Maroon is the president of Maroon PR, a Columbia marketing firm that specializes in sports. Maroon spent two decades working with various teams, leagues and athletes. The Orioles’ Cal Ripken Jr. is one of his longest-running clients. Time to make us jealous — tell sports lovers the coolest thing next on your schedule.
The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation Gala is coming up in February in Baltimore. This year’s honorees are going to be [the Yankees’] Mark Teixeira and [former Baltimore Raven] O.J. Brigance. Also the Sports Legends Museum is having its evening with [former Orioles manager] Buck Showalter.
New Wizards unis — good move or just window dressing for a bad team?
Probably a little of both. … The Wizards haven’t done a lot of wining. When the time’s right … it can be a good thing, you look at it as a fresh start and you engage fans a little more. It’s created a little bit of talk about a team that otherwise wouldn’t be being talked about.
During the NBA lockout, business owners downtown said, “At least its wasn’t the Caps.” Thoughts?
There’s a lot of truth. The Capitals were hugely popular. … In D.C. interest has waned because [the Wizards] have been unsuccessful. But in a lot of markets you don’t hear that mantra. I dare you to ask that near the Pepsi Center in Denver and I don’t think they’d be so casual.
How should the Nats market the Strasburg/Harper duo this season?
I would suggest they meet with Bryce and Stephen and say, “Look, our primary objective is baseball, but we want to get you out there.” Ask what their comfort level is. … But you have to be careful because Bryce hasn’t played a game in the big leagues yet. You want to highlight him but in a smaller way because the media’s going to hype the crap out of him anyway.
– Liz Farmer
