Media Verification Briefing
Dr. Myrna R. Roberts, Ph.D.
Strategic Communication Scholar • Independent Researcher • Founder,
Gladiator Advocates PR Firm
201 Robert S. Kerr, Suite 250
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • MRoberts@GladiatorAdvocates.com
About This Briefing
This page provides background information to support journalists, editors, researchers, and institutional partners reviewing claims related to The Gladiator Syndrome of Communication and its relevance to current investigations involving integrity issues in professional sports.
The purpose of this page is to ensure:
clarity,
transparency,
appropriate context, and
responsible reporting.
Below are 8 components designed to ensure validity and reliability to Roberts’ claims
1. Research
Component
The Gladiator Syndrome of Communication (2019–2024)
Developed and refined by Dr. Myrna R. Roberts, The Gladiator Syndrome of Communication is a grounded theory analyzing how high-performance institutions—particularly those involving athletes—shape patterns of externalized control, authority transfer, and compliance.
Its core conceptual framework:
When a person’s value is tied to performance inside a public arena, institutional forces can gain disproportionate control over their decision-making, identity, and vulnerability to outside influence.
The theory was developed to examine — and ultimately measure — the effects of arena sports on athletes across psychological, social, and developmental dimensions.
The Gladiator Complex (2024–Present)
A companion model examining what happens internally to athletes when performance ends: identity disruption, loss of applause-based reinforcement, and psychological susceptibility.
Publication Status
Gladiator Syndrome of Communication — pre-published on SSRN
Gladiator Complex — pending publication on SSRN, along with -
Gladiator Complexion Scale — data pending; survey is publicly accessible
Survey Link: https://forms.gle/AawdZhNf6Zh5v4Ko8
The Complexion Scale results will be released after full analysis with the journal document released on SSRN.
2. Predictive Component
of the Theory
A central finding of The Gladiator Syndrome is the patterned transfer of authority inside the arena.
Through years of competitive conditioning, athletes learn to surrender their decision-making to coaches and institutional authorities.
The theory asserts:
When a coach is present, the athlete acquiesces to the coach.
When a coach is absent, the athlete continues to acquiesce — but now to anyone who resembles a coach-like authority.
This includes individuals who appear:
directive,
knowledgeable,
connected to the arena,
or positioned as intermediaries or advisors.
This behavior is predictable because it is conditioned.
The result is a measurable structural vulnerability:
Athletes become susceptible to the influence of outside actors — including handlers, fixers, intermediaries, and third parties involved in gambling schemes — who exploit the same obedience pathways originally formed in legitimate sports environments.
This vulnerability is the specific element the theory predicted, years before the current scandal.
The theory does not claim foreknowledge of criminal activity; it identifies a communication-based vulnerability embedded within the system itself.
3. Relevance to the Current NBA Integrity Investigation
Dr. Roberts’ independent research identifies systemic vulnerabilities common in high-pressure sports environments:
suppression of personal agency,
institutional pressure to conform,
reliance on external authority,
elevated susceptibility to manipulation,
blurred boundaries between performance and personal judgement.
These vulnerabilities parallel patterns emerging from federal allegations involving illegal gambling activity surrounding professional athletes.
The core predictive mechanism — authority transfer — directly explains how athletes may have become vulnerable to outside influence in the current case.
6. What Dr. Roberts Is—and Is Not—Claiming
She IS claiming:
Her theory predicted the structural vulnerability that enabled the NBA scandal.
The predictive mechanism is grounded in athlete conditioning and authority transfer.
The theory provides a framework to understand athlete susceptibility to outside influence.
She is NOT claiming:
Foreknowledge of specific events or individuals.
Predictive insight into criminal behavior.
Insider access to federal investigations.
Any affiliation with law enforcement or the NBA.
This distinction protects truth, accuracy, and public integrity.
4. Verification
of Research
Evidence Trail
Journalists may verify the development and precedence of the theory using:
SSRN preprint timestamps
Methodological notes and coded analysis
Prior drafts of the model
Interviews documenting conceptual evolution
Correspondence and date-stamped work files
These materials confirm the theory’s timeline and independent origin.
Independent Status
Dr. Roberts developed this theory outside institutional employment, drawing on:
military leadership training,
classical Greco-Roman rhetorical and historical study,
behavioral communication research,
and extensive fieldwork as and athlete, with athletes, and athletic communities.
7. Interview
Availability
Dr. Roberts is available for:
print, radio, and broadcast interviews
expert commentary on sports communication, athlete vulnerability, and crisis systems
academic and policy discussions
institutional consultations
Media Contact:
Gladiator Advocates Public Relations
press@gladiatoradvocates.com
(405) 555-0198
5. Professional
Background
Dr. Myrna R. Roberts holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Communication and is the founder of Gladiator Advocates, a crisis-communication and athlete-advocacy firm in Oklahoma City.
Her areas of focus include:
athlete identity and welfare
crisis and reputation communication
communication under pressure
organizational influence and power dynamics
grounded theory and behavioral analysis
She has contributed scholarly work to national academic publications and specialized anthologies.
8. Supporting Documents
Available to Press
Journalists may request:
SSRN link
Research abstract
Methodological notes
Publication timeline
Coding framework summary
Short academic CV
Requests should be sent to: press@gladiatoradvocates.com