Sports Publicists

The field of public relations and publicity was recognized as a profession starting in the 1920s and 1930s, when private public relations firms were established by Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays. Lee wrote the "Declaration of Principles," expressing his ideas about public relations' professionals' obligations and standards of practice in relation to the media and the public. Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, applied psychology theories to his corporate public relations practice. Specialties within public relations and publicity developed throughout the 20th century, including that of sports publicist.

Sports is one of our nation's largest businesses, and professional teams are the most widely recognized industry segment in sports. This includes all of the various sports teams, leagues, and governing bodies for which athletes get paid for their performance. The National Football League, National Basketball League, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball, commonly known as the four majors, are the most notable of the professional leagues in the United States and are connected to many minor league and collegiate organizations. During recent decades, more professional leagues have started, such as the Women's National Basketball League and Major League Soccer.

The sports industry has grown into an extremely lucrative business, and sports publicists are needed to help promote their respective teams or individual players.