< Previous28 | Athletic communications professionals can find themselves in sticky situations when dealing with coaches, student-athletes and colleagues. Honesty, kindness, professionalism, integrity and fairness are examples of values carried from home to work to play every day. Values differ from person to person. When values are put into action, ethical behavior is the result, but when value systems clash among people or organizations, the result is an ethical dilemma. Values must be ranked. Decisions weighed. Typically, there is no right or wrong answer and not a clear “winner.” When leaders make ethical decisions based on competing value systems, there is often a cost or pain in that choice. Ethics and the Clash of Values Advocacy How would you weigh these three ethical dilemmas? Mature adults measure responses by how they rank their values. Putting values into action takes work. It’s messy. What constitutes an ethical dilemma? an ethical situation? like the Houston Astros cheating scandal in baseball an ethical dilemma? from reporters an ethical situation? Your definition may not match that of someone else. Following are three situations that might be considered unethical by some standards. Hear how CoSIDA award winners would choose to handle them. We’ve all been there, right? A coach wants something done their way, and it doesn’t line up with how we, as athletic communicators, think it should be done. In fact, it goes against our beliefs and values for how to do our job. by Laurie Bollig CoSIDA Director of Membership Engagement The Potter Box, developed by Ralph B. Potter, Jr., professor of social ethics emeritus at Harvard Divinity School, is a model for making ethical decisions by utilizing four categories which Potter identifies as universal to all ethical dilemmas.CoSIDA 360 | MAY 2021 | 29 ETHICAL DILEMMA NO. 2 Student-athletes want to use their voice to support a controversial cause. How does the department respond based on its values? Mindy Brauer, MIT 2016 CoSIDA Achievement Award Winner “In 2017 our women’s basketball team did an act of solidarity following the Muslim Travel Ban (an executive order on immigration signed by President Donald Trump). Simply put, there was full support by our administration (athletic director and Dr. G. Anthony Grant and Vice President and Dean for Student Life Suzy Nelson) and there were no concerns regarding any potential consequences from the department or MIT. “In terms of a timeline, our team learned about the executive order while en route to a Saturday road game. The team wanted to do something during the national anthem, possibly taking a knee. Our coach was in support of this but also wanted them to think things through and become educated about the circumstances, especially if they were trying to raise awareness. She felt it would be important to continue the dialogue or facilitate conversations in the event that there could be fallout or backlash from their friends or family members. Regarding an act of solidarity, her major concern about taking a knee was that it would potentially dilute the message as it related to Black Lives Matter, especially since the team hadn’t been doing this during the season. “After meeting with the team, our coach had a face-to-face conversation with our AD. Basically, she didn’t want to be surprised by anything. Our AD then spoke with the Vice President and Dean for Student Life (our AD’s direct report) as a means of a heads up and also to protect the student-athletes if there was any backlash. Our coach also talked to the opposing head coach, who was supportive of what our team was doing (she had student-athletes taking a knee during the national anthem in support of Black Lives Matter). “Ken Johnson (Director of DAPER Communications, Promotions and Marketing) gave the Division of Student Life Senior Director of Communications a heads up but we didn’t need him to approve the content in the release/statement. “The team did this for the remainder of the season.” ETHICAL DILEMMA NO. 3 A peer at another school has behaved in an unprofessional manner toward you. How do you respond based on your values? Larry Happel, Central College 2006 Warren Berg Award winner “There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. It’s not a fun spot to be in. Much depends on exactly what happened and the nature of the relationship. I always think the best approach, if possible, ETHICAL DILEMMA NO. 1 The football coach does not want to release a depth chart to the media. How do you respond based on your values? Alan Cannon, Texas A&M 2018 Arch Ward Award winner CoSIDA Past President “To the best of my memory, which is fading very fast these days, I do not believe I have been faced with this dilemma. I have always tried to take the approach that I am an advisor for my coach and school. On some things the coach and school take the advice, other times, they do not. In this instance, I would advise the coach that someone is going to put out a depth chart whether it is a media member, or a bulletin board poster. Wouldn’t you like the information to come from our program? I love to use “or” when it is possible and appropriate to keep options open. Every game is now televised and broadcast on radio so you have crews who need assistance with preparing their boards for the broadcast. I understand at the start of the season the depth chart can be a bit of a crap shoot, but once you start playing games, the starters and backups become more apparent. “An example from this past year, we had a veteran offensive line and luckily they stayed fairly healthy. Backups were listed at each position on the depth chart each week, but in pre-game we made sure announcers were aware if something were to happen to the starting center, the guard would move over and snap and the backup guard would come into the game. Just doing what we can to assist the broadcasters preparing for the games.” Pete Moore, Syracuse 2021 Arch Ward Award Winner CoSIDA Past President “This is quite a dilemma. In addition to considering the ethical complications of this, there are other factors sports information directors have to think about before taking action. “Each of us has an employer – a university or college. We also have a structured reporting line to a supervisor and we also work cooperatively with other department staff, including coaches. Our goal needs to be to serve the employer as best we can while not jeopardizing our own position. “The ethical side of this dilemma, in most cases, would be that it is appropriate to release a depth chart to the media. With that in mind, the first response is to discuss this with the football coach. The best-case scenario would be to convince the football coach that releasing the depth chart would be the appropriate thing to do. If you are unable to persuade the coach, a decision has to be made – how important is releasing the football depth chart to the university and athletic department missions? Is it worth taking it to an athletic administrator? Whomever you involve in the discussion, remember you will most likely need to continue a good working relationship with each. “Ethical dilemmas are not always clear cut. Think through it and come up with the solution that best serves all involved.” Ethics and the Clash of Values30 | Resources Another example of a code of ethics for communications professionals is from the Public Relations Society of America. Need a process to help you analyze ethical dilemmas? Two models can help you: ACTION: Due to the rapidly changing world of communications and technology, codes of ethics must be revisited on a regular basis. CoSIDA’s Advocacy Committee is currently considering an update of CoSIDA’s code. If you have thoughts about what should be included or amended, email Executive Director Doug Vance at is to deal with the colleague directly, ideally face to face or otherwise over the phone. Email is a poor way to communicate and often results in an escalation of conflict. Texting is even worse. Let the person know why you think the behavior is unethical, but also be prepared to listen without being judgmental before reaching conclusions. Hope that a productive discussion results, particularly since this is likely a person you will need to deal with in the future. That’s easy to write and hard to do, especially when emotions are involved. “However, if the behavior was serious enough to warrant any kind of consequences, I would speak with my athletics director rather than try to handle myself. My athletics director would likely then speak with the other institution’s athletics director. It’s important to go through the proper channels. “I feel like I’ve given two completely different answers but every situation is different and determining a course of action is difficult. However, open, honest and empathetic communication is never a bad approach. “Much easier to write about than to put into practice! Not something I’m good at doing.” CoSIDA has a code of ethics for its professionals. It’s worth taking a look at if you need help defining your values and considering options in ethical situations. Ethics and the Clash of Values The Ginn Model was developed by the late John C. Ginn, Knight Distinguished Professor of Journalism, University of Kansas. STEP 1 Define your “should I” question (a yes or no question) STEP 2 List reasons for and against (multiple reasons on both sides) STEP 3 Identify values in play (be clear) STEP 4 List principles or ethical codes at play (what does conventional wisdom tell you?) STEP 5 To whom are you most loyal? (prioritize competing loyalties) STEP 6 List your possible courses of action (clearly state your alternatives) STEP 7 Make your decision (and act decisively)CoSIDA 360 | MAY 2021 | 31 Network and it will teach students how to sportscast live games and be part of a broadcasting crew. This career-filled exploration program infuses hands-on camera engagement, oratory skills, entrepreneurship, technological media to create content, record live events and games, and learn from informative field trips. The program will introduce 8th-11th graders to the athletic communications field by teaching them about sports broadcasting. The money we raise through the virtual 5K Fun Run/2 Mile Walk and donations will fund camera gear and other tools for this program. A virtual 5K is a simple concept. You complete the distance anytime during the time block and submit your time via the event website. You can complete the distance outside or on a treadmill. Photos are encouraged and can be uploaded so you can see everyone else that is participating. We had 320 participants in 2020. Let’s see if we can beat that in 2021! In our challenging times, staying active is GREAT for physical and mental health and this virtual event will give you a goal and something to work towards, not to mention supporting a great cause. Read more about the Community Service Project to benefit Frontline Outreach in After the in-person convention was canceled in 2020, the Goodwill and Wellness Committee acted quickly to transition the annual charity 5K Fun Run/2 Mile Walk into a virtual event. The result was an overwhelming success, with over 300 participants, which helped raise $4,033 for Three Square Food Bank of Las Vegas and provide over 12,000 meals for those in need. The CoSIDA 5K Fun Run/2 Mile Walk is a project started in 2011 that has raised over $30,000 for local charities and we want to continue that great trend in 2021. The event will take place from June 5-15, 2021. This year’s event will be open to everyone regardless of CoSIDA membership. You will be able to sign-up for the event and you can even create a personal fundraising page to get family and friends involved as well. Reach out to those in your athletic department and get them involved. This is a virtual event, so there is no requirement to do it one day or at a specific location. The group we are partnering with is one I’m very excited about. We are working with Frontline Outreach to teach sports media to local youth. Located in Orlando, Fla., Frontline Outreach is a group we have worked with in the past during our conventions in central Florida. The program we are helping fund is called SportsCenter Youth by Jeremy Rosenthal | Indiana University, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications | Register for the 2021 Virtual 5K CoSIDA Virtual 5K Fun Run/2 Mile Walk is back for 2021 Goodwill & Wellness 2021 CoSIDA (Virtual) 5K Fun Run / 2-Mile Walk When: Saturday, June 5 - Tuesday, June 15 Location: Anywhere you choose Cost: $15 donation (100% goes to benefit Frontline Outreach SportsCenter Youth Network) Sign up or at this 32 | The 1993-94 academic year was a memorable one for the University of Wisconsin athletics program. The football team won the Big Ten Conference title and played in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 31 years. And, the men’s basketball squad qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 47 years. I was fortunate to be a post-graduate intern in the men’s sports information office at Wisconsin that year, and I got the chance to travel with the basketball team to Los Angeles for a game at Loyola Marymount while the full-time SIDs were with football for a game against Michigan State in Tokyo, Japan. But it’s another moment that year that was the most memorable for me. That spring I was assigned the task of cleaning out a dusty attic storage area at legendary Camp Randall Stadium. Amid the old media guides and press releases, I stumbled upon a leather-bound case that resembled a suitcase from the early 20th century. Intrigued, I opened it to find a rectangular piece of painted wood that included a three-dimensional football in the middle emblazoned with the letter “W” or “M” depending on how it’s displayed and the word ‘Bacon’ on each end. I took it to my boss, sports information director Steve Malchow and, after some research, we discovered it was the long-lost Slab of Bacon trophy that had been awarded to the victor of the Wisconsin-Minnesota football rivalry until the 1940s. It was supposed to have been exchanged following a game that decade but mysteriously disappeared. In its place, the Paul Bunyan Axe trophy was created and has been awarded since 1948. The Slab of Bacon has since been on display in the Wisconsin football offices in the stadium. As former Badger coach and current athletic director Barry Alvarez said shortly after it was re-discovered,”We took home the bacon, and kept it.” The story of finding the Slab of Bacon is featured in the 2005 book Tales from the Wisconsin Badgers by current UW Senior Associate AD for External Communications Justin Doherty, who served as CoSIDA president in 2009-10 and was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2013. My story got me thinking about SIDs who may have similar ones. The following have been shared with me. by Will Roleson CoSIDA Associate Executive Director Pieces of History Finding John Tucker’s Playbook, Center Court and a Slab of Bacon SIDs help bring long-lost school memorabilia back into the light. If you are a current or former SID and have a similar story of (re)discovering a piece of athletics history, please share it with Will Roleson CoSIDA 360 | MAY 2021 | 33 Playbook of a Legend In the spring of 2015, former Arkansas Tech University SID Paul Smith was re-organizing an athletics trophy case inside Tucker Coliseum when he stumbled upon a mailing tube hidden behind a portrait of legendary Tech coach John Tucker, the arena’s namesake. Inside the tube was an academic calendar from the 1937-38 school year. And, on its reverse was a playbook in Tucker’s own handwriting. The artifact was a unique glimpse into the mind of Tucker, who was also an outstanding football player at Tech from 1919- 24. He coached the Wonder Boys from 1933-41 and 1945-57 and later served as a teacher, athletic director and director of student affairs until 1972. In addition to the coliseum, Tucker Hall on the ATU campus is also named in his honor. “Finding John Tucker’s playbook was a complete surprise,” said Smith, who now serves as assistant director of athletics for communications at Texas Woman’s University. “The day I opened it I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had to call one of our history professors on campus to confirm that I had what I thought I had.” After some restoration, the playbook is now proudly displayed in the Arkansas Tech Museum. A ll p ho to s s ub mi tte d. “This playbook was a connection to the most revered figure in the history of the program,” said Smith. “John Tucker was the original ‘Wonder Boy’ at Arkansas Tech. To find an original artifact of coach Tucker’s was incredible because it allowed us to connect the current program with its history.” Center Court Finds New Home In 1965, Jankling Gym at the University of Missouri at Rolla (now Missouri University of Science of Technology) was razed to make room for a new library on campus. In the process, the center circle from the wooden basketball floor was cut out and, at some point, was brought to the new facility when it opened a few years later. A few years ago, Mark Mullins, the school’s athletic director was talking to one of the custodians in a mechanical room in the facility and noticed the center court cut-out with an old- time Miner logo leaning against a wall. He verified with the basketball coach from the 1960s that it was, in fact, the center court from the old gymnasium. “Obviously, we wanted to make sure that piece of history could be preserved in some form, but as you could imagine, the item was rather large,” said long-time Missouri S&T sports information director John Kean. “Mark got in touch with a person in town who worked on woodworking projects and it was decided that it would be turned into a coffee table.” The woodworker fashioned some custom legs, preserved the painted logo and added a piece of glass on top to further protect the piece. The table now sits as a centerpiece in S&T’s Hall of Fame Room in the Gale Bullman Multi-Purpose Building. “It has turned out to be an awesome piece in the Hall of Fame Room, a centerpiece for the room,” said Mullins, who retired earlier this year after 28 years as athletic director. “It’s important in preserving the history of the program. Making a table out of it allowed us to make this something that will last for years.” 34 | The SID Life Would you rather have more money or more free time? Plus, key personality traits for success, staying energized, book & podcast recs, things that make us smile, and more. “The SID Life” is a series surveying CoSIDA members for their thoughts on topics and issues in the athletic communications industry, plus personal insights into not-so-serious issues, too. • Courtney Day – North Carolina State, Assistant Athletics Communications Director • Ben Matos – Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Director of Strategic Communications • Andrew Roberts – Southwestern Athletic Conference, Assistant Commissioner - Media Relations • Tim Volkmann – Rochester Institute of Technology, Director of Athletic Communications • Abby Wilson – Warner Pacific, Sports Information Director DAYMATOSROBERTSVOLKMANNWILSON What traits must athletics communicator possess for success? Patience, flexibility, compassion and relationship- oriented. Accessible, hardworking, honest, and organized. Flexibility, understanding, patience, and dedication. Be like a duck – calm and cool appearance while paddling like heck under the surface. Sense of humor, detail-oriented, empathetic. You get only three apps on your phone, what are they? Google Maps, Twitter, Adobe Lightroom Twitter, Spotify, MLB Twitter, Instagram, Facebook The Athletic, Starbucks, Calendar Bible, Apple Music, Dutch Brothers Coffee What’s something you saw recently that made you smile? A sunset — sometimes it’s the little things! The sun, the golf course, and 75-degree weather at the same time. The joy of student- athletes competing after all they’ve had to navigate during COVID. The look on my baby daughter’s face when she sees me first thing in the morning. My 2-year old nephew in his Easter Sunday “drip”. Bucket list trip:Hawai’iNew ZealandHawai’iAustraliaSantorini, Greece Book or podcast recommendation: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Talkin’ Baseball podcast with Jomboy, Jake, and Trevor Plouffe. Becoming by Michelle Obama The Buffalo Beat podcast — required listening for Bills fans The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown What energizes you outside of work? Spending time outside or socializing with family and friends Getting the chance to either golf or hike. My family Good food and good music. My family. And Karaoke…I come alive on that stage. More money or more free time? Free time Money is helpful, but free time with family or friends is so refreshing Money Free time (impossible to make more) Free time Big Party or Small Gathering? Small gatheringSmall gatheringSmall gatheringSmall gatheringSmall gatheringCelebrating Four Classes of Hall of Famers Learn more about our hall of fame awards shows at CoSIDA.com/2021convention. Academic All-America® Hall of Fame Class of 2020 & Dick Enberg Award Monday, June 7 7 PM (Eastern) CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Tuesday, June 8 7 PM (Eastern) Academic All-America® Hall of Fame Class of 2021 & Dick Enberg Award Wednesday, June 9 7 PM (Eastern) CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Thursday, June 10 7 PM (Eastern) AMY PRIVETTE PERKO Wake Forest Enberg Award BILLIE JEAN KING Cal State LA Enberg AwardT E A MS A NNO U NC E D A T : C o S ID A M EM B ER P R O G R A M IN F O RM A T I O N : CoSIDA Member To-Do List Make sure your CoSIDA membership is current for 2020-21. Renew your membership IMPORTANT! Only current 2020-21 dues-paying members can nominate and vote. Download the 2020-21 Master Schedule at PRO TIP: Add the dates to your calendar by subscribing at Share with your winning student-athletes, plus your coaches and administrators, about the prestigious award they’ve Have an Academic All-America® display you’re proud of? Share it with the CoSIDA community on Slack. 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