At first I thought it was a joke…

I ready today that the Green Bay Packers have hired former Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleischer to help with the ongoing Brett Favre issue (that was just settled.) Ari Fleischer? Are you kidding me?

This was the same guy who was legendary for stonewalling the press and who didn’t care or have a clue about how to build relationships with the media. If memory serves, he was also infamous for his inability to control escalating controversies. Back then, he had one consistent tactic. If White House Press wouldn’t let up on a hot story that attacked his boss/administration, Ari would simply shut them down by disallowing access at any level.

So, what makes this story all the more amusing is that the Packers needed a strategic communications consultant who has the exact opposite skill set and demeanor that Mr. Fleischer possesses (or has shown the world he holds). Somehow, this organization was lucky enough to finally diffuse the crisis and trade Brett away to the hapless Jets. But, now it easy to understand why Packers’ management bungled both communications and decision making for so long during this summer. Good ol’ Ari must have been leading the communications effort…

Comments

[foxedupintoronto]

i don't know, ed ... who better ? most spinsters have to deal with/in the reality all the rest of us fear and loathe.

it's a rare gaggle of birds that redraws the lines and makes their own reality --- and thrives to brag about it.

it makes me ill that the nfl would look to a dangerous white house flak to help them spin an issue, but then again: they've both embodied three yards and cloud of dust since 2000 ... Ari is half Lombardi, half Earl Campbell, and mostly Brian Bosworth. I'll leave it to you to parse the rest.

Bestest ... to.

[Ed]

Ha. Nice comments Foxedupintoronto. I guess if anyone understands (and has experience) with right wingers like Fleischer...it's you.

[Tim Marklein]

Hey Ed, just got back from family vacation in Wisconsin and saw this. As a fellow PR measurement fanatic and also Packer fan, I wanted to clarify that the Packers didn't hire Fleischer to manage the Favre comms. He had been previously hired as a speaker to talk to the team about media relations, and then they paid him a consulting fee for some extra advice and consultation while there.

Of course, I wish Favre was still in Green Bay. And it's clear that communications were broken between the Packers and Favre. Just can't blame Ari for this one. ;-)

[Ed]

Tim, thanks for clarifying for me and our readers.