Honolulu Advertiser Calls It

In a cover story for subscribers, the hometown paper of the Te'o family screamed in 144 point type:

DAMAGING SILENCE

Speaking with sports agents and others, the Advertiser covered how the damage is growing by the hour for the future NFL star.  The lead quote is the takeaway:

"If what he is saying is true, that he was a victim of a hoax, he should've come out right away and spoken.  If he was my client, I would have had him come out two weeks ago and been in front of the story."

Thus spoke Kenny Zuckerman of Priority Sports.

Later in the story, we get the advice of Frank Vuono, who's clients include the New York Giants and the NFL.

"The advice we give our clients is to tell the truth because as much as it hurts now, it only gets worse if you don't.  People in this country are willing to forgive."

Unless, you make it Watergate Bad.

The director of Rice University's sports management program, Clark Haptonstall, caps it off.

"When there is a crisis situation, it is always good to try and respond as quickly as you can, usually in the first 24 hours. He won't get his story across until he gets in front of people."

All sage advice.  Almost always falling on deaf ears in the college sports community.  Rare is the circumstance -- TCU football's involvement in a campus drug bust -- where that is the plan of action.

A tip of the hat to the Advertiser on the quotes, and a reminder to all:  Press Reader is your indispensable news tool.  The global subscription allows access to hundreds of papers, in PDF format, like the Columbus Dispatch (when Tatoo-gate exploded), Philadelphia and Chicago markets (during Penn State) and now the Advertiser.  If you are serious in this business -- sports or university side -- the $30 fee is money well spent.