Fenway is not the answer

I waited on responding to the Globe's hacky piece on BC turning down a return trip to Fenway in 2016 because there was a lot to address even in a short, poorly argued article. I've been a huge proponent for more football at Fenway, but that doesn't make it the perfect destination for BC under any old circumstance. BC should and will return to Fenway, but it needs to be under the right circumstances.

2016 was always a no go
Even with its proximity, Fenway remains a gimmick/marketing game for the BC fanbase. It is not part of the traditional on campus experience and requires a change in behavior from our fans and on the team operations. We already have a huge gimmick game in 2016. In case anyone at Fenway or the Globe forgot, BC is putting a ton of energy and marketing into the trip to Ireland. Even with the disappointing ticket sales, it is taking tons of coordination and tapping into our most loyal fans and customers. If BC had included Fenway in 2016, it would have hurt Ireland all that much more. I assume the negative comments and information about the Ireland trip were planted by Fenway people who can't believe BC passed on the opportunity. And although we are not hosting the UMass game at Gillette, having another game so close to campus also hurts demand for anything special BC might have attempted. 

Losing the home field advantage
Playing a road game at Fenway was brilliant. BC kept travel costs to a minimum yet could leverage the recruiting and marketing aspect of the game. Who cares that we dressed in the visitor's locker room? The number of people who paid attention to Boston College being away in Boston's most famous landmark was minimal. If you are reading this blog you pay attention. If you are a casual BC fan or casual college football fan, you probably didn't realize and forgot about it five minutes after the game ended. If UConn or UMass want to move their future home games against us to Fenway, I would be all for it. It would be easier for our fans and a less hostile environment. However, us elevating those opponents by choosing to play them in Fenway is a bad idea. Think of it this way: would more UConn fans buy tickets and pour into Fenway than Alumni? Where is our team more likely to feel at home?

Keeping as many games as possible at Alumni
Financially I am sure Fenway would have been as successful or even more than a standard home game. But there are ancillary benefits to a game on campus that BC can't always measure with dollars. Games bring fans and alumni back to campus. It creates a feeling. A connection. It is a great showcase of what BC is. It also serves as a great tool for future students. Plus the more we move home games away from BC, the more fuel we give to the neighbors who hate BC. There are already too many restrictions on our home games. If we create a regular alternative, how long before the locals cap home games at five and demand more played at Fenway? Plus keeping games on campus adds value to our donor programs and our season ticket packages. Scheduling, bad football, and tone deaf marketing has hurt our ticket sales and made buying a package questionable at best. If we take more and more home games out of the package, we are telling our loyal customers that the games they are buying for Alumni have even less value. It will erode what value those seats currently have.

Aside from winning, we should use our marketing efforts to create a better Alumni Stadium experience so that people want to come to our regular home field.

Fenway's baseball problem
The Red Sox may exploit Fenway any chance they get, but it will always be a baseball stadium first. In 99% of the seasons, the only time to play in Fenway will be November. For TV reasons and overall scheduling reasons, the ACC would prefer that all our November games be conference games. Why should we move desirable important ACC games away from Fenway?

What Fenway should do
The Red Sox would have an event at Fenway every day of the year if they could. Them planting an anti-BC story in the Globe is just sour grapes and another way to put pressure on BC to play more games at Fenway. But if they want a regular game there, then it is time to start the Fenway Bowl. That sort of event would be perfect for BC. We could play there often. It would be lucrative for both parties and allow BC to leverage the Boston aspect of our school and football. Even in the years when BC wasn't in the game, there would probably be enough interest from other ACC fanbases to keep the bowl viable.

What next?
BC needs to put all of its energy into improving the Alumni experience. There is no reason to go to Fenway in 2017 either. In my opinion the earliest games to consider bringing back to Fenway is Holy Cross in 2018. But to do that, BC would have to move the game from September to November. There is historical justification for playing the Crusaders in Fenway and it could be a way to turn a less desirable into a hot ticket.

Playing Notre Dame at Fenway is a good thing

The Globe reported that Fenway Sports Group is in talks with BC about moving our 2015 Notre Dame game from Alumni to Fenway Park. There are some sensible objections and BC fan complaints, but I think BC should make this happen.

As soon as Notre Dame agreed to partial ACC membership, our relationship with them changed. While still the only other Catholic university playing FBS football, we were no longer going to be an annual opponent for the Irish. Going forward we are just part of their ACC rotation and will play them six out of every ten years. That's nice, but it is not longer special. We can still view them as a rival, but we will play them less often and they will just view us as another ACC team. Our chance (other than winning) to keep this series unique and passionate is to do special things. A game in Ireland has been tossed around for more than five years. But the logistics of that game are always a little daunting, especially given the ho-hum payout. Moving just one of our Notre Dame games from Alumni to Fenway spices things up. It would certainly generate local interest and media attention. Considering how hard we fight for attention now, playing at Fenway once seems like a no brainer. While Fenway has fewer seats, BC could still assure season ticket holders of tickets to the Fenway game and let the general public scramble for the remaining tickets.

We've had masses at Fenway and played plenty of hockey games there. Most BC fans in the area have probably been to the old park for multiple Sox games. I understand if the novelty has worn off. But a football game would be different. It would mark a return to our history and would bring out a big Irish and casual crowd who just want to say they were there. If the teams are decent, Gameday might cover it too. If the crowd is more divided than it might be for a traditional Notre Dame game at Alumni, so be it. The trade-off is worth it.

We've discussed all sorts of neutral site games with Notre Dame. We've also looked at bringing a game to Fenway. This solves both of those desires. If the only reasons not to do it are due to the politics of giving into the Irish or giving up a game, I say don't worry about it. We need to try new things and there is always risk in that. I think this would be a huge success home run.

Notre Dame-UConn at Fenway!?! Red Sox have some explaining to do

Rumors are floating that Notre Dame might play UConn at Fenway in 2014. If this is true, our new conference brethren and our marketing arm owe BC a big explanation.

I've long been an advocate or playing a game at Fenway. As concerts and hockey games have shown, the gimmick of watching an event in Boston's most famous stadium creates an added demand and sense of excitement. A bowl game would be perfect, but a one-off regular season game would be as effective. BC, given our location, our history of playing at Fenway and our partnership with the Red Sox, should be the first college team to return to the historic park.

The other problem is allowing UConn and Notre Dame into our backyard. If the Irish play a game in Boston on years when they don't play BC, it lessons the demand of their future games at Alumni with BC. And UConn is doing anything it can to be relevant throughout New England. Gillette is not an option because of UMass, so it is not surprising they would try Fenway. We can't let them. Would Rutgers let them play in the Meadowlands?

I am sure BC doesn't want to play at Fenway because we would miss out on a home game. But I imagine the net revenue would be as good if not better at Fenway. Plus we could play there on a Thursday night without any local obstacles. But if BC really wants to protect our territory, we should finally push for a Fenway Bowl. That would satisfy the Red Sox, give us a close bowl game and keep our rivals out.

Revisiting a Boston (BC) Olympics using London as an example

During the 2010 Winter Olympics I tossed around the idea of Boston hosting a summer or winter games. My point then remains that the same: Boston is ideal because the local universities could already supply many of the venues. The big obstacle would always be the main stadium for Track & Field and the opening and closing ceremonies. Nearly every city that hosts is left with a White Elephant that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. But London may provide a solution. They built their Olympic Stadium as a temporary venue. It looked great on TV, holds enough for the games and can be shrunk as soon as it all wraps up. Londoners haven't decided what they will do with the space. There are a few different bidders looking to take over the remains of the stadium. Boston would probably have similar suitors depending on the location. I would guess that UMasss Boston would want a small stadium or maybe the Revolution would want to convert it to a soccer only facility. The possibilities are endless.

I would still love to see Boston host the games and wish our partner Fenway Sports Group would get behind it. I am practical too. This wouldn't just be a vanity project for BC. It would be a backdoor way to get the IOC to fix the air conditioning in Conte!

Can BC sell a faceless program?

As the team prepared for the poster photo shoot, I started to think about some of the current challenges BC faces marketing the program. Who will be the focus of the poster? Can a casual BC fan name our best players? With the team coming off its worst season in over a decade, it would be nice to have a focal point. A person who fans could rally around. With Kuechly gone, BC doesn't have that player or coach.

Spaz is not a compelling public speaker. BC uses coordinators in their Youtube videos. No BC player made the ACC's preseason all conference team. They have two likeable but rather unknown Seniors on the cover of the media guide.

Perception matters in college football. Obviously tickets sales are part of that, but lacking a star player hurts when TV networks are selecting our games. Even if some of our players have breakout years, they will have a hard time winning national awards.

BC created some new and unique ticket packages to help attendance for the less attractive games. If we are play well, TV networks might pay attention during the last month of the season. But if the team struggles, it will be hard to sell anything. You can't force players to be great or be dynamic personalities. Even if players aren't well known, I am consistently proud of how they handle themselves. But BC can ask its coach to sell the program. Spaz doesn't and won't. But I hope that when we hire a new coach that sales and marketing aspect are not ignored. Coaching is primary, but representing BC should always be a factor. 

The future of BC's uniforms

While the rest of the ACC bloggers debate about FSU's departure, I am going to fret about another hypothetical. Grantland posted a great article on the future of corporate logos on sports uniforms. Logos are commonplace on sports jerseys around the world and in other sports (like NASCAR), but have not been a factor in the major, professional U.S. sports. Grantland predicts the NBA and NHL will have some variant soon. What the article did not broach was if college teams will add logos in the near future. My guess is they will and that raises many questions.

For anyone doubting that some college will eventually try the logo concept, all you need to do is look how willingly college teams embrace "combat" jerseys and other marketing ploys related to their uniforms. Is wearing some ridiculous contraption from Nike (or Under Armour) all that different from having a sports drink logo plastered on a shoulder of a uniform?

I doubt BC would ever be the first to try this idea, but we won't be the last. Once an few ACC teams or at least two of the Boston pro teams make the move you can count on BC to follow. This could be worth millions to the program. Aesthetically I wouldn't like it but I am sure I would get used to the idea. But what brands would we want to be associated with? Giant Glass and BMW of Peabody are great supporters of BC sports, but does that mean we have to have them out in front of the University's most public students?

Paying athletes also becomes an issue. It is hard enough to justify their amateur status now, but how can you when their uniforms become billboards? Schools could spin the endorsement: "those sponsors cover the cost of Title IX sports." The rebuttal is obviously that AT&T doesn't pay to be on the softball uniforms that no one sees.

College sports are changing. The money pouring in and the decisions being made will force schools like BC to readdress what our athletic mission truly is. I am not advocating that we become a Holy Cross. I still think athletics are a great tool and outlet for BC. But we need to start being more honest with ourselves and be prepared to answer the tough questions like should our students be walking ads for anything other than the school?

Would Fenway Sports Group support a BC game in Anfield?

I've blogged before about BC Football's potential return to Ireland. While it would make sense for a BC-Notre Dame game to be played on the Emerald Isle, the game has never really gained traction (for a variety of reasons). But reading tweets about Fenway's Open House reminded me that BC partners with an aggressive sports marketing company (Fenway Sports Group) that has no problem re-purposing their stadiums if it means a few extra dollars. Since the Red Sox owners also own Liverpool FC, playing a game on their field starts to make sense.

What's in it for Fenway Sports Group?
Aside from the potential of a onetime pay day, FSG could benefit from a couple of aspects of a game. As a sports marketing company it would help flex their muscle in Europe. It could also be a test run for using Anfield for non-Liverpool FC events. I also think it extends the Liverpool FC brand in the U.S. FSG seemed to get a pink Red Sox hat on millions of women outside of New England. I think they understand the value of reaching non-traditional supporters. The game wouldn't be a merchandise play but it would help the Liverpool paraphernalia sales. Let's assume they got a team with a large U.S. fanbase to play BC (i.e. Alabama, Texas, Ohio State), wouldn't the Red Sox owners be thrilled with 5,000 LFC scarves floating around Austin or Tuscaloosa? The NFL is not coming to Liverpool. Baseball would require putting an infield on Anfield, so that is not an option. The next best thing for FSG would be college football.

What's in it for BC?
In a way, BC has less to gain than the Fenway Sports Group. There would be money, but uprooting the team and the travel costs are one of the reasons the Ireland game has never come together. But I do think the spotlight would be worth it. I don't think you would get a flood of applicants from Liverpool but I do think it would help the school gain some additional recognition in the United Kingdom. And as I mentioned in the Ireland post, it would be a chance for our BC alumni in Europe to have a big event.

Would ESPN do it?
The Red Sox would have to put up most of the money, but ESPN would have to step up too. The travel costs to England would be extreme for both teams. Additional money from ESPN would be needed. But I think they would do it gladly. They know that unique settings and gimmick games can drive ratings. Just look at the North Carolina-Michigan State basketball game from an aircraft carrier. If BC played a solid team early on a Saturday morning, people would watch. In fact I predict a live college football game as a lead in would give College Game Day its best ratings of the year.

If the Anfield game were to happen, it would take years to plan and sell. So BC wouldn't and shouldn't do it to lift the current malaise around the program. But it would be forward looking and aggressive. It would be a strong marketing move from a school that has been extremely conservative. Plus we could recruit off of it. I know both the Red Sox and BC have bigger priorities right now, but this is the type of idea that both need to explore.

Sesquicentennial, more draft stuff, Anderson interview and other links

BC announced their plans for the school's Sesquicentennial. Sports-wise the two related announcements are a Mass in Fenway Park and that select teams will have a Sesquicentennial patch on their uniforms. The Fenway Park Mass is the most interesting item to me. I don't know where they will set the altar, but the Park can't hold that many more people than a full Alumni Stadium. Perhaps you could say it is a more central location for alumni and members of the BC family in the Boston area. the idea of Mass at Fenway sort of feels a little like a gimmick...and I am okay with that. I am sure we've all attended religious ceremonies in unique venues. If the setting adds to the reverence and passion to the event, I am not opposed. Most BC people have been to many events in Alumni. Perhaps having a Mass in Fenway will add a little bit to the memories and celebration.

Kuechly's Draft Diary with Philly.com's tone has changed a bit now that the Eagles signed a free agent middle linebacker. Todd McShay has Luke slotted to the Chiefs at No. 11. Don Banks also thinks Kuechly ends up in KC.

Around The Res posted a good two-part interview with Ryan Anderson.

BC is using our ties to the Cincinnati area to recruit Ohio DB Keith Watkins.

Things are looking up for the Baseball team after a walk-off home run to beat Bryant.

BCI touched on this earlier in the week, but it is interesting to read between the lines of this Tiffany Ruffin interview. Regardless of why it came about, I think the coaching change with the women's basketball team will provide a breath of fresh air.

BC Marketing makes bold move with ICE JAM

Why have a ho hum old Midnight Madness when you can have a four team, two sport smorgasbord christened "ICE JAM"?

The first ever event of its kind will include a half a basketball court and a half a rink. Celebrity parent and really nice guy Bob Costas will host the event on October 26. It's free so I hope students show up in force for the contests and displays.

For years people have whined about not having Midnight Madness. While confusing and potentially awkward, this show/pep rally/event is a nice new step by BC. I am glad Steve Donahue is on board, because in addition to the Xs and Os, we need him to sell BC basketball.

I don't know if this will work, but BC deserves credit for trying.

Ticket slump for special event at Fenway and other links

One of my pet ideas is a Bowl game at Fenway. My thought was that the gimmick of football at Fenway alone would carry ticket sales and that it would be a good fallback location for BC. Even though hockey games and concerts have worked at Fenway, ticket sales have been soft for a soccer friendly between Celtic FC and Sporting Clube de Portugal. Boston has traditionally been a good soccer town, so this probably caught the Fenway folks by surprise. I am sure the economy is a factor but maybe, just maybe, there is now some Fenway fatigue.

Here are names to watch this season in the ACC.

It's ACC week over at Doc Saturday's. Check it out in the coming days.

How come whenever anyone mentions 'is this the year that FSU returns to power?' they rarely mention that BC gets to play spoiler every year.

I am okay with this ranking of Herzy, but how can Kuechly come in so low on this ranking?

Meter officially the new voice of BC

Here is the BC press release. Still no word on who Meter will partner with our how they will cover hoops games that conflict with football.

Jon Meterparel Assumes BC Basketball Play-by-Play Duties



CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Jon Meterparel, the radio voice of Boston College Football since the 2005 season, will add men’s basketball to his play-by-play duties beginning this year, officials of ISP Sports have announced. ISP Sports manages and produces the Boston College ISP Radio Network.



“We have been extremely pleased with Jon’s work as our football play-by-play man on the BC ISP Sports Network,” said Chris Ferris, Senior Vice President of the ISP Radio Network. “We know he will bring the same professionalism, energy and enthusiasm to our basketball broadcasts and we are excited to have him in this new role.”



Meterparel’s new agreement with ISP extends for the next three years, Ferris added.



“I am thrilled to be the new voice of BC Basketball,” Meterparel said. “It has been an honor to work alongside outstanding people within the athletics program and at ISP the past five years on the football network, and I truly look forward to adding basketball to my responsibilities as well.”



Boston College Director of Athletics Gene DeFilippo expressed his strong support for Meterparel’s new expanded role involving Eagle broadcasts.



“We are very pleased that Jon Meterparel will continue as the voice of Boston College Football and now will serve as our play-by-play announcer for men’s basketball as well,” DeFilippo said. “Jon has established himself as one of the most recognizable figures in the Boston sports media and we are fortunate to have him leading our broadcast team.”



ISP, through an agreement with Fenway Sports Group, has marketed and managed the Boston College ISP Sports Network since 2005. FSG and ISP recently announced a new agreement extending their relationship through June 2019. That agreement coincided with the announcement that WEEI will remain the flagship station for the Eagles’ football and basketball broadcasts through 2015.



Jason Wolfe, Vice President for AM Programming and Operations at WEEI and WRKO was pleased with the announcement of Meterparel’s new duties.



“I’m thrilled for Jon,” Wolfe said. “He’s worked exceptionally hard in his role with BC Football and has truly earned this opportunity. He’ll do a terrific job with basketball, too, and I look forward to working with him and the folks at ISP who produce such quality broadcasts.”

Radio and TV deals and other links

How desperate is the ACC to sign a big TV deal? Desperate enough to reach out to the NFL Network. Spin it however you want but the ACC expansion was all about money. Now that the current TV deal is nearing an end, all eyes are watching the new negotiations. After big pay days for the Big Ten and SEC, is there still money on the table for our new conference? That is where the NFL Network comes in. They have money and time slots on Saturday. And if there is a NFL work stoppage they will also need new content. But does the NFL want to spend enough money to get the ACC? I doubt it. Also would the ACC want to leave ESPN? We all dread ESPN's power, but not being on the worldwide leader hurts perception among recruits and fans.

If you don't have the NFL Network, rest assured that you'll still be able to listen to BC sports! Fenway Sports Group, ISP, and BC agreed to an extension of their current deal.

Joe Trapani was the only basketball player to make an All ACC team (3rd).

Skinner expects Corey Raji to play Thursday, despite his bad shoulder.

This is a few days old, but here is a good article on Brady Heslip.

Brockton football star Carlito Weaver is hoping to get more attention from the BC staff.

Florida State's "sod game plaque" for the BC game, now has an asterisk.

Fenway on ice and other links

The Bruins will play in Fenway as part of the NHL's Winter Classic. Now reports are surfacing that BC will also play in the old ballpark. This is all still unofficial, and I don't know who the opponent would be (BU is likely). We also don't know if this would be a double-header with the Bruins game or be a separate ticket. Regardless, it should be very cool.

This writer doubts that Rice will even get drafted.

Andy Katz mentioned Holy Cross' interest in Pat Duquette.

Check out the quotes in the second half of this article on BC's new basketball recruit Kevin Noreen. The ACC analyst gives the classic broken clock line when criticizing:

Still, Oettinger wonders if the Eagles can thrive if they’re only bringing in diamonds in the rough.

“It catches up with you sooner or later because sometimes they are no better than what the rest of us think they are,” he said.

Is this guy serious? If one team consitently found talent despite what everyone else thought, I wouldn't predict that their luck would run out. I would start to wonder what they know or do that no one else does. But that's just me...

The overlooked aspect of the ACC-Fenway problem and other links

As most of you know now, the ACC pulled out of Fenway for the 2010 ACC Baseball Championship. Swofford spun the reason for the move as travel costs during an uncertain economic climate. I am not buying it. My guess -- and with no scoop from anyone closer to the deal -- was this is tied to Mike Dee's departure from the Fenway Sports Group. The ACC already got screwed when the Fenway Sport Group doublebooked the historic park for this year and forced the conference to move the tourney to Durham. Now with Dee gone from FSG and the Sox, I imagine Swofford didn't want to mess around and face another scramble. In my opinion, blaming the economy is a face saving move until FSG gets its ducks in a row.

On the women's side, BC will take on FSU in the ACC Softball championship.

Dallas's bubble collapse has BC prepping our bubble for weather issues.

For those who haven't notice, Eagle Insider is beefing up their content. Here is their interview with Gene.

That's just how BC fans roll

Interesting article in the Globe about BC fans getting private charters to away games. This service is another product of the Red Sox deal. Anything that helps our travel rep is welcome.

A look at Fenway Sports Group

Here is an interesting look at the BC's marketing partner the Fenway Sports Group. I think the best aspect of this relationship from a BC perspective is how seamless it has been. Supposedly the revenue is way up (no official numbers released) yet you never feel like the Red Sox are setting the BC agenda or invading the BC experience with corporate sponsorship.

Fenway news and Ryan diss

BC and the Red Sox sports marketing arm the Fenway Sports Group announced an extension of their current agreement. The new deal continues the relationship for another 12 years and beefs up BC’s account team. No one has disclosed the amount of revenue generated by the new deal but I imagine both parties must be pretty excited to agree to something of this length. In my interview with Steve Novak I sent him a question trying to gauge how the BC fund money compared to other sources of revenue. Obviously he did not share (not that I blame him…there are benefits of being a private university). For this to make sense for the Red Sox I would guess that they are generating multi-millions. And for BC you would have to assume they are generating more money than they did independently. So assume it is very good for everyone involved.

In other news…

Reader Steve E. and a few people on the message boards were pissed when Matt Ryan was lumped in with the rest of the ACC QBs and dismissed as nothing special by ESPN's Pat Forde. This is consistent with Ryan not getting much preseason Heisman attention from any of the major sites or publications. I am not too upset. At this point it doesn’t matter. The Heisman has morphed into an MVP award for the No. 1 team, so it is a long shot for Matty. I also think he'll prove enough this season and make all ACC again and has a very good shot at being Second or Third team All America.