What do you do when you’re a high paid “advocacy” agency and you’ve been caught in an incredibly amateur attempt to “advocate” for one of the biggest cable providers in the country? Blame it on the interns, what else.
In case you missed it, a number of Big Ten fan websites and blogs were hit this past week with a post by someone using the name Victory4msu20. Victory4msu20 was speaking out against the Big Ten Network and promoting the incredibly lame www.puttingfansfirst.com–a very bland, if not obvious, webpage allegedly created by angry fans to pressure the Big Ten Network into meeting Comcast’s demands.
Michigan State forum Spartantailgate.com however, traced the posting back to the computers of Martin Waymire Advocacy Communications–an advocacy agency that lists Comcast as a supporter.
In a somewhat feeble attempt to clear up the…ahem…misunderstanding, Martin Waymire himself appeared on Spartantailgate.com (after taking some serious bashing from people claiming to be former employees) and made the following statement:
To: Trevor Barnes and the posters at SpartanTailgate.com:
Please accept my apologies for the post by one of my company’s employees regarding the Big 10 Network’s insistence that the new channel be forced on all cable customers, not just those interested in sports. You were right to “out” that posting, as it did not clearly point out our company does work for Comcast (which did not pre-approve the message posted).
Our staffer is indeed a MSU student, and did attend Commissioner Delaney’s kickoff in East Lansing. And he is a big Spartan fan. Given a chance to buy the network as part of a sports tier, he probably would!
That doesn’t excuse our failure to identify that the posting was done by our company advocating for a particular position.
Again, my apologies. Go Spartans…at least until they play my Northwestern Wildcats!
David Waymire
Martin Waymire Advocacy Communications
You will notice that while quickly blaming the intern, he makes no mention of Putting Fans First. Is this his site? We have yet to learn.
Be sure to check out the entire thread and follow the developing story at SpartanTailgate.com
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In another note:
As I write this I am watching the CNN report on the flooding on my home town of Findlay, Ohio. Fortunately, my parents who still live there are dry but it looks as though they are in the minority. My thoughts and wishes go out to those in Findlay, Shelby, and the rest of the flood stricken regions of Ohio.
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Martin Waymire himself said it, huh? Nice attention to detail.
Do you think there’s some conspiracy theory here? I mean, really, what are the odds that a student from the big ten would stump for his company while also trying to advocate for an agreement that would let him watch big ten football? No, surely “Martin Waymire” is up to his no-good chicanery.