I don't have a lot of time today, but I thought I would ask you guys this question and get a little interactive.
If you were Todd Turner what five things would you do to improve the football program from a fan's perspective?
I am not going to answer right away, I am going to think about it, and it will be interesting to hear your responses.
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John, I couldn't think of five things, but here are the first two thngs I would do.
(1) Demand that Ty do a better job of public relations, i.e. open practices.
(2) Push hard the Pac-ten to improve its bowl and TV package.
I agree on opening the practices in the Spring, and early in Fall camp. I think we should open them to the media on Monday, and Tuesday during the season.
I like 90% of Ty, the 10% I don't like is related to PR.
The bowl package is a tough one, the league needs to develop another major Western bowl, but becaue of ties to the Rose, the league has never developed a bowl on its own....that is a problem.
1. Open spring practices...closer to game time, up to the coach.
2. I'd really like him to allow the sale of beer, but, that's probably banging my head against a brick wall.
3. not reduce the quality of concessions, but don't try to make them so fancy that they feel the need to charge so much for them. I've only been to a couple of games, both fairly recently, and I expected high prices, but not that high. I know a lot of people, or imagine a lot like myself, who would rather eat 2-4 basic hot dogs for 2-4 dollars than 1 for 1 wherever it is in that price range. I do end up paying it, but I don't like it.
4.Ensure that overseas fans have some way to at least listen to the game via the internet. Until the team improves, I'll never see them on television and would appreciate audio streaming. I tried cstv, paid for it, and, although it has hopefully improved, it was probably the worst attempt at video streaming I've ever tried. I watch most games via the dawgman chatroom and whatever radio station is playing the game. There are a lot of us out and about in the world and being able to follow as closely as possible increases the likelihood of our checking out a game or three while we're home.
5. Make the top tier of the stadium safe. The last game I was at, I think it was QQ seats or something very high, I saw two people fall negotiating the steps. Maybe they drank ahead of time, but they didn't look it. I'm still fairly young and thought they were dangerous myself, but my ankle was still bugging me then so I attributed it to that. I'm guessing that's the reason they don't sell beer.
1) Put together a film of great Husky moments from the past narrated by Keith Jackson with commentary by Owens, James, Lambo, and Willingham which would be played before the Dawgs rush out the tunnel before every home game.
Oregon does it, and it works...by the way we have a lot more history than the Ducks whose modern program started with the Wheaton interception.
2) Open up the first week of Spring practice to the fans and media.
3) Open up the first ten days of Fall camp and invite the media for the entire practice on Mondays, and Tuesdays during the season.
4) Revamp the 5th quarter and mandate that the coaches attend, speak, and mingle.
5) Re establish the Husky Hunter recruiting network.
I could go on and on, but those would be the first five things I would do
Wow Hair, looks like we posted simultaneously.
I think CSTV has a lot of potential. Most problems with streaming stem from bandwidth limitations on the receiving end. Once bandwidth problems are solved on a more universal basis you will see the complete integration of the computer, high speed transmission, and of course the hard drive.
I did watch one game on the computer in a backyard in Michigan. It was streamed by ESPN gameplan and worked pretty well.
One time in Eastern Europe I atually watched a Husky game in a Sports Bar in Bucharest, Romania.....what a trip, but they dialed it in for me with little problem. I watched the game with a film crew on location from LA.
Excellent idea on the highlight film!
LOL on Duck history.
On CSTV, as soon as I hear it's reliable, I'll pay again. It would work well on archived things, but I'm guessing their server was overwhelmed.
I like your ideas on opening practices more than my repeat of jim's wishes. I don't know how effective the camp at Evergreen College, but I'd like to see the team camp on occasion farther south than Seattle. Get some up close exposure with the rest of the state. It's growing quickly.
I have an idea of what the 5th quarter is, or should be, but could you elaborate a bit?
I like the Husky Hunter idea as well, but is it legal? I keep reading about no direct contact with athletes from boosters, at least on dawgman, but wouldn't that apply to the Hunters too?
Have you ever tried a sling box? I think that's what it was called. MIllen used to hawk them on KJR. I thought about trying one, but wanted to wait until I was back in the states to try and set it up.
Romania? That is wild! Do you remember what satellite it was? That's near the same longitude as I'm at so I should be able to see it as well.
1. train the personnel who work on game day and also in the athletic dept to be more fan friendly. This means the parking lot people and ushers in the stadium to learn why they are there at all. This is essentially a cost free improvement. As for the AD personnel, I have had mixed results, 75% good, and 25%ignored or rude. This also is a no brainer, and costs nothing to implement. I realize they put up with a lot of people probably asking the same questions ad infinitum, and everyone has a bad day, but this should be a pleasant experince at least 95%of the time. 2. Take care of those who watch your back. To minimalize the fans by not allowing open practices for at least the first 10 days of fall and spring doesn't help generate interest in the program, especially in these tough times. I think the program probably does okay with the big donors, I see very little being done for the middle and small contributors. read TYEE, only 6000 tyee accounts and 20000 plus seats. How hard would it be to do little things such as mail each TYEE account holder a team poster and schedule poster annually plus a media guide free like they used to. The last couple of years, because the team picture posters were distributed in the 4th quarter, by the time the game was over, most posters were gone scarfed up by the fans who left the game early. Talk about rewarding the wrong people. they should have the people there with instructions not to give them out until the final gun sounds. Also along this line, stop allowing people into the stadium when our national anthem is being played. Just stop the tunnel traffic and into their seats. they should already be in them anyway. I guess what i am saying is there needs to be tiered levels of rewards, much like airlines. IE big money, TYEE, season ticket holders, everybody else. 3. Bring back a better game day experience, a more in touch and innovative band, have band come out of tunnel for pre game, more variety in food venues with food ranging from cheap ($1 hot dogs to high end BBQ and other types. Right now a jumbo dog and coke will set you back circa $7. Better use of the tron, I have seen it kill the momentum worse than a TV time out. Quit showing airhead coeds (although they are cute) laughing when the team has just had abad play. Make sure people can get thru security quickly and hassle free, while still adequately protecting safety. 4. Most of the coaches are fan friendly. Randy Hart, and others always showed up at 5th qtr and interacted. Its only lately that there is no participation, hmmm. Like health guy said, I love 90% of TW. If other sports coaches are vailable , have them come too, Lorenzo, June, McLaughlin etc. Hate to say it, but one of best coaches at mingling was Teresa Wilson, ex softball coache espc if you gave a little, (which we did). One of worst Brad McDavid band director, he's lacking in social skills, unlike Ty who is lacking with media , this goes deeper than that. 4. Start fixing up the queen. At least paint over the rust spots, patch up deterioating concrete spalling, paint seats P & G, at least TYEE section and student section. IE color code seats, bottom 6 rows and E end zone white or aluminum. Paint stadium not Oregon green, but some P&G shade. 5, Start WINNING in football and continue winning in Bball, V ball etc. This is and should be #1, numero uno, ichiban,.
The times I've made a game I've taken a cab or bus, but what you say about the staff should be a no-brainer. Maybe they could create a FAQ and hand it out when you give them your ticket to alleviate some of FAQs.
I'm not a Tyee and have no idea how they used to be treated, but I always assumed they did get at some special treatment. I do have season tickets for the Seahawks and I get probably more info than I want on the team. Season review DVD, in depth roster information, really, the type of things I thought a Tyee would get. I like your tiered approach and I'd imagine it is implemented in some manner but it sounds like the lower tiers are being ignored.
Did I read correctly that there are 20000 seats allotted for Tyees and only 6000 used?
I also thought the last time I was there traffic did stop during the anthem, but that could have just been me.
Part of the problem with security and the time it takes is the same as it is with air travel. People try to bring too much.
Win! Exactly! That should be #1 on everyone's list but maybe it does need to pointed out to the powers that be.
Hair, there are 6000 TYEE account holders who occupy 20000 seats.ranked in priority by a point system. For example, we have 1 account co registered to my wife and i , but we get 4 seats. The DVD from the seahawks is a great idea. Since discs are so cheap right now that could be a cool fund raiser for the team. Looks like the rumor is this year they will be selling game day programs again to make a little money. But Win Win Win is the answer. If we don't, we could destroy what is left for a long time.
You have 6000 Tyee's who buy on average 3.33 seats each. Lots of guys have two, some have four....you get the picture.
In Romania I was at a sports bar called Champions in the Marriott Hotel. They dialed in FoxNW in a few minutes, not sure what type of dish they were using. Because of the large amount of West Coast based film crews which stay there for weeks at a time doing movies on location they tend to cater to the West Coast crowd believe it or not.
I think sling box is a good thing, what it does is give your TV an IP address. I haven't sprung for it yet. Friends that have it say it was easy to hook up and use.
Husky Hunters are legal. Then as of now you can't have contact with the player, but wearing purple garb, sitting in the stands, taking notes really helped DJ's staff. It also let people know they were being watched which really helped recruiting. Never once was there a NCAA problem with the Hunters, they were well trained by Baird.
The 5th qtr was/is an event after the game where the head coach used to talk to the fans after the game. Assistants used to mingle with supporters...etc... . since the new coach refuses to participate it really isn't a neccesary event.
PrrBrr has some great comments as usual. Yes, it would be great if game day staff, and athletic department stopped taking people for granted. That type of direction needs to come from the top.
The band simply sucks, and the director has needed to go for awhile. The guy is an idiot.
How do you get treated as a Tyee? About the same as you would if you buy a scalped ticket outside the stadium. You get your priority seating based on points, you get a media guide sent to you with your tickets, and you get invited to fundraising events.
Back to the Pac Ten bowl package that Jim mentioned....if there was a suitable stadium in Las Vegas we would be in better shape.
Thanks for all the well thought out input guys!
JohnB a very small correction. TYEEs no longer even get the media guide free, you have to pay over and above. Just another nickel and diming your support base. BTW, did you see how much the away pre-game rallys are costing this year. It was $30 if we bought it in advance and $35 for non UWAA members. Man who can afford to take their family to the games anymore. While our girls were growing up we always took them and one friend each to the USC/UCLA games here in SoCal, the whole experience, rally etc. This year we won't be doing that at USC with my sons-in-law, daughters and grandson.
Hair, BTW I wanted to ask you if you are where you are courtesy of Uncle Sam. From 73-78, I spent 1 of every three months at Incirlik AB,(Adana) Turkey, so it was like serving a remote tour. The weather is very nice , hot and humid, but I always enjoyed myself there even if it was away from the family.
I've heard good things about Turkey as well but I never went there while I was in the AF. I used to go to Panama on what sounds like a similar rotation schedule with the AC-130, and if you want to get into hot and humid, try it year-round. I've enjoyed every place I've been though in some way, well Saudi Arabia sucked except that all there was to do there was work out, so I guess I enjoyed it too.
I'm a civilian now, a contractor working with the AF. It's a lot better than being in the service, as I'm sure you don't need to be told, but I still have to deal with a lot of the same BS. I work on one of the U-2's sensors and things have been pretty interesting and busy lately.
Cyprus is pretty nice except for July and August, but even those months have their benefits, as that's when the tourists are most scantily clad, and there are some gorgeous ones. My mind boggled when I got here after 5 years in Korea. It's hard to believe but I had nearly forgotten that breasts were more than...well, I'll just say I remembered. Both options are nice.
One of the great things about living in Chicago is my little brother is in charge of the tickets, and his father in law pays for them. I don't go to many home games anymore, and prefer road games.
I can't believe they don't send a media guide anymore, we used to fight over that thing when we were kids. I just assumed they kept doing it....amazing slight that they do not...that surprises me. Funny he hasn't mentioned it, but with three little kids I am sure it is the least of his worries...lol.
I love going to Husky Stadium, but tend to always hit the Oregon game which means a trip to Portland these days. We have friends and family in Arizona, and California so it is always fun to see a game and visit them at the same time.
My first few years in the Midwest I flew back for everything, but as the teams fortune has waned I have been a lot more selective.
Hair, AC 130s boy am I old. I remember doing flak suppression in our F4s for them in Laos in 1971. LOL, like they needed flak suppression from us; it was quite a show and they just tore up the NVN supply trucks. Also remember having to avoid overflying your present island due to Turkish/Greek disagreement over who was in charge in 1973 as well as disarming all special missions we were sitting on at the Lik. The best female anatomys I saw were when we had to divert to Ibiza due to engine failure on my F4. Boy were we treated like royalty, spent a week there with only my flight suit and underwear we bought there. fun times.
I've heard of Ibiza and I can imagine back then, still very nice, but not quite as commercialized as it is now.
I saw an article somewhere that people were getting shot in some sort of drug distribution war. Probably overblown, but it does happen, even in Cyprus. Russian mafia is pretty prevalent here, heck, Russians in general are pretty prevalent here.
They're probably still flying, or at least upgrading, some of the aircraft that you covered. I was pretty fortunate with my career assignments in the AF. Stuck with special ops all 10 years and worked with some pretty interesting equipment and people. Seeing SEALS and Green Berets throw up was kind of funny, but I didn't laugh. Serious looking guys. A friend of mine flew the C-130 with skis to Antarctic for the Navy and now the U-2. Back to football.
Hey John, do you mind us going off topic or should we take it to email when we find a tangent?
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