Check out the coverage of Tennessee's fall camp on their Rival's site. Daily pics from camp, updates on each day's action, insights from players and coaches. Night and day from NU's approach to the media. Any pretense that such media access puts us at a competitive disadvantage was put to rest at the Outback bowl. NU does not know how to hype its program. A few controlled promotional videos are not enough. If NU was smart, they would leverage this site.
camp coverage
- Thread starter mbuhl
- Start date
Since we won 10 games last year, I will settle for whatever approach our coaching staff deems fit to take with regard to fall camp media access.
I think it is more about reducing distractions and drama from speculation about injury overtime a guy limps off the field.
I wish we got more coverage because I'm self serving in that way but I think it protects the students privacy and maintains focus.
I think Butch Jones would tell Pat Fitzgerald that he envies his freedom from the media microscope. He has certainly had plenty of conversations with the local media about not revealing so much concerning player health, special play packages, and the like.
I think it really all just comes down to the law of supply and demand. Writers who cover the Vols know that they can sell a lot of papers if they have an article or two on the team in each issue...they can generate tens of thousands of additional clicks to their blog if they talk about the program...they can get more people tuning in to the 6 o'clock news. So they come to the practices in droves.
I think it really all just comes down to the law of supply and demand. Writers who cover the Vols know that they can sell a lot of papers if they have an article or two on the team in each issue...they can generate tens of thousands of additional clicks to their blog if they talk about the program...they can get more people tuning in to the 6 o'clock news. So they come to the practices in droves.
CBJ is a great promoter and uses the media and fan desire for constant info to his advantage. If he thought the distractions outweighed the benefits (recruiting, tix and merch sales, fund raising), he wouldn't do it. Look at CBJ's approach to the Orange and White game (celebrity DJs, inviting famous former players to be in attendance - its a spectacle, a game-day environment) compared to CPF's choice to keep his low-key and largely unattended. Maybe CPF has the luxury of a small uninterested fan base and does not view it as his job to change that. Perhaps he thinks winning games is the best way to change that. My personal opinion is that winning and promoting are not mutually exclusive and you can and must do both. Once again, UT did not seem too distracted in Tampa last January.
You raise good point, Mbuhl. And Butch certainly does enjoy and capitalize on the positive aspects of heavy media coverage. But given the significant restrictions he has put on the media (big blocks of each practice they're not allowed to film or report on, some they're not even allowed to attend), and the statements he has made over the past two years, he clearly feels the cost of the down side, as well.
It's one of those things where you get what you pay for, and you pay for what you get.
It's one of those things where you get what you pay for, and you pay for what you get.
You are correct. CBJ tries to manages the distractions while gaining the benefits. CPF eliminates the distractions, while perhaps failing to gain some of the benefits. I am generally slow to criticize coaches, particularly good ones like CPF. I just think that the differences in approach are interesting. Brent Hubbs and staff at Volquest are given a lot of access and often have inside info (and , in turn, don't abuse the trust). The UT Athletic Department clearly sees them as a strategic partner in some ways. It is just different over here. This site is a good site to get news, but not inside info or better info that you could get from other media outlets, if other outlets chose to cover it. I don't mean to dump on this site. They do a good job with the access they are given and what their subscription base will allow.
That's exactly what NU should be doing but it won't happen because is a secretive guy. Barnett did some of the above and it didn't seem to hurt the program. I know, NU won 10 games last season but encouraging media coverage just might help fill up Ryan Field, without help from the visitors. Oh and todays Trib.has long winded articles on Illinois and ND but zero on NU, wonder why.
It is a little bit go the Chicken and the Egg though. Branding and name recognition helps recruiting, better recruiting builds better teams increasing revenue and name recognition. Increasing name recognition increases demand, helps recruiting.
Unfortunately for NU many recruits, especially outside of the B1G footprint have never heard of us. The name is not unique because of it's directional nature. The more press the better in my opinion. Even bad press can have it's advantages.
There's definitely a virtuous (and/or vicious) cycle relationship between media coverage, fan engagement, and revenue. Recruiting gets woven in there to an extent, as well. These elements all tend to rise or fall together in a clunky kind of symbiosis.
I've always thought Northwestern could benefit from marketing itself as the "elite school of the people." Harvard has its blue bloods, Yale has cross bones and CIA spies, Stanford has State Dept pin stripes, and Cal Tech has braniac nerds. But Northwestern is the home of the genius with a lunch pail, the guy from the Mid-west who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, the fellow (or gal) with some muscles supporting that big brain.
There's a niche for NU that no one else has. And it has the benefit (from this outsider's perspective) of being true. It has the second benefit of dovetailing very nicely with the game of football.
That's how you build a brand that a big chunk of the country can rally behind. Media attention and non-alumnus fan base might crank up over time that way.
p.s. Of course, you would have to give up that whole 'waving your keys at the opponent's fans who will one day be parking your car' shtick, if you took this approach.
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f course, you would have to give up that whole 'waving your keys at the opponent's fans who will one day be parking your car' shtick, if you took this approach.
NU grad and hate that tradition...although my younger kids like to make noise.
There's definitely a virtuous (and/or vicious) cycle relationship between media coverage, fan engagement, and revenue. Recruiting gets woven in there to an extent, as well. These elements all tend to rise or fall together in a clunky kind of symbiosis.
I've always thought Northwestern could benefit from marketing itself as the "elite school of the people." Harvard has its blue bloods, Yale has cross bones and CIA spies, Stanford has State Dept pin stripes, and Cal Tech has braniac nerds. But Northwestern is the home of the genius with a lunch pail, the guy from the Mid-west who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, the fellow (or gal) with some muscles supporting that big brain.
There's a niche for NU that no one else has. And it has the benefit (from this outsider's perspective) of being true. It has the second benefit of dovetailing very nicely with the game of football.
That's how you build a brand that a big chunk of the country can rally behind. Media attention and non-alumnus fan base might crank up over time that way.
p.s. Of course, you would have to give up that whole 'waving your keys at the opponent's fans who will one day be parking your car' shtick, if you took this approach.
Not being an NU grad myself but a native of Chicago, the "Genius with a lunch pail" is kind of appealing to me and would help with the "Chicago's B1G team" campaign. I'm not sure it would fly with some alumni who like to cosy up to the blue blood image and jingle their keys.
"Of course, you would have to give up that whole 'waving your keys at the opponent's fans"
Many other schools and fan bases jangle their keys.
http://michiganzone.blogspot.com/2005/10/put-damn-keys-away.html
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ng-college-football-stadium-traditions/page/6
Many other schools and fan bases jangle their keys.
http://michiganzone.blogspot.com/2005/10/put-damn-keys-away.html
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ng-college-football-stadium-traditions/page/6
Well stated. And I recall instances documented on this message board where we have been burnt in the past by providing too much access to the press. Striking a balance is an extremely fine line.
And you know that Fitz is a "secretive guy" how, exactly? Imo, the Trib can write on Illinois all they want, as long as we win more games. Finally, a lot of the Illini press coverage in the past year--well let's just say it would not the the type of press coverage that the Illini would want to crow about.
The funny thing about the bleacher report is the guy didn't or even find out why they Jangle keys. He must be but to dumb and too lazy to be an owner or control a set of keys worth jangling.
It just MIGHT be because ND and Illinois have started practice and Northwestern has not. NU's media day is Wednesday and I predict lots of coverage because there is NO BEARs practice that day. That's the reality of being in a pro sports town. Opening practices would NOT create all that much more coverage. Knoxville, Tenn. is a COLLEGE town, thus I would expect UTenn to get lots of coverage.
Well, there's a bit more to it than that. I mean, the Volunteers get more coverage in Nashville than the Titans. So college team beats pro team out for coverage in pro team's home town, 3 hours away from college team's home town.
It's certainly more complicated than just Pro > College everywhere they co-exist.
Yes, I'm sure they get lots of coverage all over Tennessee. It's a STATE school, which Northwestern is not. But please don't compare Nashville to Chicago in terms of pro sports towns. All the Chicago pro teams are more established than either the Titans or the Predators who have both never even won ONE championship.
When the Titans are good (it happened, once upon a time) they dominate the sports media in Nashville. If UT gets more coverage at present, it's because they're an SEC contender and the Titans are terrible.
True and true. KaTNap and Reporter, you are both right.
But then again, you're making my point for me. There's more to it than JUST pro > college when they cohabitate. Lotta factors involved.
But then again, you're making my point for me. There's more to it than JUST pro > college when they cohabitate. Lotta factors involved.
1) During my tenure at the school the key jangle thing was simply to make noise. I never heard anyone explain that this was some kind of class thing.
2) NU can barely get coverage on its own conference network, and Chicago is a pro sports town, as others have said. Fitz could send out a press release saying he'll be standing naked outside the stadium and the Trib's editor would be more interested in the bone spurs of the Bears' third string tight end.
3) Just win, baby.
2) NU can barely get coverage on its own conference network, and Chicago is a pro sports town, as others have said. Fitz could send out a press release saying he'll be standing naked outside the stadium and the Trib's editor would be more interested in the bone spurs of the Bears' third string tight end.
3) Just win, baby.
If Fitz were open to modifying his strategy just a tad, I might recommend someone younger and more female taking that role for him. Results could be hella better. Just sayin'.
Well he has closed practices to all, even the press. He also has eliminated the open final scrimmage in Kenosha, where lots of NU fans went and defined it as, now it's football season. Sorry but press coverage, overall can only help a program and it definitely helps with recruits and the average Chicago-area fan.
"Definitely," eh? Let me count the times we got a commitment from a recruit because of local media coverage... I'm done. The answer is zero.
You really think a kid with whom the coaching staff is in regular contact, takes official or unofficial visits to campus, gets all the official recruiting correspondence, tours campus and the football facilities, and gets to know the players is going to say "hmm, well, I noticed that the Tribune preview was back on page 6, I'm going to go to Purdue where it's the only football in town!"?
The Tribune? Camp started today and looking at this site - one devoted to NU Sports - you would barely know it. I think you are over simplifying the issue. Recruits notice half-empty stadiums, and it would not hurt if we were a known entity with recruits before we started recruiting them.
Guess the kids NU recruits don't read the papers. Find that a little hard to believe.
And, having actually spoken with and taken part in recruiting athletes to NU, I think you are over-complicating things.
Who exactly DOES read papers nowadays, especially in the "under 40" crowd?
I think publicity in Chicago papers helps attract non alumni to attend games. Full stadium of NU fans can only help the recruitment process. Would it be more appealing to recruits if you had that in your arsenal? Every bit helps. Getting locals like Clayton, JJTBC, and Lees also makes it more likely to get local coverage.
Win football games, then you get all the recruits and media overage you could hope for.
We're going around in circles here. NU tries very hard to get maximum publicity. I said earlier that WEDNESDAY is media day and that's because the Bears don't practice that day so it should maximize coverage. With the Cubs in first place and the Bears about to start their preseason and the Olympics going on, I don't know what your expectations would be. Illini have a new coach well known in Chicago and ND has a QB battle. Those are compelling story lines that might give them a little extra preseason pub. Fitz is popular with the media in Chicago and gets plenty of pub. OPEN PRACTICES WOULD MAKE NO DIFFERENCE in the amount of coverage NU gets. Winning does make a difference, but even then, there is lots of competition for attention in Chicago sports.
Sure, don't win and it makes no difference. With that, publicity is good unless it's around the police blotter.
Got all that. My point is publicity for the team is good. No expectations. You mention that NU tries very hard to maximize publicity and you would know, so I'll leave it at that. I just think the notion that it doesn't matter is flawed.
Didn't mean that it doesn't matter at all, just that it means much less than most around here probably think.
Right, I think the frustration is that the inability to have any idea what is going on at camp prevents is hard core fans from getting the less hard core fans from getting excited about the upcoming season, and also reduces local and potentially national media coverage (probably the latter less but maybe at the margin). Those things can / will reduce preseason excitement among the fan base and early season attendance, and I would imagine recruits do notice the environment at Ryan Field when they come to visit.
Now sure if we end up great at 6-0 then we will sell out then, but early on, and if we are otherwise just okay, local coverage and organic work of mouth fanbase publicity can help at the margin.
That said, probably not a big deal overall, I think what people are saying is that it would be nice if we'd get a bit more access to parts of practice and info on how players and position battles are going aside from "X player is doing great and Y player is doing great and anything can happen". I would think that could happen without giving away any schematic or game plan specific info, and without anyone knowing definitively how snaps will be split at any given time.
And if any reporters break that code then restrict / block them from part or all of practice (or just block everyone from schematic or gameplan specific parts).
I don't think having open practices has much of an effect on an opponent's preparation for a game, but Fitz is "old school" and thinks games are won and lost on on the ability to keep everything under wraps.
In the past, Fitz let in fans to practice and tells them explicitly not to share any details about what they see, but some posters who just want message board attention couldn't keep their mouth shut.
In the past, Fitz let in fans to practice and tells them explicitly not to share any details about what they see, but some posters who just want message board attention couldn't keep their mouth shut.
