Is RSL losing the PR battle?

[rabble-rabble]

Originally Posted by the Bardguy

So to hear the Trib vent its obvious bias against RSL is surprising to me. Is it really just crying over spilt milk...Dave didn't want the stadium in Salt Lake so RSL gets the shaft in the newspapers?

Dave actually very much wanted the stadium in Salt Lake. Thank the state legislature that it didn't end up there.

The bias of the local papers is getting out of hand. To suggest that RSL gets poor attendance compared to the rest of the teams in the league is a blantant distortion of the facts. You'd think that someone would put a more positive spin on a team finishing with a 5-22-5 record INCREASING season tickets by more then 20%. Hey local college pointy ball teams have had miserable records on a lot of occasions, and the result if that next year support and attendance always drop off.

Now what I fear most is Real Madrid will end up in third place and stay in Europe for Champions League qualifying. I can see the newspaper articles now:

"RSL lied about bringing Real Madrid to Utah, you can't trust anything they say" while never bothering to explain that Real Madrid skipping Champions League qualifying to play a friendly would be like an 8th place NBA team unexpectly making a run to the finals and dropping out because they had a tentative date to play a summer exhibition game somewhere in Europe.

[the Bardguy]

Originally Posted by rabble-rabble

Dave actually very much wanted the stadium in Salt Lake. Thank the state legislature that it didn't end up there.

Yes, you're absolutely correct. My post made it seem like Dave didn't want it there, but I misspoke. Sorry 'bout that.

[rabble-rabble]

Originally Posted by the Bardguy

Yes, you're absolutely correct. My post made it seem like Dave didn't want it there, but I misspoke. Sorry 'bout that.

No, I was actually agreeing with you. It seems that the papers (in particular the Tribune) just want to chase RSL and the MLS out of town.

[Deuce]

Originally Posted by rabble-rabble

Now what I fear most is Real Madrid will end up in third place and stay in Europe for Champions League qualifying. I can see the newspaper articles now:

"RSL lied about bringing Real Madrid to Utah, you can't trust anything they say" while never bothering to explain that Real Madrid skipping Champions League qualifying to play a friendly would be like an 8th place NBA team unexpectly making a run to the finals and dropping out because they had a tentative date to play a summer exhibition game somewhere in Europe.

Yes and that would be a lie too because RSL has never actually said Real Madrid is coming.
I think that it was speculation based on off-handed inuendo that Channel 2 misreported to begin with. RSL simply said no comment!

[fuegote]

i think a massive campaign letting the Trib know they will/are losing customers.

[Rover]

Let's not let the DesNews off the hook either. Although we haven't seen anything quite like this coordinated campaign in the Trib, the DesNews editiorial board has been negative and nasty from the beginning.

Not the sportswriters. The board.

I absolutely agree that the FO needs to go on offense here. Yes, the information was leaked, and it was a cheesy move by whatever flunky did it. But they did and the information is out there. The Trib is making sure it is in the paper on a daily basis. We can't pretend like it didn't happen or squawk about taking legal action. Legal action won't solve the PR problem, and at the moment it's just making things worse by validating the perception that RSL is trying to hide information while asking for a public handout.

I know that's bogus, but it's the basis of the talking points that are hitting us from three angles--the County Council, the UTA and Jerman, and the newspapers. So we go at them directly with a information campaign, and take it directly to the people. You don't get mad. You just outsmart them. We're not up against rocket scientists here--just grandstanders who see the situation as an opportunity to get their name in the paper. And, of course, certain individuals who view the Utah sports scene as their own private arena and will push any button they can to take a shot at Dave Checketts.

[dysko]

Originally Posted by Deuce

Yes and that would be a lie too because RSL has never actually said Real Madrid is coming.

True, but in an interview on KALL 700 with Bill Riley (on April 18 at about 6pm)...
Unlce Dave did say that Real Madrid was taking a proposal to come play RSL in Utah to their board of directors. He also said that if Real Madrid didn't come, he had some alternate choices to ensure we get a major international team here this summer.

So not completly an off base comment.

[RSL Punk]

Let's get some talking points worked out here:

1. Equal treatment--the Trib filed a GRAMA suit to force RSL to give up its proprietary financial information, citing the public's right to know. Now that that information has been leaked, we're getting cherry-picked, badly interpreted data. If the public has the right to know, how about a PDF file on the Trib's website that everyone can see? They've done that in the past. Why not now?

2. Actual facts: a) RSL had a median attendance last year of approx. 16,500. We'll probably meet or exceed that this year, depending on what the attendance at the international friendly, 4th of July, and 24th of July games turns out to be.
b) Dave Checketts has already lined up $175 million (someone check that for me--I'm not entirely sure that's the right number) in private investment for the stadium project. The $35 million that he's asking for from the county is for land and infrastructure improvement ONLY. If there are investors out there ready to risk $175 million, why is the county balking at $34 million?
c) The stadium project also includes a hotel and offices for Checkett's TV production company--so far, the Trib's been silent on what the projected revenues for those aspects would be. Is that included in the projected loss they're touting? Or not?
d) The reporter for the Trib that's been spewing this nonsense is on the city beat--maybe they should have someone from the business desk crunch the numbers for him (or maybe write a real article using real numbers). Maybe even someone who understands how sports franchises work.

3. And speaking of sports franchises: How about some "turnabout's fair play" here? (Careful, this could turn around and bite us--if the mood turns against sports in general, that wouldn't be good.) Both the Delta Center and Franklin Covey Field are still owned by the Salt Lake City RDA, and therefore public facilities. If we're owed a public rundown of the RSL numbers, shouldn't we get a public rundown of how much the Bees are losing, and when Larry hopes to be profitable? When he bought them, did he have to show a business plan to the RDA? How about a GRAMA request, Trib? While we're at it, how about a copy of the environmental impact statement he filed for building Pollution Park in Tooele (not that I'm totally against racing per se, but you do realize race cars still use leaded gas, right)? How long will LHM Inc. lose money out there before THEY'RE profitable? Okay, I realize I'm piling on, and that Larry hasn't asked for public money in these instances. But in the case of the Jazz and the Bees, he is in partnership with the city, and Tooele County did have to approve his racing park--if we're going to be for complete transparency, let's have his numbers, too.

Remember, the key to a good letter to the editor is to find one simple point (one that preferably hasn't been used already), or a point responding to another letter writer, but not directly. Like this guy: Checketts paid $150 million for an NHL hockey team in St. Louis one month ago.... We all know what the answer to this is, right? (#2b, above)

Fight disinformation with clear facts and clear thinking. Let's refine some of these, add a few, whatever, but let's get'r done.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by RSL Punk

Let's get some talking points worked out here:

1. Equal treatment--the Trib filed a GRAMA suit to force RSL to give up its proprietary financial information, citing the public's right to know. Now that that information has been leaked, we're getting cherry-picked, badly interpreted data. If the public has the right to know, how about a PDF file on the Trib's website that everyone can see? They've done that in the past. Why not now?

2. Actual facts: a) RSL had a median attendance last year of approx. 16,500. We'll probably meet or exceed that this year, depending on what the attendance at the international friendly, 4th of July, and 24th of July games turns out to be.
b) Dave Checketts has already lined up $175 million (someone check that for me--I'm not entirely sure that's the right number) in private investment for the stadium project. The $35 million that he's asking for from the county is for land and infrastructure improvement ONLY. If there are investors out there ready to risk $175 million, why is the county balking at $34 million?
c) The stadium project also includes a hotel and offices for Checkett's TV production company--so far, the Trib's been silent on what the projected revenues for those aspects would be. Is that included in the projected loss they're touting? Or not?
d) The reporter for the Trib that's been spewing this nonsense is on the city beat--maybe they should have someone from the business desk crunch the numbers for him (or maybe write a real article using real numbers). Maybe even someone who understands how sports franchises work.

3. And speaking of sports franchises: How about some "turnabout's fair play" here? (Careful, this could turn around and bite us--if the mood turns against sports in general, that wouldn't be good.) Both the Delta Center and Franklin Covey Field are still owned by the Salt Lake City RDA, and therefore public facilities. If we're owed a public rundown of the RSL numbers, shouldn't we get a public rundown of how much the Bees are losing, and when Larry hopes to be profitable? When he bought them, did he have to show a business plan to the RDA? How about a GRAMA request, Trib? While we're at it, how about a copy of the environmental impact statement he filed for building Pollution Park in Tooele (not that I'm totally against racing per se, but you do realize race cars still use leaded gas, right)? How long will LHM Inc. lose money out there before THEY'RE profitable? Okay, I realize I'm piling on, and that Larry hasn't asked for public money in these instances. But in the case of the Jazz and the Bees, he is in partnership with the city, and Tooele County did have to approve his racing park--if we're going to be for complete transparency, let's have his numbers, too.

Remember, the key to a good letter to the editor is to find one simple point (one that preferably hasn't been used already), or a point responding to another letter writer, but not directly. Like this guy: Checketts paid $150 million for an NHL hockey team in St. Louis one month ago.... We all know what the answer to this is, right? (#2b, above)

Fight disinformation with clear facts and clear thinking. Let's refine some of these, add a few, whatever, but let's get'r done.

Excellent. Way to go. We have the talking points, so let's get going. Everyone do their part.

[AreliusIV]

Originally Posted by RSL Punk

Let's get some talking points worked out here:

1. Equal treatment--the Trib filed a GRAMA suit to force RSL to give up its proprietary financial information, citing the public's right to know. Now that that information has been leaked, we're getting cherry-picked, badly interpreted data. If the public has the right to know, how about a PDF file on the Trib's website that everyone can see? They've done that in the past. Why not now?

2. Actual facts: a) RSL had a median attendance last year of approx. 16,500. We'll probably meet or exceed that this year, depending on what the attendance at the international friendly, 4th of July, and 24th of July games turns out to be.
b) Dave Checketts has already lined up $175 million (someone check that for me--I'm not entirely sure that's the right number) in private investment for the stadium project. The $35 million that he's asking for from the county is for land and infrastructure improvement ONLY. If there are investors out there ready to risk $175 million, why is the county balking at $34 million?
c) The stadium project also includes a hotel and offices for Checkett's TV production company--so far, the Trib's been silent on what the projected revenues for those aspects would be. Is that included in the projected loss they're touting? Or not?
d) The reporter for the Trib that's been spewing this nonsense is on the city beat--maybe they should have someone from the business desk crunch the numbers for him (or maybe write a real article using real numbers). Maybe even someone who understands how sports franchises work.

3. And speaking of sports franchises: How about some "turnabout's fair play" here? (Careful, this could turn around and bite us--if the mood turns against sports in general, that wouldn't be good.) Both the Delta Center and Franklin Covey Field are still owned by the Salt Lake City RDA, and therefore public facilities. If we're owed a public rundown of the RSL numbers, shouldn't we get a public rundown of how much the Bees are losing, and when Larry hopes to be profitable? When he bought them, did he have to show a business plan to the RDA? How about a GRAMA request, Trib? While we're at it, how about a copy of the environmental impact statement he filed for building Pollution Park in Tooele (not that I'm totally against racing per se, but you do realize race cars still use leaded gas, right)? How long will LHM Inc. lose money out there before THEY'RE profitable? Okay, I realize I'm piling on, and that Larry hasn't asked for public money in these instances. But in the case of the Jazz and the Bees, he is in partnership with the city, and Tooele County did have to approve his racing park--if we're going to be for complete transparency, let's have his numbers, too.

Remember, the key to a good letter to the editor is to find one simple point (one that preferably hasn't been used already), or a point responding to another letter writer, but not directly. Like this guy: Checketts paid $150 million for an NHL hockey team in St. Louis one month ago.... We all know what the answer to this is, right? (#2b, above)

Fight disinformation with clear facts and clear thinking. Let's refine some of these, add a few, whatever, but let's get'r done.

Great job!!! 🕺