UA needs to capitalize on "the Cleveland curse"

[ZachTheZip]

It is obvious that "the curse" does not apply to UA athletics, with our MAC championships in football, basketball, and soccer, and NCAA championship in Rifle. The Rifle championship is the most important of them all, because it proves that a UA athlete can win on the biggest stage, not just on the conference level.Cleveland is in a funk like no other city on Earth. They desperately need a winner. We provided one in March when we went to the Q and won the MAC basketball playoffs, but only 9,300 people were there to see it, and after we won I didn't see any advertising bragging about it. Imagine the effect that some commercials congratulating our football team's MAC championship in 2005 might have had if they were run during Browns games, all those frustrated football fans watching their comicaly bad team being reminded that there's a winner located just down the road. What about the same thing for the basketball team run during Cavs games, linking LeBron and UA athletics (not just the university, like the ones run now)?There's a top media market going largely untapped just 40 minutes from campus. We can give them something to cheer for.(you hear me, marketing department? The next time a Zips team wins a MAC or NCAA championship, put out some commercials that contrast them with the relavant professional sport in Cleveland).

[GP1]

What if the Cavs come back from behind and win the current series and go on to win the World Championship? I think there is still a VERY good chance of the Cavs beating Orlando in six games (even though I brutalize Browns fans because they are such a stupid lot, I really like the Cavs).Anyhow, comparing low level programs to professional teams seems desperate. Remember, eventually people are going to go watch the games. Watching the NFL, regardless of how bad the Browns can be at times, is still far more entertaining than watching low level D-1A college football. Cleveland fans are so paranoid and insecure most of the time, this marketing strategy would backfire anyhow. I'd rather see the MAC make itself more entertaining within itself than worry about comparing it to professional teams.

[ZachTheZip]

Somehow I knew you would be the first to respond, GP1. If the Cavs manage to wake up out of their funk and go on to win, then we can associate our team with a winner.It can seem desperate to compare us to the Browns, but Cleveland is in a unique situation with the city's psyche being so fragile. They're more desperate than we are.As for the MAC, they're not going to becomre more entertaining even if Akron suddenly became like Utah or TCU, constantly challenging for a BCS spot. That's because the rest of the teams still suck. We can't do anything about the quality of our conference opponents. We can only continue to improve. If we want an exciting matchup, it will have to be a non-conference opponent.

[skip-zip]

Of course, the idea that NE Ohio is starving for a winner can't be more true. But, I'll reiterate what I say on here all the time....The Browns, Cavs, and Indians compete for NATIONAL championships. The Zips compete for conference championships in a low to mid level D-1 league, depending on the sport. I would find it an incredible reach to think that the fans of these teams will someday decide to start ditching their season tickets and start driving to Akron to see MAC-Level football as their primary source of sports entertainment.

[Dave in Green]

I think it would be more realistic to try to promote UA (or any other college) basketball and football to high school basketball and football fans rather than NBA and NFL fans.

[vmd9]

Of course, the idea that NE Ohio is starving for a winner can't be more true. But, I'll reiterate what I say on here all the time....The Browns, Cavs, and Indians compete for NATIONAL championships. The Zips compete for conference championships in a low to mid level D-1 league, depending on the sport. I would find it an incredible reach to think that the fans of these teams will someday decide to start ditching their season tickets and start driving to Akron to see MAC-Level football as their primary source of sports entertainment.

this is exactly what i was thinking. It's cool to win MAC titles but thats nothing. It would be just like any other cleveland team winning their division. We've had really no other post-season success, except for the NIT. So until we win a bowl game or grab a tourney win, we are just as much part of the curse as the other teams!