Originally published on September 29, 2014. Updated December 18, 2025.
Crisis management does not get any more woeful than the National Football League’s 2014 responses to player-involved scandals. The NFL’s initial response to downplay the incidents triggered a PR firestorm.
A “PR Armageddon” quickly engulfed the League following a wave of negative press regarding domestic violence and child abuse allegations. The press accused the NFL of leading an extensive cover-up campaign, and the organization received widespread criticism for displaying an abhorrent lack of responsibility.
It does not take a genius to note that the NFL’s brand and reputation were in extremely deep water. Here are the 5 lessons modern brands can learn from this historical failure.
Lesson 1: Lack of Preparation Guarantees Failure
This preventable crisis was a direct result of not having a crisis response plan that takes into consideration the reputation of the company and how the public views it.
Had the National Football League understood the culture and ethics of its stakeholders and fans, the League would have had a crisis response plan that properly limited its potential liability in the wake of said incidents. Instead, they were left struggling to tread water.
Lesson 2: Speed is Critical
The NFL initially dragged its feet before addressing the incident involving Ray Rice with the public.
The National Football League’s passive approach allowed the media an opportunity to attack the organization with negative headlines and intensify America’s disdain toward domestic violence. Moreover, the League would not have lost control of the narrative if it had responded to each crisis in a quick, accurate, and consistent manner.
Lesson 3: Inconsistency Destroys Credibility
The League’s punishment was far too lax and inconsistent with the prior responses it had made to player-related scandals.
At the time, a player convicted of smoking marijuana was eligible for a four-game suspension, whereas Rice only received a two-game suspension regarding domestic violence. This demonstrates how inconsistent responses confuse the cause and purpose of the problem and leave a company vulnerable to negative attention and media scrutiny.
Lesson 4: Transparency vs. The “Cover Up”
Inaccuracies make an organization look inconsistent and add fuel to the PR fire. The NFL blatantly lied about not receiving an Atlantic City elevator surveillance video displaying Rice abusing his then-fiancée. However, a subsequent report surfaced by police officials stating a copy of the video was provided to the National Football League.
Providing misinformation to the media will only heighten the crisis. Instead, when an organization appears to be at fault, a company representative should admit the company made a mistake and implement steps to ensure it never happens again.
Lesson 5: Don’t Ignore Your Sponsors
The 2014 crisis was compounded by simultaneous scandals: while the League managed the Ray Rice domestic violence fallout, Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson was indicted on child abuse charges.
In a week filled with such damaging headlines, major advertisers—including Anheuser Busch, Verizon, and General Motors—began putting pressure on the National Football League to address these issues.
Radisson Hotels, whose headquarters are in Minnesota, went as far as suspending its sponsorship of the Vikings to protest the team’s initial decision to keep Peterson on the active roster despite the indictment. It serves as a stark reminder: if you lose the trust of the public, you lose the support of your advertisers.
Conclusion: The Path to Recovery
The reputation of the NFL was damaged, but fixable. In order to rectify the problem, it was essential to build public trust.
If the NFL was going to recover from its lack of proper brand and reputation management, it had to formulate a crisis response plan in tune with the factors that influence public opinion. Knowing these factors, a League (or any brand) can better manage its reputation in the court of public opinion.
Is your brand prepared? Contact us today to learn more about building a crisis response plan that works.