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Sports Empires Under Fire
Hardcover
Publisher Price: $29.95
Publisher: Dakdan LLC
Published: Oct 23 2026
Pages: 300
Weight: 1.25
Height: 0.69 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
The event rarely destroys the empire. The response always does.
An allegation, an injury, an investigation, a lawsuit, or a story that catches everyone off guard can put an athlete, a sports organization, and an entire business at risk. In the first hours of a crisis, decisions made under pressure can turn a manageable problem into a lasting reputational and financial disaster.
In Sports Empires Under Fire: The Crisis Playbook, Dan Kost examines what happens when sports empires face their most difficult moments and why preparation, clear authority, and disciplined communication matter when everything is on the line.
Drawing on his experience on the brand side of sports and media, Kost explores the preventable failures that can occur when people improvise, speak without authorization, contradict legal strategy, or make critical decisions without a defined process. His central message is clear: institutions must establish their crisis response structures before a crisis begins.
Inside this book, you will discover:
- Crisis Communication and Control: Why a coordinated response and a clearly designated spokesperson are essential when public scrutiny intensifies.
- Decision-Making Under Pressure: How defining authority, responsibilities, and decision thresholds in advance can prevent confusion when the stakes are highest.
- The Role of Legal Counsel: Why knowing when to involve counsel, and who should be involved first, can shape the course of a crisis.
- Protecting the Institution: How organizations can respond to serious incidents while protecting their long-term interests, reputation, and financial stability.
- Recovery and Rebuilding: Why the response must extend beyond the initial headlines to help an organization recover and move forward.
- Practical Crisis Management Tools: Two templates designed to help readers put these principles into practice: a crisis playbook and an annual audit to keep it current.
Across 20 chapters covering the first 72 hours of a crisis, hour by hour, Kost presents a framework for responding with structure rather than improvisation. The goal is to help institutions protect their long-term interests, preserve the income that sustains them, and rebuild when the immediate crisis has passed.
As the companion to Sports Empires That Last, which focuses on building and protecting sports empires in peacetime, this book addresses what happens when those empires come under fire.
Whether you work in sports management, athlete representation, public relations, communications, or organizational leadership, Sports Empires Under Fire offers a practical perspective on preparing for high-pressure situations before they arrive.
When a crisis hits, the time to decide how to respond has already passed. The time to prepare is now.
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