Twenty years ago this past September the sports business world, just growing at the time, prematurely lost a legend, someone who set the tone and helped create the sports communication industry as it exists today.
His name was Mike Cohen and his nickname was.ink. becuas.throughout his career that is what Mik. got for his clients. Whether he was a Jewish publicist for a catholic university (Manhattan College) or if he was pioneering the part of the publicity industry that dealt with announcers, directors and TV shows (when he was head of publicity for NBC Sports) there was no one better than Mike.
Cohe.s life was based on the relationships he had in the media, and how he was able to take those relationships and make.name client. bigger or rising clients important.from people like Bob Costas, Spencer Ross, Marty Glickman and Marv Albert to directors like Michael Weisman) and come up with unique human elements about their style that he could take and work his relationships with the media to make them into stories themselves. He also had a flair for the underdog as well, working with jockeys and trainers at places like Yonkers Raceway as well as baseball scouts, finding media opportunities for them as well. Mike was the quintessential relationship builder, and his legacy lives on today in the form of some of the great sports publicists in this country who worked for and under him. His company, Mike Cohe. Communications, became part of industry leade.Taylor Communications following his untimely passing in 1988.
This Saturday night in The Bronx, New York, Fordham University will play cross-borough rival Manhattan College in what has always been known as “The Battle of The Bronx.”Since Mike's passing, one of the few things that has sustained his legacy is the “Mike Cohen MVP Award,” which is presented to the best player when the game is played at Fordham. There will be a smattering of friends and family attending the game Saturday who will again remember Mike and his legacy and hopefully will continue to find ways to pass his great work and example on to a growing number o.publicists and marketers who sometimes get the big picture but forget the little things…and in this competitive environment, the little things…the Mike Cohen things…are even more important.
On to some good reads…for better or worse…I was able to post three topics as a guest blogger for Darren Rovell on cnbc the last few days…the link is provided here…si.com's Andy Staples has a good look at the economics of big time college football…Marc Isenberg's Money Players blog has some good arguments on the Mark Cuban insider trading allegations…and the Washington Post's Mike Wise has a pretty funny piece as he interviewed the new Madame Tussaud version of Gilbert Arenas…
