USC has had its share of potential crises over the past year. But compared to other athletic departments, USC has handled it in a very professional manner. One example was this past weekend, where USC made a formal complaint about ABC’s Brent Musburger’s comments during the game versus Nebraska. In talking with USC quarterback John David Booty, Musburger made a comment that when Booty wants to tell his receivers by using the “hang-loose” signal for a certain type of coverage. USC states that this was information specifically for Musburger, but they didn’t expect it to be broadcast during the game.
USC quarterback John David Booty
USC has a point here– they thought that they could trust Musburger with this information, but one thing that I have learned in PR– everything is fair game for journalists. You have to be careful on what you say to them, because it maybe your statement will be printed out of context, and what you said and what was printed are complete opposites. Also, information that is said to be “off-the-record” like in the case with Booty and USC, most times they are still used. USC now realizes that when talking to Musburger and ABC / ESPN, they have to be careful on what they say about their plays, secrets, and strategies– it might be on TV for the world to see!
Pete Carroll handled the situation very good– he stated that he’s not worried about it and that USC has a million signals to use during the game. What he did was he laughed off the situation, and made a simple, but direct statement about it. Pete Carroll has done an excellent job in interviews and the way he presents himself to the public. You get a sense who he is as a coach, as well as a person. Keep up the good work Coach Carroll and Fight on!
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