Wednesday, June 6, 2012

DD Shoe Fiasco


By: Angela Raleigh, Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

Everyone in Packer Nation knows #80. But, who knew he was so popular?

With thousands of fans in attendance at his charity softball game this past Sunday, Donald Driver tossed some of his gear to the crowd following the game. But one adult Packers fanatic wasn’t in the most charitable mood. DD tossed one of his cleats to a 12-year-old boy, only to have an adult woman literally rip the shoe right out of the boy’s hands. Didn’t get to witness the scene firsthand? Well, I am sure many Packers fans were outraged by this shoe saga as they watched the national attention grabbing video on the Internet.

Just imagine being surrounded by hundreds of Packers fans, everyone’s excited and thrilled to be part of a charity event, hosted by a Super Bowl Champion and not to mention a Dancing With the Stars Champion and DD decides to toss you his cleat, but it gets wrestled away from you. I’m sure you’d be crushed.

But, thanks to the power of social media, Twitter and Facebook allowed Driver to quickly connect with the boy and his family, arrange to meet him and give him plenty of Packers memorabilia, including a pair of cleats.

It’s clear that social media is and will continue to change the way in which we communicate. Social media played a huge role in this video going viral, prompting outrage and a man-hunt in Packer Nation to find the boy and supply him with what was meant for him in the first place. DD truly handled the situation like a champ and social media allowed him to easily connect with the family. Driver is a fan favorite and this incident shows his passion and appreciation for the fans. I think it was a classy gesture….what are your thoughts on the entire situation?

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