Tonight scout.com published an article saying Bob D made the right choice by not putting the homecoming game on TV. The article states that Bob did this with the fans’ best interest in mind. Call me cynical, but given that our AD called these same fans out for not showing up at home games just one week prior, and we have had 26 straight games on TV, I have a hard time accepting that this decision was made with the fan’s best interest in mind. Bob wants a sellout, and he thinks between the ticket prices, concessions, and parking, he’ll make more money getting fringe fans (i.e. those fans who will only go to a game if it’s not on TV) into the stadium. The decision is also a statement aimed at the fans who were standing outside Reser staring at the Dam Cam. Cynical? Maybe. But…
To answer the question of motivation we need not look further than the money trail. The remaining tickets are priced at $65. Assume the game gathers an average crowd for this year, which is about 41,000. Well, Reser can seat 45,500 or so. That leaves 4,500 seats @ $65 or $292,500. Coincidence that the TV contract was for approximately $300,000? Factor in parking and concessions and it becomes clear this is a financial decision wrapped in fan’s clothing. I’d have a lot more respect for Bob D if he came out and said he can do better selling out the game and not putting it on TV. But to say this is about family and kids and Halloween is simply lame. The guy has been a great athletic director, and for the most part a straight shooter, but it’s clear he’s frustrated with Beaver fans and sticking it to them here. The downside is that fans like myself, who can’t get to Reser (i.e. live in California), are the ones who suffer, while the dolts who tailgated outside the stadium and caused this problem can either buy a ticket and watch the game in person or tailgate the parking lot yet again and watch the scoreboard.
Just a really bad situation between the AD and fans the past few weeks, and this latest decision seems more like a culmination of that frustration rather than a coincidence, or, as spun by Scout, a nicety on the part of Bob D. Maybe I’m missing something here in the finances and numbers, and if that’s the case, by all means point out my error because I’d like to believe the published story. I just don’t.
I with you, living out of state, the TV coverage has been great, 26 in a row. I even buy extra sports packages so that I can see the Beavs when they are on a regional broadcast. So Bob D. if this was a breakeven decision to punish local fans that do not support the team the ones you are really punishing are those of us 3000 miles away. But it is better than when I first left the Northwest and had to call for the scores because they weren’t in the paper until Monday.
The TV slot they turned down was Fox NW and a pickup by Fox LA. The local broadcasts produce little revenue and cause increase expenses. Unless it is broadcast national, the University breaks about even when it is put on Television. The extra expenses are the electricians, media staff, and other personnel needed to assist the production that comes from the University side. There are also other expenses associated.
So you basically are correct, they want more revenue. They can put it on TV for local fans and those with the Fox sports package or try to fill the place up at $65 a head. You probably will see the same result for the UW game if it does not sell out before or the only window left is local 7pm slot.
“Fox NW and a pickup by Fox LA”
Are you saying the game is on Fox in California? Because if that’s true I’m set.
I think you also have to look at the other side of the equation. Having it on TV on Halloween at an inconvenient time for those participating in the holiday costs how much? Yes, Bob gets $300k for TV. But how many seats does he lose? Maybe only 40,000 show up leaving 5,500 empty seats at $65 or $357,000.
And in the future, when fans are buying season tickets, do they pause and say “heck, I’m not paying the seat fee and the ticket price because I can’t get to the games anyway because Bob thinks TV is more important than fans in the stands.”
I too live more than 1,500 miles away from Corvallis and the TV games are great. But I also like listening to Mike Parker instead of some guy who doesn’t know the difference between Oregon and Oregon State and can’t say Damola Adeniji.
So go old school. Tune in on your computer. Listen to Mike Parker call the game.
Angry,
The thing that upsets me is the people in the parking lots, if the Dam Cam was on top of the Valley Center, then those people in the Parking lot wouldn’t be in the parking lots. If they wanted to watch the game live and listen to the sounds of Reser, then COME INSIDE the stadium. To me it’s a slap in Bob D’s face and to all the true fans of Beaver Nation when people aren’t willing to support athletics even in tough times. If Bob wants sell outs, he should have promotional codes that allow certain people to get a small incentive/discount in some way to get them into the stadium. I really motion for next season to move the Dam Cam to go up on top of the Valley center.
I completely agree that those fans are slap to Bob D’s face, and I think he’s pissed about it, and it’s why we’re getting screwed this week. On the flipside, if our home games did sell out would Bob D really care about the freeloaders in the parking lot? I doubt it. I bet this game would be on tv.
If our home games did/do sell out by some miracle with the economy, with those who are beavers fans around the country who are away from corvallis, out of town for a game, or the fact that those freeloaders in the parking lot and not in the game are now most likely going to say, oh there won’t be any live tv and it’s an early game, so lets go and we can leave at half time if we have to so the kids can go trick or treating! I mean really? Beaver Nation will need to go to the Holiday Bowl or Better for the next 2-5 years before we can sell out our stadium again.
On another note, you notice the Michigan AD job is up for grabs? You think BD will take it?
He’ll definitely take it…he’s clearly frustrated here. The only thing keeping him are his daughters. He’ll give them the sales pitch if Michigan comes calling.
He also has a daughter who attends U of Michigan and I think he’s from Michigan too. So the fact he will be working where his daughter goes to college might be an incentive so he doesn’t have to pay for her schooling anymore as well. Also, I wonder who OSU’s new AD would be if he does decide to leave. I would like someone who will run the AD department as a business rather than whatever it is right now. I mean someone who knows how to sell a product, sell the athletic program, and have Beaver Nations Alumni help in the BSAF!!!
spot on there. the argument about keeping “the fans’ best interest in mind” is transparent–of course its about revenue
Beavers4life,
I didn’t realize he had a daughter attending Michigan.
I just see the writing on the wall here. He calls out the fans, takes a game off TV, and then a few days later a story comes out about an opening a Michigan? It’s just very odd timing. Seems like more than coincidence.
I’d like the next AD to have a clue about marketing and image. How can you put your football players, men, in bras? And the logo fiasco. Ugh. Our marketing and image are both an embarrassment, and to make matters worse we’re up the road from the program with the best marketing in college football.
I don’t follow college ADs, to be honest, so I can’t even come up with a potential name. Anyone have ideas on a good fit?
Angry,
It may be of little consolation, but I believe that Kirkpatrick mentioned that the beaver game will be recorded and played at a later time. I am a student so I get great tickets for free but I am frustrated for the rest of the Beaver fans out there.
By the way, I hope that we get to keep BD but I agree we very well may lose him to Michigan. If we do keep him lets just add a better marketing department and let him continue to manage our very small budget very well.
I thought Cliff said it might be recorded and replayed. Is it definite now? That is little consolation. For me, watching a game that already happened would only be useful for writing up observations and critiques.
What if we kill UCLA? I mean, wouldn’t you want to watch it if they do well?
Also if those who are in Texas and what not, the game is also being aired on ESPN360 online! :) I know you have to watch it on a computer, but it’s better than nothing. If you have a comcast e-mail or know someone who is willing to let you use their e-mail, you can watch if from your computer.
How do you get a comcast email? I use comcast as my cable provider.
And I’m in CA.
I’m wondering if this game might be available somewhere for me.
I agree completely with De Carolis’ decision to keep the UCLA game off television, even though I’m an out-of-state Beaver fan. Why? Because BDC is right, we should be able to sell out a 45,500 stadium on a consistent basis, especially given our record the last 3+ seasons. I can’t understand why U of ZerO can sell out a 58,000 Autzen Stadium during a crappy economy and OSU can’t. Both schools have roughly the same enrollment, same number of alunni and both located at least 1-1/2 hours from the Portland metro area. I don’t blame the fans who are going to the game, it’s the vast majority of the 150,000 living OSU alumni who don’t go that burns me. Heck, if I lived in Portland, I would drive backwards to Corvallis to see the Beavers play!
Agreed, I’ve thought of moving to Portland just so I have access to the games. Not sure what the deal is. Though, Portland is known for a lot of dope and hippies–not exactly football the blueprint for a college football fan. ;)