April 2001

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(Right to left) Katina Arakas, Brittain Redcay, Jennifer Henderson, Melanie Floyd, Ginny Hollmeyer and Scott Horner, members of one of the School's "Public Relations Writing" classes, sit courtside during a Charlotte Hornets basketball game to observe sports P.R. in action.
 

Class experiences sports P.R. firsthand

"Remember: You can’t cheer."

It was my last warning to students in my "Public Relations Writing" class before we picked up our media credentials at the Charlotte Coliseum. We were about to sit courtside and observe major league sports public relations in action at a Charlotte Hornets pro basketball game.

The trip was made possible by a grant from the Johnston’s Center Office of Distinguished Scholarships and Intellectual Life, and our host, School alumna and Hornets Assistant Public Relations Director Natalie Knorr.

Not surprisingly, some students resorted to sitting on their hands during the game. The energy on the court was infectious, and as well-trained, die-hard Tar Heel basketball fans, my students confessed it was hard not to be swept up in the action on the court.

But the main goal of the evening was to observe and participate in the professional machine that is National Basketball Association public relations. That included sitting courtside with members of the press, who watch, as always, without fanfare.

"How do they do it?!" wrote one student in a postgame assignment. I wondered that myself as I sat on my own hands.

I broke my class of 22 students, mostly seniors, into four groups and made four trips between October and December 2000. Our small groups of four to six students allowed us more one-on-one time with Knorr and many others who made the trip memorable.

"The opportunity to parade around with media credentials and receive up-to-the-minute game notes like the rest of the media at courtside was thrilling to say the least," wrote senior Ann Marie Olexik.

We toured the press room; sifted through and read the piles of press releases and handouts; ate a pressroom dinner; stood by Knorr as she arranged pregame interviews; talked with columnists and writers; watched our hosts handle an extended postgame player meeting after one disappointing loss; and observed coach Paul Silas as he gave his postgame press conference. We also watched players emerge from the Hornets’ locker room to greet their wives and children after the game. Some students were taken with the jovial, family atmosphere that filled the back halls of the Hive after the game, particularly after a big win.

Students were also amazed by Knorr, who puts in some grueling hours — days and nights on the road with the players, flying from one city to the next. Knorr talked about her round-the-clock schedule, the importance of good writing and a love for the game, and the need to build good relationships with the media and players. Several students said Knorr’s talk gave them a better understanding of the hard work and sacrifice behind the glamour and glory of major league basketball.

Victoria Smith Ekstrand is a second-year doctoral student in the public relations sequence.