The bizarre incident this weekend in which former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was stabbed and then was himself criminally charged raises crisis communications challenges for various people and organizations. It’s hard to game this one out, but we’ll try.

The altercation occurred at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4 in downtown Indianapolis. At first it seemed Sanchez was the victim of a robbery. It’s now alleged that he entered a truck and harassed a 69-year-old worker named Perry Tole at a hotel loading dock. Tole pepper sprayed Sanchez, who kept coming at him, so he stabbed the former New York Jets player. Sanchez, who reportedly was intoxicated, was arrested while in the hospital.

Now a commentator for Fox Sports, Sanchez (pictured) was in Indianapolis to cover the Colts’ game that weekend. He hasn’t spoken out publicly, but his brother released a statement on Monday:

“This has been a deeply distressing time for everyone involved. Mark and our family are incredibly grateful for the concern, love and support we’ve received over the past few days. Mark remains under medical care for the serious injuries he sustained and is focused on his recovery as the legal process continues. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the first responders and medical staff.”

Presumed Innocent

It’s hard to know what Sanchez can say at this point. He’s presumed innocent and it’s possible he has a story to tell — one that he’ll have to relate both in the court system and publicly if he wants to restore his name. He doesn’t have — as far as we know — a troubled reputation, which adds to the weirdness of the situation.

If Sanchez is truly at fault, he’ll have to own up and find ways to make amends. It would be a long reputation-restoration journey after an incident such as this. It would involve a lot of forthright explanation, good deeds for redemption and compensation (monetary and otherwise) to the alleged victim.

Sanchez’s first court date isn’t until Nov. 5 and he’s expected to plead not guilty, according to USA Today.

Also odd, Tole already sued both Sanchez and Fox on Monday, alleging the company “knew or should have known about . . . Sanchez’s unfitness as an employee, propensity for drinking and/or harmful conduct.” It’ll be interesting to watch how the legal case against Fox unfolds, but the company should offer some public comment.

‘Thoughts, Prayers’

It hasn’t yet — that is, not any of substance since Sanchez’s arrest. This is one of those crises (heed the lesson!) in which the initial information (that Sanchez was the victim) was wrong (allegedly). On Saturday, Fox Sports posted an empathetic “thoughts and prayers” statement on X for him (the New York Jets responded with their own).

On Sunday, Fox had hosts Curt Menefee and Charissa Thompson read the same statement: “Friday night in Indianapolis, one of our team members, Mark Sanchez, was involved in an incident that, to be honest, we’re all trying to wrap our heads around. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, his family and all those involved.”

Photo Credit: Fox Sports