November 7, 2013 · 10:51 AM

Your blogosphere at work

The University of Maryland hired a PR firm to influence public acceptance of its move to the Big Ten, in part by planting comments on message boards and blogs favoring the decision.

(h/t EDSBS)

27 Comments

Filed under The Blogosphere

27 responses to “Your blogosphere at work”

  1. AusDawg85
    November 7, 2013 at 10:58 AM

    Well…THAT explains some of the comments and commentators around here. I knew Greg McGarity and Mike Bobo must read this site, little did we know they are commenting as well! Let’s see if we can guess who McGarity is.

    Bobo is obviously all of the FIRETODDGRANTHAM posters.

    Like

    • Normaltown Mike
      November 7, 2013 at 11:36 AM

      You think MCgarity paid people to point out that Mr. NFL had 12 man on the field after a TO?

      Like

      • Cousin Eddie
        November 7, 2013 at 11:56 AM

        MC Garity pay someone, I doubt it. He would be willing to allow an intern to do it maybe, if he provided his own PC and wifi signal at a coffee shop, maybe. God save the Reserve.

        Like

  2. Mayor of Dawgtown
    November 7, 2013 at 11:22 AM

    Why does this surprise you, Senator? Nothing in present day college athletics is on the up and up. For that matter, nothing in present day America is on the up and up.

    Like

  3. Connor
    November 7, 2013 at 11:29 AM

    You should be flattered, Senator, it’s a testament to the quality found here here and at similar sites. There is probably no higher compliment that can be paid to the work of a creative person in the modern era than a brazen attempt by PR firms to capitalize on it. You’ve arrived.

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    • John Denver is full of shit...
      November 7, 2013 at 11:56 AM

      I totally agree. You do a great job Senator. You allow us to bitch and moan, yet you continue to give us useful facts, links, and your opinion for our consumption…free of charge.

      Thanks man!

      Like

  4. I Wanna Red Cup
    November 7, 2013 at 12:03 PM

    Paid trolls! Where is my check and who will it come from?

    Like

  5. Hackerdog
    November 7, 2013 at 12:09 PM

    Does that mean the … PLAYOFFS!1!!!11! … posters are shills for Bill Hancock? That actually would explain a lot.

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  6. Definitely Not Logan Gray
    November 7, 2013 at 12:47 PM

    Aaron Murray can’t beat good teams!

    Like

  7. cube
    November 7, 2013 at 1:14 PM

    Ok, everyone relax and take off the tin foil hats…oh, wait…

    Like

  8. Pay Me
    November 7, 2013 at 1:15 PM

    I thought it was a fantastic move. Hooray Big 10!!!!

    Like

  9. doofusdawg
    November 7, 2013 at 1:37 PM

    Left over stimulus dollars.

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  10. Dog in Fla
    November 7, 2013 at 1:43 PM

    “[P]ublic relations consultant John Maroon….In one email, Maroon — who had been consulting for Maryland prior to the Big Ten talks — suggested the school directly confront fans’ sense of loss.”

    Feeling increasingly marooned this season, Scott Stricklin, Dan Mullen and his weather system meterologist decide to put in a call to public relations consultant John Maroon for tips on how to directly confront fans’ sense of loss before it becomes their sense of loss.When asked for her Starkville forecast, Skeeter Davis predicted it was going to be “Cloudy, with occasional tears.”

    Like

  11. pantslesspatdye
    November 7, 2013 at 2:03 PM

    It’s funny thinking that marketing/pr types would “get” the college football fifth estate well enough to cause any influence. Best strategy I could imagine while putting myself in their shoes would be to overwhelm us with such never-ending stupidity that we would give up on humanity and accept whatever we are told.

    Like

  12. ASEF
    November 7, 2013 at 2:09 PM

    Interesting to think that a comments section in a blog would be an effective place to move a discourse in one direction or another in any sort of measurable or even demonstrable way.

    “Hey, we just tossed 50 years of tradition overboard because we’re broke. And now we’re going to hire a marketing company to post on blogs in order to placate all the people who are ticked off… because we can’t afford a real marketing campaign?”

    Weird.

    Like

  13. Just Chuck (The Other One)
    November 7, 2013 at 2:10 PM

    Explains a lot of the posts on Stingtalk. Somebody’s got to be paying for those.

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  14. americusdawg
    November 7, 2013 at 3:27 PM

    “Scott Van Pelt is a powerful voice in the media and a loyal UMD grad. It would be in our best interest to let Van Pelt break the story and talk about all of the positives.” Maroon said his thinking was that Van Pelt had a “national platform” and could have helped introduce a conference move expected to produce “varying emotions.”

    The problem was/is … SVP appears to be a smart person and completely understands that Maryland just sold its soul to the highest bidder. Maryland doesn’t give a crap what the fans really think … It’s all about the $100 million. I do think it’s funny, though, that now they are having to pay to try to sway their fans’ emotions … in a desperate attempt to show that they “care”.

    Like

    • Always Someone Else's Fault
      November 8, 2013 at 12:10 AM

      Plus he’s an ESPN employee, an organization that probably does not like its employees to blatantly shill for their schools…

      Never mind.

      Like

  15. W Cobb Dawg
    November 7, 2013 at 4:27 PM

    I’m leaving now to pick up my check, along with a free speedboat I apparently also have coming. Seems kinda strange though, that the pickup place is right next to police headquarters.

    Like

  16. BulldogBen
    November 7, 2013 at 5:20 PM

    Ahhhh the ol’ Fox News fake comment scam. CLASSIC.

    *sad trombone*

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  17. J-Lo Sexton
    November 7, 2013 at 8:01 PM

    Well, as long as it it didn’t violate NCAA rules. Do any of you think Saban will leave for Texas? Bama better pony up the money, huh?

    Like