From Athens - Friday Thoughts - Off Season Week 1

Good Morning All,
First an acknowledgement to those who spoke up for Scooby.
Thank You…..

Brown’s rant was a major violation of being able to disagree without being disagreeable.

This is not an endorsement of our HC and any of our current coaching staff.

What follow as I have stated before is my opinion and not an attempt to change anyone else’s.

Since JAX I have been digging into what makes the ideal sports fan.

Seeking what makes us Dawg fans tick

Others here have touched around this subject but I will share what I have learned.

First in speaking with people I have known for at least 20 years who live in eight different states all who love sports.

They confirmed what I had believed:

All colleges have a version of mahogany row

All colleges have major boosters with deep pockets and influence

All colleges have been eager to join hands with outside money in an effort to increase their revenue …aka the group

Which comes in many flavors but has a single mindset

So it would appear Georgia has joined and is in step with the majority of colleges regardless of conference membership

Peeling the onion a little further

Emory University School of Marketing has developed what is known as Fan based equity analysis.

Here is a link to the report. This matrix is used for other college and professional sports.

scholarblogs.emory.edu/esma/tag/fan-equity/

We all know college football is big money and growing yearly.

I call it …. The cash cow flow and grow…..

Our current HC has kept his job because those who have the power to fire him want him to continue what he has developed as the most successful fan based equity program in the SEC and number 3 in the country. With the assistance and aid of our AD’s past and present.

Texas being number one is not a surprise. Worth noting is the Cowboys won the NFL’s FBE position. Texas does love its football.

College football is not about winning NC’s. Only one team can do that each year.

It is about the experience and the atmosphere that is created around the game. Jumbotron….. lightshows—fireworks- canned music- halftimeshows,tailgate before and after the game and mega RV’s Having the newest fan togs. Pass the red solo cups please….on and on

Look at Jerry World……. Far cry from the old Astrodome….. Yes I know it hosts a pro team but with the passing of time don’t be surprised to see a clone in college football.

Winning is second to the entertainment value. That is why M & M have setup shop …..Welcome to Disney World with goal posts

Every game has a winner so some fans are happy while other not so much. As long as viewership stays high the advertising dollars will continue to come in. Big -Payday for all.

Back in the dark ages before ESPN everything use to flow from the game and the outcome between the two teams on the field was the rule of the day.

Today it is social media, the internet, talking heads on 24/7 TV….. huge money packages for broadcast right to fill primetime slots.

You have companies like IMG promoting all aspects of the college game to make money for themselves and those they own and represent.

Add to this the sports equipment and uniform suppliers with their money the payoff raises even more

After the last game is completed close the Carney down and move to the next town and the first games of the week on Thursday night.

Setup and do it again

As noted by Emory there is no off season in the SEC it flows from NSD-spring ball-summer workouts-fall camp-first game of the season-bowl games and then back to NSD –wash- rinse- do it again - no other conference does it as well or with more fan interest.

Please note that I said winning NC was not everything. However,

The report shows there is a winning threshold that does come into play that affects FBE.

The report shows that successive losing seasons have an adverse effect on the FBE causing revenue to drop.

Be sure that a great deal of care is taken to take the pulse of our fan base and track any such changes.

So long as CMR stays above the watermark he has very little chance to being fired. No problem if the goose is still making golden eggs.

All wins count the same… not just ranked team W’s….look at OSU… they have a high FBE ranking playing cupcakes week after week and enjoy membership in a weak conference

Mack Brown showed a steep decline in FBE and was let go.

UF followed the successive losing seasons rule this year and made a change so as not to have a decline in FBE

I understand accepting the new norm of 9 wins per year being called successful is a reach.

I am included. It is far away from what we grew up with.

However we live in a new world complete with a reset button on our x-box.

It is what it is…….

There are other factors that will cause the FBE to fall.

Scandals of any nature, the bigger they are the larger the drop will be

Auburn dumped their coach after a 3-9 season even with a Natty on his resume

The Huskers dumped their coach this year not for losses but for his personality clashes

IMO he was not a master of spin or he still would be their coach

This move may cost them FBE if there is an increase in games lost

It is a risk/reward move that comes in an effort in building more FBE

KYU is the poster program for increasing college football FBE

KY is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to create the SEC big time football experience for its fans.
The ROI is a bigger FBE which is mo money

KY’s – mahogany row and boosters saw money being left on the table

So let us rake in more FBE from football to a go with the basketball FBE
This is the Duke plan….. being moved to the SEC

I am sure if you pull this matrix apart and dig you can find a college that doesn’t work within the numbers

The premise for the most part is worth looking at and is another tool to measure the ever changing sports dynamics and the fans who watch

I think back and remember what seems like just yesterday how easy it was to find a payphone.

Now they have joined the buggy whip and crank window handles on automobiles.

Progress???? Everybody gets a trophy

Sidebar… it has been fun the last several years to watch as the season end posters here swear off that they are done…finished…never..again until there is a coaching change…then one by one the love we share for our team brings them back. Knowing that sitting on their hands and not being part of the conversation is just as painful.

I for one am glad…. For their return..I wish some others would rejoin us.

just jump in with both feet…hold your nose and plug your ears if need be. But come back.. we need you inside the tent throwing rock out

It is about the passion we share as Dawg fans……

What I think I learned is:

We are no different than any other fans of college football… in fact we do it better than most…

Our frustrations are fueled with what has taken place with the game
And those who promote it.

Our voice is heard less , money speaks louder

The only way for us to see any major changes is be really bad for at least 2 years….. missing bowl games would help or CMR decides to retire.

Did anyone else catch what NC said…. I will live with that fumble…in the weight room…running…practice…and the classroom.
I can only learn from it….. and I will..this from a freshman…. Leadership 101…….

Looking forward to seeing him v2.0 in 2015

It was said here earlier and makes the most sense to me…..

If we win a Natty or the SECCG it will be in spite of our coaches …not because of them…….sigh

wLayton….. hang in there ……. Champ does not need a name change or a disguise to go out in public….

Pause and give thanks

Have a great weekend and a safe week

As always “ Go Dawgs”!!!

"It is about the experience and the atmosphere that is created around the game. Jumbotron….. lightshows—fireworks- canned music- halftimeshows,tailgate before and after the game and mega RV’s Having the newest fan togs. Pass the red solo cups please….on and on..."

And coeds (and former coeds) in Red and Black. Let's not forget that part....

We all feel the frustration YD1 and most like me are tired. I speak with emotion sometimes but I have chosen to stick around. Never been a quitter and like Buc sez who else is going to speak up against the "group" if not us

Much more to be said, will start with this portion for openers.

Did anyone else catch what NC said…. I will live with that fumble…in the weight room…running…practice…and the classroom.
I can only learn from it….. and I will..this from a freshman…. Leadership 101…….

Leadership 101, will basically leave it at that for now. There are those above Nick Chubb that would be wise to understand and adapt to his words. Nuff said.

At least we have someone within the program that seems to be willing to actually learn from a mistake instead of
repeating it so often it becomes habit.