KW Article: To Live, BU Spirit Must Get Younger

[ancona flash]

The best marketing plan in the world can't successfully attract people to patronize a restaurant chain specializing in chicken crap. I love the students that support BU and we need more of them, but to expect the students to come en masse with the current product on the court is unrealistic.

If you field a winning (MVC title winning, NCAA tourney caliber) basketball team in a town like Peoria, you will have packed houses. Students or no, the atmosphere will be rocking. Just like it was in the 80's with no promotions, no fancy videos for the starting lineups, ect. Just great basketball, and we ate it up. Bring great basketball back, and I guarantee you, we'll have Carver rocking. And a new generation of Bradley hoops addicts like yours truly.

The Peoria area and this program is a sleeping mid major giant waiting to be awakened. All we need is someone to ignite the flame.

[Braves4Life]

The best marketing plan in the world can't successfully attract people to patronize a restaurant chain specializing in chicken crap.

Geez dude! I wouldn't go that far.

[ancona flash]

Geez dude! I wouldn't go that far.

I don't think BU hoops is chicken crap, but against ISU at home, vs. EIU, Utah, and a few others............let's call it what is was. Crappy D-1 basketball. We're kidding ourselves if discounted tickets or visiting frat houses or billboards on War Drive will help bring in the masses if that's what the young, casual fan sees.

Maybe a bit over the top on the analogy, but point being, when you have a less than stellar product to sell, it's that much harder to close the deal. The BU athletic dept is trying to "sell" to BU students and other younger people the product of BU basketball. But if the product is below average in comparison to other entertainment options, it is a much tougher product to promote.

On a positive, I really do feel the potential for attracting (and sustaining) a large fan base is off the charts at BU. I'm really hoping we can get it done, and believe me, I do what I can to help things along with those I interact with.

[jrish12]

Chico I was wondering where you were? Of course you want your seats and I can't blame you but to believe that the basketball program should be primarily focused on the highest bidder or try not to get the students involved as much as possible because it may have an impact on fund raising today is a subject matter as well as other that we will just never see eye to eye. I'm also not saying give up all the choice seats just enough. That will piss off some season holders but if it comes to money well I guess the old adage can be used for what is left and talk about supply and demand. Just like the students are priced out of choice seats today, so would some of today's season ticket holders.

And you can make the students involved where they are. Why cant they have a good time and be active where they are?! It would be easier to get the free food and what not because of the way that end zone is built with the stairs that go down to the ground level to make a "hospitality area" that you show student ID and you get in.

Im just saying if its good enough for the likes of Kansas and Mizzou who actually have students show up at the games, then it should be good enough for Bradley. When students start to show up in droves then you change. In this scenario, and I know alot of people are going to light me up for this, but you react to the situation you dont act and hope things will happen. You think having that few students in the end zone looks dumb, how would pretty much an entire ring of empty seats around the floor look?!

[tornado]

....Unfortunately the internet, and the lack of adaptation by traditional media outlets has put them in a position of no return....

oh no -- just another thing I am gonna get blamed for....
causing all the "traditional media" people to get fired because I am part of a phenomenon -- a system & network that provides for FREE what they charge to provide....

[SFP]

oh no -- just another thing I am gonna get blamed for....
causing all the "traditional media" people to get fired because I am part of a phenomenon -- a system & network that provides for FREE what they charge to provide....

Traditional media is not charging for their product. It is just that the product is fundamentally lacking and the cost cannot be absorbed with advertisement revenue alone. Perhaps if a Newspaper created worthwhile content they could drive needed traffic to their site.

[tornado]

Traditional media is not charging for their product. It is just that the product is fundamentally lacking and the cost cannot be absorbed with advertisement revenue alone. Perhaps if a Newspaper created worthwhile content they could drive needed traffic to their site.

Pete -- this touches on a topic that's sure to get people steamed up...

Those who are pro-newspapers and many liberals (who control a lot of the standard media) actually are beginning to promote the idea that people should be TAXED and then government money given to the media to support it...because they use the argument that a free press is way more important than roads, bridges, and even health care -- so if the government is going to tax people to provide those things, then it should also assure that free press exists by helping to pay for it!!!

If a big enough newspaper threatens to shut down and go bankrupt -- then they will ask Obama for a bailout...it's already happening!!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/14/politics/otherpeoplesmoney/main5013550.shtml

why not bail out the Catholic Church as well if they go under???

Of course I find that idea totally absurd and a HUGE, HUGE step in the wrong direction -- this is what Communism does...first they offer support to a free media, then they move beyond "helping" and take over, then they ultimately control the whole thing.
Anyone who believes that governments should fund or subsidize newspapers then should also agree governments should subsidize churches and religions as those are fundamental free rights and really important to people as well....

Of course -- the governments are already going broke -- and it they start subsidizing the press, I am going to leave and move to Canada (remember Alec Baldwin's promise?)

http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2009/03/03/should-newspapers-be-subsidized-1/

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081018123032AAhRZ1S

BTW -- there are some who must really rely on the hope everyone's completely stupid...
People like Michael Moore and columnist EJ Dionne...are claiming that the governments are NOT BROKE...
That there's actually LOTS of money -- all the government needs to do is go find it and take it away from the
people who have it.....
Note these guys are not just talking taxing people to get their earnings or a portion of sales, etc...
they are actually talking about finding how much you or I have in our pockets or in the bank and then just taking
the portion of it that they deem necessary...in other words...the government just stealing what you or I have
to use for their purpose (basically to give it to someone else)..
but in the end this philosophy will turn the USA into a giant 3rd World Country -- as most of our money then
would go to those who are desperately poor elsewhere and there'd be little left for us once it's redistributed!

http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-moore-wisconsin-natural-resource-video-2011-3

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_high_cost_of_a_broken_metaphor_20110313/

[lefty]

Traditional media is not charging for their product. It is just that the product is fundamentally lacking and the cost cannot be absorbed with advertisement revenue alone. Perhaps if a Newspaper created worthwhile content they could drive needed traffic to their site.

What would be worthwhile content to you SFP?

[tornado]

Wow -- here's some timely, relevant headlines...

-"For the First Time, More People Get News Online Than From Newspapers"

http://mashable.com/2011/03/15/online-versus-newspaper-news/

Then to show how the next generation will use the internet even MORE....
-"80% of Children Under Age 5 Use the Internet Weekly"

http://mashable.com/2011/03/14/children-internet-stats/

[SFP]

What would be worthwhile content to you SFP?

Washington Post, NY Times, Bradleyfans.com and a few other sites. I also find PBS news as worthwhile content.

I do believe though that the government should keep certain media open for the public because one thing is certain that it has allowed or is allowing a shallow group of corporations to control the content. When our media is controlled by the few then we become a country controlled by the wishes and spin of the few. I'm not sure what would be worse, to be controlled by the whims of corporation or politicians? I'd rather we the people be in control.

[Beninator]

Washington Post, NY Times, Bradleyfans.com and a few other sites. I also find PBS news as worthwhile content.

I do believe though that the government should keep certain media open for the public because one thing is certain that it has allowed or is allowing a shallow group of corporations to control the content. When our media is controlled by the few then we become a country controlled by the wishes and spin of the few. I'm not sure what would be worse, to be controlled by the whims of corporation or politicians? I'd rather we the people be in control.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for this post!

I am late to this thread and glad for that!

[lefty]

Washington Post, NY Times, Bradleyfans.com and a few other sites. I also find PBS news as worthwhile content.

I do believe though that the government should keep certain media open for the public because one thing is certain that it has allowed or is allowing a shallow group of corporations to control the content. When our media is controlled by the few then we become a country controlled by the wishes and spin of the few. I'm not sure what would be worse, to be controlled by the whims of corporation or politicians? I'd rather we the people be in control.

Now you gave me your favorite reading sources not type of content. I think it's all preference really. I'll read USA Today when traveling...and PJS when I'm home mainly for local stuff....what is worthwhile to one may not be to another.

[Chico]

Chico, just because someone wants to support the students doesn't mean they're diametrically opposed to the "old folks." You can be supportive of both... I am.

Don't remember saying I wasn't supportive of both. I'm a big fan of the Red Sea and their efforts. I just get tired of the "poor students" threads and posts. It sure would help if they supported their team who happen to be their fellow students.

[SFP]

Now you gave me your favorite reading sources not type of content. I think it's all preference really. I'll read USA Today when traveling...and PJS when I'm home mainly for local stuff....what is worthwhile to one may not be to another.

You are right and I wish papers like PJS could remain in the hands of local editors and journalist who want to make their communities better without having to play up to sensationalism.

Getting back to KW's article this is one of the few I agree with him! At least he is just not brining up a problem but a solution to the perceived issue.

[lefty]

You are right and I wish papers like PJS could remain in the hands of local editors and journalist who want to make their communities better without having to play up to sensationalism.

Getting back to KW's article this is one of the few I agree with him! At least he is just not brining up a problem but a solution to the perceived issue.

I agree with you SFP.......I think PJS tries to do both actually. There are many "feel good" articles...sometimes those get overlooked though....because the other ones that sensationalize tick us off and those are the ones we focus one.