My dream job since high school? Head of public relations for the New England Patriots, combining my love of communications with my love for my favorite football team.
But after the last few weeks of watching the Mike Vrabel affair scandal unfold, I can tell you that were I head of PR for the Pats, I would have handled things very differently.
Here is what this scandal teaches us about crisis communications and what not to do.
What Happened?
We should start with an abbreviated background of the scandal and how it unfolded. Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel was photographed in March with NFL reporter Diana Russini at a resort in Arizona. Speculation swirled that they were having an affair, which the pair immediately brushed off. Vrabel even called it laughable.
Things only got worse from there. Russini continued to deny allegations, and resigned from The Athletic, saying this was a distraction from her career. Photos and evidence kept emerging, with the latest round of photos coming out this week that showed the couple together all the way back in 2020. There is also speculation that Russini’s oldest son, named Michael, may in fact be Vrabel’s.
After evidence mounted, Vrabel did a 180 ahead of the NFL draft, staging a press conference where questions were limited, sharing that he would be seeking counseling, and this was not the standard in which he holds himself or his team.
Needless to say, it’s a mess.
Honesty Really is the Best Policy
The first rule of crisis communications is don’t lie – especially when there are receipts. And it turns out there are plenty of receipts for the Vrabel affair. The couple started by saying their photographs were just a snippet, and they were on a group vacation with other people. No other people ever came to light.
Then, Vrabel dismissed the scandal by calling it laughable. A no comment would have been better than responding so dismissively, only having to eat crow on this just weeks later.
Lies, half-truths or misleading statements erode the public’s trust in your leadership, and will always make the situation worse in the long run.
The Need for Speed
As someone who teaches crisis communications to clients, one of the big red flags in this scandal was that Vrabel and the Patriots did not get ahead of this story to help set the tone and narrative.
Once it broke, Vrabel was dismissive and didn’t provide any clarity. That invited reporters to dig further, the public to speculate, and New England to be constantly behind the story as things continued to evolve and more evidence came to light.
Want to Save Your Reputation? You Must Balance Professionalism and Personal Responsibility.
Look, does having an extramarital affair mean you can’t do your job as a football coach? Absolutely not. And I am sure that Vrabel is not the first coach to cheat on his wife, nor unfortunately, will he be the last.
But just because this is a “personal matter,” as Vrabel puts it, doesn’t mean he should not be held accountable as the leader of an organization. He has refused to be straightforward and apologize, own his changing narrative, or really acknowledge that as a leader that this has been a huge distraction for his team. The latest NFL draft stories focused more on his affair than his number one draft pick.
Responding to a crisis in a way that acknowledges mistakes while maintaining your commitment to your work and organization is how you maintain professional credibility. That’s not what happened here.
The Lesson Learned
Crisis communications can make or break people, businesses and organizations. How you respond in the early stages of a crisis sets the stage for the duration of a crisis.
In the case of New England, clumsy mistakes made early on have blown this scandal out of proportion and made things worse for the team, organization and the fanbase who loves them.
-Chelsea Thompson, Vice President of Public Affairs