Grambling athletics is taking a beating nationally as its football players have rebelled and did not play today’s scheduled game at Jackson State. You might think it’s no big deal that an FCS game did not take place. That 6-2 Jackson State was going to cream 0-8 Grambling State anyway. Just because it was an easy win does not mean no one cares. Take a look at Jackson State’s banner photo on its Facebook page. I’m sure it cares that the homecoming game will not happen and tickets must be refunded.
That’s some big hype for a game that was never played.
No one wins here. Jackson State loses money and a great event. Grambling State loses reputation that it might never get back. How can another school put them on the schedule again without thinking, “Will GSU shows up?”
Grambling is in a public relations crisis. It has been accused of not providing a clean athletic facility causing players to succumb to infections. While most schools use a plane to travel to distant away games, Grambling goes cheap taking the bus. It has also gone through coaching changes that have eroded trust between players and the university.
So what does Grambling have its disposal to fight this PR nightmare. Nothing.
The lack of a Twitter account speaks to the problem. Only two tweets? Only 23 followers? And I just became one of those 23 today!
What about its Facebook page? That should be a great place to answer critics. Problem is Grambling does not have one. Jackson State does, as does the bulk if not all of its SWAC rivals. You mean Grambling State, a D-1 school, can’t get an unpaid intern to do any social media for them?
How ironic is it that the only photo on the Twitter has a slogan saying “Love. Loyal. Fight.” The exact opposite of those three words holds true today.
It begins… Grambling Football Reports to Camp. That means we are 30 days from Football Time in Grambling #Fight4GSU pic.twitter.com/D0ZjXGTTXD
— Grambling Football (@GramblingFB) August 2, 2013
Athletics should be an easy way for a school to market itself. For Grambling its marketing tool is now its biggest critic and has no answer on how to combat it. All it can do is watch ESPN, FOX Sports 1, CBS, and NBCSN tear it apart on the air and see tweet after tweet call the school a joke.
For Grambling State athletics, being called a joke would actually be an upgrade over the nuclear meltdown it is now.
NC2A Nerd 