Ticket Roulette Week #10

Bo Derek was it in 1979 but maybe not 28 years later.

11-1-2007 Thursday
Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech $44
Was expecting more

Florida State at Boston College $72
Must be that baseball is over. Actually this has been a hot ticket all season.

Wake Forest at Virginia $40
Last year’s surprise versus this year’s!

Kansas State at Iowa State $9
Maybe it’ll be one of those postcard perfect fall days…Why else go?

Ball State at Indiana Football Tickets $21
A win here means the Hoosier go bowling without the ugly shoes.

Michigan at Michigan State Football Tickets $110
RIVALRY

Marshall at Central Florida $29
Still lovin’ the new house.

East Carolina at Memphis $60
How much would you pay for the clash of the C-USA East titans?

Rutgers at Connecticut $40.50 (auction)
Nice seats in section 204. Would prices be higher if Rutgers were winning?

Navy at Notre Dame $49
Anchors away...bargain tickets ahoy.

UCLA at Arizona $2.99 each
The gas getting out of the parking lot might be more expensive.

Tennessee Tech at Auburn $23
Bye week!

Vanderbilt at Florida $40
FAU tickets in two weeks are more expensive.

Ticket Roulette Week #9

Boston College at Virginia Tech $92
Thursday10-25-2007
Few ticket listed

Virginia at North Carolina State $73
Cav fans must be in a buying mood.

West Virginia at Rutgers Football Tickets $119
Up to $723 for seats on the 50 but will anyone buy?

Iowa State at Missouri Football Tickets $51
See the winners of the Big 12 North?

Ohio State at Penn State $160
These are lower endzone. Is that better or worse than upper endzone?

California at Arizona State Football $27
$27.99 to be exact for a top 10 team.

Stanford at Oregon State Football Tickets $10
Even less for this top 10 team.

Miami (Oh) at Vanderbilt Football Tickets $2
An extra $7 will get you seats at midfield.

Ole Miss at Auburn Football Tickets $49
Finally fans willing to pay for tickets for #23.

New Mexico State at Hawaii Football Tickets $55
Everything is more expensive in Hawaii.

Idaho at Nevada Football $11
Vandals visit Reno.

Still watching the prices
Notre Dame at Stanford Football Tickets 11-24-2007 $5

Weeknight College Football Ratings

So how does that Thursday Night ESPN compare with the traditional Saturday afternoon offerings as far as delivering the eyeballs. The banter around the Friday water cooler would suggest the popularity of the weeknight game although often the discussion is preceded by the. "I only caught part of it but..."

Information from http://sportsmediawatch.blogspot.com/
All ratings are final national ratings.

Thursday, September 13
2.5 : W. Virginia at Maryland

Thursday, September 20
2.2: Texas A&M at Miami (FL)

Friday, September 21
1.4 : Oklahoma at Tulsa

Thursday, September 27
1.2 : S. Mississippi at Boise St.

Friday, September 28
2.3: W. Virginia at USF

Thursday, October 11
1.9: Florida St. at Wake Forest

By comparison:
3.6: SEC on CBS, Florida/Kentucky (3:30 PM Saturday)
3.2: Saturday Night Football on ABC, Michigan/Illinois (8:00 PM Saturday)
2.1: Notre Dame football on NBC, USC/Notre Dame (3:30 PM Saturday)


15.9: NFL on FOX, Vikings/Cowboys (4:00 PM Sunday)
9.4: Sunday Night Football on NBC, Steelers/Broncos (8:15 PM Sunday)
(About the same as the three 3:30 p.m. college games combined)

The Irish, once the toast of college football, have fallen to the point where the marquee match up with USC fail to garner strong ratings than a Thursday night game (despite the clever SNL promotion). An principal of marketing that gets lost in the desire to work wonders by seeking nothing for something is the need for a real product with value to the consumer.

The Florida/Kentucky game was good reality television being presented live with an uncertain outcome. Such a product will attract and keep views while the USC domination of Notre Dame only holds appeal for the USC fan faithful and those that enjoy seeing the destruction of Notre Dame football.

The problem with the Saturday game and the Monday water cooler discussion is the fact the a whole day has come in between.

Cartoon From http://www.nicholsoncartoons.com.au/

Hot Ticket

Only six tickets remaining on Stub Hub for the South Florida v. Rutgers game. And the minimum price is a mere $269.

Ticket Roulette Week #8 Deluxe

Mississippi State at West Virginia $80
When were the Bulldogs last this far north? See below*

Michigan at Illinois $100
What a difference a week makes...Ball State at Illinois 10/27 $35

North Carolina State at East Carolina $90
What a difference a week makes...UAB at East Carolina Football Tickets 10/27 $30

Texas A&M at Nebraska $39
Any selling due to the record loss?

Kansas State at Oklahoma State $172
What a difference a week makes...Texas at Oklahoma State 11/3 $37 (auction)

Miami at Florida State $36
What a difference a week makes...Duke at Florida State Football Tickets 10/27 $15

Virginia at Maryland Football Tickets $31(auction)
Less than face value

North Dakota State at Minnesota $29
Corner end zone, bad team, 1-AA so who will buy?

Vanderbilt at South Carolina $60
No Vandy fans! (Florida at South Carolina 11/10 $182)

Georgia Southern at Appalachian No tickets for sale

Looking Ahead

Notre Dame at Stanford 11/24 $4
Holiday weekend but..$4?

Big 12 Football Championship Tickets 12/1 Saturday 7:00 PM Alamodome in San Antonio, TX
End zone and nosebleed $49
Upper Level Sideline 338 $445 (Upperdeck 50 yardline)

ACC Football Championship Tickets 12/1 Saturday 1:00 PM Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, FL
Parking $59
End zone and nosebleed $93
Crown Royal Club $20,589 each (Up to 14)

SEC Football Championship Tickets 12/1 Saturday 3:00 PM Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA
End zone, corner, and nosebleed $218
Chrysler Club 247 $1,236each (Up to 4)

MAC Championship Tickets 12/1 Saturday 1:00 PM Ford Field in Detroit, MI
Lower Level Sideline 109 $15
Club 209 $129
These seats may not be $114 worth the difference.

*Mississippi last ventured north the the Mason=Dixon Line for a game with Syracuse 1986 winning 24 to 17 http://www.jhowell.net/cf/Scores/MississippiState.htm (Oregon in 2002 but that's west)

Quickies

Hollister is that dark over priced clothing store? Apparently there's a really place with the same name with an underpaid sports journalist complaining about the polls. Now that's original.
http://hollisterfreelance.com/sports/contentview.asp?c=227024

Does Wright State need or want a football team? Does anyone care?
http://media.www.theguardianonline.com/media/storage/paper373/news/2007/10/10/Opinions/Student.Defends.Football.Opinion-3021620.shtml

So there's really a website called ticketnews.com. So now you have something to read after finishing off Fleet Manager Monthly.
http://www.ticketnews.com/College-Football-and-the-Ticket-Market0100707

---

****"Uncynical" Article Alert****
Good news article as college football helps little Arkansas Baptist College is brought back to life partly by football.
http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=97f7b598-c73d-4be2-9d79-86a866f21c75

Ticket Roulette #7

Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Syracuse Orange $19
Nice drive from Jersey the leaves will be beautiful.

Florida State Seminoles @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons $15
Thursday night but why not?

UCF Golden Knights @ South Florida Bulls $41
Another sell out for the Bulls?

Texas Longhorns @ Iowa State Cyclones $5
The bargain seat of the week

Boston College Eagles @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish $171
The Irish have won all of one game but can still command a great price.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Vanderbilt Commodores $31
Dawg do not travel to Nashville?

http://www.ticketliquidator.com was use StubHub.com is undergoing routine maintenance.

Worthy Defense

Despite the tent the Pontiac Astek deserved to die.

The Daily Aztec writes an excellent rebuttal to the recent move by the University Senate to abolish the school's football program. The opinion piece points out the value of football as a promotional tool and as a point of difference from the other 20 California State University campuses without D1 football.

Want proof of football's promotional value? Name four other CSU system schools?

Fresno, San Jose, and ummmmmm.

One more question: What conference are the Aztec's in?

Me neither.

Gingerbread Gone Bad

In the mid-1970’s the neighbors needed a replacement for their pale yellow Ford Fairlane and purchased a two door base model Ford Fairmont. Back then base was the ultimate stripper with minimal wheel covers, vinyl seat covers, no A/C. The only options on this car were an automatic transmission and an AM radio. The Fairmont could be dressed up fitting into a wide variety of buyers needs with a different grill, fake wood on the wagon and even the almost sporty/sexy looking Futura. But it was still the same underneath, a good but not outstanding car. The late model Kia sedans might be the best modern equivalent which are all but invisible on the road.



Then in 1981 Ford married the Fairmont and the legendary Thunderbird nameplate. But the basic Fairmont would not do and the budget would not allow expensive new sheet metal so the solution was to hang decorations on the car. Sometimes referred to as “gingerbread,” the automotive version of the prosthetics used by actors and as the picture below shows the effect was an ugly ungainly near monster or the “What were they thinking?” A car only a bean-counter could love. Lack the commitment of sufficient work and resources Ford just dressed it and hoped it would sell.

ESPN is doing the same with the coverage of college football. At the core is a good product with many times great and genuine reality TV (rather than the pasted together stuff). The drama of a competitive game is as gripping and as any entertainment on the planet. Bristol, however, lacks confidence in the basic product so they add features to the game to keep you from changing the channel. Notice that these features are often scheduled in the second half and at times take priority over the actual game. Depending on the situation various visitors are in the booth, on the phone or on the sidelines. These are the television version of having a padded vinyl roof as they add nothing of real value to the product.

Although the source eludes me, it once reported that the average viewer of a college football game tunes in for 20 or 30 minutes. This means that ESPN is looking for ways to increase the “grazing” viewer tune in time if only by 5 or 10 minutes by having a three ring circus with the scores at the bottom of the screen, Erin interviewing Ray Lewis, and the game. Add to this the booth talent weaving in, sometimes clumsily, stories about the players. Notive that they will repeat these stories during the game and recycle them for the next game as they assume you are watching with passion for one of the teams or are changing the channel soon and not really paying attention.



Funny thing about the addition of the “gingerbread” to the Thunderbird, not only did it looking silly coming off the production line it looked sad several years later as the over dressed look went out of fashion and pathetic when the plastic add-ons fall off.

Ticket Roulette Week #6

The key word with Sixlets is chocolate FLAVORED candy.

Georgia Tech at Maryland $31
Great seats near the 30.

Wisconsin at Illinois Football $135
Big 10, big travellers.

Kansas at Kansas State Football $250
Only two seats remaining.

Northern Illinois at Temple Football $3
Bargain of the week.

Stanford at USC Football $44
Arizona later in the season is cheaper.

West Virginia at Syracuse $15
Down from a week ago. Now the USF game is selling for $24.

Oklahoma State at Texas AM $80
Why?

Bowling Green at Boston College $4
No Red Sox game on Saturday to blame.

Prices per StubHub.com 10/3/07

Because It Matters

In college basketball the events of the past weekend with West Virginia, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and Rutgers from the top 10 all losing would be no big deal. Yes, the losing teams might fall a few places but the regular season in hoops is to position your team for tournaments (conference and NCAA). In football these teams that had their hopes set on the MNC have while not completely eliminated are out. That said they still have something to play for in that near excellence in football is rewarded by the invitation to a BCS bowl, a New Years Day game or in fact almost any bowl. Even the Made for ESPN Bowl can give your team positive exposure.

College basketball has it all wrong in that the season there is just jockeying to make it into the high stakes winner takes all invite the marginal conferences to shut them up hope you get hot who’s the Cinderella team March Silliness. In this system steadiness during the season is rewarded by a high cede but does not really reward success much beyond the first two rounds. On the hardwood floors January's triumph is all but worthless. College football that does not allow the quantity of games, and therefore few are wasted, the season is the tournament but, with the bonus that those not bound for the very top are not necessarily sent home. In basketball the match up are at the mercy of the brackets precluding purposeful selection of teams to face off.

What matters in college football every Saturday matters? Your team is the hero or the heel. You watch nervously because it matters. You live or die for the next week because the game matters. You look ahead to the next game for confirmation or redemption because it matters. The message boards and the water cooler talk for the week it based on the looking back and ahead because it matters. And you are there the next week because it matters.

Florida could still play for the MNC by beating LSU this Saturday because…