The Buzz by Mike Schaffer - PR, Social Media, Pop Culture and Sports

Archive for October, 2009

Balki, Pop Culture, TV and Movies, Video of the Day, youtube

October 31, 2009

Balki: So sad, and so Bolt

Tags: Balki, bolt

My beloved puppy Balki may or may not be from another planet (think ALF).
We know this because every time he hears fire engine sirens, well…just watch…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MJch0DWzj4]
The next evening, Balki got all dressed up for Halloween!

Buzz, PR, Sports

October 30, 2009

PR Buzz – The Washington Football Mess

Tags: nfl, , , PR tips, redskins, Sports, washington redskins

True fact – while I am a die-hard Baltimore Ravens fan, it wasn’t always this way.
Growing up between Baltimore and Washington in the early 1980s, there was only one option for football, one I inherited from my family, the Washington Redskins.  The Colts Mayflowered their way out of Baltimore when I was an infant and [...]

Buzz, PR, Social Media

October 28, 2009

Help! I've Tweeted and I Can't Get Up!

Tags: jennifer aniston, john mayer, kevin love, larry johnson, megan mccain,

One of my all-time favorite commercials is this classic from LifeCall:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQlpDiXPZHQ]
When a medical emergency happens, like falling, the service would dispatch help to come rescue the victim if they use their nifty device.
Perfect deal, right?
Well what is the LifeCall equivalent for social media snafus?
A few recent, notable examples:
- Kansas City Chiefs star Larry Johnson uses [...]

Buzz, PR, Sports

October 26, 2009

PR Buzz – The Right Man For The Job

Tags: baseball, mark mcgwire, mlb, , , PR tips, public relation

Rumors have been swirling lately that Mark McGwire, one of the most prolific sluggers in baseball history, and one of the forefathers of the “Steroid
Era,” will join his old club, the St. Louis Cardinals, as the hitting coach in 2010.
While his numbers are staggering and his legendary 1998 home run war with Sammy Sosa was [...]

Buzz, PR, Social Media

October 23, 2009

PR Buzz – Validated Tweets?

Tags: ,

This morning, I followed Valerie Simon’s advice and followed everyone who participated at #PRstudChat on Twitter this week.  It’s a great way to connect with more people in and around my industry, no?
Well, I got auto-DMs (another rant) from several folks saying that I had to click on a link and fill out a form [...]

Balki, PR

October 19, 2009

Four PR Lessons From My Dog

Tags: Balki, dogs, perfect strangers, , , under armour

I love my dog.  I know all dog owners say that, but really, I love Balki!
Have you met Balki yet?
(Since I know you want to ask: Yes, we did, in fact, name our dog after Bronson Pinchot’s character from “Perfect Strangers.”  We’re those people.)
My dog is my running buddy, my foot warmer, my biggest fan. [...]

Buzz, Pop Culture, WWE, Wrestling

October 14, 2009

RIP Captain Lou Albano

Tags: captain lou, captain lou albano, cyndi lauper, lou albano, , ,

Professional wrestling is built around oversized personalities and very few could match Captain Lou Albano, who passed away this week.
Kevin Eck from the Baltimore Sun has a beautiful tribute here.
What I want to do is share some memories of Captain Lou, who was a major cultural icon in the 1980s.  Enjoy!
A classic WWF interview:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0IFXq7iFCE]
Boasting Greg [...]

Buzz, Pop Culture, Sports, Uncategorized

October 13, 2009

Lucky Underwear

Tags: baltimore, baltimore ravens, ed reed, football, nfl, ravens, ray lewis

I used to be so much worse.
If I didn’t wear my lucky underwear, the Baltimore Ravens wouldn’t win.  
Do you know how that feels?  To have your undergarment selection be THE deciding factor in NFL games?  To either wear dirty underwear once a week…or do regular laundry?
I was a freshman at Ithaca College, and the [...]

Buzz, Sports

October 9, 2009

Sports Buzz – The Consumption of Sports

Tags: mlb, nfl, Sports, super bowl, world series

Raise your hand if you find yourself having a hard time getting excited for the MLB playoffs.
See, you aren’t alone.  There are a lot of us.
It’s strange, because baseball captivates us in ways no other sports do.  From the first day that pitchers and catchers report to spring training (conveniently, right around Valentine’s Day, a [...]

Buzz

October 6, 2009

A Plea For Real Humanity

Tags: david letterman, humanity, jon gosselin, nelson mandela

This past weekend, my wife and I were discussing people who let us down as a society. I mean, look around at the recent examples.  David Letterman cheats on his long-time girlfriend (now wife) with staff members; Jon Gosselin transforms himself into a caricature of a bad father; and don’t even get me started on [...]