Monday, March 26, 2007

THE EDGE OF REASON

The world of sports PR is so bizarre sometimes that even a maligned field like pro wrestling can have a moment of good PR here and there.
I was playing around last week looking for information on athletes and steroids (maybe something regarding the latest bust surrounding Gary Matthews Jr.) when I discovered that in addition to Matthews, several pro wrestlers were named as receiving products from the down South pharmacy in question.
I know, steroids in wrestling, big shock right?
While messing around, I stumbled into a great self-made PR defense from one of the accused wrestlers. Adam Copeland, who wrestles under the stage name “Edge”, was listed as receiving HGH from the pharmacy of doom. He addressed the controversy on his MySpace blog (http://www.myspace.com/therealratedrsuperstar) in a forthright manner.
Most notably, Copeland stated the allegations were true and even admitted that he “wanted you to get my response straight from me and not through the words of another write.” Copeland addressed that he had said on a previous TV interview that he took steroids to help him recover from neck surgery in 2004 per the request of his doctor. Essentially, he summed it up that the news reported last week was nothing that wasn’t already known.
In addition, Copeland wrote that his usage occurred before the WWE’s implementation of a “steroid and wellness” policy and that his drug tests have come up clean since. Copeland also goes on to take full responsibility for his usage and reiterates that he does not condone any of his comrades or fans taking steroids.
I applaud “Edge” for attempting to spin this negative publicity in a positive light. By admitting to the story and reinforcing that he’s already been over this, he takes away the steam from the muckrakers who will likely run with this story. In addition, Copeland avoids the “cloud of denial” associated with athletes (including his fellow wrestlers named in the report) who say nothing and are socially implicated. “Edge” may get a more free pass from the fans; if crowds chant something akin to “You Took Steroids” while he’s in the ring, he can simply reply, “Yeah, you didn’t know that?”
Though his profession may not be the most esteemed, Adam Copeland’s response to the steroids controversy was executed as well as possible…nothing fake or staged about it.

JC

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