YOU NEEDN’T HAVE BEEN following basketball’s March Madness to have heard about the snafu in Portland, Oregon. It’s been covered on news outlets across the country… not just those focusing on sports.
In review, the three-point lines painted on the court for the women’s tournament games being played in Portland were… wrong. Or, at least one of them was. It seems the court jester… er, painter, incorrectly put one line a few inches shorter to the hoop than the line at the other end of the court. You can see the difference in the photo above.
Though the discrepancy seems somewhat obvious now, three games had already been played on the spoiled surface before it was discovered by those in charge… mere moments prior to the next game’s tipoff.
Opposing coaches were notified of the problem, but agreed to play the game with the court as is, rather than sit through the delay that would occur if they waited for a fix. Any advantage to either team would be negligible since teams switch ends at halftime, meaning both teams would have equal playing time with the shorter three-point line, provided the game didn’t go into overtime… which it didn’t.
Hitting Too Close to Home
Why should we care? Because the court, and all the courts used during the men’s and women’s tournaments, was supplied by Connor Sports of Amasa, the “Official Court Supplier of the NCAA Final Four.”
If you’re like me, you’ve experienced a certain amount of pride, every season since 2006, when the biggest games of the year were played on a court made by Upper Peninsula craftsmen. Sure, we’re always willing to boast about our work ethic here in God’s Country, but to see the fruits of that labor broadcast to the entire nation, seemed extra special.
Well, in the words of ESPN’s Lee Corso… “Not so fast, my friend.”
The picture of perfection we’ve come to expect from Connor Sports was blurred in a big way with the botched paint job. Both traditional and social media jumped on the story and blamed everyone from Portland liberals, to sexist administrators, to the buffoons at the NCAA, and of course, Connor Sports.
So, exactly where does the buck stop? The libs and sexists are probably safe, but the NCAA has the final say on everything that has to do with the tournament, so there’s that. But I’m afraid it’s our friends from Iron County who have some splainin’ to do.
One would hope the floor-makers relationship with the NCAA hasn’t been irreparably harmed, but one also wonders…in addition to making it good with an important client, how should Connor Sports respond to a questioning public? How can they ever regain our trust?
Everybody Makes Mistakes
It has to be acknowledged… the company that’s been fashioning U.P. hardwood into top-notch basketball courts since 1914, put up a public relations air-ball with this one. The court lines were fixed for subsequent games at the site, but the damage had already been done.
I reached out to a couple area public relations professionals for their thoughts on how Connor Sports should handle their response, both to the NCAA and the country’s basketball fanbase.
Heejung Park, Assistant Professor of Marketing at NMU, says Connor Sports should consider “providing educational sessions or workshops on court maintenance and setup to NCAA staff and member institutions to build trust and reinforce their expertise and reliability in sports flooring. Outlining corrective steps and regularly updating stakeholders on progress demonstrates a commitment to resolution and improvement.”
Okay. Hopefully the suits at the NCAA are the forgiving type. But, as pop superstar Pink would say, “What about us?”
If Connor Sports is concerned with how the miscue plays with the general public, Tom Isaacson, Associate Professor of Public Relations at NMU, suggests the issue probably isn’t the end of the world. “Most people recognize that mistakes are made by companies and individuals. Address the problem head-on and describe how it will be fixed in the future. The sports media world will move on. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the sports world provides a steady stream of crises.”
As far as where that buck stops, I heard from Connor Sports Marketing Director Zach Riberdy. “Connor Sports takes responsibility for the error. As the Official Court Supplier for the NCAA March Madness and Final Four, this was ultimately our mistake.”
Making Lemonade from Lemons
So, if Professor Isaacson is right, this story might already be taking a seat on the bench with thoughts turning to this weekend’s Final Four. But I think there’s still room for some creative PR game-planning. Remember a few years ago when the event ticket website TickPick left the U.P. off their coverage map? The CEO of the company came to Marquette and picked up the tab for beers at Blackrocks. All was forgiven. Or at least forgotten.
Well, as this observer, a fan of both ball and beer would say… “Your move, Connor.”