Cleaning up the mess from an athlete’s crime is no easy feat for a sports agent. Agents try to do everything they can to preserve the character and dignity of a player who has broken the law, but sometimes there isn’t enough good PR to mask their mistakes. Here are 10 public relations nightmares that will haunt sports agents for years to come.

1. Manslaughter
   Manslaughter, intentional or not, is generally the worst charge to have on your record and is most often a career ender. Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth knows all too well about this. On March 14, 2009, Stallworth was drunk driving when he struck and killed a pedestrian, Mario Reyes, in Miami. Stallworth would have been looking at 15 years in prison for his convicted DUI manslaughter, but his plea agreement reduced the majority of his jail time to a controversial 30-day sentencing. Despite the shortened jail term, Stallworth must serve two years house arrest, eight years on probation, a lifetime suspension from holding a driver’s license, as well as a major blow to his career. Stallworth was suspended indefinitely from the NFL in June 2009. When a life has been taken, there is little that can be done from a public relations standpoint to promote a player charged with manslaughter.



2. DUI
   The letters “DUI” seem to follow athletes’ names every time you read the news. Professional athletes from all sports have run into problems for driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In a recent case, Miami Heat forward Dorell Wright was pulled over while driving “erratically” and arrested in Miami Beach for a driving under the influence of alcohol. When Miami police approached Wright’s car, they noticed his eyes were red and watery, his speech was slurred and they smelled alcohol on his breath. Things worsened when Wright refused to perform field sobriety tests, as requested by the officer, and when he could not provide proof of current insurance and was driving with a suspended license. He was booked and released after posting his $2,000 bail, in addition to receiving a two-game suspension by his team. When athletes drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they are putting themselves and the public in danger. In addition to the risk of physical harm, this type of conduct also harms the team because of suspensions and possible team losses — a surefire way to lose fans’ support.



3. Drug Possession
   Another common offense among professional athletes is drug possession charges. One devastating case involving drugs was former Denver Broncos running back, Travis Henry, who was sentenced to three years in federal prison for financing a drug trafficking operation that moved cocaine from Denver to Billings, Montana. One week after he was released from the Broncos for a lack of commitment, reports found that Henry had tested positive for marijuana, which was his third offense that got him a one-year suspension from the league and was followed by his trafficking charge. By violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, as well as his other offenses, Henry was suspended from the league. From a sports agent’s standpoint, there is little than can be done to clean-up the damage from drug usage and related charges, especially when the player continues to violate the policies of the league.



4. Steroid Usage
   Many major league baseball players’ reputations have been tarnished by their illegal use of performance enhancement drugs. A very public case about steroid usage occurred in February 2009, when Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez admitted to using two banned drugs from 2001 to 2003 while playing with the Texas Rangers. During those three seasons, Rodriguez had the most homeruns in the American League and won the AL Most Valuable Player Award. During the early 2000s, steroid tests, like the one A-Rod took, were only used to determine the extent of steroid use in baseball. It wasn’t until 2004 when testing with penalties started. While Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and other big leaguers, who tested positive for steroids, have not been so lucky, Rodriguez came clean in a controlled interview with ESPN. Coming forth about using steroids when penalties weren’t in place, may give him a pass in his current baseball career, but Rodriguez and other players in the same boat still face major scrutiny, loss of support and tarnished reputations. In addition, Rodriguez may have lost his chance to be in the MLB Hall of Fame, a loss that will forever overshadow those who cheat in baseball.



5. Sexual Assault
   Cases of sexual assault seem to be common ground among professional athletes today. And in some player’s situations, it happens more than once. Most recently, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is being accused of sexual misconduct with a 20-year-old student at a Georgia college town nightclub. This case has surfaced during the same time Roethlisberger awaits a lawsuit that was filed in July by a woman who says he raped her at a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino in 2008. Roethlisberger denies such claims and has not been criminally charged in either case. Because of the newness of this case, investigation is still underway. Nearly all cases of sexual assault, whether convicted or not, have a negative impact on players’ reputations, careers, endorsement deals and support from fans.



6. Domestic Violence
   Domestic violence cases, involving athletes who abuse their spouses or girlfriends, seem to make the headlines more and more. In 2008, a videotape was released that showed San Diego Padres outfielder Brian Giles allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cheri Olvera, in an Arizona bar in 2006. Olvera filed a $10 million civil lawsuit against Giles for seven years of repeated abuse, including battering and an alleged throw that caused her to miscarriage his unborn baby, as well as a financial agreement that the couple had in the event of their breakup. Giles was ordered to attend anger-management and domestic-abuse classes. Giles is just one of many athletes caught with domestic violence charges, which undeniably has a negative effect on their career, sponsorship and fan base.



7. Infidelity
   While infidelity cases remain more of a personal problem than a legal matter, it has proven to interfere with athletes’ endorsement deals, reputation and their overall support. Such is the case in the 2009 Tiger Woods cheating scandal, which involved several mistresses who all claimed to have had affairs with the married golfer. When inappropriate voicemails and texts from his mistresses surfaced and the issue magnified, Woods decided to take a hiatus from golf, which meant lost prize money and appearance fees. In addition, Woods lost sponsorship from big name companies Gatorade, AT&T and Accenture, while others distanced themselves greatly from the world’s number one golfer. High profile infidelity cases like Woods’, bring into question the morals of an athlete so many look up to, depend on and support.



8. Animal Cruelty
   Trying to convince football team owners, fans and sponsors, who may also be animal lovers, to support Michael Vick may be a serious PR challenge for a sports agent. In 2007, former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was found guilty for running an illegal dogfighting ring at one of his properties in southeastern Virginia. He was charged with competitive dogfighting and conducting the venture across state lines, in which he will serve 23 months in prison. Evidence showed that Vick was more involved in the dogfighting operation than he admitted, by attending fights, betting on dogs and executing dogs that didn’t perform well. Vick has returned to the NFL, after serving his sentence, participating in animal sensitivity courses and making public speeches on behalf of his crime, Vick has suffered financially with a loss of sponsorship, endorsement deals and having to file for bankruptcy while incarcerated. In addition to his financial woes, Vick continues to face serious backlash from football fans, who will never look at him the same.



9. Robbery
   Considering the large salaries that most professional athletes make, it is unclear as to why many of them are caught robbing people and stealing things. While many cases of robbery involve drugs and other illegal activities, some are as unusual and uncalled for as Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane’s case. In April, Kane and his cousin were arrested in Buffalo for allegedly robbing and punching a cab driver over twenty cents that he owed Kane. The cab driver said when he told them he didn’t have twenty cents in change, he was punched in the face and head, grabbed by the throat and had his glasses broken. The two men were charged with second-degree robbery, fourth-degree criminal mischief and theft of services.



10. Illegal Firearms
    There is no shortage of athletes who get caught carrying an unlicensed weapon, like in the recent case of Plaxico Burress. As of September 2009, Burress began serving a two-year sentence for a November 2008 incident, in which he accidentally shot himself in the thigh with his own gun at a Manhattan nightclub. Burress was indicted on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon and one count of reckless endangerment. While he testified before the grand jury that the gun was not to be used on anyone and he was the only victim, but the fact remains that Burress violated New York gun laws and it was not licensed. From a public relations standpoint, this case and others involving illegal firearms will call into question the intentions of a weapon-carrying athlete and their endangerment to the public.

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