ideas thread idea

[Dann]

trippy hugh?

i think every day as a countdown type thing i will post an idea or comment on a situation within uconn that i want to have out in the public now. the uconn ath dept is struggling to act like a B1G boy. i recently gave a small pitch to a ffirend who has connections so he could pass it along and see what the thought was about it. it was shot down quickly with a small answer that didn't understand the point and potential in the idea. so i have had enough. if i didn't have so much fun follwoing the trail fall apart right now or sailing the atlantic with the uss connecticut i think i would trow in the towel and am getting closer every day to becomng a silent/casual fan right now under what we have in storrs. yea i'm pretty upset.

so my thought is maybe to keep myself in a positive mood and engaged with a program i used to love so much i can do a idea a day type thing that u guys can all eat up or poop out based on your thoughts. maybe u can add to them or so on.

some of the things i will tackle are(broad topics)
-game entrance
-footprint
-brand vs logo
-tailgate
-attendance
-marketing
-scheduling
-game placement


and much more....

 

[sportsart]

I say we just get together on Dec 20th, make some "kool aid", name our space Bonestown, watch a rerun of the ND game and then call it a day. In the spirit on Animal House...."Who's with me?"

 

[mets1090]

Something about the name Bonestown doesn't sit right.

 

[Fishy]

This will be like attending a TED conference at an insane asylum.

 

[RedSoloCup]

We're holding it at Ted's?

 

[CTMike]

trippy hugh?

i think every day as a countdown type thing i will post an idea or comment on a situation within uconn that i want to have out in the public now. the uconn ath dept is struggling to act like a B1G boy. i recently gave a small pitch to a ffirend who has connections so he could pass it along and see what the thought was about it. it was shot down quickly with a small answer that didn't understand the point and potential in the idea. so i have had enough. if i didn't have so much fun follwoing the trail fall apart right now or sailing the atlantic with the uss connecticut i think i would trow in the towel and am getting closer every day to becomng a silent/casual fan right now under what we have in storrs. yea i'm pretty upset.

so my thought is maybe to keep myself in a positive mood and engaged with a program i used to love so much i can do a idea a day type thing that u guys can all eat up or poop out based on your thoughts. maybe u can add to them or so on.

some of the things i will tackle are(broad topics)
-game entrance
-footprint
-brand vs logo
-tailgate
-attendance
-marketing
-scheduling
-game placement


and much more....

It ALL needs work and I'm a little dismayed that any ideas are immediately being rejected (even crazy HFD ones, cause he's not THAT crazy).

We need pedal to the metal in all phases. Full court press. Whatever analogy... Complacency and thinking things were peachy instead of continually raising the bar have got us where we are today, particularly in the Athletic Department (less so the university as a whole). We need an upstart, fight for our lives mentality... Not a sit back and throw up our hands mentality. No idea too small if it builds our brand and our fans.

Curious what your suggestion was Dan...

 

[RMoore1999]

It ALL needs work and I'm a little dismayed that any ideas are immediately being rejected (even crazy HFD ones, cause he's not THAT crazy).

We need pedal to the metal in all phases. Full court press. Whatever analogy... Complacency and thinking things were peachy instead of continually raising the bar have got us where we are today, particularly in the Athletic Department (less so the university as a whole). We need an upstart, fight for our lives mentality... Not a sit back and throw up our hands mentality. No idea too small if it builds our brand and our fans.

Curious what your suggestion was Dan...

My sources tell me that Dan was pushing topless cheerleaders for the t-shirt tosses and something about a Who Can Eat More Hot Dogs Than Warde half-time contest...Dan's thought was it could replace the little kids "race" in Husky uni's...

 

[pj]

It's more important to do things, than to sit at a computer and snipe. Dan is trying to get things done. They really should bring him into the athletic department with a tiny marketing budget and see what his energy can accomplish. If they're worried about image, just make him do everything in a Husky outfit, they will have deniability because you expect mascots to behave in offbeat ways.

 

[junglehusky]

You know, thinking about this for a second... if there are any boneyarders with backgrounds in marketing, advertising, etc. who would be willing to put their real names on something, this might be something that could get visibility outside of the boneyard. Especially if someone wants to put money into it. Commission a study, write a white paper, put it on a well-designed website / blog, and pump it with social media to get views and maybe sign a petition. Then send it off to the athletic department. It would have to be very focused and professional though, I think.

 

[pj]

Great idea junglehusky. If a bunch of marketing professionals and season ticket holders formed a sort of booster group / advisory group and offered to help the athletic department with marketing, it could really have an impact. Hopefully the lawyers wouldn't get in the way.

 

[Kgun7]

hfd - About 5 years ago I contacted a local husky dog racing kennel about leading the team onto the field. They were very interested and even offered to provide information and demos for the athletic department. I learned a lot about the process, how they would need to do it, and any potential problems. The people were very informative and very eager to support the program with a unique tradition. I passed all my research on to a student band leader who said he was in a position to pitch the idea to Hathaway. I was told later that the idea was rejected and there was no interest from the AD to look into it. Perhaps the new AD would listen?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

hfd - About 5 years ago I contacted a local husky dog racing kennel about leading the team onto the field. They were very interested and even offered to provide information and demos for the athletic department. I learned a lot about the process, how they would need to do it, and any potential problems. The people were very informative and very eager to support the program with a unique tradition. I passed all my research on to a student band leader who said he was in a position to pitch the idea to Hathaway. I was told later that the idea was rejected and there was no interest from the AD to look into it. Perhaps the new AD would listen?

If you still have the info forward it to WM. I don't know how he will respond but hopefully he is far more open minded than JH was.

I remember a discussion many years ago about a dog sled team. Considering the Sooner Schooner that Oklahoma runs on the field after they score TD's (add to this the number of TD's they score), I see no reason why we couldn't run a dog sled (which is what we had discussed ~2004-2005) pregame and perhaps at halftime or something. Dogs have to be far easier to handle (on many levels) than the horses that pull the OU carriage. Additionally, there is no reason why the sled cannot be motorized, making it very little work for the dogs (beyond running, which is something dogs like to do) when they are 'pulling the sled'.

The reality is that we need to do something. We need to do many things that in a decade or two will become part of the gameday tradition. JH squandered away the better part of a decade. We cannot afford to squander away much more.

 

[uconnell]

I love your enthusiasm HFD, please don't give up on UCONN. The BY fans need someone to keep them fired up in this most dismal of times.

 

[uconNYC]

UConn Athletic Department needs to run focus groups and fan forums where these types of ideas can be proposed. WM in his Doyle interview said they needed to engage fans better (went on to say "I dont have all the answers" UGH!!!) - well that would be a start. (Or simply monitor forums like this, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc.)

Funny how all the things they teach you in college flies over the heads of university administrators.

When I was doing my Masters in the UK - I went to one of these fan forums the English Football Association (FA) organized. It was really terrific. All the top marketing managers at the FA were there and fans could speak or write down all their thoughts, grievances, ideas, etc. The FA officials really engaged the fans and picked their brains meticulously. They held these type of forums in every corner of the country throughout the year.

 

[Dooley]

Good read:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/uco...ll-program-fighting-recent-losing-4101018.php

 

[pj]

When I was doing my Masters in the UK - I went to one of these fan forums the English Football Association (FA) organized. It was really terrific. All the top marketing managers at the FA were there and fans could speak or write down all their thoughts, grievances, ideas, etc. The FA officials really engaged the fans and picked their brains meticulously. They held these type of forums in every corner of the country throughout the year.

Fan forums -- terrific idea! Let them bring a few players and coaches to say how much fan support means to the team, and then talk about what we can do to make it a better experience for everyone, and bring in more fans.

 

[huskymedic]

Good read:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/uco...ll-program-fighting-recent-losing-4101018.php

One of the better articles there has been... good sourcing.

 

[CL82]

It ALL needs work and I'm a little dismayed that any ideas are immediately being rejected (even crazy HFD ones, cause he's not THAT crazy).
...

Oh he's that crazy, but his ideas have more merit than many on the board.

 

[jdb50]

Good article, obvious Warde knows there is no quick fix (other than a QB like Manzel or Pat White) but alot of hard slogging ahead. It's concievable that two years of full houses could get an expansion started.

 

[CTMike]

Good read:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/uco...ll-program-fighting-recent-losing-4101018.php

Very good read. Shows just how much work we have ahead of us. All hands on deck!

 

[Adios]

I am getting tired of people saying we have no history. Had to e-mail that writer.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The only thing I've ever disagreed with HFD is that we rejected ACC invites, not only once, but twice. That's just not true.

I'm totally on board with everything else the guy says with regard to pumping up our program.

 

[Dann]

hfd - About 5 years ago I contacted a local husky dog racing kennel about leading the team onto the field. They were very interested and even offered to provide information and demos for the athletic department. I learned a lot about the process, how they would need to do it, and any potential problems. The people were very informative and very eager to support the program with a unique tradition. I passed all my research on to a student band leader who said he was in a position to pitch the idea to Hathaway. I was told later that the idea was rejected and there was no interest from the AD to look into it. Perhaps the new AD would listen?

i remember talking to u about it and u explained to me the idea and stuff. this is one of the many things i would like to adress. but i have a idea off the orginal one as a spin off that will put buts in seats and suppoort both for the school and organization. basically, win win with a new tradition. i will t

 

[Dann]

It ALL needs work and I'm a little dismayed that any ideas are immediately being rejected (even crazy HFD ones, cause he's not THAT crazy).

We need pedal to the metal in all phases. Full court press. Whatever analogy... Complacency and thinking things were peachy instead of continually raising the bar have got us where we are today, particularly in the Athletic Department (less so the university as a whole). We need an upstart, fight for our lives mentality... Not a sit back and throw up our hands mentality. No idea too small if it builds our brand and our fans.

Curious what your suggestion was Dan...

i think i'm going to start threads every once in a while talking about a certain idea or a certain thing that we can all discuss to make it better or expand on or w/e. that way i or others who have the best idea can all be flushed out thru board talk from the good fans that post and lurk here. we can make it a series of posts idea 1, 2, 3 title wise so they can be found and hopefully end up in good hands down the road...

 

[formerlurker]