Thoughts on football, life, and tragedy

Typically we use sports as an escape. It takes us away from our real lives for a while. We don’t have to think about the stressful things—jobs, relationships, health issues, money, etc.

However, there are those rare times when we can’t escape what is happening in the real world. It is too overwhelming. 9/11 was one of those times where everything came to a standstill and some games were cancelled. In 1945, during World War II, Major League Baseball cancelled the All-Star game.

Other times tragedies occur and games aren’t cancelled. We saw this earlier this fall during the college football season. The Oklahoma State football team played a game, just days after learning that a plane crashed with no survivors. The plane was carrying the Cowboys' women's basketball Coach Kurt Budke and Assistant Coach Miranda Serna. Oklahoma State faced Iowa State in their only loss of the season—an overtime loss. They came out and took an early lead, then let Iowa State tie it up.

Some sports pundits were surprised that the game was not rescheduled. And, it could be said that team was overwhelmed with grief and it was too early for them to play a game. On the flip side, it also could be argued that Iowa State just outplayed them on that given day. We will never be able to measure the affect that this tragedy had on the players and the coaches that day. However, we do know that they are human and can only imagine how they felt. They felt an extra burden to win…to help those in pain forget…for just a little while. They wanted to win to honor the memory of those lost.

Most times we don’t get the fairy tale ending we’d like to have.

This was true Sunday when the New York Giants played the Green Bay Packers in the NFC playoffs.

On Monday, we learned that the body of 21-year-old Michael Philbin (son of Joe Philbin, the Green Bay offensive coordinator) was recovered in the Fox River in Oshkosh, WI, after he had gone missing the day before. He drowned. Michael’s funeral was held Friday, just two days before the game.

A dejected Aaron Rodgers

According to Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Philbin is “very important to our success.” “The day to day stuff — all the coaching responsibilities he has, installing plays and explaining plays, his role in those meetings, the way that he helps get practice run the right way. He does a ton for us. As players we probably don’t even see half the stuff he does to get us ready during the week…We all love Joe, me probably as much or more than anybody in here just because of how much he’s meant to me and my development. Just how important it is, the time we get to spend each week, how he gets us prepared and just his presence around here, it’s just tough to see him and [wife] Diane and the family dealing with this.”

Without Philbin to help them prepare all week, the burden fell on the other coaches and each individual player.

Packer Coach Mike McCarthy preached to his team, “the ability to separate” the tragedy from the game—a difficult thing to do. For those of us who have lost someone close, we know the pain and the struggle to “separate” just days after to continue on…to go to work…to be professional. And, we also know that, for the most part, we are not at the top of our game.

The Packers lost in a lackluster performance. It seemed like everyone was off their game. Starting with Rodgers, last year’s Super Bowl MVP and one of the best, if not the best quarterback in the league—his passes weren’t sharp, and he didn’t lead his team like he typically does. His receivers had too many drops on balls that were catchable. And, the defense, while not one of the best in the league, is known for takeaways. They had only one and the defensive game plan seemed confused. With the confused part coming on who was covering...leading to no one covering the receivers and giving up way too many yards.

Troy Aikman, one of the announcers calling the game, said that the Packers did not seem emotionally up for the game when he talked to them the day before and that carried over into the game.

Earlier in the week, Rodgers said, “It gives you perspective on … as much fun as we have playing ball…there are some bigger issues that we deal with each day.” He continued, “You have to be able to separate the off the field from the on field stuff and make sure when you’re at work it’s your main focus, but we’re human as well,” he said. “The human element in this is that it’s on your mind….”

Once again we ask the question, how much did this tragedy affect the Packers? They wanted to win for the Philbin family, for the Packer family. They felt that extra weight on their shoulders to carry on and perform at a high level.

Another big question is how much were the Packers affected by not having Coach Philbin at practice all week?

On this given day, one thing we do know for sure: two days after the Packer family buried one of their own; the NY Giants outplayed them and rightfully earned their spot in the NFC Championship game and a shot at going to the Super Bowl.

After the game, the Packers stood up and took this hard loss. No excuses. They just didn’t come to play.

Even with one of the best quarterbacks and with the best record this season (15-1), the Packers were not able to overcome their grief and put this aside. They were not able to separate. They were human, just like you and me.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Philbin/Packer family.

FanFeedr...Transforming the way we get Information

I’ve lived in Racine, WI; Madison, WI; Chicago, IL; Danville, VA; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; and San Jose, CA. I have not always lived in the same city or state as my favorite team. And, at times it has been difficult keeping up with what is going on.

It has gotten easier through the years with the Internet; however I am always looking at multiple sources to read everything. I know I am missing something.

Well, there is now a solution to my issue (besides moving!)—FanFeedr. This site aggregates all the best stories on your favorite team in one place (as well as creating some original content). My life just got so much easier. What am I going to do with all that extra time I have?

Ty Ahmad-Taylor, Founder & CEO of FanFeedr, recognized the challenge that most fans, including myself, face. He did the research and found that we typically search four to six websites and that 57% of us don’t live in the same location as our favorite team or player. And, he found that a fan’s interest is with the player, team, or league—not where they get their information.

So, Ty seized the opportunity to create a website where the sports fan could control the content based on his/her own personal interest (player, team).

I sat down with Ty, who is also a social media guru, to learn more.

PJ: Your business model changed a bit. Where are you now?

Ty: We are a lean start-up doing a ton of customer development. We learned how our customers were using the site and what they wanted to see. After the research this fall, we did a pivot. Our audience wanted news and information around their favorite team, not teams. We learned that people follow an individual team. So, we went from a multiple team concept to focusing around a single team.

On the metrics side of things, we have seen deeper engagement and more time spent on the site as a result of these changes.

Ultimately, we are hoping to be the first place a person goes to for news and information on their team. We hope to grow virally by leaps and bounds.

PJ: What’s next for FanFeedr?

Ty: We are continuing to streamline this. And, we will be migrating to other verticals—music and finance. So, in music this will look like…a Radiohead fan getting all the news in one place, which is strategic and advantageous. We have a passion for trying to provide the best solutions for a user’s interest graph.

PJ: What do you see as the next thing in social media?

Ty: I see an increase in brands committed to instill value through social media, not just marketing.

Companies are being more open and transparent about what is going on. Recently, the Lowe’s controversy ended up playing out on Facebook [Lowe’s pulled their ads from TLC’s All-American Muslim last month after receiving complaints from a conservative group. They were facing calls of religious intolerance and bigotry. So, they turned to Facebook to issue an apology, which, in turn, caused more turmoil.].

On the marketing side of the social media space, there is a reduction in price on platforms [that help build a fan base, communicate and engage with that fan base, and monetize.]. For example, FanBridge is offered at a lower cost. Marketers are getting savvier without using third parties.

 To help make your life easier, check out the site http://fanfeedr.com/

SF Giants, Dynamic Pricing...Game Changers in Ticket Selling for Baseball

“We started dynamic pricing three years ago and the St. Louis Cardinals did it last year. The joke in baseball is that if you do dynamic pricing and have a full ballpark, you’ll win the World Series!”
                      Russ Stanley, San Francisco Giants, Managing Vice President, Ticket Sales & Services

If only that was the secret sauce to winning the World Series…the Chicago Cubs would have signed up years ago!

While it may not lead to winning the World Series, dynamic pricing is definitely revolutionizing the way baseball teams sell tickets. And, if you don’t live in San Francisco or St. Louis and haven’t heard of dynamic pricing…watch out, according to Russ Stanley, it’s coming…and soon. Fans of the Oakland A’s will experience dynamic pricing this season.

So, what is dynamic pricing? Basically, the prices for single tickets change on a daily basis depending on the pitcher, the match up of pitchers, who your team is playing, and other variables. So, technically, if you are a fan it might make more sense to buy your tickets earlier…before many of these variables come into play.

Before the holidays I sat down with Russ to learn more about this innovative new way to sell single game tickets.

PJ: How does dynamic pricing work?

Russ: Dynamic pricing has simplified things for us, and in turn, for our customers. We partnered with Qcue in Texas. They built an algorithm and portal and we can quickly change a price, leave it alone, and make an update in the system. We can do all games in an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Then, we send the file to Tickets.com and Major League Baseball (who updates the website). It’s pretty complex to make changes—1,600 prices each day.

We’ve created a better/easier ticket buying experience for the customer. They can view prices on games from a few days ahead to behind. They can evaluate prices against comparable games in the series, etc. Or, the fan can just look at the least expensive seats in any game.
We will see more teams following this model. They are seeing the value and asking questions. Getting a 7-8% lift in revenue last year and the year before is pretty impressive.

PJ: I know the number of season tickets you’ve sold has increased the last few years in this ballpark, what does this year look like? And, are you limited on the number you can sell?

Last year we sold 28,000 season tickets; 21,000 the year before. We’ve slowly lost some single game inventory and we need to be more accurate with pricing and be more fine-tuned this year.

Dynamic pricing is more challenging with 29,000 to 30,000 full season ticket holders. You have less single game tickets to sell. We have to be more accurate with fewer tickets to sell.

Once you hit 30,000 season tickets you can’t go higher. Major League Baseball gets 12,000 for playoffs and you need to provide them with this inventory. Even with 12,000 tickets per game it is over 972,000 tickets to sell over the year. That’s a lot to sell. Although, it’s still a lot less than previous years.

PJ: Does it make more business sense to sell fewer season tickets and more single game tickets?

Russ: There is a fine line from a business standpoint. You could argue selling more single game tickets bring in more revenue. But, selling more season tickets is secure and we are willing to take in less revenue for this security. We could sell only 5,000 season tickets and sell more single tickets and bring in more revenue. But, we find it is easier to navigate and know what we need to sell this way.

PJ: How did you decide to take a shot at such an innovative model for your industry?

Russ: It made sense on paper. Most businesses set their prices based on supply and demand. In the airline industry people get that flying on certain dates cost more. Same with hotel stays. I wasn’t sure the sports fan would understand and buy into our thinking that “every game is created differently.”

We did a small scale test that generated $500,000 more in revenue. I kept looking at it—impacting the bottom line by 7-8% is big. We also had to be careful with our season ticket holders. They wanted price protection to know they were getting the best price.

We’re lucky we have great ownership. They took a risk—totally changing the pricing in sports and letting the ticket guys manage it. They understood it and took the risk.

PJ: This is not the first innovative move on the ticket front for the SF Giants.

Russ: When we built the ballpark we thought about bringing the secondary ticket market, which was done in the parking lot, into the box office. [The Giants sell only full season ticket packages. This move allowed season ticket holders an easier way to sell the tickets for games they could not attend.] It was done electronically through the Giants and changed the world of thinking there, too. This business turned into Stub Hub.

PJ: Why aren’t other teams doing this?

Russ: We will see more teams following this model. They are seeing the value and asking questions.

I want to shake them and ask why they aren’t doing this. They say they are too busy and fear it would take too much time. For me, if the impact on my bottom line is 7-8% per year…then, why not do it?

We are working with Qcue to make the system more automated. We think the algorithm is close to being spot-on—we are accepting a higher percentage of prices now. This happened through asking a lot of questions over the past few years. We’ve helped fine-tune this for the SF market; however it would need to be adjusted for Chicago.

I think in the next three years every team in baseball will be doing dynamic pricing.

PJ: Would dynamic pricing work in other sports?

Russ: Baseball is so different from other sports. Each game is different. Other sports don’t have the variables or inventory of tickets. Basketball is played indoors and doesn’t have rain or snow. The lineup really doesn’t change much from day to day. Football doesn’t care if they sell out.

In baseball, we could play the same team three games in a row with Timmy (Lincecum), Matt Cain, or Ryan Vogelsong on the mound. In each game, the perceived value is different to customers and we have to react differently.

PJ: What’s next for the Giants?

We’re two-for-two so far! I think about what’s next all the time. How do you come up with something bigger than these two ideas?

We aren’t waiting around, we are aggressive. We want to make the season ticket experience better for the customer. They own 81 games—that’s a lot of games and a big commitment from the fan.

We are looking at digital. Maybe transferring tickets through cellphones. For example, if I am running late, I can send you the ticket on your phone. Maybe it’s not a huge revenue builder, but it’s high on customer satisfaction. Then, it turn, it might generate revenue.

The Giants are on the cutting-edge of the ticketing world and we are always hearing of companies wanting to get into the business. We meet with at least one company a week with new ideas or new technology. I guess it helps to be the baseball team up the street from Silicon Valley!

Fiesta Bowl Observations

I wasn’t sure what I was in for, Monday night, but knew it was going to be memorable for me. It was Andrew Luck's (and most of the 2008 recruiting class) last college game. And, after following Andrew for the past three years, this was going to be our last time watching him in a Cardinal uniform.

The team on the field before the game

Before I share some of my observations from the game, I just need to back up and start at the beginning. I want to thank my friend, Libby, who is like a sister to me, for taking me along with her on this journey. For without her, none of this would’ve been possible—it would’ve have been nearly as much fun, I wouldn’t have experienced this in quite the same way, or witnessed the turning around of a program from one of the best seats in the house(!).

And, I must admit, I wouldn’t be writing this blog right now. It was Libby’s constant questions about what I thought, what was going on, and telling me I needed to share my thoughts with others (again) that helped bring me to this point. So, thanks Libby, for being the best, as always.

Just a few observations about the game:

Indoors vs. outdoors. This was the first indoor football game I’ve attended. I’m from Wisconsin and football is played outside. I know our neighboring states (Michigan and Minnesota) have domed stadiums, but not in Wisconsin. I was brought up with football being played in the elements and that was half the fun. I remember all those great Packers games in Green Bay in December and January in the snow/cold. The fans in their orange hunting gear--now, that’s football! A few months ago, some friends on Facebook were asking folks to share a weather-related football game they went to. It was a popular post. I have quite a few memories from a fan’s perspective and a sportswriter’s (trying to keep my notes from melting away!). My favorite is going to the Wisconsin-Northwestern game in Dyche Stadium in Evanston, with my brother, Tom. It rained, sleeted, hailed, snowed, and was windy—we had everything during the game. And, in Brown tradition, we stayed til the bitter end (with a few other brave souls!) and then walked home. My sister-in-law had been waiting for us for hours…if she didn’t know before, she knew then…we were committed fans (or crazy!). So, this indoor stuff is not for me. It’s like a made-for-tv event. The air is stale and recycled…and gets cooler as the game wears on. The sound is muffled. And, we were in Arizona in January…what weather were we being protected from?

You mean we didn’t win? I am still grappling with this one. As a Wisconsin Badger fan and Cubs fan, I am used to losing. And even though Wisconsin is winning now and goes to a bowl nearly every season, I still am not shocked when the Badgers lose. Now, after only a day or so of wearing black, I get over the loss (just kidding!). But, I can put things in perspective much quicker after a loss. Not so, with the Fiesta Bowl. This one will stick with me for a while…as I’m sure it will with the players. This loss is different. And, it’s because the way it ended. The team played amazing—I am sure this is the best Fiesta Bowl game ever.

So, the big question is why didn’t Coach Shaw keep the ball in the hands of the senior leader-- the guy who wants the ball in that situation, the guy who has carried the team and can deliver? Why didn’t they try for the touchdown at the end of regulation? I know conventional wisdom may say be conservative take the field goal. But, conventional wisdom doesn’t take into consideration Andrew. It doesn’t take into consideration he was marching down the field and that everyone had taken it up a notch. The offensive line was doing what they did all season…give their quarterback time to make plays, block not only for him, but for the backs.

Everyone in the stadium could sense it. This is what was meant to be…everything on the line and Stanford was going to win this game. Until Coach Shaw did the wrong thing. Yes, that’s right…he had three timeouts, time on his side, and Andrew Luck. And, he didn’t take advantage of this. Instead, he didn’t believe. When, asked about this after the game he said… that Oklahoma State was a good take-away team and basically he was afraid of a turnover.

Griff Whalen

What? Did I hear that correctly? Your quarterback is, what you called a sure-thing college football Hall of Famer, and you are afraid of a turnover? You didn’t let him play for the win? You didn’t call the play that had worked so well on the previous drive…Andrew rolling out and passing to Griff Whalen?

By the way, Griff had an excellent game with 7 receptions for 85 yards. Definitely a highlight reel day for him—NFL scouts should take notice. Griff is the real deal and should be playing on Sundays next year.

And, Andrew, well he was just Andrew. A breath-taking performance as always. He had an incredible game—completing 20 of 21 passes from the second quarter through the end of regulation. His totals were 27 of 31 passes for 347 yards. And, while we are all still in shock at how this game ended, we shouldn’t lose sight of what Andrew did in this game. I know, we all wanted to win, but this was one of the best bowl performances of the season and, one of the best, I have ever seen. Again, he proved he is the full package, a once in a lifetime player.

Coach Shaw, your guys put it all out there. All you had to do was let the boys play. You said they didn’t finish…no, you didn’t finish. We were ready, they were all poised, and you didn’t let it happen.

Thanks Andrew, Griff, Coby (Fleener), Zach (Ertz), Sam (Schwartzstein), Dave (DeCastro), Jonathan “Moose” (Martin), Chase (Thomas), and the rest of the team for leaving it all out on the field Monday night. You played your hearts out. As a fan, I couldn’t ask for anything more. You all played as a team at the top of your abilities. I believed in you and you didn’t disappoint.

Badgers..back in Pasadena

Back-to-back trips to the Rose Bowl for the Wisconsin Badgers…sweet!!!!!!!!!! Badgers fans are loving life right about now.

Russell Wilson after winning
spot in Rose Bowl

The Badgers had an amazing season. Bob Ryan, sportswriter for the Boston Globe, said the Badgers were the best “what if” team in the nation. What if there wasn’t a crazy Hail Mary at the end of the Michigan State game and what if the Badgers weren’t nursing that nightmare hangover in the very next game against Ohio State (although, even with that hangover, they were thisclose to winning)?

Yes, the Badgers could have been in the national championship game. Course, that would’ve ruined that exciting rematch for all those LSU and Alabama fans (the only folks who will be watching this game—it was boring the first time, who besides those fans would watch a rematch?).

Instead, the Badgers just put together an incredible run for the roses. Winning out and playing in a spectacular inaugural Big Ten Championship game against Michigan State that went down to the wire, with Wisconsin pulling it out.

Like I said, it’s been an amazing season.

The sign in the Badger locker room says…”The Road to the Rose Bowl begins here.” And, it did.

It started back in the summer with these rumors that a quarterback from North Carolina State was transferring to Wisconsin (he picked Wisconsin over Auburn). And, that he was good. Just how good we were all waiting to see. Russell Wilson turned out to be one of the first real quarterbacks in a long, long time for the Badgers.

I say this because for years, during the Barry Alvarez/Bret Bielema era, the Badgers have had serviceable quarterbacks. Yes, many of them are in the record books and when you look back it seems impressive…but Alvarez and Bielema built a system around those quarterbacks that played to their limited arm strength. They’ve never seemed to recruit that All-American quarterback that other Top 10 college football schools do. My brother and I used to joke that if Darrell Bevell made more than nine completions, the Badgers would win. And, after all, the Badgers are all about running—always having an endless supply of backs each year to take over when the guys graduate or leave early for the NFL. The quarterback in the Wisconsin system is more of a game manager than a passer. That is, until Wilson came along.

Montee Ball

This year, with 16 more yards passing in the Rose Bowl, Wilson will surpass the 3,000 yard mark—the first time in school history. And, the Badgers will hit 3,000 yards both rushing and receiving--only the second team in the Big Ten to ever do this. Michigan did it last year.

Wilson put up Heisman-like numbers this year. On top of the numbers, he has poise, leadership, arm strength, and athleticism. And, it was surprising that even though he kept putting up great numbers, the talk quieted down on his Heisman hopes after the Michigan State and Ohio State loses. I seem to remember a lot of talk about not having three loses hurt a certain Heisman winner. Hmmm. Wilson finished with a 191.6 % passing efficiency, completing 206 of 284 attempts for 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Not bad for a guy whose name wasn’t mentioned for those big time year-end awards.

Montee Ball was invited to the Heisman proceedings in New York and deserved to be there. He has 38 touchdowns this season (more than many teams) and is one shy of tying Barry Sanders. And, by now, you’ve all heard of his baked potato diet that, along with running back and forth to practice, helped reshape his body and make him a more agile runner this season.

Chris Borland

And, of course, then there is the Wisconsin defense. Two anchors are Mike Taylor and Chris Borland—both linebackers. Taylor (137 tackles for the season) had 22 tackles in the Ohio State game, the highest in the Big Ten this year for a single game and the fifth highest in the nation. Meanwhile, Borland (131 tackles this season) had 18 tackles for a loss—the most ever by a UW linebacker and the most by a middle linebacker in the nation this season.

The Badgers are loaded and will face a tough Oregon team. Their no-huddle offense and speedy players should give the Badger defense an all-out sprint to the finish. But, the Badgers will be ready. They are prepared for bowl games and this year should be no different.

I won’t be at the Rose Bowl to watch the Badgers. I will be in Phoenix for the Fiesta Bowl and checking my phone during the tailgate for updates. Hopefully, one of my nephews will be texting me. The Brown family will be represented at the game again this year (my brother and nephews will be there). We went last year and it was an experience I will never forget…coming up the tunnel and walking up to our seats, turning around to a sea of red. And, the band stealing the show during the fifth quarter.

Even though I won’t be in Pasadena this year, one thing won’t change…I will be wearing red.

On Wisconsin!

Cal Bears...ready for the Holiday Bowl?

This post is for my nephew, Danny, who is a junior at University of California-Berkeley (Cal). We’ve spent the past three years trash talking…more like him giving me a hard time…because I have been cheering for that college football team up the road apiece who wears cardinal (who shall remain nameless)…and not his team. And, given that it is his rival, he has every right to feel this way. Of course, for the record, I must just say that I own my share of Cal t-shirts, went to the Oregon-Cal game last season (Cal should’ve won that game) all decked out in my Cal gear and cheered for Cal, and one of my best memories over these past three years came in Danny’s freshman year. We both attended the Big Game (yes, it is actually called that), he was wearing blue, I was wearing that other color, and when his team won…Danny was so excited he, along with other Cal students, rushed the field. That definitely made the highlight reel. It was a great moment for any fan and I am happy that my nephew was able to experience that.

Zach Maynard

This season has been up and down for the Cal Bears. It was one of those seasons, that until you took a look back, you might not have noticed all the good things they did. (Especially, if you were paying attention to the best two-loss team in the country, Wisconsin!)

The low point for Cal was a loss to UCLA, when their junior quarterback Zach Maynard threw four interceptions. A combination of things helped turn the season around for the Bears. Maynard, a transfer from Buffalo, who sat out last year, said he finally got his timing back and understood the speed of the game in the Pac-12. For him going back and refocusing, spending more time on film helped tremendously. Maynard only threw one interception in the final four games. In addition, the strategy changed a bit. A little more balanced attack, as their rushing yards increased from an average of 135 yards per game to 230 yards per game. Tailback Isi Sofele was the beneficiary of this change carrying the ball at least 21 times in each game and rushing for more than 100 yards in their three wins, including a career high 190 yards against Oregon St.

When Maynard is on, he can be explosive. He just needs just 168 yards in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl to surpass 3,000 yards passing this year. He will be one of only three quarterbacks in recent Cal history to do this. And, do you believe this? Aaron Rodgers is not one of the other QBs on the list! He missed the list in the 2003 season by a mere 97 yards. (The other two are: Pat Barnes in 1996 and Nate Longshore in 2006) Maynard’s favorite target is his brother, Keenan Allen, who has 89 receptions for 1,261 yards.

Keenan Allen

The matchup against Texas in the Holiday Bowl will be a close game. Both teams are 7-5. However, Cal won three out of their last four games and Texas lost three of out their last four. So, Cal has a little momentum coming into this game.

Although, most folks are favoring Texas…a little surprising. Yes, Texas Coach Mack Brown does have a good record in bowl games (8-4), but so does Cal Coach Jeff Tedford (5-2). The Longhorns faced some injuries at the end of the season, which could be one reason for their losing—that, and facing Baylor and Heisman trophy winner, Robert Griffin III. And, they still have not figured out their quarterback situation. It looks like they will be going with both Case McCoy and David Ash, as they have all year (each started five games). Starting two quarterbacks is never a good ingredient for winning.

While I usually don’t make predictions, I think if Maynard has truly turned the corner, and it looks like he has, Cal has a good shot at winning this game. I saw him play in the Big Game, their only loss in the last month of the season, and he looked good. He completed 20 of 29 passes, no interceptions, threw for two touchdowns and 280 yards. And, he just looked in rhythm. He looked completely different from the guy who was behind center during their three consecutive losses.

And, while Tedford is the winningest coach in Cal history, the real question is, if Cal falls behind, can they make the needed adjustments to overcome? This season I saw a lack of urgency from the team and coaches at the end of the Big Game. They just seemed to walk through the two-minute drill and didn’t quite seem to grasp that time was ticking away. When the game is on the line, will they step up?

Let’s hope they do. I’d like to see Cal head into their new Memorial Stadium with a nice finish to this season (Yes, we will finally be able to sit on full benches and not get splinters!).

And, who wants to see a Mack Brown team win, especially after his open lobbying to knock Cal out of the 2004 Rose Bowl.

Yes, Danny, I will be wearing blue tomorrow and cheering for the Bears. And, after Jan. 2, no more trash talking on the rivalry…so, what’s next?

West Coast Conference, YouTube team up to innovate

The typical college basketball media day looks like this: A press conference with coaches from each school and a few players.

I’ve sat through quite a few of these and believe me, they aren’t fun.

On October 27, 2011, the West Coast Conference (WCC) took the traditional media day and turned it upside down.

By teaming with YouTube, they engaged their fans in the men’s basketball tip-off event. A new focus…the fans…and they definitely made an impact.

For driving their message directly to the fans through social media, and raising the bar in creativity in the digital space, the WCC has earned the distinction of being the first social media innovation post on this blog.

During this cool event, the WCC engaged their fans in different sessions:

·         A live 10-minute video interview, with each basketball coach answering questions posted by fans on Twitter and Facebook (conducted by Barry Tompkins)

·         A live blog chat with coaches answering questions from fans

·         A live five-minute interview with each basketball coach previewing the season (conducted by Jeff Lampe, host of the WCC Live Internet talk show)

·         A roundtable conversation with three coaches on various topics (these chats will be shown on a future episode on The Road to Las Vegas during the season)

In addition, the media had one-on-one interviews with the coaches.

Highlights from the day can be seen here  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qukoy42Lh4c&feature=channel_video_title

And for those of you wondering, here is the current roster of schools in the WCC: BYU, Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary’s, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Clara.

Recently, I spent a few minutes with Jeff Tourial, director of communications & new media at the WCC, who managed the basketball tip-off event.

PJ: How did you come up with the idea to change media day?

Jeff: We had not done a media day in several years. We meet annually with the coaches in April and they said they were interested in doing a media day to promote the season. We thought about what we could do to be innovative and get the most bang for the buck. What could we do to be different and have impact?

We decided to take the focus away from the media and put it on the fans. Let the fans ask questions through Facebook and Twitter.

PJ: How did YouTube get involved?

Jeff: YouTube’s headquarters is a two minute walk from our offices. We were talking to them about productions and them getting into college sports—getting into the live events. However, they need to get the rights and most of those are locked up in long-term deals. Our men’s basketball contract with ESPN is for eight years. The other sports we own and had talked about showing a soccer, baseball, or softball game each week…and, about hosting an event at YouTube.

PJ: How did you promote the tip-off event?

Jeff: This is interesting, as we didn’t have an agreement with YouTube until the week before. It might have fallen through. A lot was up in the air and we couldn’t say anything publicly until the Monday before [the event was on Thursday]. We had a few tweets…coming soon. But, we had to be careful not to overplay our hand as the deal wasn’t worked out yet. If we did this again, we’d do better promoting because we’d have more time.

PJ: Were you worried that you wouldn’t get fans to post enough questions in just a few days of knowing about the event?

Jeff: We weren’t worried. With Barry Tompkins hosting we didn’t even think…is this going to work? Barry is a pro and he could’ve done 10 minutes without questions. And, with so many our schools having such a passionate fan base, we knew we’d get a response. How often do you get to ask your coach a question? Turns out, we had so many questions we didn’t get to, because we didn’t have time.

PJ: What’s next with YouTube?

Jeff: Two days after the event, we streamed the cross-country championships on YouTube. 6,600 people watched LIVE! Technology in the field at cross-country event—to pull this off is impressive. It was neat and we got great feedback.

We will have live coverage at and around the men’s and women’s basketball championships in March. We will also cover tennis, golf, and rowing. The men’s basketball championship in Las Vegas will be Wednesday through Monday, and Sunday they don’t play. What can we do on Sunday to make an impact? Maybe something around practices—a modified media day with the team captain and coach, get involved with the fans and have them ask questions the day before the championship.

PJ: Did the tip-off event reach your expectations?

Jeff: Absolutely! We are ecstatic about how things turned out and the fan interaction. A few coaches raved and Tweeted on how innovative and different we are from other conferences. It’s a good feeling. In the future, this will be more normal. Anyone who has a smartphone can be involved.

It’s fun to be in front of the wave.

For more on WCC, check out their website http://www.wccsports.com