The annual tradition of translating loss into narrative advancement

The PR Spin Master: How Athletic Departments Reframe Failure as Growth

Season ends. Record: 4-8. The athletic director’s PR team assembles the narrative.

“How do we make this sound like progress?”

Solution: Don’t mention wins. Mention “development,” “culture building,” and “foundation setting.”

The Spin Translation Guide

Reality: The team lost 8 games.

Spin: “We’re on a journey of competitive growth.”

Reality: The defense was historically bad.

Spin: “We’re building a defensive identity.”

Reality: The quarterback is not very good.

Spin: “Our quarterback is learning our system and developing his potential.”

Reality: We’re losing talented players to the transfer portal.

Spin: “We’re committed to sustainable roster development.”

Reality: Nobody respects the coach.

Spin: “We’re establishing a culture of excellence.”

The Genius of PR Spin

The athletic director holds a press conference. Reporters ask tough questions.

Reporter: “The team went 4-8. When do you expect improvement?”

Athletic Director: “We’re very pleased with the progress we’ve made this year. The foundation we’re building will pay dividends for years to come.”

Translation: “We’re terrible and we know it, but we’re going to use corporate jargon to make it sound strategic.”

Amy Schumer once said: “I’m honest about things because they’re legitimate grievances.” Athletic departments do the opposite. They’re dishonest about legitimately terrible situations because admitting the truth would require accountability.

The Narrative Judo

Bad seasons become “transition years.”

Losing becomes “learning experiences.”

Incompetence becomes “growth opportunities.”

Failure becomes “foundation building.”

The goal is simple: make loss sound like progress. If you say it confidently enough and use enough corporate jargon, reporters will repeat it and fans will believe it.

Universities have perfected the art of linguistic judo. They take legitimate criticism and flip it into talking points about growth, commitment, and long-term vision.

The beauty of the spin is its internal consistency. Every loss is framed as proof of commitment to the “long-term vision.” The long-term vision never materializes, but by then the athletic director has moved to another job and the next athletic director has their own long-term vision that also won’t materialize.

It’s a perfect system. Failure is never failure. It’s always “growth.” And growth always requires more money.

Auf Wiedersehen, amigos.