THE PATRIOT ACT

That "Michael Jordan" character is a monthly columnist for AUC Magazine. The opinions stated in this post are not necessarily those of THE UNDERWRITER. But since they share the same brain, they sometimes get their blogs tangled (nolo).

(Written 2 weeks ago)

#########################################################


History will treat the New England Patriots kindly, because they executed a perfect regular season in the N.F.L in 2007, and fans of the game may be so excited to see history that few may remember later what they’re already willing to forget.

Looking back at 2007’s horrible year for sports public relations, a person might wonder what further catastrophes will present themselves in 2008. In an industry of competition with clear boundaries of fairness, we witnessed the hunt for a Giant, the grounding of Falcons and an assortment of sports idols murdered, jailed, or released from lucrative endorsement contracts. We had an N.B.A. referee betting on games he personally officiated, a Tennessee Titans cornerback whose entourage made it rain with both dollars and bullets in Las Vegas and an Olympic gold medalist who may lose more than she owns trying to redeem herself in the eyes of the law. Make no mistake; the new public enemy is the American athlete.

While Patriots coach Bill Belichick was given a $500,000 fine by N.F.L. commissioner Roger Goodell and stripped of selecting a first-round draft pick this year, it hardly compares to the treatment of Michael Vick, Marion Jones, Barry Bonds, Pacman Jones or even Tim Donaghy, all of whom allegedly broke the law, in all fairness. Yet according to ESPN.com, the actual fine Belichick received represents only 12% of his annual salary – perhaps more of a penance than a punishment.





The Patriots and their coach definitely deserve praise. Not only did they accomplish a football Ocean’s 11, but they got away with it with a relative slap on the wrist. As we celebrate the team’s success, as if we were either on the field between Randy Moss and Tom Brady or in the editing room with Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella, maybe we should just avoid the moral hurdles on the marathon to witnessing another glorious sports story in our time. Some people say that America was founded on cheating others. In this metaphorical sense, patriotism is alive and well in America, as long as you continue to win.


Michael Jordan is a copywriter, journalist and book editor living in Atlanta, Georgia. His company, Full Court Press, delivers public relations services to entertainment and media businesses nationwide. Jordan also works as a marketing consultant for Goldfinger Creative, and his blog, www.theunderwriters.blogspot.com, is updated weekly.

###########################################################


UPDATE: "And you all know how the story GOES!"




HURRAY FOR THE UNDERDOG.