Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Who Knew Chase Utley Could Do Something Wrong?

Most everyone in Philadelphia has heard about Chase Utley, the second baseman for the Phillies. When Chase is in the news, it's usually for hitting homers, and making great defensive plays. It's hard to believe that he can do anything wrong, on or off the field.

Last night, Utley made a mistake off the field, on network television, in front of millions of viewers. While being introduced before the Home Run Derby, Utley was being booed by some New York fans. In response to the fans, Utley uttered a swear that was not bleeped out by ESPN.

I thought this would be great to write about, since we recently had a post about crisis management and the Phillies. Reilly gave us the tip that, in a crisis, always tell the truth and don't deny anything. Naturally, after this incident, Utley made a public apology.

"I do want to apologize," Utley said. "It was definitely a poor choice of words. I didn't mean anything by it. I was kind just joking around with a buddy over there. ... I do want to make it clear that I'm sorry for saying it."

Even though this wasn't a huge crisis, Chase Utley represents the Phillies, and he is a role model to baseball fans everywhere. This situation can remind everyone to watch what they say while in public. Even if you think a word or phrase won't get aired, something can always go wrong!

*Quote from Matthw Leach, MLB.com

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