Reputation Radar

PR, corporate and crisis communications, sourced weekly.

The Eagles Said Little About Jalen Hurts’s Blood Clots. An NFL Network Analyst Guessed, and He Was Wrong.

Associated Press / Yahoo Sports · Oct. 15-21, 2026

The Philadelphia Eagles said Oct. 15 that quarterback Jalen Hurts would miss a game while doctors decided on treatment. That same week, NFL Network analyst Michael Robinson said on air that the team seemed to be pinning a losing season on Hurts, and he questioned the team’s “superficial blood clot” explanation. On Oct. 19 the team and Hurts’s agent said he has a deep vein blood clot and clots in both lungs, and is out for the season. Robinson apologized, calling his comments unfounded and saying he should not have speculated about a player’s health. Reporters also questioned whether Hurts should have played in London on Oct. 11, and the league answered, not the team. The NFL’s chief medical officer said he has “complete confidence in the Eagles’ medical staff,” and the players’ union called for a full investigation. When you say little, people guess, and guesses can do real harm. Give your account early, in order, and say what you don’t know yet.

A “Dancing With the Stars” Pro Posted a Joke. The Show Suspended Him for a Week.

Fox News / PEOPLE · Oct. 17-19, 2026

After judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized his wife’s dance, pro Val Chmerkovskiy posted on TikTok, “You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” Viewers read it as a joke about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. He deleted it and apologized, saying Inaba “didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle.” BBC Studios, which produces the show, suspended him for a week and called the post inappropriate. A joke is judged by how it can be read, not what you meant. The show acted fast and said plainly where the line is.

Kentucky Towns Are Switching Off Their Plate Cameras. The University Is Being Asked Why It Hid Its Own.

LINK nky / Louisville Public Media / NKyTribune · Oct. 22-23, 2026

On Oct. 21, the city council in Southgate, Kentucky voted 3-2 to cover its five Flock Safety license plate cameras. Eight residents spoke against them, and a petition with 124 signatures was presented. Newport, Fort Mitchell, Bellevue and other Northern Kentucky cities had already paused or ended their programs. The question has now reached the University of Kentucky, where police also run Flock cameras, and a student columnist wrote this week that the university has not been open enough with students. UK’s own record gives that some weight. When a public radio newsroom asked where the cameras are, the university said no, saying it could put officers and students at risk. After an appeal to the state attorney general, it released a map the next day. A spokesperson said UK “initially decided to withhold the information in the interest of safety,” then said releasing it supports transparency. If you say no for one reason and yes under pressure for another, people remember that you gave in. Be open from the start. Transparency protects trust, and once it’s lost, it’s hard to win back.

A Google Cloud Outage Froze Revolut Customers’ Cards. Customers Blamed Revolut.

ITV News / Express & Star · Oct. 20, 2026

This is a UK story and has not had much US coverage. Revolut is a London-based digital bank that runs through a phone app and a debit card, with millions of UK customers. On Oct. 20 its customers could not make card payments, send transfers, take out cash or sign in, and more than 1,500 people reported problems on the outage tracker Downdetector that morning. Google said the cause was a problem in its London cloud region that began late Monday. Lloyds, HSBC, Halifax, Royal Mail and DPD also saw reports. Revolut said “all our customers’ money and data are safe” and apologised. Google also apologised. When your supplier fails, your customers still blame you, because your name is on the card. Say first that their money is safe, then say what you’re doing about it.