comPRehend

US says no to Olympics in 2020

2011-08-23T22:09:00.000-05:00

The news broke about a week ago that the US Olympic Committee (USOC) was not going to pursue the 2020 Summer Olympics. That can be good news from a financial standpoint; but from a PR standpoint, it's not great.

First, the United States has not done well lately in bidding for the Summer Olympics. New York City tried for the 2012 games; and the city was considered the favorite to win the bid. London ended up winning the bid and the New York loss was considered an embarrassment to the USOC.

A worse blow was dealt in 2009 when Chicago was vying for the 2016 Games. Chicago didn't even last the first round of bidding. There are several rounds of bidding within the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to determine a host. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil won the 2016 Games. It will be the first time an Olympics will be held in South America.

On one hand, it could be a blessing in disguise. The Summer Olympics are such a large production that it takes the host city years to prepare (which is why the 2016 Olympics were selected in 2009). And, it costs a lot of money. Arenas, stadiums and other venues need to be built. Infrastructure needs to be repaired or built.

My parents told me once how they talked to a friend who visited Sydney, Australia a while back. Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Games. This friend proceeded to tell them about the taxes in the city of Sydney. Restaurants had taxes of 18%. Hotels had similar taxes. Everything in the city was exorbitantly taxed. Outside the city, prices were much lower. What was the deal in Sydney? This friend found out that Sydney was trying to recoup financial losses from the 2000 Olympics.

But, this is the United States, right? We can handle it. The US hosted the Summer Olympics twice in a sixteen-year span. Los Angeles hosted in 1984; and Atlanta in 1996. The Winter Olympics last made an appearance in 2002 in Salt Lake City.

Is it a PR thing? Did Chicago or New York City not prove themselves as viable hosts of the Olympics? I mean, London has hosted the Summer Games twice: 1908 and 1948. 2012 will be their third time. New York City was said to have a tremendous bid for the Games; and really, lost in embarrassing fashion.

Public relations could be part of the reason. Atlanta certainly had its share of problems in 1996; mainly the bombing in the Olympic Park about a week into the Olympics.

Money seems to be the biggest reason. According to TIME magazine (article linked to post title), the USOC and the IOC are grappling over money; and how much the USOC should be able to collect from television revenue and corporate sponsors. The USOC has a certain percentage in mind and the IOC thinks it's a bit too much.

So, the USOC decided to withdraw any bids for the 2020 Games. New York and Dallas had thrown their hats into the ring for 2020, as well as Las Vegas. But, with the latest move by the USOC, the US will be waiting a long time to host the Summer Olympics on its soil. If the US wins the 2024 bid, it will have been a 28-year wait for the Summer Games to return.

That's not too bad. The US waited 52 years between the 1932 and the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games. And, of course, nestled in there were the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY.

Wells Fargo, debit cards and you

2011-08-17T21:28:00.000-05:00

We've paid $3 for a gallon of gas. We pay almost the same amount for a gallon of milk. Now, you could be paying $3 to use your debit card.

A big story that has gotten some attention recently is Wells Fargo charging customers $3 a month to use their debit card. Yes, $3 to use your own money. Don't get too worried yet, Wells Fargo is trying it out in four states (click the title for the story); and it seems that it will only be for new customers.

Hold on, put yourself in the shoes of the PR professional assigned to that one. I can see it now: "Sign up with Wells Fargo, and pay only $3/mo to use your debit card." How many people do you think that PR campaign will draw in? I can't believe too many.

Banks are finding new ways to make money. With online banking becoming so popular, direct deposit and debit, online bill pay and so forth, they need to recoup some losses. TCF Bank here in the Twin Cities doesn't offer "free checking" anymore. There's a little caveat on that, though. It's free, if you maintain a minimum balance.

Not only online banking, but new regulations are also forcing the hand of Wells Fargo to do this. New financial regulations limit the amount of money banks can collect in fees when people use their debit cards.

So, what's happening here? We're already in an era where checks are shunned from so many retailers and restaurants. And, if people have to pay to use their debit cards which are attached to their own money, what's left? Go back to cash-only? Well, we could. But then the Fed Reserve would have to print more money, which would create more inflation.

Facebook and PR

2011-08-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

Once again, thanks to the PRSA daily email, Issues and Trends, I stumbled across another article about Facebook (article linked to title of post). I'm not quite sure how I feel about the article's content: using Facebook for PR.

I read the article, from the PR Newswire blog, and part of me wondered if I was using Facebook "wrong." In my opinion, I never thought of Facebook as a "professional" site. I think most people see Facebook as a personal, catch-up, play games and other stuff kind of site. I thought to myself, "should I be thinking of Facebook differently?"

Truth be told, I don't spend a great deal of time on Facebook. All the games and other "applications" on my Facebook page have gone virtually unused. I post links to blog posts. The article suggests placing an ad on Facebook. I have to be honest, while they aren't as evasive as they are on other sites; I tend to get somewhat annoyed by them.

On the other hand, the article also suggests that Facebook may not always be the right medium to use when it comes to PR. The author of the article, Sarah Skerik gave some suggestions. Skerik suggests to first find out who your audience is. And, on Facebook, that's hard to do. Of course, you can post poll questions on Facebook; however, you may not get the responses you're looking for nor responses from the right people.

If you do use Facebook for PR, what do you desire to gain out of it? Are you looking for traffic to your site? Seeking to gain awareness (which has become somewhat of a big deal on Facebook recently), or just to forge relationships? For me, anyway, I do post links to my new blog posts on Facebook, in hopes of generating more traffic. However, I really have no way of figuring out how many people click on to my blog directly from Facebook.

The bottom line, Skerik writes, is that it is OK to use Facebook for promotion. If it's used for more than that, be mindful of two things: your audience and your message.

I've tried to do those things recently with this blog. I've changed the title of this blog-as well as the focus of the articles, to hopefully generate a bigger audience. I'll always be interested in writing about sports and its correlation with marketing and PR.

Realizing that was a pretty slim audience prompted the name change and article change. But, I still wonder, is it enough to generate traffic from Facebook? Is Facebook really the new "word of mouth"? Is social media proactive enough in relation to PR? I'm curious.

Facebook and job recruiters

2011-08-09T11:45:00.000-05:00

If the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is right, Facebook could become a major recruiting tool for employers. WSJ said in a recent article that Facebook could give "traditional job boards" a run for their money in 2012 (link to article embedded in title of this post).

The WSJ says that new hires directly from Facebook is a very small percentage of overall hires. But, given time, that could change.

I haven't done it often, but sometimes when I'm in chat with someone on Facebook, I'll ask if they've heard of any job openings in the PR field. In a couple occasions, I've used Facebook to get more information about a job opening I've seen. In a way, Facebook might bring a new twist to the "word of mouth" means of finding out about jobs.

The WSJ article mentioned a new app on Facebook from Monster called BeKnown. According to the article, BeKnown now has close to 800,000 users (including yours truly). Matt Mund, a top executive with Monster.com was quoted in the article as saying, "I wish every company used Monster [but] social is a solution many people are using."

I have found that the major job search engines, Career Builder, Monster, et.al. seem to point job seekers to jobs that are sort of close to what they are looking for. And, sometimes, jobs will pop up that really aren't remotely close to what job seekers are looking for.

If the WSJ is right, and Facebook does surpass the major job search engines in 2012, what will that look like? Will it stay legitimate; or will it become a gathering place for hackers and spammers? In either case, if Facebook does become a major recruitment tool, remember: you might want to double check your Facebook profile, just to make sure there isn't anything recruiters won't like.

1986 Fridley tornado - where were you?

2011-07-18T21:51:00.000-05:00

I never really would have forgotten: July 18, 1986, and the tornado that swept through suburbs in the northern part of Minneapolis. A lot was different back then: my brother had just celebrated his first birthday. The stock market was way below the five digits it is today, oil prices were incredibly cheaper and NASA'a Challenger had exploded just a few short months before.

To give a little perspective on how long ago this really was: the Twins had not yet won a World Series in Minnesota. The Timberwolves were merely just a thought in Rudy Perpich's mind (the NBA awarded the expansion franchise the next year) and the North Stars were still here.

I was just reading a little bit on the internet before I noticed the story about the tornado on KARE's Web site (click the title of this post for the story), and thought to myself, "that's right, it's been 25 years already?"

Oddly enough, I had just watched our taped copy of KARE 11's special Unheard Sirens just a couple weeks ago. The video that Max Messmer had caught from Sky11 was a popular video for a while on news shows; and could probably be seen on some outrageous video shows on TV today.

Where were you on that July day when the tornado hit? All I remember was watching the video as quickly as it was coming to KARE 11 on live TV just a little after 5pm.

Minnesota PR Professionals - Are you going to the Alphabet Bash?

2011-06-29T21:57:00.000-05:00

I got the email today, the Alphabet Bash is returning again this year.

Here's where I'd like to get some input from my fellow colleagues with the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): do you feel this event is helpful or detrimental?

I've been the last couple years; and the venue is a nice place. As long as I can remember, the event has been at the Epic club in downtown Minneapolis. But, I've found some problems.

First, there are so many organizations that come to this event. I know last year, it was hard for me to find colleagues within the PRSA. Not to say I didn't find any, but they were hard to come by. When you're networking, it gets to be hard when you're a PR professional, and you run into lots of advertising and marketing people.

A colleague of mine told me last year that the PRSA typically has one of the lowest attendances of all the organizations at the ABC Bash.

Second, it seems to me to be a tad loud for quality networking. More than once I've almost felt like I had to yell at the people I was talking to, just to be heard. Well, "yell" might be a little harsh, but you get the idea.

I know that our chapter of the PRSA has semi-monthly networking events, but when I found out about the ABC Bash a few years back, I thought that it might be much more fruitful with a large event to find even more people in the PR industry. I don't think that's the case. Maybe that's just me.

Finally, the cost seems to be a bit high. MNPRSA events are a fraction of the cost of the ABC Bash.

It's nice to meet lots of people, but, when you're looking to get connections with public relations people, I found that the ABC Bash just wasn't the right fit. I will probably find myself at more of the MNPRSA networking events in the future.

Newspapers and TV news...rebounding?

2011-06-27T19:28:00.000-05:00

This was quite a surprise: perusing the internet tonight, I came across something that piqued my interest: apparently, newspapers and TV news are making a comeback, according to a recent Gallup poll.

In the last few years, I have only heard how traditional media, like newspapers, have been on a steady decline. So much so, some golden standards in the newspaper industry switched to a Web-only format (i.e.Seattle Post-Intelligencer), and some closed altogether (i.e. Rocky Mountain News).

With all the advances in technology, cell phones, iPads, Kindle, print newspapers were all but dead. Of course, I'm still an old-fashioned kind of guy, and I still like my printed edition of the newspaper every once in a while.

A blog called Hot Air noted that the increase in confidence wasn't substantial; but that the increase was at least noticeable enough for Gallup to make a news item out of it.

Let's not get too excited though, the findings appear to have a political undertone to them. There doesn't seem to be any age demographic noted for the increase. The only age group that Hot Air mentions is the 18-29-year-old demographic; but, the problem there is that confidence in newspapers declined 10 points with that age group.

Hot Air also notes that the uptick in newspaper confidence seems to be with Democrats. Conversely, conservative Republicans still remain wary of both media.

Winnipeg Jets are back

2011-06-25T14:22:00.000-05:00

It's been a lot of years, 16 to be exact, but the Winnipeg Jets are back in the National Hockey League (NHL).

The name was announced yesterday at the Xcel Energy Center during the NHL Draft. It's funny, because there were a ton of people saying that the Jets' name would not be resurrected. The original Jets moved to Phoenix and became the Coyotes in the 1996-97 season.

Which means, that all the history, color schemes, uniforms, logos and everything attached to the Jets in some fashion moved with the team to Phoenix in 1996. Even the mayor of Winnipeg said that the Jets name wouldn't come back.

Unless they had been smart, like Cleveland was. When Art Modell took the Cleveland Browns (NFL) to Baltimore, the city of Cleveland retained the rights to everything: history, logos, team colors, uniforms, etc. Essentially, Modell was bringing an expansion team to Baltimore. Two years later when Cleveland was awarded another NFL franchise, it was as if the team never left.

But, the newest installment of the Jets won't have too much history. Eleven years, all of which were in Atlanta. The Thrashers weren't the best team, winning only a handful of games every season. So, the short history the Jets will have once they make it up to Winnipeg won't be looked upon fondly, if at all.

Some teams don't really even acknowledge the history of the team once they've moved. Case in point, the Minnesota Twins. Relocated to the Twin Cities from Washington DC in 1960, the Twins technically have been a franchise since the early 1900s. Incidentally, the Twins technically have won three World Series, their first coming in 1924, but as the Washington Senators.

As for the Jets, they'll somewhat be starting all over again: a new logo, color scheme, corporate identity, etc. will be chosen in the months ahead. As for the folks in Atlanta, they might be scratching their heads trying to figure out how they've lost two NHL franchises, both to Canada. Atlanta lost the Flames to Calgary in 1980.

It will be nice to see "Winnipeg Jets" back in the standings next season.

Clever tactic, or invasion of privacy?

2011-06-23T15:02:00.000-05:00

I'm sure it's been written about online before, but I saw an article in my email edition of Advertising Age today that caught me a bit off-guard. The article (linked to the title of this post) talked about how, just in a search engine, Google can target consumers with ads, based on what they search.

On one hand, that's all well and good. We all hate pop-up ads, and most of us probably have pop-up blockers on our computers. However, if those pop-up ads appeal to us, would we be more likely to turn off the blocker and actually pay attention to what they're trying to sell us?

Say I'm doing a search on Google for a synopsis on a movie. All of a sudden, an ad pops up for Netflix; or a small little advertisement for Red Dot. That's actually clever. Of course, I already subscribe to Netflix; so the ad would have fallen subject to being "x'd out." I was just looking for a synopsis on a movie.

Or, I could be doing some sort of product research. An ad pops up for just that product and maybe a "click to save 50 cents" sort of thing. That probably appeals to consumers.

But, on the other hand, what about the unusual searches? Sometimes, people search for the oddest things on Google. Price even said in the interview that the internet was becoming more "personalized," so he's trying to adapt ads to meet that personalization. Might that approach become too personal in some cases? Almost like a case of Big Brother knowing what we're doing on the internet?

If that's the case, will it turn consumers off?

Atlanta Thrashers relocation approved

2011-06-22T11:47:00.000-05:00

The National Hockey League (NHL) unanimously approved the sale and relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers. The Thrashers will be moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba next season. Atlanta has now lost two NHL teams; and both have been to Canada. Atlanta lost the Flames in 1980 to Calgary.

Winnipeg has been without NHL hockey for 15 years. Their previous team, the Jets, moved to Phoenix in 1995. Now, with a new arena, Winnipeg is ready to re-enter the league. But, a few snags exist that will require, in my opinion, a great deal of good PR and marketing strategy.

The arena in Winnipeg, the MTS Centre, only seats 15,000. It will be the smallest arena in the NHL. The NHL required the group that purchased the team, True North, to sell 13,000 season tickets, which they have done. The Thrashers were in the bottom 5 in attendance last season. There are 30 teams overall in the NHL. The Thrashers were bringing in, on average, about 13,200.

Here's a problem: that number won't change. The only difference is, 13,200 is closer to a sellout in a 15,000-seat arena. That same number equated to an arena that was about 60% full in Atlanta. My thinking is that the critics will say, "What's changed? They're still getting the same attendance, just in a different city."

Then, there's the issue of how to brand the team. Should they bring the Jets back? The mayor of Winnipeg says that won't happen. Problem there is that the Winnipeg Jets' team history, colors, logos and such moved with the team in 1995 to Phoenix. Just like what happened with the North Stars when they moved in 1993 to Dallas. For lack of a better phrase, it stinks to see Bill Goldsworthy's retired number hanging in the rafters at American Airlines Center in Dallas. He wasn't a Dallas Star, he was a Minnesota North Star. But, the franchise and its long history moved.

The Jets (we'll call them that for now) have a great deal of work ahead of them in the months ahead. A new name, logo and color scheme have to be decided upon. That's just the start. And, re-entering a market that has been without hockey for so long will be a difficult PR challenge as well.

StarTribune.com Gets a Makeover

2011-04-05T16:38:00.004-05:00

You may have already seen it: the Star Tribune did a massive renovation on its Web site. I have to say, it was long overdue.

You will almost be surprised when you first get to the site, it's like reading the E-edition of the Tribune. The interface very much has the look of the actual paper; and, at least for me, the site is much more user-friendly.

The site has a much cleaner look. The other site seemed so cluttered, lots of information, just on the homepage. Also, I think what really helped is they took the green color out of the Web site. Just my opinion, but there was a great deal of color on the old site which added to the clutter.

It's a great re-design, and you'll very likely be impressed when you first see it. It's something the Pioneer Press (aka twincities.com) should definitely look into doing.

The NCAA Tournament - Opinion

2011-03-22T16:32:00.004-05:00

I do like this time of year - especially with the NCAA basketball tournament. But, I was thinking the other day: it's certainly not the same tournament that it was 20 years ago.

Hang with me on this one. First, 20 years ago, there were no "play-in" games. It was 64 teams, period. The NCAA selection committee chose the field of 64, and that was it. Now, it's up to 68 or 69. According to Wikipedia, there are 346 member Division I schools.

Twenty years ago, regional games were frequently played, although not always, in college arenas. Not so much anymore. Most of the regional matchups are in large, downtown arenas that house professional teams. I remember days when regionals were played at college arenas like The Pit at the University of New Mexico; or Thomson-Boling Arena at the University of Tennessee. It's been quite some time since I've seen either of those venues on the tournament lineup.

And, how about the Final Four itself? The 1985 Final Four, for instance, was at Rupp Arena at the University of Kentucky. The 1983 Final Four, which had one of the best game endings I've ever seen (who can forget the last-second NC State dunk by Lorenzo Charles to win the game) was at University of New Mexico's University Arena (aka "The Pit").

Several years ago, after the ticket debacle at the 1996 Final Four in East Rutherford, NJ, the NCAA made a decision that traditional arenas could no longer accomodate the Final Four. The 1996 Final Four was at the Meadowlands Arena (gone through several names over the years) which sat about 18,000.

After all the other tickets were handed out, there were only about 1,100 tickets for general public sale.

Since 1997, Final Fours have been played exclusively in domed stadiums. Back then, the "minimum" seating capacity to host a Final Four was 33,000. Which essentially rules out any traditional basketball arena.

Now, the NCAA requires a minimum seating capacity of 70,000. That pretty much rules the Metrodome out for future Final Fours. Click "The NCAA Tournament - Opinon" for a link to a Flickr photo I found for last year's Final Four, and what the setup looks like.

It seems to me the whole NCAA tournament is becoming more about TV dollars and selling tickets. Hence, the bigger arenas, more teams, etc. Take a look at this year: now we have games on four TV networks. That's great for people who want to see every game; but the entire tournament used to be on just one TV station: CBS.

The NCAA tournament is falling victim to neutralization all around. If you watch the games this year, all the floors in all the cities look exactly the same. The NCAA must have spent a fortune having a hardwood floor made for every city that hosted a game. The NCAA is plastering it's black and blue color scheme everywhere, from the floors to the banners to almost anything and everything that says "NCAA Tournament". About 20 years ago, all the NCAA would do was put a few decals over the home court logos. That was it.

And, advertising. If you go to an NCAA tournament game, you'll notice that blue tarps are placed over arena and stadium advertising. They probably don't do that as much anymore, since the advent of the LED digital "ribbon board" that can change advertisements. But, some of the older arenas that have permanent ads, are still covered up. One good thing is that it covers up beer ads - and alcohol is not sold at NCAA tournament events. But, this one really got to me, I had read about this in the Detroit Free-Press back in 2009. The 2009 Final Four was held at the new home of the Detroit Lions, which seats somewhere in the neigborhood of 66,000.

As with many new stadiums, the seats all have cupholders on them. At Ford Field, Aquafina "sponsored" all the cupholders. During the preparation for the Final Four, crews went to EVERY seat and put a blue sticker over the Aquafina logos. I guess Aquafina isn't an "official" NCAA sponsor. But, are TV cameras really going to pick up a little sticker? Seemed a little odd and a colossal waste of time to me.

People love college basketball because you don't have collective-bargaining agreements, or player contracts, owner lockouts or endorsement deals. College basketball wasn't supposed to be about the money. But, the way the NCAA is running the tournament these days, money seems to be the number one priority. I miss the old days.

'CCO Radio loses the Gophers

2011-03-09T16:42:00.004-06:00

WCCO Radio, which has broadcast Minnesota Gophers football, basketball and hockey games since World War II, lost it's broadcast rights to Gophers sports today. The Gophs can now be heard on 1500 AM, ESPN Radio; and also KTLK 100.3 FM, according to news reports today.

'CCO Radio has lost its hold on many of the Twin Cities sports teams: The Twins left several years ago for 1500 AM. The Vikings moved several years ago to Clear Channel-owned KFAN. And now, the Gophers.

Part of it was in order to move the Gophers to an all-sports radio format, which WCCO is not. But, WCCO has been pretty popular in the Twin Cities. It is funny though, 'CCO Radio seems to be on a downturn; yet WCCO TV is pushing up in the ratings. Matter of fact, just a few days ago, I had heard that WCCO's newscasts now rank higher in the ratings than KARE 11.

I remember back in the 80s, WCCO Radio seemed to be so popular. I can remember many a time driving up to the cabin on the weekends, listening to the Cannon Mess; or the on-the-hour sounder for the news report. It was a fun station to listen to. Now, it's not even on my car presets.

Funny story about the Cannon Mess: I never actually knew the name of the show until I was at Brown Institute for broadcasting. When I was a kid, I always thought the show was called the "Cannon Nest." Never dawned on me - I just thought that's what the show was called. Until my best friend emailed me one day when I was at Brown Institute, and told me about how his radio show in college was called the JD Mess, patterned of course, after the Cannon Mess.

I thought - oh, that was it! The Cannon Mess....

Might Target Stadium be next?

2011-03-07T16:31:00.003-06:00

I'm still rather undecided about the possibilities for a new Vikings stadium. Honestly, I don't like the idea of my taxes going up; which of course they will regardless of where it's built (unless of course, the Vikes come up with a county partnership like the Twins did).

Lately, there has been more and more chatter about the possibility of building a new Vikings stadium just west of Target Field. If you know where Mary's Place is, just off of 7th Street, that's where the Vikings are looking to set up camp. I don't like the idea of making Mary Jo Copeland relocate. I so appreciate the work she does for the community; and making her move to make way for a new sports palace, in my mind, is wrong.

Then, there would be the issue of naming rights for the new place. Should it be Target Stadium? You'd have Target Field, Target Center and Target Stadium. In all likelihood, that will not happen.

Here's what I think will play out: as much as I don't like it, the Vikings end up with the Mary's Place property. Target Corp. will back out of the Target Center naming rights deal, which is set to expire in June. Target Corp. having its name on a shiny, new, 72,000-seat stadium is more appealing than a renewing on a 21-year-old basketball arena.

If in fact, the Vikings do end up with that property, the new naming rights deal with Target will occur almost overnight. It's much easier for the Vikings to sell season tickets, suites, advertising and so forth to "Target Stadium" than it is to "New Minneapolis Stadium, future home of the Minnesota Vikings, title sponsor pending."

Think about what Farmers Insurance did. They inked a naming-rights deal with the yet-to-be-built, yet-to-be-groundbroken stadium in LA. LA doesn't even have a team yet, but they have a name for the new stadium. It's really a marketing thing.

Rumors are also circulating that the Vikings are soon to announce their plan to the state Legislature. We shall see what happens over the next few months.

Metro Council needs your help!

2011-02-23T17:09:00.003-06:00

Wow, second blog entry in a month! Can you believe it?

Reading the paper this morning, a big headline in the Metro section told readers that the Metropolitan Council, which oversees Metro Tranit, is looking for simpler names for its "burgeoning" transit system in the Twin Cities.

Right now, you just have the Northstar rail and the Hiawatha light rail - but Metro Transit will be adding Bus Rapid Transit lines and new light rail lines (if funding isn't severely cut), and possibly another commuter rail line. Eventually, it'll get pretty confusing, especially to visitors to our Twin Cities.

But, according to the Metropolitan Council, this new name will only apply to rapid bus transit and light rail. Then, they will color code the separate lines - for instance, lets say the Met Council decides to call it the "T" (which still is an iconic logo for Metro Transit). Then, the Met Council might change the Hiawatha light rail to "The Blue Line," the Central Corridor light rail to "The Red Line," and so forth.

So, what would you call the new rapid transit system around here? The Met Council wants to hear from you. Through 5 pm on March 18, you can send suggestions to: data.center@metc.state.mn.us. Peronally, I like the "T," but, apparently, Pittsburgh uses that moniker for its transit. For the full article from today's Pioneer Press, click "Metro Council needs your help!"

Lottery funds = Vikings Stadium?

2011-02-10T16:09:00.002-06:00

I wrote more about this on Allvoices.com (click Lottery Funds = for the article), but I discovered today the Vikings are now considering using lottery funds to help finance a new stadium.

It sounds like a good idea on the surface, and it doesn't seem the NFL would have any problem with gambling dollars being used to finance a new stadium, as it's been done in Baltimore. But, wasn't the Minnesota State Lottery money supposed to go for...environmental concerns?

Of course, I doubt the "environmental concerns" have gotten ALL of the proceeds of the state lottery that's been in existence since 1988. But, I do wonder whether the Vikings would have to go through any red tape to re-appropriate some of the lottery money.

The racino idea didn't seem to go over so well; and certainly, the public doesn't want to put up a huge chunk of the money of a stadium that's probably going to cost over $1 billion when all is said and done. And, Governor Dayton has concerns about the lottery dollars being a "reliable" source of revenue.

However, the Vikings' scratch-off game was the highest selling lottery game in the state last year. It might actually be worth looking into.

Twolves to move to Saint Paul?

2011-01-09T14:22:00.003-06:00

I had read a small little tidbit from Charley Walters this morning in the Pioneer Press about the possibility of the Twolves moving across the river to the Xcel Energy Center.

Well, essentially what he said is that the Xcel Center would welcome the Wolves over in Saint Paul if they ever became dissatisfied with the Target Center. It's been 20 years, and the Wolves haven't really complained very much about the Target Center.

But, the arena is getting older. It's not as young as it used to be. However, I had some thoughts of my own about a possible move of the Wolves over to the Target Center. Click on "Twolves to move to Saint Paul?" to see the full article.

Hope all of you had a great holiday season, and here's to a wonderful 2011.

What are the Vikings to do?

2010-12-14T17:17:00.003-06:00

Hopefully we've all had a chance to relatively recover from the worst snowstorm in almost 20 years. And, the biggest casualty of the storm seems to be the Metrodome and the Teflon-coated fiberglass roof.

This has happened before. A lot. The dome deflated shortly after crews inflated it for the first time while the stadium was under construction. In 1982, a snowstorm took the dome down again. In 1986, a severe thunder/wind storm tore a hole in the roof, leaking rain and wind on to fans watching a Twins game (I remember the news reports from that day).

Oddly enough, the roof never caved in under the 28 inches of snow left by the Halloween blizzard of 1991. Of course, back then, the Dome wasn't even ten years old. Now, almost to its 30th birthday, it might be time to do something about it. And, this may have been the motivation needed for the Legislature to finally push a bill through.

Click the title of this post to go to an article I wrote (in fun, of course) about what could be done about the Dome.

Black is back for the Wolves

2010-11-27T16:24:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

I had said in my last post that the Timberwolves needed some serious marketing help to promote yet another re-building team. They did one marketing move (which I had heard little about, until a few days later), and that was to unveil a new "alternate" jersey.

Many teams have three or more jerseys. There's a standard home jersey, and a standard away jersey. In the last few years, many teams find it fun to unveil a third jersey that is very different from the usual.

Sometimes the alternate jerseys look better than the standard ones. Sometimes the alternate jerseys are so unwelcomed by fans, that the team ends up scrapping them. One such instance was the NBA's Dallas Mavericks a few years ago. They had released an alternate jersey that had a very droll color scheme; and the fans showed their discontent in no uncertain terms. The team wore the jerseys once, and never wore them again.

The Wolves re-vamped their entire uniform a couple years ago. They had shortened "Timberwolves" to just "Wolves" on the front of the home jersey (from their early franchise days), and on the road jersey, exchanged "Timberwolves" for "Minnesota."

Just recently, the Wolves unveiled a black jersey. Everyone loves black. Black is a slimming color, and complements many other colors nicely. This is the second time in franchise history the Wolves have donned a black jersey. I liked the old black jersey better than the new black jersey.

Several years ago, the border on the jerseys was a black border with green pine trees, similar to the primary logo. With the latest uniform re-design, they scrapped the pine trees, and eventually took all the green out entirely. With the new black jerseys, a little green might improve things a bit.

At this link: http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/pressrelease_Wolves_Unveil_New_Black_Alternate_Uniforms_2010_11_23.html
you can see what the new jersey looks like. Personally, I think it's just a little too bland. Instead of complementing the colors, I think the black intermingles with them. There's no contrast.

Maybe that's in tune with the whole team's attitude, though. The Wolves have been nothing short of bland the last few seasons. Attendance has dropped, players come and go, there's more losses than wins. If the Wolves were looking to generate some excitement with this latest marketing ploy, I think they came up a bit short.

Kermit the Frog once sang, "It's not easy being green." In this case, a little green might help.

Thanks for reading.

Wolves need some serious marketing help

2010-10-20T17:26:00.003-05:00

I have to admit, I've lost all interest in the Timberwolves. I can't even remember the last time I actually paid to go to a game. The last game I went to, I had received free tickets from the Timberwolves promotions department.

If you've watched any of the pre-season games on TV, there's empty blue seats everywhere. Not like it was when Kevin Garnett was here, there wasn't an empty seat in the house.

I was reading Patrick Reusse's column in the Star Tribune today (click post title to read full article), and he believes the T-wolves need some serious marketing to go along with the new shooters that are part of a team that seems to be in a constant state of re-building.

They've done their best in the past couple years in the area of branding: re-designed jerseys, a re-designed logo (which looks awful) and a new Target Center court. They've done some new things in the ticketing department as well. Last season, according to Reusse's article, the T-wolves had an abysmal season ticket base of 5,000.

When Garnett played here, I remember it being almost impossible to get a seat in the lower seating bowl of the arena. The lower level at Target Center seats about 8,300 people (total capacity is just shy of 20,000). What's even worse, is the team expected to lose another 10 percent of that base from last season.

It may not be the team, however. People still are loving the Minnesota Wild on the other side of the river; even though the Wild's consecutive sellout streak at the Xcel Energy Center has come to an end. And, let's not forget all the hype about the Twins this year with Target Field opening and the overall excitement that was re-generated for the Twins. An excitement, only to be squashed away in three games against the Yankees.

The T-Wolves started things off late last season when they decided to cut season ticket prices. I don't remember too much about that particular campaign, and I can't remember whether ticket prices were cut across the board, or just for new season ticket accounts. Even before that, the team has touted a season ticket up in the far reaches of the arena, that goes for about $300-some-odd a season.

And, apparently, it's worked. The Wolves, instead of losing another 10 percent of their season ticket base, have actually GAINED about 2,000 season ticket holders. Well, that helps, but for the most part still leaves the Target Center well below half-capacity.

If you have 7,000 season ticket holders (banking on the fact that they'd all show up for every game), and 3,000 unlucky fans decide to walk up to the ticket office ten minutes before the tip-off to snag a ticket, that's only 10,000 people. Which leaves the remaining 10,000 or so seats unoccupied.

Granted, the Wolves surprisingly had a decent pre-season. But, that's happened before. I remember getting so excited one year when the Wolves went 7-1 in the preseason. Hardly did anything after that, and to my recollection, didn't even win 35 games that season.

In seasons since Garnett's departure, it's felt very much like the expansion year of 1989 all over again. Only problem was, in 1989, people were so excited to have NBA basketball back in town after an almost 30-year absence, they didn't care how bad the team was.

Now, 22 years later, people do care, and they seem to be proving it by placing their allegiances elsewhere. Even Reusse commented that the one replica jersey he saw in the stands at the Target Center the other night was an Adrian Peterson Vikings jersey. But, if this Wolves team is really as good as it seems, or as Reusse postulates, then the Wolves need to get some serious marketing work done to make these lower ticket prices pay off.

Pepsi, Snickers, Vikings?

2010-09-24T16:59:00.003-05:00

The Vikings merchandising department is trying something different: installing a vending machine at the Mall of America.

Interesting concept, to use something that most people associate with pop and candy to sell team merchandise. Of course, it isn't unusual either. The Minnesota State Lottery for instance has vending machines around the Twin Cities for its scratch-off tickets.

The Minneapolis Business Journal says that the team is doing it to better track automated merchandise sales. It is a first-of-its-kind merchandising ploy in the NFL, and if it is successful here, could be a model for other markets.

Best Buy also has used vending machines to sell Apple products, like the iPod.

But, if you want to go buy a Favre jersey, wouldn't you rather see it in person to check out the size and color, rather than have it dispensed to you from a vending machine?

The team however, believes that it is a "viable and economic" means of selling merchandise with the purple and gold on it.

We shall see.

T-wolves and Lifetime Fitness

2010-09-21T16:39:00.003-05:00

Well, I think I've just about done the Target Field review thing as far as it can go. Now, I think it's time to get back to the main focus of the blog, sports and marketing.

The latest issue of the Twin Cities Business Journal had an article about an expanded partnership between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lifetime Fitness. Lifetime has been a sponsor of the team for some time, as well as had its name on the Target Center's fitness club since 2006.

This latest phase of partnership will put Lifetime's logo on the team's practice jerseys, as well as other areas within the team's practice facility, which is within the in-arena health club, including the court, backboards and media backdrops.

Lifetime will also have naming rights of the practice facility.

Team members will wear the jerseys in post-game interviews, which will create more visibility for Lifetime Fitness. Coaches will also wear Lifetime apparel during post-game interviews.

This is a good, solid partnership for a team that hasn't performed very well either on the court or at the front gate.

Lifetime also has had some ticket promotions with the Timberwolves that have included a pass to a local Lifetime Fitness.

Standing Room Only

2010-09-18T10:13:00.003-05:00

I decided I’d take in one more Twins game this season, and take them up on the latest ticket offering: standing-room only.

I went on Friday night, the day after the Twins unexpectedly swept the Chicago White Sox. I also went into the game thinking, ‘the Twins just swept the White Sox. Logic dictates, they’ll lose a game to the lowly Oakland A’s.’

It sounded like a fun thing to do, to have a ticket for the game and just be able to walk around our brand-new ballpark. A couple of the ushers told me that it’s very likely they could easily sell 1,400 standing-room only tickets.

I also wanted to be able to scope out different views of the stadium that I had previously not explored; predominantly out in the left field and center field area. I had started out in the main concourse before the game started. And my plan was, by the end of the game, to be as close to the main gate as possible, to promise a quick exit.

A note of caution if you decide to go the standing-room only route: avoid the main concourse. It is incredibly crowded and very noisy down there. I had my fill after about the second inning, and I went searching elsewhere. Also, with many of the standing-room locations on the main concourse, you will not be able to see the video board, as the club level overhang will block your view.

However, over between sections 101-103, you will get a much more open view of the action on the field. Of course, you’ll miss things, with people sitting in front of you and walking up and down the aisles.

The upper level was quieter, but the view isn’t incredible. One fun location was the Twins Pub, an enclosed “warming house” if you will. It’s a good place to get warm (or stay cool, depending on when you go). You get a relatively good view of the field from up there. It wasn’t a bad location.

The Twins Pub is also where the ballpark’s organist, Sue Nelson, sits.

The plaza out in right field is an OK spot to be. This is where Fox Sports Net does its pre-and post-game shows. I did catch a glimpse of Roy Smalley (and took his picture) getting ready for the broadcast. But, this is also where 85% of the people enter the ballpark. So, you’ll be pushing your way through quite a bit.

I spent a good chunk of the game up in the Batter’s Eye, which is in center field. It also is much quieter up there, as there aren’t many seats. You do get a nice view of the field and the game. Down below is another story. One level down is the big wall in center field, and you can stand back there, but you will find yourself peeking over the wall to get a glimpse of the action. Good place to pull aside and eat your hot dogs and cheese curds, but probably not to get a great view of the game.

Although I hadn’t planned it, I ended up down behind the Powerball Pavilion out in right-center field. Not a bad place to be. You’re just steps away from the exit, and you do get a very nice and surprisingly close view of the field. You will not be able to see the scoreboard from this location; however, there are LCD televisions mounted that have all the information right there.

And, making good on my plan, I actually did end up with a very quick exit from Target Field. It didn't take me more than two minutes, and I was out. Not like the Metrodome where you had to exit single-file out the revolving doors.

I am glad that the Twins added this ticket option for this year. Word to the wise, you'll feel sore by the end of the game. You might regret actually doing the standing-room only option. But for $22 (cheaper for mid-week games), it's not a bad option to get yourself into the game.

Reports are indicating that because of the Twins' great performance this year, and their road to a very good run in the playoffs, tickets could be even harder to come by next season. Especially would that be true if the Twins do in fact win the World Series.

Charley Walters from the Pioneer Press said last Sunday that season-ticket renewal is expected to be close to 100%. And, existing season-ticket holders have first dibs on buying extra tickets before everyone else.

Who knows, next season, standing-room only might be your ONLY chance to get a ticket into Target Field.

Click the title, "Standing Room Only" for pictures from the game.

Sports Day in Minnesota - an idea

2010-08-16T16:33:00.004-05:00

Some of us may know that Fox Sports North (FSN), the regional cable sports network here in the Twin Cities, annually sponsors what they call "Hockey Day in Minnesota." FSN broadcasts peewee games, a high school game, a Gophers game and a Wild game all in the same day.

I was thinking the other day, now that Minnesota's sports teams all have a place of their own to play, what if all four major teams and the Gophers, played at home, on the same day?

It could work. It would be an economic boom for the Twin Cities with all those people. The TV networks would love the revenue. Here's how I envision it would work, and who would broadcast what.

We start the day at 11am with the Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. The game would be carried either by ESPN or the Big Ten Network.

You could have a Wild game at 2pm at the Xcel Energy Center, broadcast by FSN.

It would take some doing with the NFL, but suppose there was a Vikings game at the Dome at about 3pm. Maybe even 4pm. This is where it could get a little interesting. Depending on whether FOX has the Major League Baseball playoffs that year, they might opt to show the World Series instead of a mid-season NFL game.

If Turner Broadcasting had the playoffs that year, just throw a couple million dollars at FOX to broadcast the game.

The overlap with the Wild game wouldn't be too bad.

Then, say the Timberwolves have their home opener at 5pm at Target Center. This one would be broadcast locally on Channel 45, KSTC.

And then, the piece de resistance, the Minnesota Twins play at Target Field at 7pm. For all five of these games to converge like this, it would put this particular day on or around October 28. The NBA regular-season doesn't start until very late October at the earliest.

And, it also assumes that the Twins likely took their season to Game 7 of the World Series that year.

All five teams would be very happy of course. All five are taking tickets, at home, in their own place, on the same day. I envision officials from MetroTransit at each venue passing out balloons, making speeches and throwing rice, celebrating the fact that the light rail systems they built and the commuter rail are working at full capacity.

This day probably would work best after the Central Corridor light rail along University Avenue is completed.

Downtown Minneapolis would benefit the most, as you'd have 40,000 for the Twins game. 63,000 for the Vikings game. 20,000 for the Timberwolves game. Another 50,000 just across the river for the Gophers. And, downtown Saint Paul would see 18,000 for the hockey game.

Restaurants and bars would be crowded. Streets would be buzzing with people. Traffic would be miserable (for those that didn't take mass transit). But, that would be one fun day.

Section 310

2010-08-01T17:31:00.005-05:00

Today, I finally got back to Target Field for the game against the Mariners.
And finally, the Twins win a game that I attended!

If you're looking for a good seat for a Twins game, look no further than Section 310 (and 311). These two sections make up the "Our Family Section" at Target Field.

For $24.00, it's not a bad deal. The seats are a lot closer to home plate than they are to first base. And, you get a coupon for a free Twins Dog (a great hot dog choice at Target Field) and a regular soda.

Be aware: alcohol is not sold or permitted in these sections.

I do like the upper concourse at Target Field. It's really no wider (23 feet) than the claustrophobic ones at the Metrodome (or "the other place"), but keep in mind, the upper concourse at the Metrodome services about 34,000 people. The upper concourse at Target Field services about 11,000.

Around this area, it takes a little getting used to, as there is a walkway that serves as an auxiliary concourse for the 300 level. The upper concourse services both the Terrace level (200s) and the Upper level (300s). So, this little walkway makes it a bit easier for those in the 300s to get to their seats.

The view is great. You can see everything from up there. No wondering, "where is the ball?" You can clearly see every hit, and determine whether its fair or an out.

I was very pleased with the number of roaming vendors up in the 300s. At the other place, you were lucky if you saw a few. But, the bright yellow jackets from Delaware North (the Twins' concessionaire) were everywhere up there. A very nice change.

Today was the quickest game I have ever seen at Target Field, just a little over two hours. And, exiting the park was the easiest I have experienced in all the times I've been there.

I have learned by experience, do NOT exit the ballpark through Gate 6. Gate 6 is over on the left field side. You might think it's easier to get out there than traipse all the way through Target Field to get to the main entrance, Gate 34, over on the right field side. Believe me, traipse.

Gate 6 is where the light rail station is. There is a queue area there, that, if you don't take the light rail to Target Field, you'll be caught up in. And, your exit from Target Field will almost double.

From our section, we simply took the walkway until it stopped. Walked through the upper concourse to the escalators down by Section 302. We got out of there in probably less than ten minutes. Even ten minutes might be an overstatement.

I suppose one of the reasons it is so easy getting out of there is because all the gates open with turnstiles moved to the side, allowing everybody to flow out freely. Unlike the other place, there are no revolving doors forcing you to go out single-file.

Today was an interesting game also, as it was the three-year anniversary of the 35W bridge collapse. Flags were flying at half-staff today, per Gov. Pawlenty's declaration. I was somewhat surprised that there wasn't a moment of silence observed; either when the National Anthem was played, or in the seventh inning, when God Bless America was sung.

Ever since the tragedy, the Twins have always played at home on August 1. And, up until today, they have been night games. Usually, per the governor's declaration, a moment of silence is observed at 6:05pm, the exact minute of the collapse. With today's 1:10 start, I thought they might have made an exception. But they did not.

Here's what really bothers me. The Twins just came off of a road trip lasting several days. They came home last Friday for a three-game set against the Mariners. Now, they're going back on the road for 12 games.

I'm sorry, but around here, this is the time to show off outdoor baseball in Minnesota. The summer of 2010 is one of the best summers I can remember; and is a terrific argument to all those who thought we needed a roof on the place.

I suppose it could be possible that Major League Baseball is watching the Twins this year, to see how Target Field plays during a Minnesota summer. What do they have to compare it against? Minnesota ballgames have been played under a fabric sky for 28 years, what does MLB know about Minnesota summers?

Hopefully, the schedule will favor the Twins better in the summer, and we'll see more home games in the summer months.

One comment I made to my brother as we were leaving, "I think the Twins should play all 162 games here." That got a chuckle from a fan behind me.

Thanks for reading. Click "Section 310" for pictures from today's game.

Could Target Field be lonely?

2010-07-12T17:00:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry it's been so long since I wrote.

I have been writing a lot of articles at allvoices.com ( http://www.allvoices.com/users/Lrasmussen )

I read an interesting article today about the Seattle Mariners and how their attendance is incredibly low this year for the first time since they opened their new ballpark in 1999.

Of course, they're in last place in the AL West. Seems that low attendance would follow suit.

With the Twins dismal performance as of late, and now that we are at the midway point of the season, could Target Field become a lonely place the second half of it's first season?

And then, throw in the Vikings and the apparent return of Brett Favre, that might pose even more trouble at the gates at Target Field. If the Twins aren't doing well, and September's colder air moves in, there might be a lot of empty seats at the ballpark those last few weeks.

I'm not sure the "honeymoon" period for Target Field is quite over, though. People might still be flocking to the ballpark, for the sake of seeing the ballpark. But, not too long from now, the ballpark will become less and less of a draw, and the bottom line will be putting a competitive team on the field.

It seems many newer ballparks in Major League Baseball eventually get to the half-full point. Ballparks in Detroit, Milwaukee, Texas and other cities have lots of empty seats to look at these days. Ballparks that were once big draws for fans, but now, not so much.

I'd hate to see that happen to Target Field; but the harsh reality is, it probably will and possibly sooner than later.

Twins to sell standing room tickets

2010-06-12T09:52:00.002-05:00

The Twins are going to increase capacity at Target Field, sort of.
They aren't adding seats, they're allowing people to stand all over the park.
A couple games ago, the announced attendance was over 40,000 - which surprised some, because the listed seating capacity for Target Field is 39,506.

"We could get 41,000 people in here if we really wanted to," said Dave St. Peter in an article from the Star Tribune (click Twins to Sell Standing room tickets for article).

Target Field does have many places for "standing-room only" around the ballpark. You saw a lot of that during the first few weeks of the season when the weather became less than desirable, especially during the night games.

It clogged the concourses, though. But it seems as though the Twins have worked all the details out and will be selling more standing-room tickets; and will also be installing more "drink-rails" around the stadium to accommodate more standing-room tickets being sold.

The Budweiser Party Deck out in left field, above the Administration Building has two spots for seating: there are more expensive "bar-rail" seats that are around $30-35 per game. Standing-room up on the Party Deck is $10-12.

Most of the seats up there go to groups, though. I believe the Twins were going to have single-game seats up there for select games. I checked with a ticket representative from the Twins; he tells me the single-game seats up in the Budweiser Deck are sold out for the season.

A problem of dishonesty

2010-06-09T17:18:00.002-05:00

I couldn't think of another title, to be quite honest.

This morning in the Star Tribune, there is a story about handicapped seating at Target Field being sold, online, to people without disabilities. Click "A problem of dishonesty" for the story.

To my knowledge, new arenas, stadiums and ballparks must have wheelchair accessible seating available in most, if not all price levels. That includes the expensive seats too.

The Tribune reported this morning that ticket brokers buy handicapped accessible seats online and then sell them on other sites, Craigslist, eBay or what have you.

Kevin Smith of the Minnesota Twins was quoted in the article saying that the situation is "terrible" and it "will be fixed."

The Twins do make available to the public, usually on game day, accessible seating tickets that do not sell. I don't have a problem with that. As Smith also said in the article, there is no way to "police" how the tickets are sold, either over the phone or online. "You can't ask them to prove they're disabled" Smith continues. Which is true.

It certainly is a problem when the tickets are being obtained (legitimately or not)before game day, and then resold to people who certainly don't need them, making it difficult, if not impossible for those who do need those seats to get them. There actually was a story written about a disabled woman who had season tickets, and tried to obtain extra tickets for one game in that section for a couple friends. She was told by the Twins ticket office that they were sold out.

People sitting in her row told her, "we got these tickets on the Internet."

I will be interested to see how this situation is handled in the future.

Can the Saints survive?

2010-06-07T16:55:00.002-05:00

How many of you remember in 1993, when the Saint Paul Saints minor league baseball club took the field for the first time at Midway Stadium?

I vaguely remember it. Matter of fact, in 17 years, I've been to one Saints game (and having the best seats I've ever had for a sporting event, front row behind home plate). The Saints were a PR marvel back then.

Mike Veeck, son of Bill Veeck - who owned the Chicago White Sox at one point (those electronic pinwheels on the scoreboard at US Cellular Field...Bill's idea) owned the Saints along with funnyman Bill Murray.

They had promotions every night, massages in the bleachers, a live pig as a mascot (who has been replaced several times) among other quirky things. The major draw for the Saints was something the professional team across the river couldn't provide: outdoor baseball.

But, they are no longer the only outdoor game in town. So, can the Saints and their quirky PR stunts continue to get people through the turnstiles at Midway Stadium? According to an article the first week of May in the Star Tribune tickets are selling. The number they quoted in the article was just a little over 265,000.

The big disappointment for the Saints however, is group sales. Derek Sharrer, Saints executive vice-president says that groups "sheepishly say, 'we need to go check out Target Field.'" The early part of May, an exhibition game drew over 4,000 people; and that was with an evening low temperature of 40 degrees.

It might take a couple years, however, to see what the future holds for the Saints. Twins tickets are hard to come by, and people figure they can still see outdoor baseball, much cheaper than Target Field, just across the river at Midway Stadium.

I fear, however, that once the glow of Target Field wears off, and Twins attendance drops, Saints fans might take the chance and opt for the more expensive tickets to the newer ballpark. Financing for a replacement to Midway Stadium has died in the Minnesota Legislature the last couple years.

I also fear the same thing that happened to hockey around these parts could also happen. After the North Stars' departure for Dallas in 1993, the now-defunct International Hockey League awarded a franchise to play in the Saint Paul Civic Center (later replaced by the Xcel Energy Center). The new IHL team, the Moose, drew fairly good crowds in a market that suddenly found itself hockey-less.

The death nail was driven into the Moose, however in June of 1997 when the National Hockey League awarded a new franchise to begin play in 2000. Shortly after that announcement, the Moose headed north to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

I have a nagging feeling that the Saints, in spite of their tremendous PR efforts, might succumb to the Twins' newer ballpark across the river, and depart for another market. We shall see....

Did the Marlins make the right move?

2010-06-01T18:16:00.005-05:00

Some of us have heard, and for some, it doesn't matter, but last Saturday, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies (Major League Baseball) pitched a perfect game against the Florida Marlins in Miami.

A perfect game in baseball is 27 batters up, 27 batters down. The feat has only been achieved in the MLB 20 times; however, it is the second perfect game this season (Dallas Braden had the other) and the third in the last calendar year.

It's what the Marlins are doing about this perfect game that has me a little confused. The game was played at SunLife Stadium. For those in Minnesota, it's like the Metrodome, without the roof. It's one of the few remaining "multi-purpose" stadiums that also serve as ballparks.

According to the Marlins website (click "Did the Marlins make the right move" for the article), the announced attendance was just over 25,000. To "commemorate" this occasion, the Marlins are selling the remaining tickets, online, for face value.
To me, this is a bad PR move by the Marlins. First, the Marlins didn't pitch the perfect game, the Phillies did.

Second, what is now likely to happen is that these "re-sold" tickets are going to go for a bundle on eBay and other online sites. Instead of creating a scarce memento, the Marlins are essentially crowding the market with tickets that were never used, and never sold for the actual game. If there's 58,000 tickets on the market, and 33,000 tickets weren't even used; it demeans the "rare" nature of a ticket for a rare occurrence.

Third, if anyone should get possession of the tickets, it should be the Phillies. I think the Marlins should have released the remaining tickets to the Phillies, and let them decide whether to resell them or not. Incidentally, because the Marlins are doing this, that will bump up the attendance for the game.
Marlins president David Sampson said this, "Any ticket revenue is part of revenue sharing and part of the local revenue. So it gets reported." So, essentially, they have to report these tickets as sold, even though more than half weren't even used for the game.

The ultimate solution, because a perfect game is such a rare occasion, the Marlins should have destroyed the remaining tickets, or left that decision to the Phillies, so as to put more of a collectible nature on the tickets that legitimately got people into the game; and weren't sold after the fact.

At any rate, there are now going to be 58,000 people who said "I was there when Halladay pitched that perfect game." And, unfortunately, they'll also have the ticket to prove it. What I am not sure of, is because of this, whether or not there was some sort of authentication given to the tickets that actually were scanned at the gates. Sometimes for special events or rare occasions, tickets can be stamped as a verification that they were in fact at the game.

As of right now, I am not sure whether the Marlins did this or not. Sadly, we will probably never know for sure.

Sometimes...it just doesn't work

2010-05-31T09:40:00.002-05:00

I've always been interested in the behind-the-scenes workings of sports business. The team sales, new arenas, relocations - that sort of thing. But, lately, I've been thinking about this fact: sometimes a new arena or a new location just doesn't work.

The National Hockey League's (NHL) Phoenix Coyotes are a great example of how both a new arena and a new location don't really work for a franchise.

The Phoenix Coyotes moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1996. When the franchise was the Winnipeg Jets, they struggled in a fairly bad market with a below-par arena. Matter of fact, the Jets almost moved to the Twin Cities as a replacement for our beloved North Stars, who headed south to Dallas a couple years before.

The Phoenix area beat out the Twin Cities for the struggling Jets. The first couple seasons, the newly-renamed Coyotes shared an arena in downtown Phoenix with the NBA's Suns. A couple seasons later, the Coyotes moved west to Glendale, AZ where they have played ever since.

But now, the Coyotes are even struggling in Glendale at the Jobing.com Arena. And, according to the article linked above (click on "Sometimes...it just doesn't work") and others floating around on the Internet, the Coyotes must find a local buyer by the end of this year, or the NHL will allow the team to move backto Winnipeg.

This is not new. You may remember, several years ago, Los Angeles lost not one but both of it's National Football League (NFL) franchises. The Rams moved east to Saint Louis, and the Raiders, moved back to Oakland; where they had left about 17 years prior. The Rams moved into a downtown domed stadium in Saint Louis, and the Raiders moved back to the dingy, old stadium (albeit some renovations) in Oakland they had left behind.

There have been rumors that the NBA's Sacramento Kings might move back to Kansas City, where they departed in 1985, to a more modern, shiny new arena just outside of downtown Kansas City.

There are the relocation successes: Washington Senators moving to the Twin Cities in 1961. Baltimore Colts moving (to the shock of everyone) to Indianapolis in 1983. Houston Oilers moving to Nashville circa 1996; and these are just a few. But, apparently, relocation to a shiny, new arena in another city, sometimes just doesn't work as well as expected.

As for the final fate of the Coyotes - stay tuned.

A Double-Shot Part II

2010-05-26T16:15:00.004-05:00

For the second half of my post today, there is another sports story that might need a bit of PR to convince some people that it is a good thing: yesterday, the National Football League (NFL) announced the 2014 installment of the Super Bowl will be held in (drum roll please)...East Rutherford, New Jersey.

This is a first for the NFL. Cold-weather cities do not get awarded the sports world's finest prize very often. Cold-weather cities that do get awarded the Super Bowl have domes. Minneapolis hosted in 1992. Detroit hosted in 1982 and 2006. Indianapolis will host in 2012. As I understand NFL bylaws, if cities bidding for the Super Bowl have an average temperature below 50 degrees in February, the city must have a domed stadium.

New York was considered to host the 2002 Super Bowl, as a good-will gesture after 9/11, but the game went on as planned in New Orleans at the Superdome.

This is an unprecedented move, but, now that New Jersey has actually been awarded the game, who's to say that Chicago, Buffalo or even Green Bay can't bid on the Super Bowl in the future? Still, with tickets topping $1,000 apiece last year in Miami, if ticket prices stay at that level, ticket buyers are going to need some serious convincing that this is a good idea, in a city whos average temperature in February ranges from 25-40 degrees.

The National Hockey League (NHL) the last few years has played an outdoor game, usually on January 1. This annual event, known as the Winter Classic, has been very well received by fans. Chicago, Buffalo and Boston have hosted the Winter Classic. I've sometimes referred to it as the "cold-weather Super Bowl," as it would be unusual to see the event in Dallas or Atlanta.

Is it possible that New Jersey could be a trend-setter, and open up an opportunity for other cold-weather cities to host America's favorite football game? If all goes well, and it is well received by fans, can Seattle, Foxboro or Baltimore have as good of a chance of hosting a Super Bowl as Atlanta, Phoenix or Houston?

Nonetheless, a Super Bowl in New Jersey will need lots of PR behind it, for a game that usually is played in sunshine and 70+ degree weather (except for Super Bowl XLI in Miami, when it rained for four hours straight).

A Super Bowl in New Jersey, a good idea? I need some convincing, too.

Thanks for reading. Click "A Double-Shot Part II" for a USA Today article about the Super Bowl in 2014.

A Double-Shot

2010-05-26T16:00:00.004-05:00

Since the Twins are playing half a game today, on top of a regular nine-inning game, I thought, maybe I'd do the same with a new blog post today. So, you'll get 1 1/2 posts, for the price of one.

It seems there's been some issues with the whole rain check policy. The Twins' policy, direct from the website states: Target Field Rain out Policy
In the event a regulation game, as defined by Major League Baseball (i.e. 4 1/2 innings if the Twins are ahead and five full innings if the visiting team is ahead or the game is tied), is not played due to weather, an act of God or any other reason, the following policy will apply:

The game will be:
A. Rescheduled to an open day, or
B. Rescheduled to a split day-night doubleheader (two separate games on the same date)
Fans holding tickets to a postponed game should keep their tickets as they will be required for admission into the rescheduled game. All tickets are valid only for the rescheduled game.

But, reading on another blog site, this Major League Baseball rule was also cited:

Rule 4.12(d)
"Rain checks will not be honored for any regulation or suspended game that has progressed to or beyond a point of play described in Rule 4.10" which apparently is what is happening. Ticket holders for today's regularly scheduled 6:10 game will be admitted to the 4:10 makeup.

In the eyes of the league, last night's game, even though it "ended" in a 0-0 tie, because they called the game at the top of the 6th, the game is complete.

Hopefully, now that this has happened, the Twins will put a little PR money into that policy to further inform fans of this policy. There's maybe a learning curve of sorts for the Twins executive brass, as this is the first time we've dealt with a rain-delayed game.

I probably wouldn't feel too bad about that policy; but I worry about a group from Grand Forks, ND or Duluth that comes all the way down to the game, only to find out, their tickets are no good for the remaining four innings being played at 4:10 this afternoon.

Hopefully, clarification from the Twins will be made, so that in the future, policies can either be altered or put in place to inform fans.

Click on "A Double-Shot" to go to the other blog I was referring to, which has several comments and further explanations of what we saw yesterday.

Section S

2010-05-23T18:32:00.006-05:00

Click the title "Section S" for pictures from the game.

The Pioneer Press the other day wrote a huge article about a specific seat in Section S at Target Field. They claim that, because of the Legends Club wall right next to it, home plate was out of view.

So, when I went to the Brewers game on Sunday, I decided to find out for myself. The picture above was taken from that spot. I can see home plate just fine. I'm not entirely sure what all the fuss was about.

I also realize that I've probably done the Target Field review thing to death. So this will likely be the last post on that, then I have some ideas that will get back to the original intent of the blog: sports and PR.

Sections S-V at Target Field are primarily for group sales. They have nice sightlines and a great view of the Minneapolis skyline. Do be careful in the lower numbered seats in each row, as the railing that separates the Legends Club from the Skyline Deck can create an obstacle. Seats higher than 4 or 5 should have no problem.

This level of Target Field seems to be much less congested. Of course, it doesn't seat as many people on this level either, as opposed to the main concourse. It has a much different look than the main concourse, and the entrance to the Legends Club is clearly marked, and also guarded.

I have also learned a lesson or two about exiting the ballpark. It's taken me three tries, but I think I've got it. It's probably your best option to try to get back to the main entrance (Gate 34) out in right field. We exited out Gate 6 yesterday, in left field, and got caught in the throngs of people waiting to board the light rail (which I did not take to the game). It probably took about an extra ten minutes to get to Gate 34.

Of course, and this is a hindsight revelation, if you do exit Gate 6 but didn't take the light rail, or have no reason to get back to the Plaza, you can also turn to your right and walk down 5th Street. But walking along that promenade will be lots of "excuse me's" to get to your ultimate destination.

As for concessions, I can give a hearty thumbs up to the cheeseburger basket. A very nicely grilled burger and very tasty fries, for about 9 bucks.

Thanks for reading. I hope I've given enough information about Target Field for you to consider when going to the ballpark. If anyone does have further questions about Target Field that maybe I didn't cover or you'd like clarification on, please feel free to post a comment.

Row 9

2010-05-07T15:13:00.004-05:00

I promised in my last blog post that I might put one together about a potential Vikings stadium. Well, nothing really happened in the final weeks of the MN State Legislative session, matter of fact, a bill that went up that would have put a tax on sports jerseys, hotels, car rentals and a specialized lottery game, died almost as soon as it was introduced in committee.

So, I thought I'd share about my third trip to Target Field on May 6, some new things I've discovered and so forth.

I do like how Target Field looks at night. And, just like it was when I went to the Red Sox game, it was raining, albeit much stronger than it did on that April afternoon. Last night's rain lasted most of the game (incidentally, tonight's game against the Orioles has been officially declared a rain out).

First, a little bit of caution, and an explanation for this particular post's title. I sat in Section 320 Row 9 last night. Here's an interesting thing about row 9, and a caution - if you have aisle seats, you will encounter a railing in front of you. That didn't bother me so much as the night wore on (I got over it pretty quickly, I just didn't realize it was going to be there).

Because of the railing, there are no cup holders in front of you, or affixed to the railing. So, that's just a heads up if you get aisle seats in the 9th row of sections in the 300 level. I got a good deal on the tickets, and overall, they were great seats, so I can't complain.

Also, just a forewarning, sitting there, you will encounter lots of people walking by, as people are coming up from the concourse. No worries though, by the bottom of the second inning, things cooled down substantially in that area.

I decided to try the "Big Dog" last night, which is the replacement for the Dome Dog. I've heard some not so great comments about it, so I tried it myself. As far as a hot dog goes, it tasted OK. About the same as the Dome Dog did. Many people have complained that the temperature of the hot dog is somewhat on the cold side. That was not my experience last night.

A price comparison for you: I purchased a Big Dog and a regular Pepsi for a grand total of $9.25. The cheeseburger and fries without the drink, costs you $9.25.

Later on in the game, I tracked down a "retro vendor" that sells the Dugout Dog. It's a natural casing hot dog, and is slightly longer than a typical hot dog, but not "foot long" size. This particular hot dog has lots of good flavor and a nice, crisp taste. Hands down, the best of the 4 hot dogs Target Field has to offer. The key is, if you can find them. The vendors that sell them wear red and white striped short-sleeved shirts.

Unlike April 14 when I took the bus down, I drove last night and parked in the same spot I usually did for games at "the other place." So, I thought it would be interesting to calculate how exiting the park differed between the two modes of transportation.

Crowd traffic getting out of the park was pretty slow, in my estimation. We ended up taking the stairs down to the main level, which in hind sight was probably a mistake. While the crowds don't exit single file through a revolving door, it still takes a little bit to get out. Traffic entering to I-94 west from 3rd St. was about the same as it would be during rush-hour. Once you're on the freeway, you're good to go.

The upper level concourse at Target Field is probably no wider than the concourses at the Dome. I thought about this the other day..."what then is so different"? At the Dome, the 22-foot-wide upper concourse services about 33-to-34,000 people. At Target Field, the 22-foot-wide upper concourse services about 11,000 people. There are roughly 11,000 seats in the 300 level at Target Field. So, there is a lot less foot traffic.

Looking at the main concourse throughout the night, last night in particular, people were mostly standing at the top of the aisles, standing underneath the radiant heat lamps. Granted, this probably won't be a concern come June and July, but for these early season games, it does create a great deal of congestion on the main concourse. However, while it is congested, you can still move around fairly easily.

So, for the second game experience at Target Field, a great night, all-around.

Thanks for reading. Click the title of the post "Row 9" to see pictures from the game.

Target Field - what a sight Part II

2010-04-14T21:31:00.011-05:00

click on "Target Field - what a sight Part II" you will be led to the Flickr site where I posted the rest of my pictures-----

I went today to go see the Red Sox and the Twins. My first real game at Target Field.
Today had a bit of everything: sunshine, a Twins home run, a rain delay, and unfortunately a Twins loss.

It was one thing to be there for the open house; it was entirely another to be there for a game. Via my experience, I thought I might tell you about some more highlights and not-so-highlights of my trip today.

The concourses can get congested. I was down on the 100 level concourse and it moved along, but dodging in and out of people was as much of my experience today as it was at the Dome. However, even though there is gridlock in the concourse, it is wider (about twice as wide as the Dome), so you don't feel like you're stuck. It is probably one of those things that will slowly work itself out.

Exacerbating the situation were slow lines at concession stands. I got my food early, and before the end of the inning. But later on in the game, I went up to the concession stand for a Pepsi. The line was so long, I almost said "forget it". BUT, I looked over to the right, and there was a concession stand over by Gate 14 and the entrance to Hrbek's, just a few steps away that hardly had anyone at all.

I have heard others say that if the main concourse is too busy, you might find better luck on the 300 level concourse.

Food is good here, but expensive, so be prepared. My Dinger Dog (almost a foot-long hot dog), cheese curds (better than the State Fair) and Souvenir Pepsi came to about $14.

While I am on the subject of concessions, a quick note: not all concession stands are the same at Target Field. Example: I went to the Hennepin Grille concession stand behind our section to get a Big Dog (the replacement for the Dome Dog). I was informed that the Hennepin Grille did not sell the Big Dog, and that it could be found at a stand down by Section 105.

Which I probably would have figured out, if I had consulted the Concession Guide that I picked up today. It is a pocket-schedule-sized guide to all the concessions offered at Target Field (information can also be found at http://www.tasteoftwinsterritory.com). But, if I had gone to 105, I probably would have missed out on those cheese curds.

The sound system at Target Field is miles ahead of the Metrodome. However, where we were sitting in Section 110, I felt like I was front-row, main-floor at a Guns N' Roses concert. It seemed to me that the sound system was a bit, too loud back there. The back rows in the lower level sit underneath the Legends Club overhang. So, there are speakers aplenty; and also flat screen TV's.

Walking around on the Plaza, I felt like I was at the State Fair. The people roaming around, the smell of great food, sunshine - it had the feel and ambiance of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. There is lots of room, and if you're going for the first time, you can walk around with the greatest of ease to check out our new ballpark. Gates open 1.5 hours before weekday games, and 2 hours before weekend games.

And yes, we had a rain-delay today. Not much of a delay, 15 minutes at best, there is plenty to do and see at Target Field while waiting out the rain. There are several restaurants within Target Field that are open to all ticket holders. Hrbek's, over by Gate 14 (third base); the Town Ball Tavern on the left field side (inside the administration building) and also the Twins Pub - which if memory serves right, is on the Legends Club level, but is open to everyone.

You can also head over to the Majestic Clubhouse Store to find a souvenir. Beware: prices are hefty but there is a good selection of items.

And, while you're there, don't forget to take a look at the wind veil. It truly is a great piece of work and on a day like today, can capture your attention.

As for the Metrodome? I honestly can't believe we played there for 28 years.

Target Field - what a sight

2010-03-23T16:59:00.006-05:00

I was fortunate enough to score tickets from a friend to the Target Field open house last weekend (an event "exclusive" to season ticket holders), and was I ever surprised at what I saw.

Walking up to the ballpark from 6th St. was almost unreal. Slowly, walking by Target Center and over I-394, it started coming into view. The sounds, the people, the huge video board in left field. All the pictures I have been looking at for the last three years was right in front of me.

I wanted to sit in as many price locations as possible, see as much as possible, take as many pictures as possible (250 + to be exact). I'd like to leave you with some of my impressions:

As far as seating, anything is better than the Dome. I do highly recommend the Grandstand. The Grandstand sits between center field and right field. I don't, however, recommend the seats directly below it, the Powerball Pavillion. These seats, to me were very tight and uncomfortable; and I wasn't the only one that thought that. I heard comments from others who felt the same way.

I really enjoyed the Home Run Porch seats out in left field, as well as the left field bleachers. You won't be able to see the big video board as it will be directly behind you (the video board is positioned much the same manner as it is in the Dome). And, be warned, the upper seats in the Porch area are incredibly steep. If you thought the upper level seats at the Dome were steep, your legs haven't experienced anything yet.

It was so nice being able to walk the concourses there and not feel cramped. I honestly have no idea how many people were there that day, but it didn't seem like alot because the concourses are so spacious and wide.

And, buyer beware of the right field bleachers. Those were the last seats we tried (which was about 3pm). The sun had already passed by, so it was very shady and very windy back there. Well, early on in the season, buyer beware. On a July day, they might not be so bad. But, they are aluminum, so they can get cold on a cold day and will be scorching on a hot day.

I am pretty certain I did see seat cushions being sold in the Twins Store, however.

The overall experience was so great. The sound from the PA system didn't seem to carry as much as I thought it would. There wasn't much of an echo, or a 'delayed echo' that you sometimes get from loudspeaker systems outdoors. What really surprised me, was how little I actually heard standing on the plaza, outside the confines of the ballpark.

I knew the sound system was on, they were replaying game 163 from last season on the big scoreboard, but out on the plaza, you could hardly hear it. That is good news for surrounding neighbors, but potentially bad news for folks out on the plaza. There are lots of speakers throughout the concourses of the stadium though, so you will hear incredibly well when you're out getting a hot dog.

And, there are flat screen TV's aplenty at Target Field. Don't worry about missing any of the action.

One interesting note, as I entered the main gate, open house tickets in hand, I had to ask the ticket taker/security guard whether he needed to see the tickets. He didn't even ask me for them. The day before, I heard a story of someone who got tickets the same way I did (through another friend) and was actually stopped at the gate and his name was checked on a list (and he knew it wasn't going to be there).

So, I was relieved I didn't have my name checked against a list (these open houses were for season ticket holders after all); but surprised at the same time upon entering the ballpark and somewhat of a lac luster approach. Granted, when the turnstiles are installed and actual baseball begins at Target Field, things will probably be much better upon entry to the stadium.

It was nice to be there to explore areas (i.e. the club levels and suites) that I wouldn't get to explore without an expensive ticket or season ticket. The only spot at Target Field I missed was the Metropolitan Club, over on the right field side. It had been a long day and it was starting to feel like I had been to the State Fair.

It's only a few short days now until my first ever game at Target Field. Incidentally, I checked out my seats while at the open house. The Twins do warn people on their website that in the lower level, from about row 24 and up, part of the video board will be obstructed because the club level overhangs the lower level by a couple rows.

Well, I have row 24 in an 'obstructed' area. So I was a bit concerned. I could see the whole video board, no problem. One row up, row 25, might have been a different tale.

It was quite an experience.

Twins Ticket buying strategy

2010-03-13T16:23:00.003-06:00

Just as I did on March 1...I spent a good twenty minutes in an online "waiting room" for tickets to the rest of the Twins games this season at Target Field. Might I say, buying Twins tickets through their Web site is one of the most infuriating experiences you'll ever have.

I sat with five browsers open, each for a different weekend game. Many times I saw messages telling me the transaction activity was too high or the number of seats I was looking for was unavailable in a particular section.

After much perseverance, I finally did score tickets in the Family Section on August 1 against the Mariners.
Please note, this will be my last time purchasing tickets through the Twins Web site.

However, there are alot of other reputable sites through which to purchase Twins tickets. I'd like to share some of them with you:

http://www.ticketkingonline.com/ - a Hudson, WI-based company who guarantees their tickets. They are pricey however. Tickets for the opening game against the Boston Red Sox are taking in anywhere from $200-$400 a ticket, and that's just in the upper reaches of the stadium. Team performance can sometimes affect the going rate for tickets here, and they can substantially go down during the season.

http://www.stubhub.com/ - A ticket broker service that, if memory serves correctly, is the "official" secondary ticket supplier for Major League Baseball. Note of caution, the "fees" and other charges associated with this particular service are rather high. Buyer beware.

http://www.ebay.com/ - I think everyone knows eBay. eBay is an online auction site, and I've seen several listings for Twins tickets in the last few days. Incidentally, my tickets for the Oct. 4 game last season were purchased via a contact I made through eBay looking for tickets to another game. Of course, with eBay, the highest bid wins, and shipping charges are usually reasonable.

Of course, there's always the old-fashioned way of going to the Twins ticket office at Target Field and purchasing tickets walk-up. Games this year are in very high demand however, and I'm beginning to wonder exactly how many tickets will be available for walk-ups once the season starts.

After two successful but irritating experiences buying from the Twins Web site, I have opted to stick with eBay and a "ticket exchange" group that is being started with members of a blog site I frequent which has been tracking the construction of Target Field since the funding bill was originally passed in May, 2006.

It still promises to be a great season, and I can't wait for my first game on April 14.

Twins ticketing procedures

2010-03-02T17:52:00.004-06:00

I'd like to look for a moment at some of the new ticketing and seating procedures you will see from the Minnesota Twins, procedures that are different from what they have been at the Dome for so many years, and how the Twins are informing the fans about them.

The Twins have done a very good job on their Web site informing fans of new things that will be awaiting them at Target Field that have not been existent in the Dome.

First, it must be noted that not all 39,506 seats at Target Field will be the same. Some will be plastic seats, a la the Dome. However, others will be padded, some will have wooden seat backs, and some will be bleacher seats. The Twins put together this page (http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/ballpark/tf_seat_by_section.jsp) on their Web site to show you what parts of the stadium have what kinds of seats.

The Twins also have a 3D seat-simulator on seats3d.com which shows you section-by-section an approximate view from your seat. Just click on a section, and the simulator generates an image within seconds. This simulator can be found here: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/ballpark/seat_view.jsp .

As I noted in an earlier post, the Twins are also informing fans that transportation around Target Field will be much different from the Dome. Target Field has been lauded as being one of the most accessible and transit-friendly parks in Major League Baseball. This portion of their website, http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/ballpark/transportation/index.jsp tells you all of your options.

The team is strongly suggesting mass transit to get to the ballpark. There also is ample parking within just a few short blocks of the stadium. Be warned, rush-hour traffic could be a nightmare after some of those 12:10 starts start letting out around 3pm (my first game at Target Field on April 14 is a 12:10 start. I'm planning on taking the bus). Plan accordingly.

Target Field is a new stadium. Most fans might think, "Obstructed view seats? In a new ballpark? Perish the thought!" Indeed, there are some partially-obstructed-view seats at Target Field.

I must preface this by saying I won the opportunity, along with several other fans, to get first crack at purchasing tickets for the first regular-season series at Target Field against the Boston Red Sox. I was emailed a special password and had to wait in an e-waiting room for my chance to purchase tickets. After about 20 minutes and much patience (and 3 browser windows open) I had my chance. 2 seats, Section 111 Row 24. 62 bucks a pop. But, hey, it's worth it.

My seats, which are closer to home plate than first base are considered "partially-obstructed." Why? The seating level above section 111 overhangs the lower level. Because of that, a portion of the scoreboard in left field will not be visible. Also, because of the angle of the seats further down on the first base side, plays made in the right-field corner will probably be out of sight.

Being there is good enough for me. I won't be too concerned about that. But, I found all that out here: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/ticketing/restricted_view.jsp .

Here is a new one, that I don't think the Twins have dealt with yet, but probably will soon enough. And that is the issue of rain outs. For the last 27 years, we haven't had to worry about rain outs. Now, it could pose a problem. I have seen a prototype of the tickets the Twins will be using this year, and towards the bottom of the stub are printed the words "Rain Check."

I have not heard or seen anything from the Twins in regards to rain/weather procedures. I'm too young to remember how they did it at Met Stadium. You'll probably be able to use the ticket for the make-up game, whenever that occurs, and go see the rest of the game you paid for. Of course, rain outs give us a fun little thing in baseball: doubleheaders.

Of course, it would be prudent to note that, if you have a ticket for Game A, and Game A is rained out and is played in a doubleheader the next day with Game B, you're only entitled to go to Game A, and not both. Unless of course you have season tickets; or purchased a couple games back-to-back. If you stay for Game B and only have a ticket for Game A, be ready to come face-to-face with an angry fan because you're sitting in their seat!

I'm sure within the next few weeks, weather procedures will be worked out.

It is hard to believe that Target Field will see its first Twins game one month from today, on April 2 (an exhibition game against the St Louis Cardinals). The Gophers baseball team will play at the stadium on March 27, mostly as a dry-run for ballpark staff, concession procedures, entry procedures and so forth.

So far, the Twins have done a great job in the PR department, gearing people up for a new experience in Twins baseball.

No More Dome Dogs ??!!??

2010-02-24T16:50:00.003-06:00

Continuing my writings on the PR of the Minnesota Twins as they move closer towards baseball at Target Field (it won't be long now), here's an interesting one I heard today, Hormel won't be the hot dog supplier at Target Field.

According to an article in today's StarTribune (http://www.startribune.com/local/85210112.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUr) Hormel is ending a corporate sponsorship with the Twins that has existed since 2001.

Personally, I had thought that Hormel might get the naming rights for the Twins' new ballpark. Hormel Field does have a nice ring to it. And, it is a local company.

If you've been to a Twins game, you see every once in a while promotional items from Hormel, stadium signage, and lest we forget the infamous "Hormel Row of Fame" in-stadium promotion where every fan in one lucky row, in a section picked at random wins a "Hormel hot dog treat," as the song goes.

With Hormel's departure, the Dome Dog will also depart from concession stands at the Dome. I have mixed feelings about that. First, the Dome Dog isn't one of those pre-cooked hot dogs that are placed in tin wrap and stuck in a warmer for three hours, making the bun soggy and the hot dog mediocre. Dome Dogs are placed on a fresh sesame seed bun (I believe the Our Family brand). Not only that, you also get a bag of chips.

While Hormel may not be the greatest hot dog on the market, I will miss the Dome Dog. Ever since its inception a few years ago, Dome Dogs are my meal of choice at the Dome, regardless of the event.

Apparently, according to the article, the parting was an "amicable" one. But, we are now left to wonder who will supply our hot dogs at the open-air Target Field in just a few short weeks. I have also read that the new concessionaire for Target Field, Delaware North SportService, specializes in hot dogs in the stadiums and arenas they service; so, maybe they'll come up with something better than the Dome Dog.

Maybe a hot dog and, cheese curds?

Report from TwinsFest 2010

2010-01-29T19:53:00.004-06:00

Spring is in the air - it's time once again for TwinsFest at the Metrodome. 2010 marks the 21st installment of the annual festival celebrating your Minnesota Twins.

This is my second consecutive year going to TwinsFest. I went last year, and thought to myself, "they've done this for 20 years now, why haven't I been here until now?" It's a big enough deal that even this morning's Pioneer Press and Star Tribune newspapers had cover stories on their sports pages about the event.

I decided to do things a little differently this year: I got my tickets in advance, instead of waiting out in the cold at the ticket office to buy them at the Dome. It saves four dollars; advance tickets are $8, "at the door" tickets are $12.

I left for the Dome immediately after work on Friday January 29th, with the gates opening at 4pm, it gave me an hour to get downtown and to the Dome. The lines getting into the stadium (only 2 gates were used for entry, Gate F and Gate H) were incredibly long. And, between folks standing at the ticket offices getting tickets, and those in line waiting to get in - it got a bit confusing.

I got to the Dome at about 3:40 pm and I didn't actually get inside the stadium until 4:15. The line seemed to move quickly at 4, when the gates opened, but then lulled as we got closer to the gate. Years ago, ticket takers at the gate, would tear a small portion off the ticket. Sporting events, concerts, operas - you name it - use electronic ticket bar code scanners these days. Apparently, one of the electronic scanners wasn't working correctly, and slowed everything up.

What really surprises me, is shortly after the Twins departed the Dome, the stadium officials took the turnstiles out of the stadium. You'd think, without the turnstiles, the lines might move faster getting inside. Not so much. I think it took longer for me to walk the 20 feet to the gate, than it did for me to follow the line around the stadium waiting to get in.

Once inside, many things have changed. The Vikings have painted purple all over the concourses. You wouldn't even know a baseball team played there; although the baseball configuration is used for TwinsFest.

Familiar exhibits filled the field including "Down Memory Lane" which this year was a collection of items from the Twins' three ballparks: Met Stadium, the Metrodome and their new ballpark, Target Field. It was a good collection of memorabilia, especially from the days of the Met. The Twins also cancelled some TwinsFest staples this year, namely dugout, clubhouse and press box tours.

Most of my time was spent at the Target Field display. I grabbed all the ticket information, seat charts, pocket schedules and other assorted paraphernalia I could get my hands on. It is hard to believe in just three short months, the Twins will be playing outdoors.

I played a few of the "spin the wheel" games. I put $5 down at one, and ended up winning an autographed Bob Feller bobblehead doll; a bobblehead that sells for $40 at the Bob Feller Museum in Iowa.

I was a bit disappointed to see the lack of Target Field merchandise at this year's TwinsFest. I asked one of the folks in the Twins Pro Shop section if they had any Target Field t-shirts or anything; no such luck. I was tempted however to buy one of the new home jerseys, unveiled a couple months ago, the one that pays homage to the jerseys worn in the early 1960s.

The Metrodome seems to work well for TwinsFest. The Twins have looked into hosting it at a convention center or hotel, according to the Pioneer Press article, but because the event is so large (TwinsFest boasts the largest sports card and memorabilia show in the Upper Midwest), and the Metrodome's capacity to hold large groups of people, the Dome seems to win out.

And, truth be told, for obvious reasons, Target Field would seem out of the picture as well.

Patrick Klinger, director of marketing for the Twins praised the Dome in this morning's Pioneer Press article saying that, "[the Dome is] really a perfect venue for TwinsFest." Yes, it was great to be back in the old place again; but also to look forward to what lies ahead at Target Field.

As a final note, one of the sports card displays set up on the field (if you haven't been to TwinsFest, you would be surprised how many tables and exhibits are set up on the field) had unused tickets from previous Twins seasons at the Met and at the Dome. I looked for those two tickets I lost on my way out of the final game at the Dome last October - no luck.

Saint Paul wants a ballpark now

2010-01-26T16:53:00.002-06:00

We have tried this before, haven't we?

I seem to remember a pitch (forgive the pun) the Twins made a few years ago to build a ballpark in downtown Saint Paul - right across the street from the Xcel Energy Center if memory serves correctly. It didn't go over very well.

According to this morning's Pioneer Press, the Saint Paul Saints will be asking for a mere $25 million in state money to aid the construction of a new ballpark in the Lowertown area of Saint Paul. It seems to be a pretty neat location, as the new Lafayette Bridge will seemingly be visible just beyond the center field wall.

Reasons for needing a new ballpark for the Saints are numerous. Their current home, Midway Stadium is in "bad shape" according to the article - everything from a not-so-well operated concession stand to portable toilets outside the stadium are reasons for the Saints asking for state help.

I've been to a Saints game once. Best seats I've ever had for a baseball game, or any sporting event for that matter. A friend gave me tickets and he was one of the first to buy season tickets all the way back in 1993 when the Saints first started. He gave me four seats, front row, right behind home plate.

I can't say, even all those years ago, that Midway Stadium was impressive. It is a minor-league ballpark, after all. I do remember the long concession lines. Mike Veeck, owner of the Saints said in the article that the main problem at Midway is the concession service. "People get in line, and aren't seen for 3 1/2 innings," he said.

Midway has played host to some concerts, and other than Saints games, amateur baseball games. And, for a small concrete slab with bleachers on Energy Park Drive, isn't incredibly impressive, as I mentioned earlier. As for a possible replacement, Veeck said, "[We're] trying to figure out what would make it fun, sexy and first of it's kind...."

Just what on the blue earth makes a ballpark "sexy"? That's a new one to me. Most teams that build new buildings, whatever level of play, whatever sport, usually use words such as "unique," "first-class" and "modern" to describe their new buildings. "Sexy," not so much.

I saw some renderings of what a new ballpark might look like (I tried to find them online, with no luck). Honestly, they didn't get me excited. It looked a little strange for a ballpark. On the other hand, the Saints and strange antics seem to go hand-in-hand. But, nonetheless, the renderings I saw didn't say to me, "unique" or "first-class" or..."sexy;" whatever that means.

Getting to Target Field

2010-01-15T16:50:00.002-06:00

While I was going through my emails today, I got a daily email from the Twin Cities Business Journal about a new website the Twins are putting up (the "new" site is embedded within their regular website) informing folks about transportation options to Target Field, come April.

If you are familiar with the location of Target Field, it really is in a very accessible part of downtown. There really is not an absence of routes to get there. The main issue really, is traffic management getting in, and more importantly, out of downtown after a game. Through this new website (http://www.destinationtargetfield.com), the Twins are laying out your options in black and white.

According to the article from the Business Journal(http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2010/01/11/daily49.html), Target Field will be the most "transit-friendly" ballpark in Major League Baseball. I-94 accesses the park from the east and west, as does I-394. State Highway 55 runs near the park. Then you have light rail coming from the south, and a commuter rail line coming from the north.

The big issue though, is how to get out after games. And this doesn't apply to just the 40,000 ticket holders, but perhaps commuters that might get snarled up in post-game traffic during those occasional weekday 12:10 starts. This new website is really a good move by the Twins. I am still trying to sort out how I should leave downtown after a game. I have not-so-nice visions of bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to get back on to I-94 westbound.

The Twins do suggest coming early and also staying later. They also suggest using the same mode of parking that you do now for games at the Metrodome.

That's also been a big issue for me, where should I park? I certainly would not suggest parking in the ABC Ramps right there between Target Field and Target Center. You'd have to think many of the available spaces would be reserved for season ticket holders, and whatever is left would be at a premium parking rate.

Personally, I think I'll take the Twins' advice and come early. I'm planning on attending mostly day games in the new ballpark. The lot I usually park in is probably the same distance from Target Field as it is from the Metrodome, just a different direction. I am concerned though about whether or not the lot will raise its rates. And I just hop the light rail to get the rest of the way (especially on those rainy and/or cold days). Oh, I'll just admit it, I love riding that train.

The Twins are pushing for fans to use MetroTransit once Target Field opens. Many bus routes go right by the ballpark. The Hiawatha Light Rail comes in there, as does the Northstar Commuter line. Eventually the Central Corridor light rail from Saint Paul will end at Target Field as will a proposed light rail line that will predominantly use County Road 81 that goes through Crystal, Robbinsdale, etc.

I might end up doing that myself, the bus I would take from my home in North Minneapolis to downtown, stops right in front of the ballpark. And, for a base-fare of $1.75, I can't beat that. I'll just have to try several different options out and see which works the best.

Welcome back Joe!

2010-01-08T16:14:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year everyone. I trust all of your holiday celebrations went well - and we all survived the winter storm over Christmas.

Well back to it. The greatest news I heard this entire week was that Joe Schmit, formerly the main sports anchor at KSTP Channel 5, is regaining his position as the main sports anchor, beginning next week.

The reason for Schmit's departure in 2006, is still a mystery to me. I heard some folks say it was because he was old - and they threw him out. And, other reports I heard was that he was merely taking a break from television.

Schmit was also shifted to news desk anchor before he left KSTP. According to an article from the Pioneer Press, Schmit held the news anchor position for "a little more than a year." After leaving KSTP, Schmit went on to a job with the John T. Petters Foundation - a subsidiary of the Petters Group, which, of course was led by Tom Petters. We all know how that turned out.

Prior to leaving 5 Eyewitness News, Schmit had been at KSTP for 20 years. When I heard Schmit was coming back, I was very happy to hear the news. KSTP had a brief little segment about his return on the 10 o'clock news last night. There were hugs all around for Schmit from old colleagues, as well as new friends at the station.

Schmit told the Pioneer Press, "I felt like Brett Favre for a while, I changed my mind a couple of times during the process. But the stars aligned and we were able to work it out that it made great sense to me and the station to come back."

On top of being main sports anchor, Schmit will also be sports director at KSTP. Phil Aldridge, who is currently the main sports anchor at KSTP, will move to the weekend shift - until July, when it is rumored Aldridge will be leaving the station. Schmit will assume the sports anchor position next week.

Welcome back, Joe. You've been missed.

You may read the Pioneer Press article here: http://www.twincities.com/ci_14141361?source=most_viewed

Too many sports teams?

2009-12-15T16:38:00.004-06:00

I read the Twin Cities Business Journal on a regular basis, and this morning, I read an article that caught my attention; apparently, the Twin Cities has too many professional sports teams.

The study was conducted by Portfolio.com, and they tested 82 markets to determine the financial capacity of cities in both the United States and Canada to support professional sports. The professional sports they studied are teams in baseball, football, basketball, football and soccer.

Here in the Twin Cities, we have a Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the Twins. We have a team in the National Football League (NFL), the Vikings. A team in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Timberwolves, and finally, a team in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Wild.

This is the second time the Twin Cities has had four teams, in four major leagues. This region had four teams from 1989-1993. The Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves and our old NHL team, the North Stars. Of course, the North Stars moved to Dallas at the end of the 1993 season.

So, we've done this before, and we've done well - in my estimation. The reason the North Stars left had nothing to do with attendance (having been in the Stanley Cup Playoffs a couple years earlier). The move had a little to do with the arena (the Met Center was getting old, and with the Timberwolves' new Target Center having opened a year earlier, made it hard for the Bloomington arena to stay competitive). The move had a great deal to do with Stars' owner Norm Green and personal issues he was dealing with, including his marriage.

I read somewhere that Norm's wife (I believe it was in Jay Weiner's 2000 book Stadium Games) gave Norm an ultimatum: either sell the team, or move to Dallas. And to the disappointment of many Minnesotans, Green chose the latter.

The Twin Cities got an NHL franchise back on June 22, 1997, to begin play in 2000, and we've been a four-team market ever since. The Twins stuck it out and waited 11 years to get a new ballpark to keep them competitive. The Wild sell out every game at the Xcel Energy Center. The Timberwolves are happy, just uncompetitive on the court.

This is just my opinion, but instead of complaining about having too many teams, wouldn't that be considered a good business model? A market this size, supporting four teams? The Twin Cities isn't the size of Los Angeles, and yet, we have an NFL team, Los Angeles doesn't. Saint Louis is a good-sized market, as is Kansas City; and neither has an NBA team. Kansas City had all four teams back in the 70s, but lost their NBA team to Sacramento in 1985; and their three-year-old NHL team to Denver in 1975.

I don't quite understand why soccer was thrown into the mix. Yes, we do have a pro soccer team here, the Minnesota Thunder, but they are in a minor-league type situation. They are not a member franchise of MLS (Major League Soccer), which sometimes uses NFL stadiums for their games; although, many teams are building smaller, soccer-specific stadiums.

With the stadium issue of the Minnesota Vikings once again waiting to rear its head in the 2010 Minnesota State Legislative session, and the NFL deciding to cut its revenue-sharing program for smaller-market teams (i.e. the Vikings), it will be interesting to see how much longer the Twin Cities will remain a market with four (five if you throw in the Thunder) pro teams. But, so far, I think we're doing well.

To read the article from the Twin Cities Business Journal, click here:
http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/12/14/story9.html

Thanks for reading, and have a great Christmas season.

Minnesota Twins PR Part 2 - Rebranding

2009-12-02T16:27:00.004-06:00

In my second installment of analyzing the Minnesota Twins' PR, on the way to opening their new ballpark, I'd like to discuss their recent re-branding efforts, as they are headed into their 50th season of baseball in Minnesota.

The Twins re-branding effort does not have too many major changes. There are some small changes. The new primary logo is similar to what they have now, with the exception of the word "Minnesota Twins Baseball Club" added to it. This is a little strange to me. I think most people, especially those in Minnesota and neighboring states, understand full well that the Twins are a baseball team.

This is my opinion, but if your product is good (this applies to all business), if your company is respectable or if your company has been around for 50 years or more, you shouldn't have to tell people what it is. For instance, the big, cursive, capital G is the logo for General Mills. The logo says it all. People know the logo, they trust the products with that logo on it and they purchase products with that logo on it. General Mills' logo speaks for itself, they don't need to add to their logo "cereal company."

A good corporate brand should be able to speak for itself.

The Twins have also designed a commemorative logo to honor both their 50th season in Minnesota and their inaugural season at Target Field. Both were designed very well. The inaugural logo is maybe a tad overboard on the blue tones; but still looks nice. The colors on the 50-year logo blend very nicely together and create a sharp, distinctive image.

Lastly, there have been some more noticeable changes on the uniforms for the 2010 season. The road uniform seems to have undergone the most significant changes. It is a slightly lighter shade of grey (the Grateful Dead song is probably coming to mind right about now) than the previous road uniform that has been used since the 1987 season. The pinstripes on the road uniform are also gone. Instead of a block-letter "Minnesota" across the chest of the uniform, "Minnesota" now stands out in a very nice script logo.

The primary home uniform is virtually unchanged, but I've saved the best for last. Last season, the final season at the Dome, the Twins designed an alternate home uniform that replicated the uniforms the Twins wore the first year in the Dome in 1982. The Twins have designed another "throwback" home uniform that replicates the home uniforms worn in the 1960s at Met Stadium, when Twins fans cheered on Harmon Killebrew and Rod Carew. The color scheme, script logo and sleeve logo from the 1960s jersey is replicated in this new alternate jersey that will be worn for Saturday home games.

All in all, the Twins have done a good job in re-branding themselves for the next generation of baseball here in Minnesota. To take a look at the changes yourself, click this link: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/photogallery/year_2009/month_11/day_16/cf7673110.html

Thanks for reading.

The Minnesota Twins' moving sale

2009-11-11T16:33:00.004-06:00

Again, I'm sorry for my absence in writing. It's just that I've waited for something to write about. I thought over my next couple entries, it might be fun to analyze the PR of the Minnesota Twins organization in getting ready for their move to Target Field next season. So, I will attempt to do that over my next few entries.

The first PR move that I thought would be good to talk about was last weekend's "moving sale." Not to be degrading or anything, (I think most of my readers will find this funny), do you want to know how to win a Minnesotan’s heart? Tell them there’s a garage sale.

I am technically not from Minnesota. I was born in South Dakota. But, being that I’ve lived in Minnesota since I was 6 months old, I do know that Minnesotans love garage sales. Last weekend, the Minnesota Twins had a "garage sale" – unloading 28 years worth of stuff accumulated during their tenure at the Metrodome.

Call it what you want – garage sale, moving sale, rummage sale (actually all of those terms were used to describe it) – the Twins did something I have not seen another team do before moving to a new stadium. I try to be very on top of who is getting new stadiums, arenas, ballparks; and this is the first time I’ve heard of a team unloading years worth of stuff for their fans’ benefit.

I thought the Twins organized this event very well. I got there early enough to be standing in line in front of Gate D (I’ll admit, the line went further back than that). The entry was Gate F. The Twins offered free parking in their surface lot, which as you can imagine was full. I arrived at the stadium at 9:30 and it still took me until 10:15 to get inside. They also made sure that everyone didn't enter at the same time. They did let people enter in shifts, so as to prevent over-crowding in the 22-foot-wide concourses.

The Twins had everything: pennants, baseballs, caps, shirts, posters, publications, banners…you name it, they probably had it. The strange part was that all this paraphernalia was inside the concourse. I thought, “why not have it on the field?” Well, the tape recording on the outside of the stadium told us why: there was an Augsburg-Saint Johns football game at 11.

Inside, while being crowded, was also very organized. At each table, you told the volunteers what items you wanted, they bagged it up for you, and you pushed your way through the concourse – table after table, until you got to the cashiers in front of Gate H. At least they didn’t make people pay at every table. It was hard enough trying to see over everyone’s shoulder trying to see what was there.

Some of the items were of no interest to me; I’ve never been a collector of bobbleheads. I know collectors love them and they go for hundreds of dollars on eBay, but I was after the “harder to find” things. For instance, I was able to snag a program from the groundbreaking of Target Field – the original date. The Twins had to move the groundbreaking ceremony back three weeks in 2007 in respect for the victims of the 35W bridge collapse. The program I got had the original August 2, 2007 date on it.

There were promotional items from the final season at the Dome I picked up, including plastic ticket holders (which, if you read a blog entry I did about the final Twins game at the Dome, you can understand why I got these). Also in the mix I got a Target Field calendar, a 2009 opening day pennant, a Kirby Puckett Weekend program, and some other small things.

This event was supposed to go from 10am to 4pm. A gentleman I spoke with in the line to pay told me he didn’t think the sale would go until 4pm, the way things were going. The Twins said that anything that wasn’t sold would be saved for other events like TwinsFest. And some items would be placed in a museum at Target Field.

Overall, as impromptu as this event was (I believe the full details were announced only about a week before the actual sale), it was a success; and really was a good PR move by the Twins. It provided a once-in-a-lifetime (for some) opportunity to get items that most teams would probably throw away. If the Minnesota Vikings ever get their new stadium built, hopefully they took notes on how well this event turned out for the Twins.

For November 7, the weather was nice for everyone standing outside waiting to get in. It was probably a major factor in why 15,000 people came. Amidst our ill-conceived idea to build a ballpark sans-retractable roof, it’s possible the weather gnomes will begin to show us favor. Either that or they’re gearing up to pull a real good one on us come April 12, 2010, the scheduled opener for Target Field against the Boston Red Sox, and dump six inches of snow about the same time Joe Mauer steps to the plate for the first time.

When tragedy strikes at the arena

2009-10-09T22:47:00.003-05:00

Some of you might have heard it on SportsCenter this morning, like I did. As fans were leaving the St. Louis Blues' (NHL) game at the Scottrade Center in Saint Louis, one of the escalators carrying fans malfunctioned and several were injured in the accident.

No one was killed, thankfully. Thirteen people were injured, according to the story at http://www.bnd.com/breaking_news/story/958726.html . Things do happen, even at the sports arena. Several years ago, Wayne Gretzky's wife was struck in the head by a piece of plexiglass that had come loose after a hockey player slammed an opponent into it. About 12 years ago, a section of bleachers, loaded with fans collapsed at a San Jose Sharks home game. And in 2002, a 13-year-old girl was killed by an errant hockey puck that flew over the plexiglass, and hit her in the head.

These incidents have just happened in the National Hockey League (NHL). Other professional sports have had similar incidents at their games in various arenas.

A gentleman from Belleville, IL, Shayne Hill, was seriously hurt in the accident. His foot got caught at the bottom of the escalator where two of the stairs collapsed into each other. His shoe had to be cut off to get him free. If being caught at the bottom of an escalator, "with nowhere to go" as he put it wasn't bad enough, other fans on the escalator had started falling on top of him.

Another fan had pushed the emergency stop on the escalator to prevent further injuries. If that hadn't happened, Hill said, "It could have been a lot worse." The Blues, while seemingly not issuing much in the news release category (at least that I saw) did spring into action. Dave Checketts, an executive with the team visited injured persons in the hospital. “He apologized for the incident in person, which I thought was a very nice gesture," Hill said.

Hill also said that he had tickets for this Saturday's (Oct. 10) game in the 300 level of the arena. With an injured foot, it's all but an impossibility to get up there. "[The Blues] graciously offered to upgrade my seats to be (team President) John Davidson's personal guest in his suite," Hill said.

I did not see a written statement or a news release on the Saint Louis Blues website. This surprised me; just because so many people were involved, and if nothing else, to reassure fans attending future Blues games at the Scottrade Center, that it is safe to attend events there.

"The safety of our fans is always our first and foremost concern. We are hopeful that they are well and being taken care of and we have already begun to investigate the cause of the accident," was the only 'statement' I could find regarding the incident (quoted in the article link above). It was made by Eric Gelfand, a spokesman for SCP Worldwide - the group that manages the Scottrade Center.

However, FOX2 in Saint Louis, reports that Peter McLoughlin, CEO of Blues Enterprises did make a statement saying, "The safety of our fans and customers is always first and most in our minds." That is almost identical to what Gelfand said.

Actions do speak louder than words-or a press release even. The Blues organization did visit injured fans in the hospital. The Blues president did make a very nice gesture to Hill by allowing him to sit in the owner's suite as a replacement for his Saturday game tickets. But, what about someone like Kim Muren, also of Belleville and injured in the accident, who said in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch that she, "never plans to ride an escalator again after this."

So, given Muren's comment, it seems that a little damage control is in order for the Saint Louis Blues. Which leads me back to my statement earlier, that a press release or a written statement by the organization posted on the website would have gone a long way for fans like Muren, who now, will think twice when deciding where to buy seats for events at the Scottrade Center.

Memories of the Metrodome

2009-10-05T17:52:00.005-05:00

Or what we thought was the final game at the Dome. Final regular-season game it turned out to be.

I am a collector of sports stuff from inaugural games, final games, etc. Back in April, I perused eBay for a ticket from the "Final Dome Opener," and am still on my quest to find one, even though I wasn't there. But one fellow eBayer emailed me and said "I'd be willing to sell you tickets to the last game, and you can keep the tickets as souvenirs."

So, he did. We settled on a fair price, which he informed me was about the cheapest I'd find them. So, I was one of 51,400 fans present at the Dome on October 4, 2009.
It truly was a great game. Even though it wasn't the "final" game, it was still exciting and felt very much like 1987. Here are just some of my thoughts on the final regular-season game at the Dome.

Being amongst that many fans is a Twins experience I've had maybe once. I was at the Dome in 1987 awaiting the team's arrival with 55,000 fans. This was after the Twins beat Detroit and was on their way home for the World Series.

The crowd was electric. I was up in Section 232 Row 19 with my brother. We'd been planning this outing for months. It dawned on me in the bottom of the 3rd inning, that my dad and I sat in Section 232 for the first Twins game I ever went to back in 1986.

I don't know how the Vikings cope with sellout crowds in the claustrophobic concourses at the Dome. And the Vikes draw 15,000 more than the Twins did on Sunday. It took quite some time to get to the concession stands; and if you wanted to go to the restroom...forget it.

We had a gentleman in our section who really made it a fun night. He bought out two vendors' supply. Early on in the game, he bought one vendor's supply of cotton candy, and just threw bags of whipped sugar to folks in Sec. 232, and even one in Sec. 233. Later on, he did the same to the Cracker Jack vendor, and distributed Cracker Jack in the same manner. One comment that came from a fan above us, "When's the beer coming?"

You couldn't ask for a more fitting regular-season finale. Twins 13 Royals 4. Incidentally, the final game at Met Stadium in 1981 was also against the Royals. Apparently, only 16,000 showed up for that game. And, a tie-breaker playoff game to boot. Considering the Twins lost their inaugural home opener at the Dome in 1982, and went on to have an abysmal 60-102 record, it only seemed fitting to close the place out with a playoff appearance.

Surprisingly, only about 30,000 stayed for the post-game ceremony. My brother and I were going to stay until the very end. The ceremony was terrific. Seeing all the old "Dome-era" players on the field was really something. Emotions started to rise, goosebumps and lumps in the throat formed when radio announcer John Gordon, who was the ceremony's emcee announced, "There is only one member of the All Metrodome Team who is not with us." That of course being Kirby Puckett, who died in 2006. They even played an old tape of the Twins' original PA announcer Bob Casey (who also passed away several years ago) calling out the infamous announcement, "Batting third, center-fielder, number 34, Kirbeeeeeee Puckett!"

And, the number one moment in the Top 100 Metrodome Moments countdown, which they've done live at the games all season, was the now infamous home run by Puckett in game six, with Jack Buck's call, "and we'll see ya, tomorrow night." Also, beginning last season, a countdown placard over in left field counted down from 162 (2 home seasons of 81 games each, also a full Major League season). I went to TwinsFest this year, when the placard was at 81. And, seeing the final number come off the sign was exciting. The sign reads "Countdown to Outdoor Baseball." Under the number one, was a bulls-eye, the logo for the Twins' new ballpark naming sponsor, Target.

There was also a video presentation live from Target Field where other Twins greats, Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva raised Twins flags at the ballpark site.

Kent Hrbek made some comments about the game - including the fact that it was not going to be the last of the last games at the Dome. "You guys screwed up my whole speech," he said. But, even with the "stupid roof" as he called it, there were great memories at the Metrodome. In preparing the crowd for the tie-breaker game, Hrbek said, "It gives us a chance to drink some more beer!"

Who knows how much longer the Dome will last for the Twins. Already, the Vikings are re-doing signage outside the stadium, with large pictures of Vikings players above the gates, and all across the top of the stadium, purple banners; some of which bear the stadium's new moniker: Mall of America Field. There is very little evidence remaining outside of the stadium that a baseball team ever played there.

The only negative of the day, on my way out, the tickets I used to get inside the stadium, fell out of my program as I went through the revolving door.

The Metrodome Gets a New Name

2009-10-01T16:29:00.006-05:00

Imagine my shock today, when I looked at my daily email from the Twin Cities Business Journal saying that the Vikings have sold the field naming rights to the Mall of America.(http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/09/28/daily47.html?ed=2009-10-01&ana=e_du_pub)

Call it what you want, the Hump, the Dump, the Humpty Dumpty...this one does take me by surprise. I know why they named the place the way they did back in 1982: after Senator Hubert H. Humphrey. But, the Dome seems to be a mediocre tribute to a famous Minnesota politician.

The article cites reasons why the Vikings did it: they are the only tenant left in the Dome as of next Monday (Oct. 5). The Gophers are gone, and the Twins will be moving into their new Target Field next April; however, the transition of the Twins offices to the new ballpark will probably take place much sooner. This deal is at least one means of making some extra revenue for the Vikings - now that they don't have 81 guaranteed nights of revenue from concessions, tickets, advertising and so forth.

The article begs the question, why would the Vikings ink a deal like this, with only a year-and-a-half left on their lease? They've been telling us for years, at the end of the 2011 season, their time is up. So, will a naming rights deal with the Mall of America really make that much of a difference?

There seems to be a catch, however. The naming deal does not expire until February 2012. According to the article, "the [Vikings] described the arrangements as a short-term rebranding effort." The fact that it is a "rebranding effort" piques my curiosity. I know that there has been some light talk as of late about a renovated Metrodome which the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission (the group that operates the Dome) touts as "Metrodome Next."

So, is this to suggest that the wheels are spinning for "Metrodome Next" to come to fruition; and the naming deal with the Mall of America is an inroad to the future of the Vikings and the Metrodome? I'm not entirely sure what is meant by a "short-term rebranding effort," usually, if you re-brand something, it's should stick for more than three years. Are the Vikings suggesting that a much larger re-branding effort is in the works somewhere?

The new naming rights deal will be unveiled on Monday Oct. 5 (the day after the Twins' final home game) during the Monday Night Football (R) matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

Finally, back on campus

2009-09-15T18:33:00.003-05:00

Well, unfortunately, I wasn't at the Gophers-Air Force game on Sept. 12 to welcome on-campus football back to the University of Minnesota. But, I can proudly say, I watched the entire game on the Big Ten Network; and for me, it was fun seeing a Gopher home game in a setting other than the Metrodome.

The commentators raved all night long about how the stadium "was done right." Still, others have commented to me that TCF Bank Stadium, "looks just like the old one." Well, maybe not EXACTLY like the old one.

Memorial Stadium was the last on-campus stadium at the U of M, vacated in 1981 for the sterile Metrodome a couple miles away. And, there were plenty of things missing in that stadium that are present in TCF Bank Stadium. Memorial Stadium, aka "the brickhouse" had all bench seating. TCF Stadium has about half bench seating, half chair-back seating. However, the University has taken an interesting approach to the bleacher seating. For a little over $40 a year, season ticket holders in the bleacher areas of the stadium can have a stadium seat installed professionally.

This site: http://www.twinsballpark2010.com in a post entitled "A Football Place - Nuts and Bolts" has some good pictures of what the installed stadium seats look like.

And of course, TCF Stadium has a much larger, hi-def video scoreboard, private suites, artificial turf (that really does look like grass) - all amenities that were absent at Memorial Stadium.

Amidst the excitement of being back on campus, and high praise from TV commentators, the opening was not without a few glitches. Many reports said that entry into the stadium was slow - with security measures and all. A big complaint was the concession operations. Apparently, the concession stands at the stadium don't have cash registers. They use a barcode system for each concession item, then add the total on your basic Texas Instrument calculator.

Hmm...almost $300 million to build the place, and no cash registers. Alcohol is also absent from the stadium. You might remember there was a big discussion about alcohol sales at the stadium, whether it should be available in the high-priced seats only, or to everyone. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty basically put it all into perspective, "it's available to everybody, or nobody." So, they went with nobody.

Parking can also be a nightmare over at the U. Matter of fact, TCF Stadium was built over four very sizable parking lots. Many were told to park in ramps on the west side of the river and take a shuttle to the stadium. You can take the Hiawatha Light Rail to the Metrodome station, and take a Metro Transit bus to the stadium as well.

We will just have to wait and see how the U handles these small little glitches. Hey, every stadium and arena in the country has at least a couple on opening night. And, the university is already dealing with noise complaints from neighbors around the stadium, saying the public address system is too loud.

Perhaps, maybe college football stadiums do concessions and gate entry procedures differently. The Metrodome, the home for the Gophers for the last 27 years, hires union employees to take tickets, sell hot dogs and show people where their seats are. Most if not all of the people working at TCF Stadium, are student volunteers.

It seems that there are some opportunities for the U to ramp up the PR, and do what they can to solve the small glitches as much as they can.

In any event, Gopher football is back on campus, the excitement is back, the Gophers have probably won several fans back, and gained new ones. And, we're undefeated in our new home.

Ski-U-Mah.

PR challenges of a new mode of transit

2009-09-03T15:55:00.003-05:00

Taking a cue from a recent article in the StarTribune about the new Northstar Commuter Rail (http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/56664627.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU) I thought I would make some comments regarding what the editorial was talking about.

To summarize the article, the writer felt that Metro Transit has a challenge ahead of them in the PR department regarding the new Northstar Commuter rail that will start officially on November 16. The challenge is how to educate people on using the rail line, a mode of transportation that is new to the Twin Cities area.

Putting it simply, light rail and commuter rail can be differentiated by capacity and frequency. This is the issue that Metro Transit will have to deal with, come November 16. Light rail offers high frequency, but lower capacity (each car, like a city bus could probably hold 90 people safely, sitting and standing). When the Hiawatha line opened in 2004, Metro Transit did a great deal to educate customers on the use of light rail, which in 2004 was also new to the Twin Cities area.

The authority released pamphlets on "how to ride" the rail: from describing that fares were paid before boarding the train instead of fareboxes that you see on buses, to the frequency of the light rail, that at times, even surpassed bus frequency.

Here's the issue with the commuter rail that Metro Transit will need to work with. Commuter rail is about capacity, not frequency. Commuter rail is designed to transport a large number of people at an optimal time during the day - rush hour. Metro Transit will need to inform people that it is very unlike the light rail, in that, there won't be a train waiting every 7 1/2 minutes.

The article in the Tribune talked about Twins games at the new Target Field. The Northstar Commuter Rail will stop at an "intermodal" (several modes of transit, light rail, buses, commuter rail and the Cedar Bike Trail will converge here) station on the north side of the ballpark. Fans will need to understand that, the Northstar will not operate with the frequency the light rail does; so considering the Northstar as an option to a Twins game, might not be the option of choice, especially during the midday games, when the Northstar will only run one trip.

Also, remember this is the first run of the Northstar rail line. If the ridership surpasses the projections (the Hiawatha light rail has already surpassed ridership projections for the year 2030, after being open for only five years), the schedule may be adjusted to allow for more. Metro Transit had to specifically negotiate the schedule with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad - because the Northstar line will operate on tracks owned by BNSF.

Metro Transit could only operate at certain times, because the BNSF tracks are still very active. The transit authority did its best to operate to coincide with times that people regularly start work: 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8 and 8:45 am. Conversely, they did the same with the return trip times, running at 3:30, 4, 4:30, 5 and 5:30 pm.

Informing customers that the Northstar line will be used for what it was designed for, commuters, will be a big task for Metro Transit. It needs to be done. I'd hate to live in Big Lake (where the line will start) take a train down to a Twins game that goes extra innings, and lets out at 10:30, and there's no Northstar train to take me back.

Metro Transit did a great job informing this area about light rail. How to use it, the changes it proposed for other drivers (especially downtown), how often it ran, etc. I can only think that they will do just as good a job when the Northstar Commuter rail opens in November.

A&E buys Lifetime

2009-08-29T09:05:00.003-05:00

Daily, I get emails from AdWeek about things that are going on in the world of advertising. It's one of several daily email newsletters I sort through once I'm home from work. Recently, one article caught my attention, "A&E acquires Lifetime."

I like this merger by A&E. I like A&E (Arts & Entertainment) television. I like their programming. A&E is the cable network where you can find shows such as Paranormal State (a personal favorite) and Intervention (also a personal favorite).

This merger also includes the Lifetime Movie Network, which has also produced some good, made-for-TV movies.

A&E also owns History (formerly The History Channel), which is a personal favorite cable channel in our household. According to the AdWeek article (found here: http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3id9eac057de820fdc81d518e33fd20296) all three networks, A&E, Lifetime and History will remain "intact."

However, I wonder, with this merger, whether the female demographic of Lifetime will change. Lifetime has always been known as "Television for Women." With this merger, I am curious whether or not the female demographic will change.

Of course, there are other female-oriented cable channels. Women's Entertainment (We) and Oxygen! also have female-centric demographics. So, even if A&E does change the demographic a little, the type of programming for the female demographics won't disappear entirely.

I'm curious to see, when the merger is finalized (the article does not mention a specific closing date), what changes A&E will bring to Lifetime, good or bad.

Thanks for reading.

A 3rd jersey for the Minnesota Wild?

2009-08-25T16:26:00.004-05:00

A ha, finally. an issue I love to write about: sports and corporate branding.

It has been announced that the Minnesota Wild (NHL) will unveil a "third" jersey to be worn this season. The unveiling will happen next Sunday at the Minnesota State Fair. There are speculations about what the jersey might look like. One can be found here: http://media.photobucket.com/image/Wild%20green%20jersey/puckdrawn/Concepts/MinnesottaWildConcept.png, and another can be found here: http://www.wildpuckbanter.com/2009/08/new-wild-jersey.html.

This is an interesting concept to me, sports teams have been using "alternate" jerseys for many years now. Some have been successful, and others have been total flops. However, the Wild had an alternate jersey a few years ago. The jersey seen here: http://www.icejerseys.com/item_details.php?id=5354.

What happened was, the NHL had switched jersey manufacturers. The league contracted with Reebok and their new Edge line of jerseys. The "Rbk Edge" was a custom-fit jersey, which was supposed to supply better comfort for players. And, the NHL made a rule that teams had to scrap whatever third jerseys they had, and couldn't unveil a new one for two years.

The Wild kept their white jersey, and opted to keep the red "alternate" jersey http://www.icejerseys.com/item_details.php?id=5354 and got rid of the original green sweater.

Here's what bothers me about the red sweater they kept. The logo on the front. In my estimation, a good and respectable corporate brand, should not have to tell you what it is. You will notice that the words "Minnesota Wild" surround it. Earlier in the franchise's history, the words "NHL Hockey" even appeared on a secondary logo the team was going to use.

If you see the logo for GM, you know that it's for General Motors. They make cars. The company does not need to put "auto manufacturer" on the logo. If you see an oblong "G" surrounded by a green and gold oval, you know that logo is for the Green Bay Packers. They don't need to put "We play football in Green Bay" on the logo. Let's not forget the Golden Arches. These are respectable, reputable, trustworthy corporations, that do not need to label what they are, or what they do, to get the point across.

I feel the Minnesota Wild made a mistake when choosing what sweater to keep. The Minnesota Wild have some of the best merchandise sales, if not the best merchandise sales in the National Hockey League. The only problem, most people can't figure out what animal the head belongs to, that you see on the front of the jersey. Is it a bobcat, cougar, a panther? No one knows. But, they DO know that logo.

On the other hand, looking at some of the concept drawings people have conjured up in their minds (the ones with a script font "Minnesota"), many sports teams in all professional leagues are putting the city or state of origin on their road jerseys.

Personally, I think the Wild should ditch the red jersey with the circle "Minnesota Wild" surrounding the cougar head (I'll call it a cougar). The Wild have made a name for themselves in the National Hockey League, in their ten years of existence - on the basis of their enormous fan base, merchandise sales and team ownership.

I feel that it is in the best interest, not just of the Wild, not just of sports teams, but of all corporations, to do their very best to cultivate a corporate brand, a corporate logo that is immediately recognizable - without being told what it represents.

Rare, yes. Impossible, not really.

2009-08-20T15:29:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since I wrote. Of course, I haven't had too much to write about, at least that I could think of. Until yesterday that is.

Hopefully, everyone made it home OK after the surprise tornado that hit Minneapolis yesterday. The National Weather Service has now confirmed that it was in fact, a tornado. It was all over the news yesterday, and even WCCO having a piece about the myth of, "tornados don't hit urban areas."

They certainly do. Yesterday's storm in Minneapolis may not have been as catastrophic as it could have been, but other downtowns in metro areas across the country have been much less fortunate, and just in the last few years. 1999, a massive F5 tornado tears through downtown Oklahoma City. In 1997, a tornado touched down near downtown Miami.

A tornado ripped through Fort Worth, TX in 2000. Just last year, a tornado tore through downtown Atlanta in March. If that wasn't unusual enough, a tornado had NEVER touched down in downtown Atlanta prior to last year's storm, which happened amidst the SEC college basketball tournament. And, stranger still, several years ago, a "microburst" hit downtown Salt Lake City. A funnel cloud that disappeared as quickly as it came down, but not before doing some small damage to the area, including the Delta Center (now the Energy Solutions Arena).

Yesterday's storm ripped through a neighborhood not too far from my office. Matter of fact, a good portion of the damage was just on the other side of 35W from us. At about 2pm, on what was just a normal day, our power went out. It had been raining steadily all day, but nothing prepared us (or anyone for that matter) for what was to come. We heard reports that a tornado was somewhere in the area.

As we moved downstairs, then the sirens decided to sound. Add to that, a belated birthday party, in a darkened basement with just a few candles and a flashlight. Everyone, including myself, on cell phones trying to get the latest from family members. It truly was a day to remember.

Incidentally, I remember the last tornado that touched down in that area, in 1981. I was all of 3 years old, but I remember that day vividly. We lived in a four-plex on Garfield Avenue South in Minneapolis. I vaguely remember hearing the EBS sound on TV, our power went out, and we went downstairs. The tornado hopped over our four-plex, but did some damage about four blocks from us. This was the same storm that took the roof off of Har Mar Mall in Roseville.

Funny, we spent all of August 18 talking about Brett Favre. How quickly the news can change. Oddly enough, the last time a big sports story happened in the Twin Cities, another incident took it's place shortly after. Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics on Monday, July 30, 2007. Two days later, the 35W bridge collapsed.

Good-bye "Uncle Walter"

2009-07-18T17:01:00.005-05:00

I'm sure we've all heard by now, an icon in journalism passed away yesterday. Walter Cronkite, a man to whom the term "anchor" was coined, died on July 17. He was 92.

Watching the news yesterday, I heard a snippet about the term "news anchor" and it was a term given to Cronkite when he covered a political convention for CBS.

Cronkite's last broadcast on CBS was in 1981, to be succeeded by Dan Rather. So, for me, the only real knowledge I had about him was from what I heard from my parents and others. I was aware of the broadcast in 1963 when he announced the death of JFK. Matter of fact, I watched a five minute segment of that very broadcast on YouTube recently.

On the numerous newscasts last night, it was mentioned that the early bulletins of the JFK assassination were audio only, and the first broadcast interruption was during "As The World Turns" - which to me seemed ironic. The reason that the first bulletins were audio only is because they were waiting for a camera to warm up.

I was in high school when first I started hearing a great deal about Cronkite. I think he, and his legacy were just a couple of the many reasons I gained an interest in broadcasting and journalism.

Matter of fact, when I first started Brown College for broadcasting, I tried to think of my "hook." The phrase that I would use to close my mock broadcasts. I almost thought about using Uncle Walter's: "And that's the way it is." I didn't - that was his trademark. I needed to find something else. And on his last broadcast in 1981, he closed with, "And that's the way it will be."

The world of journalism has lost a true icon. Other anchors will come and go - but in my opinion, none will quite match the integrity that Mr. Cronkite brought to the TV medium.

Newspapers being cut, and now newscasts?

2009-06-24T16:44:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since I wrote.

Continuing with the theme from my last post, I read an article today on AdAge.com about WNBC in New York, which is cutting its 5pm newscast with a "lifestyle and entertainment show."

The change is being made to accomodate viewer trends, which the article cites as including other programming (movies and reruns of "popular shows"), cable TV news and, of course, the Internet.

But, a lifestyle and entertainment show? Isn't daytime TV filled with that kind of programming? Programs such as The View are as commonplace on daytime TV as informercials. I love the Internet and all the other means in which to obtain news; but I'm also an old-fashioned kind of guy who likes to see a good newscast every now and again.

Especially a 5pm newscast - as I've been at work all day and need to get caught up. Sure, after I get home from work, and my timeslot at the gym, I'll hop on Google News and check some news, stocks, and the like; but mostly the time is spent going through a day's worth of email.

I'm used to 5pm newscasts. I'm used to the workday starting early and ending early (I'm a 7 to 3 guy). My guess is that it's probably a safe bet that most New Yorkers are still at the office at 5pm, and work until 6 or later; or are on the subway coming home, and a 5pm newscast wouldn't reach alot of people.

I just think WNBC could have filled the time slot better, than putting in a type of show that is seen almost all day long; who needs another one?

The full article can be read here: http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=137546

Thanks for reading.

The future of local news

2009-06-03T16:41:00.004-05:00

I looked through my daily email from the Public Relations Society of America - Issues and Trends - and found a neat little article about local news, and whether or not it's still proprietary.

The article suggests that though many consumers are now perusing the Internet, and other electronic mediums to get their news, there are segments of journalism that are still perceived as important. The quote du jour seemed to be this one, "The Pew report noted that audiences consider newspapers to be more valuable than before. In fact, news content has slightly increased in popularity during the recent months."

So it seems that journalism hasn't altogether vanished; but the article, written by Barbara Bry for the PRSA Tactics, also states that there needs to be a major change in the way traditional media distributes the news. If you think about how Twitter works, people who regularly use Twitter could find a piece of news, a press release or whatever - possibly quicker than they might be able to find it on a search engine, such as Google News.

Which leads to the main point of the article, that news is no longer proprietary, or exclusive. Bry mentioned bloggers who are increasingly putting forth news on their sites.

For example, yesterday, local news reports here in the Twin Cities brought forth a report about the new Budweiser Party Deck that will be constructed at Target Field - the new home of the Minnesota Twins. I frequent a blog at www.twinsballpark2010.com which, over the last three months or so, through pictures and guided tours from the blog's host, has suggested that something was going to be built out in the left field area of the ballpark.

So, it was really no surprise to me when I saw it in this morning's newspaper, or last night's 10pm newscast. This example seems to prove Ms. Bry's comments - that in order to be relevant, something will need to change in the way local news is presented.

Her full article, can be read here: http://www.prsa.org/supportfiles/news/viewNews.cfm?pNewsID=842348074

Thanks for reading.

Farewell, Williams Arena floor

2009-05-22T15:37:00.003-05:00

After 81 years, the hardwood at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus is being replaced.

I know it's not a widely-renowned playing surface, a la the grass court at Wimbledon, Amen Corner at Augusta National or even the infamous parquet floor on which the Boston Celtics play, which was even moved from the Boston Garden to the new arena across the street in 1995 (the place changes names so many times, I'm afraid if I use one here, it'll be obsolete by tomorrow); but, here in Minnesota, they're cutting up a piece of history at "The Barn."

It was on that very floor (which sits atop a concrete slab, raising it a couple feet, to improve sightlines) that the 1951 NCAA Basketball Championship was played. It was on that floor that players such as Randy Breuer, Kevin McHale and Mychal Thompson played their years of college hoops.

And above that very floor, hangs championship banners - and even empty spots in which banners were taken down because of NCAA sanctions (namely the banner for the Gophers' 1997 Final Four appearance).

The St. Cloud Times reported that the floor has been sanded and re-painted several times in the floor's history - but it will now be replaced by a floor with more "modern materials and a new paint job." And, the new floor will be raised, just like its predecessor.

So, now, the court sits under a white "dust shield" while the demolition continues. It looks a little bit like they're protecting the floor from a nuclear attack. The pieces will be cut up and sold as part of a fundraiser for the U of M Athletics Department.

Thanks for reading - and have a good holiday weekend.

Farewell, Rick Kupchella

2009-05-20T18:41:00.003-05:00

You probably read it in the paper. As of June 7, Rick Kupchella of KARE 11 will move on to bigger and better things. Here's the sticky point: according to the 10PM newscast on 11 last night, they stated that Mr. Kupchella was going to pursue forming his own company. Apparently it will be called LE Network. That, according to this mornings Pioneer Press.

What they weren't so palpable about on last night's newscast, is, as Paul Harvey used to say, "the rest of the story." According to the Pioneer Press article, the big issue was contract negotiations. Of course, it would not have been to Mike Pomeranz' or Julie Nelson's (the 10pm anchors) best interest to lay out the truth on air - Mr. Kupchella was at a contract stalemate with management.

"The two sides could not come to terms on a new contract...including finances that would not make it 'worthwhile' for him to renew," said Amy Gustafson in the Pioneer Press article. And, Kupchella also noted that two full-time jobs would be impossible - and the "new independent thing" would be a full-time job.

Kupchella has been in this market for over 20 years, according to the Twin Cities newspapers. Unfortunately, he's another Twin Cities newsroom standard - right along with anchors such as KSTP's Joe Schmit or former KARE 11 anchor Paul Magers - who no longer will be bringing us the news on a nightly basis.

To read a "farewell letter" from Kupchella - click on http://www.startribune.com/remoteisland . Best of luck to you Rick, we'll miss you.

Thanks for reading.

Can the Kindle "re-kindle" the newspaper industry?

2009-05-13T16:27:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my colleague and PRSA mentor Brant Skogrand, he suggested I write about Amazon's Kindle, and whether or not it might resurrect a dying newspaper industry.

I must be the craziest person on earth - as I know what Amazon's Kindle e-reader is. I've never seen one live, just in pictures. I'm not entirely sure how it even works to tell you the truth. Nonetheless, it is an interesting piece of technology.

The Kindle must REALLY be an amazing piece of technology. I read an article in the New Jersey Star-Ledger that claims students at Princeton will be receiving free Kindles, in lieu of textbooks. And a report from News 8 in Austin, TX says this, "Newspaper and magazine publishers are excited at the introduction of Amazon's new Kindle DX, a handheld reading device. Some speculators say the device, which sports a nearly 10-inch display that is more than twice the size of the standard Kindle, could help save the dying world of print media."

But, if the Kindle is really as popular as it seems, what will happen to libraries? What happens to publishing houses? And, will people pay a subscription price to read the newspaper on the Kindle, when they can get it for free on the paper's Web site? And, I don't think I even know anyone who has a Kindle.

There is a website called coverleaf.com, which publishes magazines online. There are the mainstays: Family Circle and Better Homes. There's the on-line specific ones, i.e. Sporting News Today, which I do "subscribe" to. And, I was very pleased to see an industry publication available on coverleaf.com: Advertising Age. They are also subscription-based.

While the electronic edition seems to be the new thing in the world of news, I still think there is much to be said about seeing something in print. Maybe it's the generation I'm from. When I was a kid, there were no such words as "internet" or "e-dition (electronic edition)" or even "online." The Kindle might be able to save a dying print industry; but I still think there's enough to still keep it going. At least for now.

Other than that, I'm stumped.

Thanks for reading.

Little bit of writer's block

2009-05-10T18:26:00.002-05:00

Hello everybody.

I just realized today, how long it's been since I wrote. I do apologize for that.

But I also realized, I haven't really come up with any new topics to write about. I'm hoping to find some inspiration for something soon.

If any of my faithful followers have ideas, please comment on this post and give me your thoughts. Sometime this week, I'll plan on writing something. Part of the problem too, was that my computer crashed about two weeks ago, and it took about a week to fix it.

If you have any ideas, please feel free to let me know.

What's Happening to Block E?

2009-04-24T16:09:00.003-05:00

I know, this is a more local post, but it really irks me that GameWorks is leaving the Block E development in Downtown Minneapolis.
To give a little background, several years ago, a development was built across the street from Target Center, that included a hotel. It was designed to revitalize the entertainment district in downtown.
One of its anchors, Borders Books, already closed a couple years ago. And, it appears that GameWorks, another anchor, is going to follow suit.
In a letter to the editor published in the Minneapolis StarTribune today, the writer suggested they tear down Block E, move the Schubert Theatre there, relocate a bar, and plant trees where the Theatre stands now. In essence, his message was, put everything back the way it was in 1998.
What bothers me, is that Target Field opens in less than a year. There are no restaurants in close proximity to the stadium. Block E seems that it would have been a perfect pre- or post-game spot. Target Field, walk across 394 on Target Plaza, walk past Target Center, and there you are. Hard Rock Cafe and all.
It is unfortunate. Hopefully things will start to look up again for the Block E development. I would assume, that the Graves601 Hotel that is a part of that development will be the preferred hotel for opposing teams when they come to town.
What else would there be for the players to do in their free-time, if the arcade is shut down? God forbid you go over to CityCenter. There's nothing to do there either. I think the owners of GameWorks should have waited it out, to see if the ballpark would have created any new customers.
And, if all goes well, and the Twins score the 2014 MLB All Star Game, who knows what Block E could have provided for all the folks that come to town for that as well.
I guess we will never know.

Thanks for reading.

A bailout, of journalism?

2009-04-14T17:28:00.003-05:00

This one caught me by surprise. A couple days ago, I read an editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune that was re-printed from the Los Angeles Times. Apparently, this was Rosa Brooks' "last article" for the Times before embarking on a new job in Washington DC.

Essentially, she's asking for a bailout, of the newspaper industry. Yes, after the housing crunch, the banking crunch, the auto industry crunch, she says that newspapers need some cash, too.

And, yes, look around and newspapers everywhere are closing, soon to close, in eminent danger of closing, or declaring bankruptcy, as the Star Tribune did several months ago. So, on that front, she's right.

But, her article seems to claim that newspapers are the only place people get their news. She asks, "how will we recognize, or hope to forestall...pending [crises]?" She asks other questions very similar on other issues, including Iraq. I ask, are newspapers really that popular? Even Howard Beale, the iconic newsman in the 1970s classic "Network" screams at his viewing audience by saying, "less than HALF of you read newspapers!"

I read newspapers daily, as part of my job. Every once in a while, I'll go to the newspaper stand on the corner and buy one. However, some of the more interesting news stories you read, are the ones that don't fall into the category of "all the news that's fit to print," or maybe, there isn't enough room to print. They are the stories you'll find on Google News, Reuters and other Web sites like them.

I read through her editorial, and I included the link so you can as well, but I read through it hoping that she was talking "tongue and cheek." I hope she seriously didn't believe what she was saying. And, I know that the "yapping heads that dominate cable 'news'," as she so eloquently puts it, talk all the time about the "socialism" that seems to be creeping it's way into this country by all these governement bailouts. Let me ask, if the government did in fact bailout the newspapers, what then?

Would the government then dictate what is "fit to print?" That's just what we need, state-run media. Please understand, that was a sarcastic statement. We don't need government to bail out newspapers. Times are changing, the means by which people get their news are changing. You can simply use your cellphone to get news. Who needs a newspaper, that costs anywhere from a quarter to a dollar, when they can get it for free on the Internet?

Which leads me to an interesting poll I found on the website of the Twin Cities Business Journal (www.twincities.bizjournals.com). The poll question is as follows: Should people pay to read stories online? As of April 14, at 5:50 PM CDT, only 26% of respondants said "yes." Another 28% said "sometimes." Of course, in many cases, if you want to find archived articles, they are "pay-as-you-go." And, more and more newspapers are launching "E-ditions." Both Twin Cities newspapers offer electronic editions that are the exact same as the print edition. And, just as with the print edition, there is a subscription price.

Maybe it's the generation we're in. Society does things differently than they did 30 years ago. However, I believe that there is enough of an appetite in the general public for printed news. Believe it or not, there are people who are tired of the "yapping heads" on TV, and would rather read their news in print. More power to them. And, unlike online news, you can always save a clipping, and go back to it years down the road. Try finding a story that's twenty years old or more, online, for free. I'll bet it can't be done.

While newspapers are in fact sizing down, they're just going with the times. However, I still believe that if they print it, people will read. I think Ms. Brooks is wrong by saying that there needs to be a "journalism bailout." I think she's wrong when she seems to imply that newspapers will become nothing more than a paper filled with, "ads, entertainment features and crossword puzzles." The news is still the news, no matter how you tell it, and people will get it.

Thanks for reading.

Rosa Brooks' article can be found here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-brooks9-2009apr09,0,7379164.column

Sports writing - a thing of the past?

2009-04-08T16:25:00.002-05:00

Recently, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that shocked me a little, but not as much as I thought. The article ran in the April 7, 2009 issue in the sports section. It was titled, "Baseball Writers Brace for the End." The image is from 1962, a packed pressbox at Yankee Stadium.

The article goes on to tell how pressboxes at ballparks are getting emptier. Jack O'Connell, who is the secretary of the Baseball Writers Association of America was quoted in the article as saying, "I certainly see the dark clouds," in regards to the future of baseball beat writers.

But, what about other sports? Maybe it was just me, but at last weekend's NCAA Final Four in Detroit, I didn't see as many spots on press row as usual. Sure, maybe I didn't notice because the Final Four setup places the floor on a 14-inch-high platform, therefore press row seems to be in an orchestra pit. In past years, usually there are three rows of press tables along both sides of the floor. This year, I only saw two on either side.

The WSJ article went on to talk about the Beaver County Times, a paper published just outside of Pittsburgh, and that the paper is no longer covering Pittsburgh Pirates spring training, and is covering only a limited schedule of road games. The paper quoted the New York Times as spending $6,500 a month to cover the team on the road (the WSJ did not specify whether it was the Yankees or the Mets). And a trade-off seems to be in order in the nation's capital: the Washington Post will rely on the Baltimore Sun for coverage of the Baltimore Orioles; and the Post will rely on the Sun for coverage of the Washington Nationals.

This is just baseball. Of course, a baseball season is twice as long as an NHL or NBA season (162 games for Major League Baseball), so will this become something that happens to other sports coverage as well? Who knows? The WSJ article quoted Mark Cuban, the young, iconic owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, who wrote in his blog recently that for newspapers to "die" would be a "recipe for disaster." Cuban believes that newspapers are the NBA's best medium to reach a large audience; and the decline as of late for newspapers can also hurt a team's marketing.

Here's one interesting statistic the WSJ wrote about papers in Detroit. Both of the city's newspapers (Detroit News, Detroit Free-Press) have cut their home delivery to three days a week. The Detroit Red Wings of the NHL conducted a survey, and they found that 65% of the team's season-ticket holders get their news from the newspaper.

So, maybe some good news still remains for sports beat writers in our local daily newspapers. But with the increasing use of social-networking sites, blogs and other user-created mediums, the president of the Baseball Writers Association of America might not be too far-fetched when he was quoted as saying, "We're waiting for that first domino to fall...."

You can read the full WSJ article by clicking on this link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123906424665995337.html.

I apologize to any of my readers if you have been unable to post comments on this blog. In re-vamping the look of my blog recently, I discovered that the comment posting permissions weren't set correctly. It has been rectified and you should be able to comment without having to be a "registered user."

Thanks for reading.

Same URL, different name

2009-04-05T18:33:00.002-05:00

Well, I think I've come up with something that is unique, and exemplifies the manner in which I hope to write.

I've always liked the word "treatise." Go ahead, check it out in the MS Word thesaurus, you know you want to. It's an older word that has been replaced of late as a written discourse, thesis or dissertation. The first time I heard it was on an episode of Cheers, the eminent psychiatrist Frasier Crane was discussing a paper that he wrote during his days at Oxford University, and described it using the word "treatise." I thought it sounded different and unique.

I even had to check the word in the dictionary, just to make sure the Charles brothers (Glen and Les, writers of Cheers) weren't just yanking our chains when they put that word in that particular episode's script.

The URL for my blog will stay the same. I didn't want to set up another blog, just so I could get the cool URL. So, I remain at http://lukesdiscussions.blogspot.com.

I hope the new name doesn't confuse anyone. Hopefully my faithful followers will like the change.
I thought I could either do "The Treatise," or if I really wanted to have some fun, "L'auteur heureux." French for,"The Happy Writer," roughly translated of course.

One year from now...

2009-04-03T15:36:00.004-05:00

Within the next 365 days, the Twins will be relocating to open-air Target Field. After years of struggling to get a new ballpark, the dream will become reality next spring.

I'm still trying to figure out how outdoor baseball will work here in Minnesota. And given that now the last two years, the first couple days of April has brought unseasonable cold, and wet snow, I'm really concerned. I'm part of a generation that doesn't remember Met Stadium, but remembers watching baseball under a teflon roof, played on AstroTurf; making for a guaranteed opening day without fear of cancellation. And, let's not forget about games in late September/early October (or even later if we have a playoff-bound team).

I wish I had statistics on opening days whilst at the Met from 1961-1981. It can be cold, rainy and sometimes snowy during the first week of April in these parts. I've always told myself that Kansas City, Saint Louis, both Chicagos and Boston, just to name a few, can have wild weather this time of year too, and those locales do just fine with open-air ballparks.

Recently on my Facebook account, I posted a muse that someone told me was funny, the way The Onion is funny. Some highlights included:

April 1 - For the third year in a row, snow and cold befalls upon Minnesota. 15 inches of snow to be exact. Therefore, the Twins' home opener at Target Field is delayed. The last time the Twins "delayed" a game was Aug. 2, 2007, after the bridge collapse.

April 9 - A small flood befalls Target Field now because of all the melting snow. The Twins are seriously considering moving to Dallas.

April 13 - The Twins figure that games may not be played at all at Target Field at least until June 1, to allow time to repair all the damage. The Twins drop the Dallas talks and talk about moving BACK to the Metrodome.

April 27 - After lying to everybody about how great Target Field was going to be, the Twins immediately tear off the Inaugural Season sleeve patches in a rousing ceremony at the Metrodome in front of approximately 1,000 people. The Twins lose their "Target Field home opener" 4-2 to the Boston Red Sox.

April 28 - Dave St. Peter scratches his head and thinks to himself, "What in holy heck just happened here?"

Apparently, I'm not the only one who wonders what next year will bring. The Minneapolis StarTribune had a rather lengthy article on April 2, detailing the opening day temperatures for the last 27 years, the number of years the Twins have played indoors. The warmest opening day whilst at the Dome was April 8, 1988 with a high of 77. The coldest opening day was a mere six years ago, April 4, 2003 with a bone-chilling 29 as a high.

And this morning (April 3), in Charley Walters' column in the PioneerPress, the last segment of his column read as follows, "Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports Inc., asked about the weather if the Twins open Target Field next year at this time: 'The answer is that we won't be playing at home a year from now. We'll be on the road for at least six games. We thought of that too."

So, let's just put that in perspective. The 2009 Major League (MLB) season opens Sunday, April 5, and the Twins "Dome Opener" is Monday, April 6. So, let's figure those six games Bell spoke of: two three-game series', one day to travel to the first city, another to travel to the next, then the last day to travel home. So, we're looking at a nine-day stretch. Which would mean, if this was next year, the Twins would open Target Field on April 15.

Of course, not every April is cold and dreary like that of this year, last year, or even 2003. However, the Twins can't always guess what it's going to be like, and so they might opt to open on the road every year from 2010 on. I read an article a couple months ago (I think it was another Walters article) saying that teams must apply to MLB well in advance, in order to open on the road. So, either the Twins do that, or opt to play the first couple weeks of the season just like the Cubs played all 81 of their home games prior to Wrigley Field installing lights in 1989: play day games.

Enjoy early home openers while you can, I think we're in for some late ones in the years to come.

Writing Style

2009-03-30T16:29:00.001-05:00

Hopefully, I'm not "preaching to the choir" on this post. Recently, PRSA Tactics (a monthly publication of the Public Relations Society of America) titled their Feb. 2009 issue "The write way." They've done a couple of these, and to me, reading about the latest "trends" if you will in writing style is very interesting.

I should preface this by saying that a colleague of mine told me something very valuable a couple years ago. He said that there's a big difference between writing for college papers and journalistic writing. Through my four years of college, I got accustomed to APA (American Psychological Association) Style. APA Style consists of long paragraphs and punctuation like you wouldn't believe.

Which was part of my problem. My English professor, bless her heart, drilled APA Style very hard. So much to the point that I became "comma crazy." Not just commas, mind you, punctuation altogether. But this colleague of mine reminded me that "less is more" and also that you don't want an incredible amount of punctuation to slow down your readers.

Another piece of writing style that drives me crazy is which words are hyphenated; and which are not. This colleague of mine once again taught me something very valuable - if the combination of words are written in an adjective form, then they are hyphenated. For example, "low-income housing."

Here's writing style you probably wouldn't see in an AP Stylebook; but would find in the PRSA Tactics January 2009 issue (15 for '09 - New media terms for a new year): media terminology. For instance, "cell phone" is two words; yet, BlackBerry is one word, note the upper-case letters. The same rule applies to MySpace, YouTube, and one that really drives me crazy: LinkedIn. Every time I see that one in an e-mail, I have to look twice. For me, the lower-case "d" and upper-case "I" being so close together makes it hard to read sometimes.

For the record, your Yahoo, Gmail or POP Mail accounts would be written as "e-mail." Here's one that was interesting to me, "blog," is short for "Web log," and therefore is not capitalized, neither is "podcast" or "videocast."

As we move into a world with less newspapers, and more blogs and social-networking sites; it is fun to examine how the rules are changing, right before our eyes.

What's on your MP3 player?

2009-03-26T16:04:00.001-05:00

How about that for an icebreaker question at your next networking event or "meet-and-greet" event? Hoping that I'm not breaking any copyright rules by somewhat taking a page out of CapitalOne's ad campaign...I thought it was an interesting question.

I also thought I'd take the safe route and not alienate a whole group of people who don't specifically use an iPod. Me, personally, I don't have an iPod, I use my LG Chocolate 3 from Verizon Wireless.

There are dozens of Facebook groups that ask the same question. I vaguely remember someone even sending me a Facebook message once about the "soundtrack of your life." Basically, you take the music on your iPod, and press "shuffle." Apparently it says alot about who you are as a person.

MP3 players of all persuasions are fun tools. You literally have a commercial-free radio station, with a format that is out of style in today's radio market: all-over-the-road, or AOR. Personally, I have everything from classical to hard rock. Top 40 to the obscure. The Berlin Philharmonic to Metallica.

I haven't figured out what the music on my MP3 player says about me. though. I have one CD that I imported through my PC to my phone that has 44 tracks on it; so pressing "shuffle" gives me alot of tracks from that one CD all at once.

Try playing the "soundtrack of your life" sometime. It can be interesting, and fun. Of course, every time you press "shuffle," you'll end up with something different. And, the next time you're at a networking event, try asking the question; you might be surprised what you find out.

Extra, Extra! Read all about it - somewhere else

2009-03-24T17:01:00.002-05:00

It is a tough time for many industries; but the one that seems to be hardest hit is newspapers. Especially in the last month or two, it's really getting tough. First the Rocky Mountain News closes, then the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ceases print operations, and becomes online-exclusive.

Other newspapers, such as the San Francisco Chronicle are also in danger of ceasing operation; and the Minneapolis Star Tribune declared bankruptcy last month. Is this a result of the sagging economy, or a shift in the way people get their news? Might I suggest it's a little of both; but probably more of the latter, as opposed to the former.

When the Saint Paul Pioneer Press re-designed its paper last year, I saw so many posts on their website about "[There's] a print edition?" or people saying "I just read it online" messages like that were aplenty after the paper re-designed. People even went so far to say that they would cancel their subscriptions because of the re-design.

I have caught myself wondering whether or not the two Twin Cities papers would actually merge. The Pioneer Press is increasingly combining several sections into one. The front page, Local and Business are combined more often than not. The Star Tribune combines its front page and Local section on Mondays.

Fladung told me in an interview for an article I wrote for the June 2008 issue of PRSA Quarterly, the chapter newslettter of the Minnesota PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), "[The papers] could merge tomorrow...can the Twin Cities be a one-paper market?"
I'm not entirely certain we could be a one-paper market. Fladung also told me about news "agnostics," people who demand that their paper come from one source, and one source only.

The Twin Cities has lots of people like that. There are people who wouldn't be caught dead reading the Pioneer Press; and vice versa with the Star Tribune. And, after over 140 years, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer became an online-exclusive newspaper earlier this month. To some degree, with all the young, tech-savvy people in Seattle, I'm surprised the Post-Intelligencer didn't take that step sooner. Not to be guilty of insider trading, but reports say the Ann Arbor News in Ann Arbor, MI will follow the Post-Intelligencer's route in July, after 174 years of print publication. Even college newspapers are being hit. The Minnesota Daily, a newspaper published by students at the University of Minnesota, ceased the Friday print edition in December, 2008.

Get your print editions of newspapers now, they might not exist in a couple years. At least, we can still get a print copy of The Onion. But for how long?

The Timberwolves' Pledge

2009-03-21T22:34:00.001-05:00

I'm sure we've all seen it by now, the TV spot featuring Glen Taylor, owner of a beleaguered Timberwolves team, sitting center-court, in a darkened Target Center, telling folks about season tickets for next year. "Season tickets as low as $5 per game" is the marketing ploy for the 2009-10 season ticket campaign.

If you have turned on a Timberwolves game lately, there have been lots of empty seats. And, it's not just four seats here, three seats there that are empty; there are entire sections of seats that are empty.

Think back 20 years, when the Timberwolves, one of the newest expansion franchises in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing in front of very large crowds at the Metrodome. As a matter of fact, in their inaugural season of 1989-90, they set an all-time NBA season attendance record of over 1 million people.

But now, the Timberwolves are changing things up for their 2009-10 season ticket campaign. In a letter penned by Glen Taylor (and also mentioned in the TV spot), the Timberwolves have reduced prices on 95% of the seats in Target Center. I looked on the Timberwolves website, they have reduced ticket prices dramatically. Glen Taylor's letter to the fans can be found at http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/tickets/200910_Glen_Taylor_Letter.html .

Don't get too excited, however. The $5-per-game tickets are way up at the top of the arena, on the ends. And, those are season ticket prices; not single-game prices. What's more, the "Early Bird" deal, as they are calling it, lasts only until July.

This might be a bad thought, but I wonder whether or not the Timberwolves are lowering ticket prices to match the product on the court. Gone are the days of the NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Gone is our beloved Kevin Garnett, who for so many years got us to the playoffs. Now. it seems as though they're starting all over again.

Perhaps, in this bad economy, which is cited as a main reason for the ticket price reduction, that's exactly what the Timberwolves should be doing from a PR standpoint. They aren't asking for a billion dollars to build a new arena; they are trying to get their fan base back. What's more, they are trying to do that amidst a bad economy and a poor team.

Another part of this new campaign is the "no-risk pledge." This confused me at first. The pledge was, that if you lost your job, you wouldn't have to pay for the season tickets; you'd get your money back. According to the letter and the website, folks who lose their jobs will be refunded the money from the unused tickets. It's unusual, if not unprecedented in professional sports. But, I'm happy the Timberwolves have made that pledge.

In this world of billion-dollar stadiums, skyrocketing ticket prices, and the increasing luxury that is professional sports, it is refreshing to see a professional team make a PR move like this. I hope that this campaign is successful for the Timberwolves. I also hope that it will set a standard for other teams to consider; instead of always wanting more from their fans, to give a little back.

In my opinion, that is what keeps a fan base.

Facebook - as a resume tool?

2009-03-20T16:10:00.001-05:00

An interesting thought came to me as I was eating dinner recently with a colleague that I met in the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The thought was this: to what extent is Facebook a good tool to post a resume?
The ultimate question that came to my mind was, "how much do I want a potential employer to see?"
Social networking sites are great tools. I know it's a cliche, but it seems to me that these days, "everybody's doing it." If you can't find people on Facebook, they'll be on MySpace. If not there, try LinkedIn or Twitter.
However, Facebook is a different monster from the aforementioned social networking sites. Facebook has games, applications, groups - things that if a potential employer saw some of them, might sound an alarm.
Profile photos could raise red flags also. In my early days on Facebook, I had some strange profile pictures. Me making strange faces, me and my brother making strange faces, my cat, me and my brother making strange faces at the cat; you get the idea. Recently, I changed my profile picture to a more professional looking, suit-and-tie picture. I have to say, that's the one I'm keeping.
Making funny pictures, strange groups, games - it's all in good fun on Facebook. But, be careful, you never know who might see "the real you" posted on Facebook. Twitter is a great alternative, as you only get 140 characters to work with to get your point across.
Bottom line, it's probably better if you keep the resume off Facebook. Someone, anyone could use it against you.