From the Bench-UA Keeping Season Package Cheaper by Leaving Bad Game in Little Rock

[Robert Shields]

UA Keeping Season Package Cheaper
and More Attractive by Leaving Bad Game in Little Rock

Robert Shields

It's been a while since I have opined on the Great Stadium Debate. In fact, I have not mentioned it even in passing in probably well over a year. The main reason is that my position after the LSU game was moved out of Little Rock to Fayetteville has been that I see little reason to keep a game in Little Rock any longer.

It's time to move all the game to Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. Heck, move the away games there, too. When the LSU game was moved out of Little Rock, it came as no shock that the Thanksgiving Day rivalry also ended. Now the Razorbacks have Missouri as the new rivalry born of marketers rather than fans or players.

Even though I think all the games should be moved, which is a departure of my position for over a decade as the leading spokesman of the GSD, I don't know if it will happen.

If it doesn't happen, my guess is that by putting a bad game in Little Rock, it makes the Fayetteville ticket package look better and keeps it one game cheaper.

It will not be shocking to me if Toledo or Sanford or whatever Sisters of the Poor franchise remains as the typical type of game in Little Rock. It's a bad game and adds no value to the package at Fayetteville. All it does for a family of four is add hundreds of dollars to the bill and travel expenses for really nothing.

Plus, with the SEC Network you can now see these bad games without making the hours-long drive from wherever you are coming from. Further, the Razorbacks play a baseball game in Central Arkansas every year as does the basketball team. Those events are well-attended, and so the thought might be to keep at least one bad football game a year in Central Arkansas as well just to throw the largest market in the state a bone.

At Riverfest in Little Rock on Memorial Day weekend, the Razorbacks had a booth to help generate interest in UA athletics, which makes sense with 225,000 people making it the largest annual event in the state. It never hurts to do some image and brand advertising.

I have criticized the UA athletic department's various misguided marketing strategies in the past, but cutting off the fat from the football schedule to make the Fayetteville season package a little leaner is nothing short of brilliant.

If only other major football programs had that option.

-

Marketing 201

Speaking of marketing, here is a little tip for the UofA. A recent email that was sent regarding Razorback football tickets started with the words, "Please disregard email if you are a current season ticket holder."

This is terrible on a few levels. First, if I ever see an email that starts with "please disregard," it is not going to take much more convincing for me to disregard it.

It's Marketing 101 – never start a message in which you are trying to give a call to action with "please disregard." Readers will disregard.

Second, the fact that you don't know if your audience purchased tickets or not reeks of laziness. In this day and age of technology, can a query not be run to see who on your email list has and who has not already bought tickets instead of just spamming everyone?

-

Spoon Man

The Razorback social media event of the past weekend was the spoon. Razorback super fan Kent Atkins has been bringing a giant silver spoon to Razorback baseball games for a few years in honor of Tyler Spoon.

But Oklahoma State officials banned him from bringing it into the stadium. A hashtag was started, #freethespoon. Razorback fans, in defiance, raised plastic spoons at the game instead.

From days gone by, I got to know Kent Atkins from a mutual friend named Dale Weitzel, who died unexpectedly shortly after college. All I can say to you, Kent, is that Dale would have been proud of you this past weekend.



Send your marketing suggestions for the UA to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

[Seebs]

First to not have read!

[ricepig]

First to not have read!

I read the title, now I have to go throw up.

[navyhog24]

[GuvHog]

I read the title, now I have to go throw up.

Why?? He got it right this time. Kudos to you Robert.

[sowmonella]

 

[SooiecidetillNuttgone]

Why?? He got it right this time. Kudos to you Robert.

Doesn't matter.

The sheeple are simply trying to outdo one another to bash at this point.

[The_Iceman]

Robert Shields

Send your marketing suggestions for the UA to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

[ErieHog]

[ricepig]

Why?? He got it right this time. Kudos to you Robert.

The fact you agree with him is all the proof I need.

[McKdaddy]

The fact you agree with him is all the proof I need.

^^^^

[Inhogswetrust]

Why?? He got it right this time. Kudos to you Robert.

I'm not surprised you would think so........................

[The_Iceman]

Why?? He got it right this time. Kudos to you Robert.

I wouldn't know if he did or not, because:

[MrKnowItAll]

[RazorbackToTheFuture]

Who the hell is Robert Shields?

[GuvHog]

I'm not surprised you would think so........................

You don't believe that moving all SEC games to Fayetteville and eventually moving all of the games up there is a good Idea???

[Calling All Hogs]

[HeismanHawg]

Now the Razorbacks have Missouri as the new rivalry born of marketers rather than fans or players.

Same way the "battle for the boot" started with LSwho. And for the record. The NWA metropolitan area is almost as big as central Arkansas right now and will be bigger in a few more years.

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

After much thought, study, analysis and consideration of the subject I have changed my opinion as the leading voice of the flat earth movement.  I now believe the earth is round.  I also now believe that grass is indeed green, water is wet, and the sky is blue.

[Inhogswetrust]

You don't believe that moving all SEC games to Fayetteville and eventually moving all of the games up there is a good Idea???

Yes. I've been in favor of all games on campus for years.  My thing was by keeping one game in WMS he alluded that it made the ticket package in Fayetteville "better" when he said this: by putting a bad game in Little Rock, it makes the Fayetteville ticket package look better. Any moron would know that one less game isn't better simply because that makes it cheaper.

[GuvHog]

Yes. I've been in favor of all games on campus for years.  My thing was by keeping one game in WMS he alluded that it made the ticket package in Fayetteville "better" when he said this: by putting a bad game in Little Rock, it makes the Fayetteville ticket package look better. Any moron would know that one less game isn't better simply because that makes it cheaper.

He stated that scheduling a non-conference game in WMS rather than an SEC game is a good idea for this season but it's time to move all the games to Fayetteville.

[Robert Shields]

Now the Razorbacks have Missouri as the new rivalry born of marketers rather than fans or players.

Same way the "battle for the boot" started with LSwho. And for the record. The NWA metropolitan area is almost as big as central Arkansas right now and will be bigger in a few more years.

Northwest Arkansas is a beautiful area to live and the people there may even be better than the people of Central Arkansas.  The area may even be more important.  But in size alone, they are nowhere close.  The Little Rock MSA is 66th with a population of approximately 729,135.  The Northwest Arkansas MSA is around 105th with a population of 491,966. Little Rock actually qualifies as a CSA with a population of 902,443 while Northwest Arkansas does not. Little Rock's CSA is almost double that of Northwest Arkansas.  All this based on 2013 estimates of population and the Wikipedia pages of both areas.

[michaels]

Riveting read. Thank you, Robert Shields 

[majestic]

Northwest Arkansas is a beautiful area to live and the people there may even be better than the people of Central Arkansas.  The area may even be more important.  But in size alone, they are nowhere close.  The Little Rock MSA is 66th with a population of approximately 729,135.  The Northwest Arkansas MSA is around 105th with a population of 491,966. Little Rock actually qualifies as a CSA with a population of 902,443 while Northwest Arkansas does not. Little Rock's CSA is almost double that of Northwest Arkansas.  All this based on 2013 estimates of population and the Wikipedia pages of both areas.

As of last May, it's 724K to 502k.   No idea what a CSA is.

[zane]

Tried to read

[Porked Tongue]

[Calling All Hogs]

Tried to read...

[duckman]

[BPsTheMan]

UA Keeping Season Package Cheaper
and More Attractive by Leaving Bad Game in Little Rock

Robert Shields

It's been a while since I have opined on the Great Stadium Debate. In fact, I have not mentioned it even in passing in probably well over a year. The main reason is that my position after the LSU game was moved out of Little Rock to Fayetteville has been that I see little reason to keep a game in Little Rock any longer.

It's time to move all the game to Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. Heck, move the away games there, too. When the LSU game was moved out of Little Rock, it came as no shock that the Thanksgiving Day rivalry also ended. Now the Razorbacks have Missouri as the new rivalry born of marketers rather than fans or players.

Even though I think all the games should be moved, which is a departure of my position for over a decade as the leading spokesman of the GSD, I don't know if it will happen.

If it doesn't happen, my guess is that by putting a bad game in Little Rock, it makes the Fayetteville ticket package look better and keeps it one game cheaper.

It will not be shocking to me if Toledo or Sanford or whatever Sisters of the Poor franchise remains as the typical type of game in Little Rock. It's a bad game and adds no value to the package at Fayetteville. All it does for a family of four is add hundreds of dollars to the bill and travel expenses for really nothing.

Plus, with the SEC Network you can now see these bad games without making the hours-long drive from wherever you are coming from. Further, the Razorbacks play a baseball game in Central Arkansas every year as does the basketball team. Those events are well-attended, and so the thought might be to keep at least one bad football game a year in Central Arkansas as well just to throw the largest market in the state a bone.

At Riverfest in Little Rock on Memorial Day weekend, the Razorbacks had a booth to help generate interest in UA athletics, which makes sense with 225,000 people making it the largest annual event in the state. It never hurts to do some image and brand advertising.

I have criticized the UA athletic department's various misguided marketing strategies in the past, but cutting off the fat from the football schedule to make the Fayetteville season package a little leaner is nothing short of brilliant.

If only other major football programs had that option.

-

Marketing 201

Speaking of marketing, here is a little tip for the UofA. A recent email that was sent regarding Razorback football tickets started with the words, "Please disregard email if you are a current season ticket holder."

This is terrible on a few levels. First, if I ever see an email that starts with "please disregard," it is not going to take much more convincing for me to disregard it.

It's Marketing 101 – never start a message in which you are trying to give a call to action with "please disregard." Readers will disregard.

Second, the fact that you don't know if your audience purchased tickets or not reeks of laziness. In this day and age of technology, can a query not be run to see who on your email list has and who has not already bought tickets instead of just spamming everyone?

-

Spoon Man

The Razorback social media event of the past weekend was the spoon. Razorback super fan Kent Atkins has been bringing a giant silver spoon to Razorback baseball games for a few years in honor of Tyler Spoon.

But Oklahoma State officials banned him from bringing it into the stadium. A hashtag was started, #freethespoon. Razorback fans, in defiance, raised plastic spoons at the game instead.

From days gone by, I got to know Kent Atkins from a mutual friend named Dale Weitzel, who died unexpectedly shortly after college. All I can say to you, Kent, is that Dale would have been proud of you this past weekend.



Send your marketing suggestions for the UA to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

[farmhawg]

from the mod that reset their karma....how childish.

[BPsTheMan]

and by the way Shields, Kent Atkins is an avowed communist

[farmhawg]

and by the way Shields, Kent Atkins is an avowed communist

yes, but he is short soooooooo......

[HOGGISHABOUTAR]

don't care

[BPsTheMan]

yes, but he is short soooooooo......

he was just on KHOG

[BPsTheMan]

[DeltaBoy]

Good job Robert solid analysis.

[goodguytex]

Two observations about the op... First, all Robert shields threads from here on out should start with Please disregard... Second, yes, Kent Atkins is a communist, but still a nice guy.

[Farrestor]

Northwest Arkansas is a beautiful area to live and the people there may even be better than the people of Central Arkansas.  The area may even be more important.  But in size alone, they are nowhere close.  The Little Rock MSA is 66th with a population of approximately 729,135.  The Northwest Arkansas MSA is around 105th with a population of 491,966. Little Rock actually qualifies as a CSA with a population of 902,443 while Northwest Arkansas does not. Little Rock's CSA is almost double that of Northwest Arkansas.  All this based on 2013 estimates of population and the Wikipedia pages of both areas.

And still you are talking about a campus that is located.........In Fayetteville......

Maybe you guys can start supporting UALR and with that huge population advantage fill war memorial with at least 55,000. If Central Arkansas is so vital and contains all the support of Arkansas why not make Conway and UALR house hold names. Show them your support instead of being bitter because the U of A is not located in your backyard.

This is the worst post you've ever done. You are so bitter it is pathetic. And your gripe in a nutshell is basically that the University of Arkansas play a good game in Little Rock multiple times a year which offers no advantage to itself so Central Arkansas can live in convenience. Have you looked at the Census tracts by income in the MSA compared to Little Rock? Have you considered that DWR Stadium has a play clock that works? Have you considered that the team won't have to travel and our coach doesn't like it, that instead some fans will have to make that travel which makes sense? have you considered increased revenue and more attractive recruiting? Have you considered despite all the threats from a very few minority trying to be representative of Central Arkansas the games attendance is still better having the games in Fayetteville instead of Central Arkansas and has not suffered any drops but have actually increased?

I love people like you Robert Shields. Please quit coming and supporting the team it just means my seat will get a little closer to the field up in the mountains after I have to drive 4 hours to get up there.

[hogcard1964]

Good read

Thanks

[Tejano Jawg]

Well, I read the headline. And as someone who travels 5+ hours to Fayetteville games, I agree with it.

[DOGALUM]

Who the hell is Robert Shields?

[Inhogswetrust]

He stated that scheduling a non-conference game in WMS rather than an SEC game is a good idea for this season but it's time to move all the games to Fayetteville.

Yet it has nothing to do with ticket prices at Fayetteville.

[aar0n]

Good job Robert solid analysis.

     

[duckman]

Good read

Thanks

[GuvHog]

And still you are talking about a campus that is located.........In Fayetteville......

Maybe you guys can start supporting UALR and with that huge population advantage fill war memorial with at least 55,000. If Central Arkansas is so vital and contains all the support of Arkansas why not make Conway and UALR house hold names. Show them your support instead of being bitter because the U of A is not located in your backyard.

This is the worst post you've ever done. You are so bitter it is pathetic. And your gripe in a nutshell is basically that the University of Arkansas play a good game in Little Rock multiple times a year which offers no advantage to itself so Central Arkansas can live in convenience. Have you looked at the Census tracts by income in the MSA compared to Little Rock? Have you considered that DWR Stadium has a play clock that works? Have you considered that the team won't have to travel and our coach doesn't like it, that instead some fans will have to make that travel which makes sense? have you considered increased revenue and more attractive recruiting? Have you considered despite all the threats from a very few minority trying to be representative of Central Arkansas the games attendance is still better having the games in Fayetteville instead of Central Arkansas and has not suffered any drops but have actually increased?

I love people like you Robert Shields. Please quit coming and supporting the team it just means my seat will get a little closer to the field up in the mountains after I have to drive 4 hours to get up there.

I'd be careful attacking other parts of the state if I were you. If they stopped traveling to Fayetteville for the games, DWRRS would averrage around 60,000 at best in attendance if that. The U of A doesn't portray themselves as a Statewide University for nothing, they are smart enough to know that they need the fans from other parts of the state.

[LZH]

I certainly didn't realize the was the "leading spokesman for the GSD" for over a decade, but whatever.

In other news:  This one time, at band camp...............

[RazorbackToTheFuture]

I certainly didn't realize the was the "leading spokesman for the GSD" for over a decade, but whatever.

In other news:  This one time, at band camp...............

Most of his fluff is self-proclaimed.  Like saying he is syndicated by being posted in the online edition of the Dover Times.

[smb]

Good job Robert solid analysis.

Are you kidding?

[hog.goblin]

I'd be careful attacking other parts of the state if I were you. If they stopped traveling to Fayetteville for the games, DWRRS would averrage around 60,000 at best in attendance if that. The U of A doesn't portray themselves as a Statewide University for nothing, they are smart enough to know that they need the fans from other parts of the state.

fortunately I don't think the rest of the state will abandon the Razorbacks simply because Farrestor wasn't being careful in his opinions regarding them

[ImHogginIt]

he was just on KHOG

He's a bigger attention whore than OTR !