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NFL Sales Pitch As the New Year dawns, the NFL really kicks into high gear. You have not only the playoff games and the personnel departments getting ready for college prospects, but the most amazingly repetitive sales pitch in all of American marketing. It's your local team's sales pitch for next year's ticket sales, and it generally takes one of three forms. First are those teams that aren't in the playoffs, but weren't bad enough to fire the head coach. Here you get the proverbial "we're just a few players away" or if a new assistant was added, "I really think coach x can bring new life to" whatever position group he's coaching. If all else fails you point to the over-hyped first round pick and explain how he fills a critical need of the team, and how the young players now have another year under their belt, which will undoubtedly make the team better. Second are the teams in the playoffs, all but one of whom will soon start proclaiming "We were close last year, but this year we're ready to go all the way!" And as some of your best players slip away in free agency or retire, the team stresses how the remaining players have formed a strong bond and are "playing together", which of course will make your team better. For the Super Bowl winner, it's easy. The fan gets the "Don't miss next year as the Super Bowl champs defend their title!" The most interesting group contains the teams who have decided to let their coach go. Here you get an onslaught of talk about why some retread coach from another team or "rising star" from the college ranks will spur your team on to victory. Of course there is no mention of the fact that all the players are starting from ground zero and learning a new offense, defense, blocking scheme, etc. Plus, you get to watch a high first round draft pick that's bound to be a star(like Ryan Leaf), so you won't mind the fact that ticket prices just increased another 10%, not including parking fees and "seat licenses" or any of that other crap. It's the classic NFL marketing scheme. They should just come out and say it: "The NFL: selling hype or hope for over eighty years!" It's really quite easy. Just emphasize any good qualities of your current team if you're keeping the coach (the hype), or feed the fans a line a bull about why next year will be better (the hope). And if all else fails, fire the coach. It works every time, even though it shouldn't. Don't get me wrong, this repetitive business plan paid my salary for a number of years and still pays my pension. I just wish it wasn't so lame. It's like the "dog ate my homework" excuse to the schoolteacher. You know it is coming but there's nothing you can do about it. -Tim Ruddy Ask Tim A Question |
