Top 10 Reasons Why Lists Are Listless

If you haven't noticed it yet, lists have become among the most popular posts on the web today. Mocked by some as "listicles", loved by others addicted to BuzzFeed -- for now, they are here to stay. As readers, we like lists for a variety of reasons, including our increasingly busy lifestyles and our preference for finite and easily remembered facts. Content producers adore lists because they increase their sites' SEO rankings. For a great top 10 on why lists are popular, check out this list from NPR:)

So in that spirit, I am going to give my top 10 list for why lists are listless. But so I don't sound like one of the top 10 hypocritical bloggers of 2013 , I will write my thoughts in a short essay:

Lists are listless because they're lists. In a mobile minute, the "best" lists tease us with ways to improve ourselves or laugh at others. But as quickly as we share them on Facebook and Twitter they're forgotten.Who remembers the "Top 10 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting"? (How does that work again?) Or the "Worst Five Hairstyles of the 2012 People's Choice Awards"? The best way to write memorable content is simple: take one item from your next list and write about it. You and your readers will be happy you did for more reasons than you can ever list.    

When to Throw in the Towel

Arakawa takes a shot from Figueroa last night. (Source: http://thesweetscience.com

)

 So I have to admit: I love boxing. Boxers endure intense training to prepare for a fight, and in the ring, they battle not only their opponents, but also fear and exhaustion. But as much as I enjoy the sweet science, even I was a little uncomfortable watching last night's fight between Nihito Arakawa of Japan and Omar Figueroa of Texas. At first, Figueroa started bleeding from above his nose -- the result of an accidental headbutt. Then, Arakawa's eyes began to swell to Rocky-like proportions -- as he took an unbelievable number of power shots from the hard-punching Texan. The fight lasted the full 12 rounds, but many spectators on Twitter were thinking Arakawa's corner should have thrown in the towel. After all, it's those kinds of beatings that have been known to lead to long-term brain damage, and sometimes death. I have to agree with them. There was no point to fighting on once he'd lost the fight. People had gotten their money's worth, and he'd shown his courage.

History is replete with examples of times when armies should have retreated and regrouped. Sometimes in life, it's important to know when to stop what you're doing and live to fight another day. In business, they call this "pivoting." In the middle of team sports, they call it a "timeout." And if you're afraid that losing shows a lack of will, remember: no one ever becomes a success without learning how to fail.

After Nearly a Billion Dollar Renovation, Why Move the World's Most Famous Arena?

Full disclosure: I was once named the Twitter Follower of the Week by MSG:)

If you missed the news yesterday, the New York City Council put the future of Madison Square Garden in question, when it approved a special operating permit for the arena for only 10 years. The permit's short time span is designed to push MSG to relocate and give its underground neighbor, Penn Station, room to expand. But while a renovated Penn Station would be great for commuters, MSG has almost completed a nearly one billion dollar, three-year renovation that has made the arena more beautiful than ever.

So how should MSG respond to the disappointing news? Should they criticize the City Council's decision and keep it in the public eye? Or should they ignore the story and let it die down?

MSG officials seemed to have chosen the latter, saying only that they are looking forward to the completion of the Garden's renovation. From a PR perspective, that was the right decision. Right now, there is no expansion plan for Penn Station. Who knows what such a plan would look like and how much it would affect taxpayers? Also, at least two of the city's mayoral candidates are backing MSG in this potential fight, according to The New York Times. The political landscape could change dramatically in 10 years.

At the same time, if MSG does have to move, focusing on growth now will only help. After all, a modern arena with sold-out crowds and die-hard fans will be worth a lot more than a building whose owners are fighting to keep alive. The best decision is to keep doing what they're doing and let the fight come to them. 

The Soup Meets Good Day NY

Left to right: Scotto, McHale, and Kelly (Source: Good Day NY FB page)

If you have ever watched The Soup on E!, you know that one of Joel McHale's favorite targets is Greg Kelly, the candid, comedic, and sometimes clumsy host of Good Day NY. Whether spilling a large drink on his co-host (Rosanna Scotto), hitting her in the head with a hula hoop, or interjecting one of his many non sequiturs, Greg is one of the funniest and most unpredictable morning talk show hosts today. So this morning, when McHale visited Good Day NY to promote his upcoming movie and Klondike bars, you'd expect to see Kelly provide a little payback. But aside from an illustration that depicts Joel as a large monkey, it was quite civil. At the end, they both thanked each other for the reciprocal publicity their shows provided.

So does that mean there's no such thing as bad publicity? Absolutely not. But often, if you embrace who you are and don't take yourself too seriously, you'll connect more with people and reap the rewards.

Three Questions to Improve Post-Game Interviews

Most of the time, there is nothing more boring than a post-game interview with an athlete. How do you feel about the victory? What was your key to winning? What was going through your mind when you were on the brink of defeat? Of those, the last question is probably the most interesting. But the answers are usually just cliches: "I just dug deep and took it one play at a time." "I just gave it 110 percent." "We left it all on the field." And the list goes on...just check out the Sports Cliche List.

So what's the solution? Do your homework before the interview and ask specific questions that might teach us something about the player as a person and an athlete. For instance:

1. It was obvious that your quickness has increased and become a much more prevalent part of your game. How did you do it? A new diet? A new workout? 
2. At one point you looked like you were going to lose the game. How did you mentally keep yourself in the game when you were feeling down? Do you think of family or happy places? Do you tell yourself it's only a game?  
3. Your victory has no doubt inspired many kids who want to achieve like you. What advice would you give kids who want to be an athlete like you? Spend more time in the gym? Play a lot of different sports or just focus on one?

What do you think? What questions would you ask?

How are PR Consultants Perceived?

When I was a reporter at a daily newspaper, people who worked in PR were called "flacks," and those journalists who left to work in public relations were "going to the dark side." This was understandable. People in PR are often trying to shield their clients from the press, and instead of helping journalists, are giving them flak. (To learn more about the origin of flack and flak, check out this post from The Word Detective.)

I always thought the problem was just about common courtesy and about the way people in PR treat journalists. But there is also the issue of how people in PR treat potential clients. What are clients paying for? And what are the results? A restaurant owner wrote an interesting post about his experience with PR firms, and a follow-up piece about the benefits of social media. I think it sounds a little extreme, and there is a benefit to public relations when it's done right. But what do you think?