When I departed Long Island for Las Vegas a few days ago I noticed that the TSA was profiling blue hair. Oh I understand everyone is on edge with recent breeches, put this was the definitive example of perhaps spending too much time on the wrong person.

The older women in question seemed to be wearing a pretty complex shoe. I would assume it was orthopedic in nature. After running them through the scan twice, they took the elderly women aside to continue their search and interrogation. I moved on and went to my gate. About 15 minutes later the same women shuffled to my gate. That was a twenty minute search overall of someone that has probably made nothing more complex in her life than an apple pie.

Let me state for the record that the TSA can scan my bags, make me walk through an X-ray machine, and even force me to show up a few minutes earlier if it means I’m going to be just a little bit safer in the air.

Most people though see little rhyme or reason behind TSA methods. I decided to scan and frisk the TSA online to see if they should be taken off a flight.

The TSA would be wise to spend a couple dollars (we know the airlines have it thanks to those checked baggage fees) towards a short-term PR campaign to turn a negative situation into, at the very least, a neutral one. There message is bland, boring and longwinded. Although it appears they mean well from a public relations/social media standpoint -

Here Are My Top Four PIO Things the TSA Should Do Immediately:

1. Stop sending canned messages on Twitter. Customize. Personalize. Incentivize.
2. Create video’s that inspire us, not ones that put us to sleep: http://www.youtube.com/user/TSAHQpublicaffairs
3. Put faces to go with the names on your blog (tsa.gov/blog). I want to know exactly who is communicating the messages you put out there. Ditto Twitter.
4. Clean up your Web site. Way too many links and tabs. One word. Simplify.

What would you add to this list? Would love to hear your thoughts!

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I’m in Las Vegas this week attending a conference. Last night I went to dinner with a bunch of guys from Medina, Ohio who are huge Cleveland Cavalier fans. We positioned ourselves near a mega screen monitor so we could see the Cavs ultimately pounded by the Celtics 120-88.

Early on, when the game was relatively close and spirits were higher, the LeBron James rumor mill was the talk of the moment. Facing July 1 free agency everyone at the table had an opinion on whether LeBron will stay or go. With each opinion came a rumor about what someone told someone about LeBron’s status. Also with each rumor and opinion came blame. Who to scapegoat and take to task if LeBron seeks mega millions elsewhere?

As a PR guy this got me thinking. It’s not about just LeBron, it’s about sports in general. Each day is filled with stories in the paper and online, as well as sports radio and television, that are based on heated rumors and bashings about one team, coach, manager or athlete.

If these were stories about our fire departments, chiefs or firefighters we as PIO’s would be apoplectic! We would be in total crisis communications mode!! This would constitute one of the worst days of our careers.

But hey, sports is sports, trashing is status quo.

This begs a PR question that came to my mind, what should teams do when new rumors surface? Should they ignore them? Issue a statement? If this was the case a football sized team of media spinners would have to work for each organization and player churning out refutes to rumors and scandal.

Personally, I’m not sure teams can do anything. Athletes, and the teams that pay their ridiculous salaries, are going to be scrutinized and talked about left and right for every move they make, and don’t make. Maybe it’s up to the PR dept. to issue as much positive news as possible in an effort to combat any negativity that might come out about the team or one of its players? Maybe they already do this and it doesn’t work?

My take though. Nothing is better for ticket sales, then to use a fire analogy, a good controlled burn.

 What a difference in the public information world. Sports PR guy’s help fuel the fires while we try to put them out.

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So many of us benefit from the use of Motorola radios and equipment.  There flawless performance is something we many times take for granted. I just want you to know how Motorola gives back. I just accepted a check on behalf of America’s VetDogs for $30,000 at a Motorola corporate and authorized dealer event at the new Aria hotel in Las Vegas.

In my non PIO hours, one of my jobs is serving as Executive Vice President of America’s VetDogs. The organization provides guide and service dogs to recently returning wounded veterans and provides in theater combat stress relief dogs and therapeutic dogs at military hospitals in a partnership with the US Army.

Motorola realizes their responsibility both on and off the battlefield and I congratulate them.

At the conference I had the chance to meet many fire department vollies who own or work at Motorola authorized dealers. It is such an instant bond when you greet brothers on the road.

In the picture with this post are two other VetDogs supporters, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.

You can learn more about America’s VetDogs at www.vetdogs.org

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