#event: pregame revisited ;;

[newstoday-1]

Eagles: Soaring Through the Game

The Philadelphia Eagles authority a appropriate abode in the hearts of football enthusiasts, with a affluent history and a agenda that continues to impress. In this article, we burrow into the activity surrounding Eagles games, highlighting key players like Jalen Hurts and Jason Kelce, exploring memorable moments in Eagles history, and experiencing the adventure of bold day.

I. Introduction

The Philadelphia Eagles, a assertive in the NFL, accept garnered a massive fan afterward acknowledgment to their acclaimed history and arresting players. Jalen Hurts and Jason Kelce, amid others, accept become alike with the team's success, creating a fizz not abandoned in BCEagles but additionally in Boston Eagles football circles.

II. Eagles Bold Day Excitement

A. Pregame Rituals and Traditions

Before the kickoff, Eagles admirers appoint in different pregame rituals, creating an electric atmosphere. From the iconic Eagles carol to affair traditions, the accession to the bold is annihilation abbreviate of a spectacle.

B. Fizz Around BCEagles and Boston Eagles Football

The activity isn't bedfast to Philadelphia alone. BCEagles and Boston Eagles football admirers accord to the active discussions and anticipation, authoritative every bold day a association event.

C. Spotlight on Jason Kelce's Appulse on the Team

Jason Kelce, the acclimatized center, brings acquaintance and administration to the team. His access extends above the field, authoritative him a acute amount in the Eagles' adventure to success.

III. The Activating Duo: Jalen Hurts and Jason Kelce

A. Jalen Hurts' Adventure to Acceptable a Key Player

Jalen Hurts, the activating quarterback, has bound risen to prominence. We assay his adventure from academy football to acceptable a cardinal amateur for the Eagles, capturing the hearts of fans.

B. Jason Kelce's Consistent Performance and Leadership

Jason Kelce's allegation to arete is axiomatic in every game. As a key amateur and leader, his appulse on the aggregation goes above the stats, abstraction the ability of the Eagles.

C. Kylie Kelce: A Glimpse into Jason Kelce's Claimed Life

Beyond the gridiron, admirers are analytical about the claimed lives of their admired players. We booty a blink into Jason Kelce's life, including his accord with his wife, Kylie Kelce.

IV. Memorable Moments in Eagles History

A. Michael Vick's Era with the Eagles

The Michael Vick era charcoal categorical in Eagles history. We revisit the absorbing moments that accurate an era and the abiding appulse Vick had on the team.

B. Nick Sirianni's Apprenticeship Influence

Nick Sirianni's apprenticeship accomplishment has brought a new ambit to the team. We assay the strategies and innovations that accomplish him a key amount in the Eagles' journey.

C. Reflecting on the 'It's a Philly Thing' Phenomenon

The byword 'It's a Philly Thing' has become alike with Eagles fandom. We assay the cultural abnormality and the different affiliation amid the aggregation and the city.

V. The Alive Experience

A. Catching the Eagles Bold Live

For accurate fans, annihilation beats the acquaintance of watching the Eagles alive in action. We altercate the adventure of actuality in the amphitheater and the brotherhood amid fans.

B. Today's Eagles Bold and Its Significance

Each Eagles bold is a acute affiliate in the team's narrative. We highlight the accent of today's bold and the abeyant appulse on the season.

C. Eagles Bold Today on TV: Area to Watch

For those clumsy to appear in person, award the appropriate approach to watch the Eagles bold is essential. We accommodate advice on area to bolt the activity on TV.

VI. Animosity Showdowns

A. Eagles vs. Giants: A Celebrated Rivalry

The Eagles and the Giants allotment a celebrated animosity that adds acuteness to every matchup. We burrow into the history of this angry antagonism and the moments that ascertain it.

B. Eagles vs. Cowboys: Intense Matchups

The animosity with the Cowboys is legendary. We assay the acrimonious matchups, the iconic plays, and the angry antagonism that makes this affray a must-watch.

C. Eagles and 49ers: Recent Encounters and Predictions

Recent encounters with the 49ers accept provided blood-tingling moments. We assay the dynamics of these matchups and action predictions for approaching face-offs.

VII. The Heart of Philadelphia Eagles Football

A. Understanding Philly Eagles' Fanbase

The Eagles fanbase is accepted for its affection and loyalty. We booty a afterpiece accessory at what makes this fanbase different and the traditions that bind them together.

B. Eagles Bold Sunday Traditions

Sundays are angelic for Eagles fans. We assay the bold day traditions that admirers authority dear, from affair rituals to advantageous charms.

C. Philly Pride and the Appulse of the Aggregation on the City

Beyond the wins and losses, the Eagles accept a abstruse appulse on the burghal of Philadelphia. We appraise the team's role in adopting association spirit and pride.

VIII. Navigating the Eagles Schedule

A. Accessible Eagles Amateur to Watch

A accessory advanced at the Eagles' agenda reveals agitative matchups. We highlight the amateur to watch and the abeyant axis credibility in the season.

B. Dallas Cowboys vs. Eagles: An Advancing Clash

The showdown with the Dallas Cowboys is consistently awful anticipated. We altercate the history, the stakes, and the apprehension surrounding this clash.

C. Eagles vs. Niners: A Must-Watch Matchup

The accessible bold adjoin the 49ers promises excitement. We breach bottomward the key elements of this antagonism and the abeyant appulse on the Eagles' season.

IX. Conclusion

In conclusion, the Philadelphia Eagles abide a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. With brilliant players like Jalen Hurts and Jason Kelce arch the charge, memorable moments in history, and an abiding fanbase, the Eagles' adventure is a arresting one.

Get accessible to arise with the Eagles in the accessible amateur and seasons, as the aggregation continues to address new capacity in its illustrious history.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How can I watch Eagles amateur live?

A: You can bolt the activity by accessory the bold in being or affability in on TV. Analysis bounded listings for the approach broadcasting the game.

Q: When is the abutting Eagles bold scheduled?

A: The Eagles' agenda is dynamic, so it's best to analysis the official aggregation website or reliable sports account sources for the latest updates.

Q: What are some iconic moments in Eagles history?

A: From the Michael Vick era to Super Bowl victories, Eagles history is abounding with iconic moments. Assay documentaries and retrospectives for a cruise bottomward anamnesis lane.

Q: How has Nick Sirianni impacted the Eagles' gameplay?

A: Nick Sirianni's apprenticeship appearance has brought addition and cardinal abyss to the team. Stay acquainted for advancing developments throughout the season.

Q: Area can I get official Eagles merchandise?

A: Official Eagles commodity is accessible through the team's official website and accustomed retailers. Avoid affected articles for an accurate fan experience.

[fontcomic-blog]

EVENT: Pregame Revisited.

*(Cue the mechanicians of a certain Scientist and a sudden shift in reality itself.)

*(Here stands a very confused little skeleton, far behind where his counterpart is--or was. Take care of him, won’t you?)

outofbones ::

event start-o! basically this is a set period of time where my pregame verse sans will be swapped with my usual sans due to the mechanicians of gaster! basically it’s a better look into how he used to be before everything in my backstory went down. hope you all enjoy. the tag is ‘pregame revisited’, block it if you’d rather not see this! if you’d like to opt for normal sans around the event, just ask! this spans all verses(except my aus)so no one is left out.

[chairlosophy]

☆ ;^)

my idiot boys

anyway ryouji somehow ascended to Person of the Year in genta’s books and I’m sure the people don’t want to eat death due to the length of this sucker so I’ll put this one under a cut

(cw for asphyxiation mention (re: case 5), general trauma (re: ryouji dying a lot), mild deadblog spoilers and some disassociation mentions under the cut)

AFFECTION: ❤ ❤ ❤ ★ ★

RESPECT:   ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

FINAL RANKING: “I’m… aware it is your decision, and you said that you did not wish to depart without the others, but I wish you would have. At least that way, I wouldn’t have to worry about… mm… that is…

…er….

just… stay close, would you? If something more happened to you… I’m unsure if I could take it.”

anyway chorosonic hell is extensive, incredibly self indulgent and probably is best started at the beginning, which was. pre-pregame somehow. 

before the Incident that landed everybody here with no memories of their time at hope’s peak, genta and ryouji had started dating after ryouji no homo’d him and genta roasted him for unironic use of ‘no homo’ for several months in an event that cumulated when genta realized that the fact that he’d gotten so invested in poking ryouji for not saying no homo when he did something that could potentially be described as Home of Sexual was.. probably a bit telling. this further cumulated when they fell asleep on the train and ended up in some nowhere town near midnight. here they befriended a stray dog, got a shady motel room they blocked off all of the entrances to like idiots because they thought someone was going to break in, and kissed for like 0.4 seconds in an event that was secondhand embarrassing for everyone

anyway so then everyone died and they forgot each other in the revival into the simulator, but they were in separated so that didn’t really matter anyway. however, when the grapevine got around that someone named ryouji nomiya was killed, genta just kind of. felt an Actual Emotion at this and a sense of dread hit the pits of his gut which kind of made him go ??? what the fuck??? what the fu– 

he eventually just chalked up this Feeling to the fact that it likely played a part in spreading fear that lead to the Mutual Killings on both sides. gent kind of pushed the Vine Mysteries to the backburner for a while because there were Actual Pressing Issues ™ to attend to, like everybody dying.

anyway, skip ahead to genta dying, wherein local man crawls into the hotel with his broken ass body and dies in front of his dear friend. This caused him to wake up from the simulator with a fear that if he started speaking again, blood would begin pouring from his mouth the way it did when he tried to tell Yuka what happened… which kept him from opening his mouth at all. This, combined with his earrings missing (which… he essentially used to track if his body is HIS, or if he was copied again back when his bros were cloning him excessively) basically caused him to try and repress everything in favor of trying to find out who was in charge to demand answers. He then tried to kick open a sliding door and fell on his face.

Ryouji was the first one to find him like this, in the midst of his own state of trauma after an Incident following merge. Genta had ended up dropping his ID in the pod, and thus, for a little while, they sort of communicated through charades which caused ryouji to think genta was trying to come onto him and, eventually, Genta borrowing Ryouji’s ID and typing at him while they looked for Genta’s. They kind of struck up a weird friendship while mutually denying their own trauma somewhere in between a series of bullshit conversations wherein Ryouji suspected Genta of being the Mastermind due to his greek symbol name, and Genta finding Ryouji to be kind of a close minded guy because of his belief in the hedgehog’s dilemma, and the breaking of tension via a video sent to everyone on their keycards wherein chou ate a piece of wax fruit. 

Eventually after the initial suspicion of Genta is MM wore off, they started going at conspiracy theories on who it COULD be, and they mutually sussed chourara since they wouldn’t let anyone into the computer room, where important information was probably kept. This resulted in a weird thread wherein ryouji got accused of being bisexual by chourara after he sent a picture of a Cursed Ice Sculpture to genta, and got a concussion, chou opened up a wound in her leg, and bled everywhere, and sarara was… on the floor. This ordeal was shocking enough that Genta regained his ability to speak while he had a good old fashioned panic trying to fuss over both Chou and Ryouji while Adachi (who he was with at the time of being contacted) was Very Tired Indeed. Gent kind of helped him back to bed after that and they talked for a bit while they tried to assess ryouj was going to Die from that experience and grew closer.

somewhere in there ryouji made him an omelet and genta got fuckign hype because he’s a shitty cook and hadn’t had hot food in at least a week and in exchange genta gave him a haircut but fucked up but ryouji was cool with it because his hair is a fucking mess anyway 

Anyway, after that, the case 6 motive happened and Ryouji got carted off to the sim again, so Genta took this as Confirmation of the Conspiracy, had a weenie ass confrontation with Sarara wherein they just pushed each other and hurled insults and Sarara roasted him so bad he doubted his own humanity and started crying. Chou came in and took pity, let him Access the Computers and confirmed to him the identity of both masterminds. Anyway he kind of attributed that one to Ryouji but Ryouji was no longer there so he just ended up making excuses to pass by the parl sim room to check if he’d woken up yet. He kind of realized he missed talking to him there, since the only other person at the time he’d really struck up a friendship with was Adachi, and Adachi didn’t have the patience to spend CONSTANT time with him. it was approximately this point he realized he was attracted to ryouji in some convoluted way

Weeks passed, he reconciled his opinion on Akio and realized that in spite of him doing a Killing, Akio was a Good Guy who Cared. This isn’t Ryouji related but Akio and Adachi did indirectly keep him from going off on Ryouji after dat boi did a Killing on Tomoka. After that Genta kind of assessed his worldview so that rather than cracking down on people for acting out in a situation where they felt helpless to do anything else, to try and judge intention instead - a person can make mistakes and mean well. Well, that, and Ryouji was kind of traumatized after all that so he didn’t really have the heart to treat him coldly anyway after he got his ass kicked live in trial and died like 200 times

unfortunately ryouji was kind of freaked out by him anyway since, due to their History, one of ryouji’s deaths was him being fuckign slain by genta via knife so he started avoiding him after that. Somehow they had an encounter in the worst possible place, the kitchen, where there are knives. the whole Trauma thing caused ryouji to crack a little and they left the kitchen to try and distract ryouji a little from it.  it came out that they were both sort of passionate about films in different ways (genta with star wars, ryouji w/ film in general) and they were like !! about that and it was ALMOST casual but genta misstepped and caused ryouji to panic again

which…somehow ended with them vaguely discussing trauma Feelings ™ and leaned up against each other in silence

ryouji started living with genta in the deadblog library after that, at which point they started cuddling a lot more often y’know, because that’s what bros do and also the physical contact kind of helped ground ryouji and comforted the side of genta that needed a hug and made them both feel like Not Everybody Hated Them. after that Revisiting Trauma and Feelings ™ occurred slightly more in between like 3252356346 bullshit threads from then until endgame. 

eventually they found ryouji’s scrapbook and discovered they used to date but it didn’t fuss them all that much because somewhere in the midst of that hell they started half-dating again anyway. genta’s still not 100% certain if what ryouji feels for him isn’t just based on trauma or if he’s just using him or not, but for now, anything is fine really. even if he was just using him, him just being is enough for now

…phew ok that was a lot if anyone who isn’t azura is still alive i’ll be shocked

anyway, tl;dr, ryouji is incredibly precious to genta and although he probably wouldn’t say he’s in love with him quite yet, ryouji was probably the first person he feels actually listens to him. While yuka either wouldn’t take him seriously or was too compromised to discuss anything serious, and while adachi would hear and accept what he’d say but most of the time wouldn’t actually… listen… ryouji listened, accepted it all for what it was, and went on to try to be open minded about everything. Also, he makes him laugh, is passionate about what he enjoys and is taller than him, which are also important traits when you’re romancing genta apparently 

anyway this is getting ridiculous so we’ll cut this off here thanks for reading

[cathrynstreich]

Enjoy the Vibe in These Great College Football Towns

(TNS)—You don’t have to be present for game day to appreciate the enthusiastic ambience of a great football town. Here are five places that may appeal to the sports fans in your family:

Ann Arbor, Mich. It’s all about the maize and blue in a community where the University of Michigan Wolverines capture the town’s attention every fall. Those lucky enough to snag tickets to the “Big House,” as the 100,000-plus-seat stadium is called, will revel in the sweet smell of barbecue as fans fire up their grills before the game. While in town, check out the local farmers market, enjoy breakfast at Zingerman’s, a local fan favorite, and visit the botanical garden. Stay at the cleverly renovated and centrally located Graduate Hotel, where you’ll appreciate the classic collegiate inspiration and the nod to local history and tradition. Contact: www.annarbor.org, www.graduatehotels.com/ann-arbor/

Los Angeles It’s fun to take in a spirited college football game in a stadium that is also brimming with Olympic history. The Coliseum, home to the University of Southern California Trojans, has twice hosted the world event and in remembrance, has integrated the lighting of the torch ritual into every home game. Before the start of the fourth quarter, the Trojan rider and the USC mascot, a majestic white horse named Traveler, ride onto the field, accompanied by the band’s rendition of the William Tell Overture. On the rider’s command, the torch is lit and play resumes. From the Harry Potter fun at Universal Studios to the Getty Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall and Starline tours, the beaches and hiking in the hills, there is no shortage of family fun in the LA area. Contact: www.discoverlosangeles.com

Boise, Idaho The Idaho capital city, named by French-Canadian fur trappers, is a dynamic destination known for a plethora of outdoor activities, a thriving culinary scene and an enthusiastic fan base that comes out in force to support the Boise State Broncos. You’ll want to ride bikes or stroll along the wooded Boise River, where a scenic greenbelt provides recreational access for visitors and locals. On game day, “Smurf Turf,” the artificial blue playing field at Albertsons Stadium, is center stage for the sporting action. The unique blue surface, the brainchild of athletic director Gene Bleymaier, was introduced in the 1980s and continues to set the venue apart. Contact: www.boise.org

Columbus, Ohio Along the shores of the Olentangy River, Buckeye fever rises to red-hot as fans prepare for the annual rivalry with the Michigan Wolverines. For every home game, expect tailgate parties around The Horseshoe, as the stadium is known, and enthusiastic support for The Ohio State Marching Band Skull Session, a pregame music fest. Later the band famously spells out O-h-i-o on the field, and on rare occasion reserves the option to “dot the I” with an honored Columbus resident or alum. While in town, visit the world-famous Columbus Zoo; COSI, the Center of Science and Industry; and explore the historic German Village. You’ll find a burgeoning art, culinary and fashion scene. Contact: www.experiencecolumbus.com

Your SportsTown, USA Do you or someone in your family have a sports tradition to share? Take the kids to your own high school or college homecoming game and take a stroll down memory lane. Wear the school colors and sing the old fight song. Revisit your favorite haunts, recall the taste treats, music or other details that have made the memory stick. Head on to campus and revisit your classroom time and share what you learned along the way.

©2019 Lynn O’Rourke Hayes Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

The post Enjoy the Vibe in These Great College Football Towns appeared first on RISMedia.

Enjoy the Vibe in These Great College Football Towns published first on https://thegardenresidences.tumblr.com/

[amtushinfosolutionspage]

So Long Blake Griffin, and Thanks For All the Dunks

You have never seen so much free shit chucked, launched, and dropped into the stands in your life, as you did at the first Clipper game of the post-Blake Griffin era. It’s the kind of party a sports franchise throws to celebrate a $175 million dollar reprieve; having rid itself of financial obligation to an injury-prone star who also happens to be the most eminently watchable and likable player who has ever worn the uniform. Blake Griffin in the lineup or not, everyone stands for free t-shirts.

Early reviews, including one on this site, have generally given the Clippers a passing grade for Monday’s deal sending Griffin to Detroit for a package of players and picks headlined by Tobias Harris. The team increased its long-term salary cap flexibility, and when it comes to Xs and Os, it is no longer beholden to one guy (even if that guy is someone who once dunked the ball so hard the baseline referee instinctively recoiled at the impact).

The swift, unceremonious departure, and the consensus regarding how the team made out in the trade reflects a legacy of disappointment that Griffin seems to have picked up the tab for on his way out of LA.

“We were fun, we were exciting,” Doc Rivers told the media the day after the trade, “but we didn’t get it done.”

The it he’s talking about is a championship, and it’s true, the Clippers never sniffed one in the Blake Griffin era. Lob City at its peak had the most electrifying frontcourt in league history, the purest shooter in the game, and the Point God getting them the ball. Coming off the bench, the guy they’re naming the sixth man award after. That squad could not make it out of the second round. It’s fair to call that a failure.

But defining Griffin’s eight-plus years in Los Angeles by the team’s postseason letdowns misses the point. There wasn’t even a postseason before Griffin. The Clippers were just a revolving door of castoffs and busts who filled roster spots and cashed checks from the old racist owner; Blake Griffin gave them a reason to exist. (For all the anxiety in recent years of the team’s core becoming “stale,” the continuity was a revelation in itself.)

Rivers paid lip service to Griffin’s legacy, but only as a preface to revisiting the “debacle” of blowing a 19-point lead to Houston in a potential series clincher. Perhaps the lack of sentimentality from the organization following the trade is because Griffin predates almost everyone here. That includes the entire basketball operations team who dealt him (Lawrence Frank and Michael Winger, with the input of Jerry West and Rivers), team owner Steve Ballmer and team president Gillian Zucker. Blake Griffin was the water they swam in.

The Mozgov. The Perkins. What other player’s signature plays are other people’s names?

Griffin debuted during Basketball Twitter’s infancy and instantly became the poster(-izing) boy for the NBA’s burgeoning digital media empire. His first bucket was an alley-oop; by the third week of his career, he had paid off your League Pass subscription. He incurred the greatest charging foul in NBA history baptizing Marcin Gortat. He double-dipped Pau Gasol. He triple-dipped Aron Baynes. Each of these events registered nationally in a way nothing associated with the Clippers ever had.

He dunked so much—214 times his rookie season—that he actually got blowback for it, for the most plainly delightful action in the sport. A sobering ESPN graphic in his sophomore campaign—the Clippers played 23 national TV games that year, up from 11 his rookie season—reminded viewers that ALLEY OOP = 2 POINTS. (The funny thing was hearing the Clippers announcers fight the math, pointing out that lobs are worth extra because of their effect on the crowd.)

That graphic epitomized the mysterious insistence on throwing cold water on Griffin’s intoxicating ability. For all his wonderful qualities as a basketball player—the ball skills, court vision, unselfishness, motor—his limitations have always dominated the conversation around him. Over the years the specific deficiencies have alternated: his free throws, then his perimeter game (both vastly improved since his rookie year), his defense, his health. Now it’s his contract, a five-year deal signed last June that will pay Griffin nearly $39 million in 2021.

He hasn’t made it easier on himself. He acquired a gruesome, inexplicable flopping habit his second year; he punched an equipment manager in the face and made several unforgivably bad Kia commercials with Jack McBrayer (after nailing the first few he starred in). He went from most entertaining player in the league to the one who was trying hardest to entertain you.

But still. There was Playoff Blake, the player who showed up to lay 24.6/10/5 over his last two healthy postseasons, a 27-game sample. He was the funniest guy in the league pre-Embiid, right? Or at least pre-Draymond. He was a cultural phenomenon, a five-time All Star who’s also a self-deprecating stand-up comic, a little smug, sure, but with great timing; the perfect star for LA’s other basketball team, he was as silly and glorious as the Hollywood sign, or the old Clipper logo that’s just a knockoff of the Laker one, or the stock photo of a chair we all thought was actually propped up against DeAndre Jordan’s front door.

If any NBA franchise could be liberated from the burden of championship aspirations, it would be the Clippers, and if any basketball player could pursue aesthetic transcendence without having to win all the time it would and should have been Blake Griffin. But the trade for Chris Paul after his rookie year reoriented the team towards contention, and Griffin’s viral reaction to the deal proved to be the last gasp of its naïveté. From that moment on, the team was about getting it done. And so was he.

They weren’t selling No. 32 jerseys in the team store and a Boban Marjanovic jersey hung in Griffin’s old locker. There was no trace of him in the Jumbotron highlight reels or in the rafters, where the Clipper posters that normally cover the Laker championship banners had been replaced by black tarp. The depleted lineup collapsed in the third quarter. DeAndre Jordan, one of the only members of the organization who predates Griffin, ducked the press after the game.

It’s still a vastly different scene from a Clipper game of 2009. There’s a pyrotechnics show in the pregame, and people in attendance are actually wearing Clipper gear, all the more impressive considering how unsightly it is. Celebrity fan Frankie Muniz has been upgraded to celebrity fan Jimmy O. Yang. The game isn’t sold out, but then again Tobias Harris wasn’t playing.

It’s hard to look at a team dumping its franchise player to save money three years from now; to realize the roster is now entirely comprised of players who arrived this season or can leave when it’s over; to see round after round of t-shirts mortared into the stands, and not imagine the revolving door starting to spin again. Somehow this detail needed to be reported and anonymously sourced, but LeBron James is almost certainly not walking through that revolving door; more importantly, neither is Blake Griffin. You only get one first superstar.

He was shot out of a cannon to rescue the Clippers from terminal mediocrity, and his arrival transformed the franchise. Through the dunks, the flops, and two of the greatest Twitter nights of all time, Griffin legitimized the Clippers in ways that only he could. He was exhilarating at every turn.

While the Clippers don’t have hardware to show for the Griffin era, it’s important to realize that it’s the Clippers, here, who are insisting that’s the point. Blake Griffin gave fans something to stand for beyond free t-shirts, and the franchise something to dream about. They did not get it done, but with Blake Griffin, they were fun, they were exciting, and it was possible to imagine a world in which they could.

So Long Blake Griffin, and Thanks For All the Dunks syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com

[davewakeman]

The Business of Sport In The Error Of Mass...

Seth Godin wrote in We Are All Weird about how the Portuguese government forbid the creation of maps of the new world about 500 years ago so that people wouldn’t know what was out there.

Which came to mind as I was reading about the news that ESPN is going to need to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in annual expenses in the next year or so…(don’t believe the reported numbers, its always going to have to be higher.)

Along with following the continued battles between the San Jose Sharks and many of their disgruntled season ticket holders. 

If you put the 3 things together, you come to a quick realization that we have hit a patch in the road where the world of sports business is trying to triple down on the era of mass in a business environment where mass doesn’t sell nearly as well as it used to.

Let’s look at a few of the challenges first:

Moving to try and push for one homogenized market: 

There is a lot to unpack in this one, but one word that sums up everything is mass.

As we have seen new TV contracts signed, we see that the contracts are so large in most instances that for the networks to profit or find value from these deals, it is a necessity that they work towards trying to hit the lowest common denominator.

Unfortunately, as sports business has been doubling down on LCD marketing and brand building, the consumer has changed.

And, changed in a way that isn’t helpful to this idea of mass.

Here’s how that example plays out:

In Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls, his nationally televised games were 71% higher than anyone else’s. Which meant that MJ was a cultural icon and someone that was recognized around the world. While the current era’s biggest star, LeBron James, moves the needle, it isn’t moved nearly as much as the time of MJ. Even if LeBron James has been part of teams and storylines that are just as compelling, if not mores than MJ’s.

While much of this shift has been alleviated by the rise of Regional Sports Networks, it actually reinforces the idea that the idea of mass isn’t as powerful as it used to be.

As a practical matter, this means that at the same time that networks and leagues are doubling down on mass, the consumer is moving back towards the local and the personal connection.

Pushing revenue at all costs:

In the south where I grew up, we have this saying, “cutting off your nose to spite your face.”

For many of our leagues and sports teams, they seem to have definitely rolled into that category over the last few years.

There seems to be this epidemic in the world of sports business that if we keep raising prices at all costs, that nothing adverse will happen except we will make more money.

That’s actually not correct as the Twitter feed of Empty Seats Galore can show you on most nights.

What is partially responsible for this phenomenon is the rise of the secondary market with sites like StubHub, TicketsNow, and Vivid Seats becoming more and more common places for fans to buy tickets to games, concerts, and events.

While the websites alone should be agnostic at this point, nothing more than a simple transaction portal.

What seems to be driving teams and leagues nuts is the idea that brokers are making windfall profits on the backs of their products and events.

Or, as I like to call it…”the theory of the $2,500 Yankee ticket.”

You see back in 2004, the Yankees and Red Sox played an epic American League Championship game. At the time, I was the most influential broker in the world, having built a partnership between the secondary market and American Express that was the envy of everyone in the industry.

Which means that I was all about going to whatever I wanted to.

Going to Game 6, the bloody sock game, was a thrill. But being confronted with how awesome the experience of attending that game was, I ended up sitting on a single ticket for the Game 7 matchup that would determine who was going to the World Series.

I decided that if someone was willing to pay me a ridiculous amount of money, I would sell my single ticket behind the Red Sox dugout for Game 7. That’s when I said, “If someone will give me $2,500 for the ticket, I’ll be happy to watch the game on TV at Mugs.”

I don’t remember what happened really, but I do remember selling the ticket for about $600 and the face value was probably around $225-$250. But much less than the $2,500 that it was listed on StubHub and TicketsNow at for most of the day.

What drives people crazy is that they see these incredibly high listings, but they never see the fact that the sale actually occurs for far less than what the listed price is.

With reporters happy to trumpet out the average listing or some other average, it drives the perception that teams and leagues are being robbed blind by brokers and the secondary market.

Which has the impact of causing pricing decisions to be driven by false data.

Or, pimping out revenue at all costs, even when it is keeping fans away and making the experience of going to a game less like a party and more like a wake.

Let’s flip this over and look at some of the opportunities that are present:

Fans want an experience:

This should actually be one of the most exciting things that comes out of the changing desires of fans and consumers, people want an experience.

The challenge is that our stadiums and our games have to keep up with this.

Which is a real challenge because many of our venues were designed at a time when the game was the centerpiece of attendance.

In many venues, strides have been made to make the experience a highlight.

Visit Cleveland’s Progressive Field and go up to the right field corner to visit The Corner. Where you can pour your own craft beer, hang out, and watch the game.

This same thing has played out in Detroit at Comerica Park. It has played out in Fenway Park with The Bleacher Bar.

Wherever you look, more and more experience is being emphasized.

Without the expense and risk of building a new bar or remodeling your venue, there are plenty of things that can be done to enhance the experience right away.

Here’s a few ideas:

How about a pregame Happy Hour? If you have a nice beer selection and some decent food selections, would it be impossible to open the gates in one specific area and have a Happy Hour before the game, so that fans can be in the venue early, hang out, and not have to go spend money at a competitor? I can remember vividly the scene that played out a Safeco Field in Seattle during Thursday afternoon games in the early 2000’s. Think about how much of an improvement it would be to be able to hang out for Happy Hour and not have to rush in at the last minute or chug your last beer at the bar down the street.

Have you ever shopped your own venue? In hotels, team members will go stay at other hotels to see what the service is like and what they can learn from other competitors. In sports, we often rely on staff that is outsourced and/or we are removed from the experience of the average customer. Have you actually shopped your own product lately? What’s the ticket buying process like? What’s the ingress and egress? How is the customer service if you are just going to go sit in the upper deck? Standing in line for a beer? Would you pay for the experience? Yes! Great! No? Let’s do some stuff to fix it.

Create experiences and connections within the experience of going to a game. Do you have a large business base? Lots of singles? Whatever? Can you throw events, parties, and experiences for them? Why aren’t you doing it already?

Fans know what you are doing, so don’t try and pull the wool over their eyes:

I’m pretty sure that anyone that visits this site or reads any of my stuff knows pretty well how I feel about discounts…(refresher: they destroy your brand.)

What I see a lot of is something that needs to be addressed pretty directly:

Teams and leagues are concerned about the challenge of selling tickets and season tickets…as they should be.

They push the season tickets with talk of “discounts,” “vouchers,” and other add-ons that maybe aren’t all that valuable when there is no pricing integrity of the product.

Because in many cases, fans that commit to a full season are embarrassed by their team because when there are lots of unsold tickets, the knee jerk reaction to discount kicks in and it destroys the respect between fans and team.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to hide this either.

Fans know what is going on.

They see the discounts and they are insulted by them.

Which means that the season tickets that are being offered up have less and less value because the “member benefits” aren’t very strong and the ability for a STH to resell or offload any of their tickets is greatly reduced.

And, due to the fact that discounts are being thrown around so readily, this drives down the perceived value of the games and even the sacred playoff ticket isn’t as valuable as it used to be.

All of this combines to a need to revisit the entire ticket sales process and the value proposition around tickets and the relationship between fans and team.

Here are a few ideas that can help repair and rebuild the connection between the ticket buyers and the team:

How about stronger fan club that encourages fans to attend, to use their tickets, to act in a manner that the team wants them to?

How about creating stronger ownership incentives? When I owned Sonics tickets in Seattle from 1999-2002, the Sonics had a strong incentive program for STHs including pickup games on the practice court, opportunities to hang out with players, cheerleaders, and team executives. Plus giveaways for STHs and other benefits that created a community around the team, not just a transaction.

Use social media as a bridge from casual fan to buyer to advocate. One of the missed opportunities of social media is that teams haven’t been able to effectively translate social media engagement into actual attendance. But I think this is an area that could be ripe for disruption and advancement.

The thing is, in sports business, we can’t afford to be like the Portuguese with their maps. Because that’s like the ostrich sticking its head in the sand. Just because you pretend that the environment is the same, doesn’t mean that it really is.

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The Business of Sport In The Error Of Mass… was originally published on Wakeman Consulting Group

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❝ THERE YOU ARE! GOD, SANS, I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU! WHERE DID YOU SCAMPER OFF TO? DID YOU LOSE YOUR WAY TO GRILLBY'S? ❞

〔α〕:: lιттle laв raт ::

*(Loud. Horribly loud, rattled right through his ribcage and down to the tips of his toes. His arms lift as if to shield himself from the approach, before immediately realizing this wasn’t the lab. Or was it? He couldn’t tell, his first instinct to hide was already near foiled. Instead, he stands rigidly still for a moment before casting a glance over his shoulder.)

*(This proves to be a mistake, and no sooner has he caught view of the other than he’s scrambling to put distance between them. Hitting a table and knocking the contents onto the floor and then ducking into a closet and slamming the door shut as quickly as possible. Hide. Intruders can’t be trusted. Ever…)