Ticket sales are the biggest obstacle hurting BC’s travel reputation. However, as my wife and I were walking around Fernandina Beach today, I realized another handicap -- fan garb. You’ll see the typical BC fan wear casual/preppy clothes to a game. This may include a BC hat or shirt, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone outfitted in head to toe in maroon and gold. And a day before the game, I doubt you’d find a family of four all wearing color-coordinated, officially-licensed Eagle gear. Why does this matter? Well seeing the streets of Amelia Island crawling with Hokie fans announcing their presence with garish clothing (including -- believe it or not -- Zubaz) creates a perception with the locals: “we are Virginia Tech fans and we are here to buy food, drinks and more ugly t-shirts.”
Wine and cheesers from schools like BC or UVA might laugh at these collar-down types, but at least shops and restaurants can trace their dollars back to Blacksburg (or Tallahassee or Clemson, etc.). So if we get invited to a real bowl this season, BC fans need to obnoxiously announce “we are BC” in our dress and act. Hopefully word will get back to the Bowl Committee or the Visitor and Convention Bureaus that “those funny talking Boston fans sure spent some money.”
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1 comment:
I was talking Zubaz just the other day with a friend at lunch. Our conversation's hypothesis (that Zubaz was dead) has regrettably been disconfirmed by your reportage.
Let me tell you, if you wear Zubaz you should get shot in the face with a large-caliber handgun.
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