homegame

Sports Marketing 101: A Case Study

NOTE: Auto racing fans need not read this post. You already know all this stuff.

Here's a quiz, gang. What would be the reaction of the typical baseball fan to the following scenario? He or she turns on the television to watch the home team on Opening Day, and sees a bench-clearing brawl break out when one third-base coach punches another as they're handing the umps the lineups at home plate before the National Anthem?

My guess is, said fan would have the ticket office on repeat speed dial and the home team's Web site on permanent refresh within 10 seconds as he or she attempted to get two good seats down the first base line ASAP.

This is pretty much what happened in the supposedly haplessly rural and backward world of NASCAR. Top drivers Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, both somewhat somewhat edgy personalities, began duking it out at a drivers' meeting more than a week before the Daytona 500 opens the 2008 season. They were put on probation for six weeks, and told to avoid each other.

A sport that needs restraining orders! What's not to like?

posted by Michael Gee @ 8:41 AM