Staffs pull out all the stops to help fans cope
The idea came together while Dan Migala was working on proper hand-washing techniques with his 5-year-old son, William.
William is a big NBA fan, so they talked about how he needed to wash his hands for 24 seconds like the shot clock in pro basketball. Dan then asked William about how they could teach more kids how to wash their hands, and William suggested getting a mascot involved.
Migala, a longtime sports marketing executive, knew almost immediately it was an idea worth pursuing amid the coronavirus pandemic. He called his basketball clients, and an NBA team made plans to put together a video of its mascot washing its hands for its social media channels.
With the sports calendar in question more than ever before — the NBA and NHL have suspended their seasons, golf, tennis and auto racing are taking a break, and Major League Baseball isn’t sure when it will get started — the sports business world is confronting several challenging issues beyond the potentially considerable loss of ticket, advertising and other forms of revenue.
It is searching for ways to stay engaged with fans without its traditional content sources. It is looking for opportunities to help its communities during traumatic times. It is preparing for what might be a completely different world whenever the games resume.
“We’ve never seen anything like this. Nobody has seen anything like this,” Minnesota Twins president Dave St. Peter said Friday in a telephone interview with the AP. “You know, sports isn’t the most important thing in the world. We certainly recognize that life can go on without it. There’s things that are much more important that our country, our world is dealing with.
“But I do think sports leaves a void for people and I think it’ll play a really critical role in helping the world heal, but certainly in America, I think baseball will play a role in helping this country heal.”
There are very few places to look for guidance. The 1989 World Series was delayed after an earthquake hit the Bay Area in Northern California. Sports hit the pause button after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Hurricane Katrina had a dramatic effect on sports in Louisiana for years after it flooded New Orleans in 2005.
Andy Dolich was the vice president of business operations for Oakland at the time of the 1989 earthquake. Asked about what lessons from that disaster might be applicable today, he emphasized the importance of coordination, communication and leadership.
“I’d also say, where you can, and I’m also starting to see it in just individuals, what can you do?” he said. “I mean life isn’t normal, but we still have our televisions, we still have ability to communicate.“
Sports properties have more ways to communicate with internal and external audiences than ever before, and they are using them in a variety of ways.
The Boston Red Sox posted coloring sheets for fans to print out for their kids to work on at home. The Carolina Hurricanes tweeted warm messages at other NHL teams. The Charlotte Hornets shared video of center Cody Zeller learning how to play guitar. The University of Nebraska started a Husker Homework series for kids, with the first entry focusing on Eric Crouch’s playing career at the school.
“We’ve looked at it as two elements,” said Garrett Klassy, athletic director at Nebraska. “One is how do we give back to the community, and then No. 2, without sports, how do we keep everyone engaged?”