As anniversaries in sports go, January 6 came and went with little fanfare. It wasn’.a day that marked a Super Bowl win or an amazing NHL or NBA feat, or even the anniversary of a BCS win. However it was the 15th anniversary of one of the craziest events in the history of sport, an event on a world stage that if it took place in today's 24/7 digital world may have risen to even more largesse. Still in its time, the incident, controversy and drama that occurred before, during and after the Tony Harding/Nancy Kerrigan event remains one of the most bizarre and memorable in all of sport.Former head of USOC media Mike Moran circulated a retrospective of that course of events recently, as it was reprinted in the Colorado Springs Gazette..The first-person account is a great example of an insider's view of crisis management, and gives the reader a solid look not just into the events from a media official's eyes, but also provides some great backstory on the lead-up to the night, and what transpired afterward. The piece clearly shows how one of the most important rules in a crisis situation needs to be followed…speak with one voice. Whether people agreed with the USOC decision to let Harding skate amongst the circus or not, it was clear where the chain of command was, and how those working with the USOC thought through the situation, looked at the facts and built consensus in what was one of the most bizarre events in the history of sports. Great look back, great inside info and perspective.
Some other good reads…si.com's Ian Thomson has a good look at the rookie season of the Trail Blazers’ Greg Oden, and all that has gone into his on court play and offcourt persona to date…snd espn.com's Gene Wojciechowski has a very detailed look at the controversy surrounding the University of Miami's Robert Marve and his attempt to transfer after a redshirt freshman season.
