So, what’s the buzz with Cam Newton? The Panthers? Donald Trump? The Super Bowl in general?
There has been a lot of speculation over all of these topics lately, and I wanted to share my major-based opinion on the way these people- (aka Cam Newton and Donald Trump) have been handling themselves when it comes to the public.
Being a public relations major, we pride ourselves on having good intuition, good public speaking skills, good timing on when to say certain things and when to not, and how to phrase our sentences and thoughts in a way that causes the least chaos as possible.
The goal of a public relations professional is to influence public opinion. Keep that in mind while you read this article.
However, I realize that not all politicians and professional athletes are public relations professionals… but if you really think about it, shouldn’t they try to be?
Starting with Donald Trump.
I hear people say that they like him because he “says what everyone else is thinking but is scared to say.”
Which is sometimes true, but more times than most, the things that I’ve heard him say are not things that I was thinking.
But isn’t there a reason that people are scared to say those things? Maybe because some of those thoughts are so utterly disrespectful and better left unsaid?
Remember when he called Rosie O’Donnell “disgusting both inside and out” and a slob?
What about when he called Huffington Post founder Ariana Huffington “unattractive both inside and out” and said he “understood why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision?”
Or when he spoke about Megyn Kelly moderating the first Republican debate and said that she had “blood coming out of her wherever?”
We all think mean thoughts… we are human. We all think disrespectful thoughts. Maybe not as disrespectful as the quotes above. However, there is a reason we don’t say them.
Trump isn’t a hero because he’s saying the disrespectful things that general people know are too stupid or too mean or too irrational to say out loud. And if he is saying the things that you are thinking, then we must have a lot more disrespectful and hypocritical people in our world than I thought.
Moving on to Cam Newton.
The 26-year-old Carolina Panthers quarterback has been in the public eye like no other this season, for good reason. He is considered to be a role model for people of all ages and a leader for his team.
I’ll say first off that I admire quarterbacks like no other. I believe it takes incredible intelligence, strength and endurance to be a quarterback at any level of play.
However, Newton’s post Super Bowl interview was rough. He gave short answers and eventually walked off, leaving the media altogether.
Some say it was because his opponent was in ears length, talking about the Panthers and the game right beside him. I say, who cares?
Your reputation, and your organizations reputation is built off how you handle situations when things do not go your way.
A moment of patience in a moment of anger can save you many moments of regret down the road. I think he handled himself poorly, I think he was incredibly immature about the entire situation, and I think at the end of the day someone that prominent, someone that important, should know better than to act like he did.
People are also bringing Peyton Manning into the situation, which I argue is completely irrelevant. Just because Manning didn’t shake hands when he lost the Super Bowl DOES NOT make Cam Newton’s situation is any better.
If I failed a test last year in history and my friend failed a test this year in math, does that make me failing my test any better? No. It’s individual situations. Just because one person does something bad doesn’t make another bad thing better.
I think part of being in the public eye is learning how to fake it until you make it. All Newton had to do was fake his answers for ten minutes, then go on with his life and have his fit without the cameras around.
When Newton signed to be a professional quarterback, he knew all eyes would be on him. When Trump decided to run for president, he knew that everything he said had the potential to be blown out of proportion or twisted around.
You have to learn how to communicate effectively. Being intelligent and great at something will mean nothing in the end if one cannot communicate respectfully, humbly, and maturely.
A persons character is defined by how they handle themselves after defeat. How they handle themselves after a fall.
Wisdom is acquired when life throws you tough, confusing, and frustrating situations. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about public relations this year it’s that sometimes you just have to say whatever it is that will make them shut up.
Not everything will go your way. Learn to deal with both sides of the coin.
Sources:
http://gossiponthis.com/2014/12/09/nfl-carolina-panthers-cam-newton-inju…
http://pixgood.com/cam-newton.html
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2265474-cam-newton-injury-updates-on-…
http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/slideshow/2278/donald-trump-insult…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3043861/Claim-Hillary-Clinton-t-…