11 Comments:

• Barry is in a situation where he needs to use the equity he has built up with the media in order to 'soften' the backlash that he's walking right into.
  
  Problem is, Barry has no equity with the media. In fact, he's gone out of his way to antagonize the media for years. As a result, they'll crucify him over this.
  
  Barry is his own worst enemy here.

  By  Mack Collier, at 4/14/2006  

• Terrell Owens is right up there too – he’s just lucky Bonds has been taking the spotlight from him now that football season is over. Anyway, it’s funny that you bring up this question b/c I heard a similar one on a sports talk show which basically discussed whether or not the media will ever favor Bonds.
  
  First off – yes I would accept (although I may be bias – Giants fan for life)
  
  Secondly – I would try to get him to apologize, without having to admit all of the accusations that have been made against him. Jason Giambi did this. Remember him? He’s the guy who lost 30 lbs in the off season a few years back once the league starting enforcing steroid testing. Weird how he never seems to get any heat throughout this whole issue – isn’t it? That’s partly because he made a public apology. He never apologized for doing steroids or for cheating the record books – he just said he was sorry this all of this had to happen – and then whalah – he’s all good with the media. I think that once you start giving in with the media, there’s not much they can do to fight with you. But if you’re like Bonds and you fight with the media on a consistent basis – they will eat it up and fight back. They love it – the people love it. All Bonds needs to do is make a simple apology to the media and to “all of those who have been affected by this turn of events” and I bet things will start looking up for him.
  
  Why do you ask by the way? Are they putting his business up for bid? Can I intern?

  By  Blake, at 4/14/2006  

• We've all had abusive clients. They suck. One of the beautiful things about being in business for yourself is that you can say no to clients like this. Not enough money in the world to take on a prick like Bonds as a client. If for some reason I was ever in a position to have his ear...I'd advise him to:
  --get out of baseball
  --try to be a father/role model to his kids
  --stay out of the public eye for a decade or so
  --we're very forgiving as Americans but he needs a lot of distance and time between "Barry-now" and "Barry the comeback".

  By  Dee Rambeau, at 4/14/2006  

• mack, I'd agree. I think the inverse was true for Mark Maguire in St. Louis. He always got along with the press and they rewarded him by not going hard at him on the whole thing, even though it was a reporter who spotted the Andro in his locker.
  
  I think in many ways Bonds also has resigned himself to thinking he'll never get a break, so why try to get along with the press, you know?
  
  blake - For me, the main thing with TO is that his issues were on-the-field ones regarding sportsmanship, (like Moss in many ways), but his ability was never questioned regarding steroids. But, like all great athletes, he could back it up on the field and got a free pass from many people.
  
  As far as Giambi, I always thought it funny that he never quite came out and said he was sorry for taking anything, and as you say, was only sorry for the whole hoopla.
  
  I agree that we are a forgiving bunch in this country – if you only will admit you did it, and that you were sorry. Hell, you'll get a book deal and a few appearances on Leno out of it and a bump in your speaking fees when you retire!
  
  Not sure if he's looking for help, I just like to pose the hypothetical on PR issues like these at times. Most of what I see on PR blogs doesn't cover "What if...?" scenarios like these, and as a newbie to the world of PR, I’m interested in how the pros would handle them.

  By  makethelogobigger, at 4/14/2006  

• I'd advise him to carry cute puppies with him at all times.
  
  How can you hate a man who loves puppies? They are gold for the camera.

  By  Mike Sacks, at 4/14/2006  

• "How can you hate a man who loves puppies?"
  
  You know, on the face of it, that's not a half-bad idea.

  By  makethelogobigger, at 4/14/2006  

• While I would tend to agree with Blake here on the whole apologize and move on tact, it's pretty clear that Bonds is near, or at, the point of no return no matter what.
  
  Bonds is the exception to that rule in this case because of what he's "accomplished." Giambi wasn't breaking records, especially the most storied in baseball. And, although he never said flat out that he was sorry for using, it was implied - just like when McGwire said, "I'm not here to talk about the past" during the congressional hearings. What conclusion did that leave the public with?
  
  Even if Bonds did *finally* come out and say he used steroids, there is far too much attached to his story to ever forget, even if the public forgives in some form. His legacy is tainted and no amount of PR is going to change that - even puppies. Maybe kittens?
  
  I wouldn't take Bonds as a client, I'd let him blow in the whirlwind of what he's created for himself, because despite a good makeover he'll still be Barry Bonds, the great baseball player who used steroids and lied about it over and over and over.

  By  Ryan Lack, at 4/15/2006  

• The apology can work. Political studies indicate you can use that one good time, a sincere fess up, and all of the things said above will happen.
  
  The puppy might work.
  
  The puppy and the apology ... well that's just Nixon and Checkers.

  By  Kenny, at 4/18/2006  

• Working in PR hasn't always left me with the best taste in my mouth - my friend and colleague even had "corporate whore" shirts printed up with his face on them. But that was another place, another time. One of the things that has kept me in PR these past few years has been what I perceive as an increased willingness by PR people to situationally push back as appropriate, rather than back themselves into a corner as order takers unwilling to look their taskmaster clients in the eye, no matter what. In other words, the industry seems to be growing a backbone.
  
  Anyway, I think there are far fewer PR people today who would take on a client like Barry Bonds than there might have been a few years back. At least I'd like to think so. Of course, there will always be the glory chasers who seek little more than widespread notoriety, and who would happily hitch their wagon to Barry's falling star no matter what.
  
  But getting to the question itself, I think a great example of the disappearing act working wonders for an athlete who has done his best to dig the deepest hole he could is Pete Rose. Even after admitting to betting on his own team, the public was willing to take him back - of course, he submarined himself again, but that's neither here nor there. Great book though... [eye roll]
  
  Barry better find this magical PR shaman quickly, because his act is beginning to wear thin on even the most tolerant hometown Giants fans. We can no longer pretend we didn't know his head was growing exponentially, and the well of support will soon dry up in the Bay Area, as it has everywhere else. I just hope he bows out "gracefully" before he hits number 715 - god forbid he gets to 756...

  By  Maringuy, at 4/19/2006  

• maringuy, thanks for the hometown take. What I hear on the east coast is that Barry may be hated everywhere BUT SF.
  
  I wonder how tainted the moment will be if he ever does break both those records.

  By  SB, at 4/19/2006  

• Barry Bonds, his loyals, and baseball can live with the fact that he beat a big fat white man, even if he CHEATED. So leave it alone. You can't win.

  By  Anonymous, at 6/02/2006  

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