent

Tactic: Call his ass in to your transition team HQ and leak it to (the "dishonest") media you use like an orchestra conductor that said opponent is being considered for a cabinet-level post for a Federal Agency he once was going to eliminate, but, oh yeah, he couldn't remember the name when he was on stage for a party debate.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Result: Thank you, sir, may I have another?

The SBA ...

2016-12-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

I honestly thought it was a blurb from The Onion ... but, it's not. It's true!

Honored to be appointed by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as head of @SBAgov advocating for our small businesses & entrepreneurs!
— Linda McMahon (@Linda_McMahon) December 7, 2016

This is really happening. It happened. (It might happen, if the House and Senate don't step up with at least one ounce (no steroid pun intended) of dignity.

Now, keep in mind, the (gulp) PEOTUS was quoted as saying Mrs. McMahon "has a tremendous background," and "is one of the top female executives, advising companies around the globe."

But, anyone who might've heard of Hulk Hogan and his crew, knows this is what her background is (was?).

Sadly, this blog post is not a joke from The Onion or SNL- it's REAL. The SBA was born of The Great Depression and created by Herbert Hoover in 1932 as the Reconstructive Finance Corp. and FDR took it from there to create strong programs and loans for small business.

This is an embarrassment to The United States of America.

Dear Don ...

2016-12-02T18:26:00.001-05:00

Dear Donald:

Greetings from the Commonwealth and also from the Island of Manhattan, the place you trekked into as one of the bridge and tunnel crew from your Daddy’s place in Queens. Those two places mark my current dwellings and where I attempt to cultivate the most business.

It is that of which I write. While we have pretty significant differences of opinion on most major policy issues - mainly because I like definitive policies with a concrete foundation and you like to fly by the seat of your Hong Kong manufactured pants, but let’s leave that for another day, OKAY?

I’m writing today to say I was so impressed with the way you shook-down the Carrier Corp, makers of air conditioners and other luxury appliances. I thought it was great that your very first major move after the election was to make a total jack-ass out of Mike Pence and do your mafia don thing to strong-arm Carrier execs, in a deal where you didn’t even both to consult with the Union heads before you announced it to the world.

Pretty savvy dealings, Donald. Nothing like ‘bustin’ the Unions before you even make it to 1600.

Anyway, since you are still President Elect (might be best to cut this deal before you are bolted down by the laws of actually being POTUS, right?), I thought I’d write to offer you a very similar deal. You can orchestrate about $5 million in tax cuts and payments directly to me and I will promise not to move my small business to Mexico or elsewhere. So many of the small business entrepreneurs are thinking of relocating to either Canada or maybe places like Aruba, Bermuda, or The Dominican. But, I’ll Make You a Deal.

You do the exact same deal and I’ll keep my business here in the Commonwealth, and you can cozy-up to your good buddy Charlie and say what a great thing you’ve done for Massachusetts.

Since you didn’t exactly “win in a landslide” up here in New England, it will provide you with some much-needed PR and goodwill, just in case you wanna win some seats at the MidTerms or run in 2020. Giving away $5-7 million to large and small business owners is precedent setting stuff. In these United States, it’s just great, because I understand you plan to unite everyone and treat everyone equally. That’s what you said in Ohio on your Mission Accomplished Victory tour and that’s what you said on Election Night, to help stop the riots in the streets and at the Passport application offices.

So, to be perfectly clear, please contact me and I will provide the details for direct deposit.

The terms: You send a $2.5 million deposit, and I will promise (you know how much promises mean, right) to not move my company.

Send the second installment (another $2.5M) and I will promise not to fire 1,500 people, but might shelve 400 just to keep my end of the bargain and follow the exact same precedent of the deal you cut with Carrier in Mikey’s home State. (the place where all the young women ran away for their lives after Mikey, the VEEP elect, signed all those draconian laws last year. Remember? (If not, ask all the company heads at Lilly and even at Angie’s List, okay?) - (crap, even the NCAA was ready to pull up stakes).

So, I’m ready if you need to negotiate and get the best of me. I might settle for an even $4 million and will let you do one of those fake rally’s with all the white people standing behind you cheering, okay?

We’ll play The Dead’s “Shakedown Street” as your new theme song. Since Jerry’s already gone, I’m sure they won’t diss you the way Elton, Bruce and The Stones did.

Deal?

Thanks. Great doing business with ‘ya.

If you can keep sending everyone some $5-7M in tax breaks and people like me a cool $2.5M to keep my biz here in the Commonwealth, you will truly live up to your #1 campaign promise, to Make America Great Again.

Let’s get going, now. Time’s a wastin’

PS: Nice job with the whole Beijing relations thing. I'm sure you were merely paying respects to General Tso inventor Chef Peng Chang-kuei, right? I'm sure you've had it many times with Yoko at Mr Chow's on 57th, am I correct?

PSS: Let's buy Hess Trucks for all the poor kids too?

Yours truly,

cc: Charlie Baker, Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey (the Senator, not the Goodyear guy).

Trump's Next Cabinet Appointment?

2016-11-29T07:23:00.001-05:00

The Trump Administration is starting to look very familiar.

A Change is Gonna Come

2016-11-21T06:53:00.000-05:00

Looks like we need to remind each other of the types of change we REALLY seek, not the assault on basic American rights being led by Trump-Pence. Activate. Call Your Congress Rep and Senators.

Today's "Normalization" Moment

2016-11-17T12:18:00.001-05:00

The hits will keep on coming' - this one brought to you by the good people at Fox News - and even dear Megan Kelly couldn't stand for this racist viewpoint:

What An Ass; Misleading people on Election Night

2016-11-08T16:50:00.003-05:00

What a criminal?

One "county" in Utah has some trouble with their machines and this idiot starts barking the entire COUNTRY is experiencing problems.

CNN chastised him at 4:45pm for the erroneous tweet.

Just out according to @CNN: "Utah officials report voting machine problems across entire country"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2016

GMA's Robin Roberts with Judge Gordon A. Martin, Jr.

2016-11-01T19:44:00.000-04:00

See You in September.

2016-09-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

It is September.

Where did the Summer of '16 go?

NYC from The US Open

2016-09-04T12:37:00.001-04:00

Embed from Getty Images

A great shot from my friends at Getty Images.

Deutsche Bank Championship

2016-09-04T12:27:00.001-04:00

Another Labor Day Weekend in the 'burbs of Boston/Providence with the PGA Tour rolling through town. Gorgeous Autumnal day:

Embed from Getty Images

E.C. and DT

2016-08-26T10:28:00.000-04:00

Eric. Derek and Doyle. No intro needed.

Come Fly with Me ...

2016-08-20T11:39:00.001-04:00

The bicycle, engineered by Ignaz Schwinn, was usually put in motion by the power of my older brother, Timmy, for his Newsday paper route. For that reason, it had a large front basket, big enough to carry a stack of 50 papers, then filled with Woolworth’s or Gimbel’s advertisements for post war families rearing baby boomers on Long Island.

On this day, however, with lunches packed and placed in brown paper bags, the basket held a toddler. It was a bumpy ride to Scooter Lane park. Although it took only 10 minutes, the ride crossed from the Island Trees section of Levittown through a block or two of Bethpage and into Hicksville, the town of St. Ignatius and Holy Trinity where that little toddler would be schooled one day.

On this particular bright summer day, school was already in session.

By today’s standards, of course, a parent might be chastised or even charged with neglect for allowing a child to be placed in an 18-by-24-inch wire basket, mounted to the front handlebars of a bicycle. But, in the early 1960s, it was a much simpler time. we knew not of car seats or nicotine or of asbestos. We worried more about the Viet Nam war than we did of lead in our drinking water, sipped from front yard hoses or rustic water fountains at the Village Green pool.

On this day, I was learning to fly without a seat belt in sight. We were off on an adventure. Me and my older brother, Timothy, 11 years my senior. It was great. I was free. It was so easy being three.

Until this day, my mother - now 91 and going strong - laments, “What was I thinking, allowing you guys to do that?”

It was among the most important days of my life. I was only three, maybe three and half, but, I remember it today. I do.

Another important day in my life was a day, less than a decade later, when my brother Thomas and I boarded a Pan American Clipper jet at JFK International Airport. I was 12 and he would be 17 that December and we were off to Frankfurt am Mein to visit with Ulrich von der Osten, a family friend who greatly assisted my father in establishing Pan Am’s European inventory control operation. Two American kids, dressed in suit coats and ties, were off to see the world.

Oh what courage it took, not for the kids but for their mother and father - my wonderful parents - to put us on that trans-Atlantic flight. Thank God they did, as on that summer day, school was in session, yet again, and the lessons would last a lifetime.

The world was a much different place in 1970 than it is in 2016. The advent of seat belts, flower power, Sly and the Family Stone and a world of difference in terms of mores and standards, have lent their way to a more conservative approach of political correctness, finger-pointing, rash and unrelenting judgement of our neighbors, literally and figuratively, foreign and domestically, albeit with our front, rear and side air bags.

An American child in 1970 traveled the world as a truly global citizen. Our presence was welcomed. Our country respected. Our opinions valued and sought after, respectfully.

An American adult in 2016 now travels the world apologizing on behalf of a nation for Donald Trump and the antics of Ryan Lochte.

It wasn’t always that way.

My training from the front basket mounted to a bike or a trans-Atlantic flight to Germany, with side trips to the East German border or a boat ride to Koblenz on the river Mein, paved the way for a lifetime of international travels, much of it carrying the globally accepted torch of the National Basketball Association to countries far and wide. From friendship tours and coaching clinics in Tblisi or Vilnius, Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, vodka toasts in Milwaukee and Moscow, to games and events in Beijing and Shanghai, Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, or Tokyo, Saitama, Yokohama or Sapporo and beyond, we enjoyed a wonderful place in the world of basketball while never losing sight of the importance of sport to the United Nations.

That lifelong voyage culminated one day when I read a testimonial in the prologue of a book about the great Boris Stankovic, the head of FIBA largely responsible for righting a wrong and being sure the very best basketball players in the world competed on the global stage in the Worlds and Olympics. I was so honored, taken back really, by a passage from that book on the life of Stankovic, written so perfectly by Oscar Elini and Lorenzo Sani, two of sports’ most accomplished historians.

They wrote: "We would like to thank Terry Lyons of the NBA for such a helpful introduction to his world, that of the NBA. The friendship, which began on a basketball court at a time when the reality of this great sports spectacle was not yet globalized, but which today can reach out and touch one hand. At that time, ‘world' basketball was just a dream but today, it is a reality that fills us with pride and joy. Terry, together with his colleague, Brian (McIntyre), taught us that NBA not only means National Basketball Association, but also 'Nobody Beats America,' not in speaking on the court but with regaard to knocking down fences and finding the most efficient shortcuts that helped their idea, their vision take off and kept flying higher than ever."

Such a nice compliment, yes, but that high came crashing down for me one day while on a bus ride at the 2006 European Final Four in the Czech Republic. I was flying solo, barely making the tournament opener after a delayed connection via Heathrow.

As one of the last six or seven to board the tour bus, I sat in one of the few remaining empty seats, next to a middle-aged gentleman from Serbia. As I slid into the chair, I turned and smiled and maybe said a simple, ‘Hello.” It was returned with a nod, but certainly not with a smile. The short ride continued to the venue, in the heart of Prague, a wonderful city. If I remember correctly, I made some small talk, asking for the gentleman’s opinion on the prospects of CSKA Moscow, Maccabi or the two Spanish teams, Tau Vitoria or FC Barca, in that evening’s games. The reply, direct but not diplomatic, set me back a lifetime.

“Excuse me,” he said, in near perfect English, “but I do not like Americans.”

“Okay,” I replied, knowing that bus ride was some 44 years after my bicycle ride to the park on Scooter Lane, and some 36 years after my first trip to Europe.

Come Fly with Me ...

2016-08-20T11:39:00.000-04:00

On this particular bright summer day, school was already in session.

Until this day, my mother - now 91 and going strong - laments, “What was I thinking, allowing you guys to do that?”

It was among the most important days of my life. I was only three, maybe three and half, but, I remember it today. I do.

An American child in 1970 traveled the world as a truly global citizen. Our presence was welcomed. Our country respected. Our opinions valued and sought after, respectfully.

An American adult in 2016 now travels the world apologizing on behalf of a nation for Donald Trump and the antics of Ryan Lochte.

It wasn’t always that way.

“Excuse me,” he said, in near perfect English, “but I do not like Americans.”

“Okay,” I replied, knowing that bus ride was some 44 years after my bicycle ride to the park on Scooter Lane, and some 36 years after my first trip to Europe.

Tribute to the Life of John Saunders, ESPN

2016-08-11T07:45:00.000-04:00

ESPN's Tribute to John Saunders from ESPNFrontRow on Vimeo.

Way to be Rio!

2016-08-05T20:21:00.000-04:00

They pulled it off ... Big-time.

Embed from Getty Images

Nice job.

Rio '16 Golf: What a Shame

2016-08-05T14:29:00.000-04:00

In October of 2009, I pictured this month’s Sports Illustrated cover with grandiose visions dancing in my head from memories of a February, 1991 cover depicting Michael, Charles and the Mailman with Magic and Bird - the Dream Team.

My imagination, dancing from those memories, conjured up a special meeting in New York City with a few cases of cold suds and a few industry friends. We’d take-over a conference room at Sports Illustrated and SI-writer extraordinaire Jack McCallum would be holding forth, along with the creative minds of Chris Stone (now the head honcho), longtime basketball scribe and author and former Vermont Frost Heaves GM Alex Wolff, legendary writers like Gary Smith, Steve Rushin, Leigh Montville, and Ian Thomsen along with award-winning photographers Walter Iooss and John McDonough.

From the NBA’s side, we’d toss in Brian McIntyre, Russ Granik and Rick Welts, for old times sake, as they were among the architects of the “original” Dream Team. Kim Bohuny, a scratch golfer out of Furman and a longtime NBA-USA Basketball-Goodwill Games executive would be asked to put on both her basketball hat and golf visor, for which we would reward her with a bottle or two of Silver Oak.

From the world of golf, we’d need some creative genius and no better place to start than with David Feherity, commentator, talk show host and former pro golfer. He’d be joined by Golf Channel cohort Tommy Roy, the executive producer on the PGA Tour but also a contributor to the NBA on NBC. Add in the great Bob Condron, formerly of the USOC and currently the venue chief for golf at Rio 2016, along with golf course architect Gil Hanse as the majordomo for the return of the sport of golf to the Games. We’d toss in Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery for some sporting perspective and humor, and top it off with the brilliance of Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus to be sure everything was as copacetic as a Bill “Bojangles” dance marathon.

The issue at hand and nearing deadline would be the proper naming and headline writing of my imaginary (but just recently received) “Double Issue” Olympic Preview of Sports Illustrated, once king of Olympic Games coverage. The assembled group would discuss the options.

Fast forward -- In the July 25-August 1st edition, seven United States Olympians graced the cover. It was fine. There were stories on Simone Biles, the new Queen of women’s gymnastics, on Usain Bolt and the "next gen" of track & field athletes, on the most decorated Olympian ever in Michael Phelps. His USA Swimming teammates Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky had their S.L. Price moment, right alongside a Price-penned “back-of-the-book” piece on the “Refugee Team,” a group of Olympians competing without the backing of a country to call home or a flag with which to march into the Olympic Stadium.

There wasn’t a single story on GOLF.

With the sport of golf teeing it up for the first Olympics since 1904, I envisioned an issue filled with profiles on the greatest active golfers - the “Dream Teams” of Dormie.

Let’s take a quick look at who could’ve graced the “Golf Plus” SI cover of a lifetime.

USA

Tiger Woods

Phil Mickelson

Jordan Spieth

Rickie Fowler

Spain

Sergio Garcia

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Ireland

Padraig Harrington

Northern Ireland

Rory McIlroy

Darren Clarke

South Africa

Ernie Els

Retief Goosen

Louis Oosthuizen

Australia

Jason Day

Adam Scott

Germany

Bernard Langer

Martin Kaymer

England

Lee Westwood

Justin Rose

Ian Poulter

Luke Donald

S Korea

KJ Choi

Japan

Hideki Matsuyama

Fiji

Vijay Singh

Sweden

Henrik Stenson

And, that’s just to name a few of the sport’s greatest active golfers.

The SI Cover could’ve looked a little like the album cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, although I’m not a sure we could replace only four Beatles. We might’ve needed eight or ten silky psychedelic suits to do the sport and its global appeal justice. They could’ve all gathered around on the Zoysia grass with a few flowers to add some color. Peter Blake and Jann Haworth would be much obliged by the newfound work and a hefty Time, Inc. payday.

Of course, the pundits would’ve been conjuring and criticizing an Isiah Thomas-like conspiracy theory snub-fest, fueling enough debate to knock The Donald off the boob tube for a night or two, and we don’t mean The (Luke) Donald.

The gripes?

Where’s Jim Furyk?

Where’s Colin Montgomery, that old crank from Scotland, the birthplace of the sport?

How come there are no golfers from Canada on the cover?

Tiger’s washed up and can’t play anymore (Remember the Larry Bird critics?)

Instead? We give you Golf in the 2016 Summer Olympic games.

Thud! What a waste of a sport.

Just as sure as the IOC reinstated Baseball and Softball for the 2020 games in baseball-loving Japan, you can bet your Callaway Great Big Bertha that golf will get the (sand) trap door at the next world congress of sporting corruption. Hospitality and event planners for 2024, you can kiss your birdies good-bye.

It could’ve been great. It could’ve done for golf what the Dream Team did for basketball in 1992.

But, oh no, only a handful of the best golfers in the world wanted to play.

If it were the ’92 basketball players balking, it would’ve been a public relations nightmare for the N.B.A. and, the likes of Ben Simmons, Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming and Tony Parker might’ve never seen United States soil, never mind NBA stardom, worldwide fame and fortune. But, this summer, golf is being given the benefit of the doubt and a free ride, PR-wise, as health threats from the terrible Zika virus and the outdoor nature of the game have swayed public opinion of the sporting slight to say, “Well that’s alright with us”

Rightfully, we should point out and give proper credit where it is due to the likes of Kaymer, Stenson, Rose, Fowler, and Harrington. High-fives to Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson of the USA, Graham Dalaet and David Hearn of Canada and Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela, just to name a few of the men’s golfers scheduled to compete. And, the women of the LPGA deserve much credit as their showing is strong, but sadly, far less impactful for the overall growth of the sport.

Just think of what could’ve been as we all planned the cover and penned the new name.

What would your suggestion have been for the headline of the Return of Golf to the Olympics issue?

Sadly, we could only come up with - “What a Shame Game.”