I was absolutely amazed when I heard about this story in the news.  It appears that Matt Leinart (former USC quarterback at USC and Heisman Trophy Winner) is in several pictures that were taken at a party.  Instead of being in the media for something positive, Leinart is featured as being someone that goes to parties and drinks a lot.  Based on these pictures, it certainly does not present Leinart in the best light possible.  I bet the Arizona Cardinal’s Sports PR person is keeping pretty busy with this story.

Leinart has had a tough couple of years– he has had to deal with injuries and getting used to how college football and the NFL are definitely different– but the thing that he has to realize is the fact that yes, he is a high profile athlete– and has a reputation to uphold.  This kind of behavior will only get him negative attention, and really impact his personal brand in the football community and with his sponsors, but especially his fans from USC and in Arizona.

It is amazing that Leinart is in the news for this.  He definitely was a high profile athlete while at USC, and seemed to manage his image pretty well– but then he got involved with some celebrities in Hollywood, which might have impacted the way that he viewed himself.  I think that Leinart needs to really think about what he wants in terms of his football future and what he represents as a brand– because this type of behavior is not going to bring him the big endorsements or media coverage that he wants.  So my suggestion is that Leinart needs to focus on getting better and preparing for the upcoming football season– and really work on trying to establish his credibility among his key audiences.

These are just a few of my thoughts.  Hope you all are having a great day! 🙂

Best Wishes,

Karen 🙂