Advanced: MGMT 4743 – Dr. Finch – Final
Name-Collin Eberle
————————————————————————————————————
—— 1. Short Answer (20 points): We discussed public relations and crisis
management in sports. In three or four sentences, give an example of a
public relations crisis that we discussed and tell me if it was handled well or
poorly, and why.
The example that immediately came to my head was when Pat Tillman left
the NFL to serve in the Army, but he later died from friendly .re. The question
at hand was how should they commemorate that amazing person. Finch did a
great job at handling the month-long situation. He learned that he needed to
get Army planes for the 3yover instead of Air Force planes. He made the right
decision and decided on selecting Apache helicopters for the 3y over.
————————————————————————————————————
—- 2. ESSAY: (80 pts): Answer each of the following questions thoroughly
yet succinctly. Make sure you reinforce your ideas and arguments with
examples, and make sure to answer each part of each question. Try and t it
on the papers provided if possible!
In class we frequently referenced the impact that sports teams can
have on their local communities, including the culture, economics, and more.
Choose one team to analyze and answer the questions below. You should be
familiar with this team (professional, collegiate, amateur) either from your
home, your experience, or your role as a fan. Make your essay sections
clear; please use headings A, B, and C!
(25) A– Describe the community that your team is based in. Where
does this team .t in their collective ‘hearts’? Give an example of an
emotional impact the team has had on yourself or someone you are familiar
with.
(25) B- Does the team have an impact (positive or negative) on the
perception of the city or community from outsiders? If so, give examples. If
not, what team does impact the perception of the community by outsiders? If
sports do not de.ne the community, then explain what does (school,
business, festivals, geography, other)?
(30) C- Often, people tend to de.ne what group they belong to by
de.ning an in-group and an out-group. In sports, this often comes in the form
1
of rivalries. Fans of a certain team will highlight perceived di?erences
between a rival’s fans and rival communities. Give two examples, and
comment on their level of reality, of the speci.cs of delineating your team’s
fans/community from a rival or rival’s fans or communities. Include speci.c
events, rituals, practices, or other activities that help build these distinctions.
Essay (cont).________________________________________________________________
A)
The Oklahoma City Thunder is currently a young and thriving team in
the NBA. The community is .lled with fans that are extremely loyal and have
been with the team from the very start. To the people of OKC, The Thunder is
truly the beating heart of that city. The prime example that helps support this
statement is that the Thunder have been sold out of season tickets for years,
and people are willing to wait multiple years to become season-ticket holders.
A couple years ago, one of my family members was suddenly diagnosed with
the debilitating disease of cancer. While only given months to live, this person
vowed to attend every single Thunder game for as long as they could. This
not only shows how loyal Thunder fans can be, but this will have a lasting
impact on my entire family and me.
B)
The Oklahoma City Thunder de.nitely has a positive impact on the
perception of the city and community from the outsiders. Fans from other
