Page 26-Wednesday, May 6, 1981- The Michigan Daily
PROMOTERS PHILOSOPHIZE AT CRISLER
'Empty seats create headaches'
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By RON POLLACK
During the two-day clinic on sports promotion held
at Crisler Arena yesterday and Monday, it became
very evident that promotion and the pursuit of profits
are of great importance to athletic institutions.
Whereas a team that has a losing record can
nonetheless make money, a club that finishes con-
sistently in the red may not have a record to worry
about.
Coaches have nightmares about losing games;
promoters and athletic directors have a different
problem to deal with - the empty seat.
"THE EMPTY SEAT NEVER creates anything
but headaches and echoes," said Chicago White Sox
promotion director Russ Potts. "It never sells any
hot dogs."
The antithesis of an empty-seated stadium is a
sold-out one - something while Potts relishes.
"Never say 'sold out,' " said Potts. "There's always
room for one more."
Agreeing with Potts' concept that the time to make
a killing is when a product is in demand is Wichita
State Athletic Director Ted Bredehoft, whose basket-
ball team was a surprise success during this year's
NCAA basketball tournament.
"OUR ARENA IS SOLD OUT for next year in
basketball. I've got a product people want," said
Bredehoft. In order to get as much money as possible
from this fan interest, Bredehoft will introduce an
unusual innovation. Wichita State plans on televising
its games on a cable TV station owned by, you
guessed it, Wichita State. If fans want to watch the
Shockers play,-they will have to buy a season ticket to
the cable telecasts.
Another scheme of Bredehoft's took place after a
football game around Thanksgiving. He was going to
turn 45 live turkeys loose and let the fans in the stands
try to catch them. However, when the Humane
Society heard of Bredehoft's plan, they argued that it
was cruel. Bredehoft retorted that it was no different
than cutting off the turkeys' heads, knowing that the
Humane Society would get upset and draw media at-
tention to the incident. Bredehoft, always scheming,
eventually said that the turkey farm had sold off all of
its turkeys, but that the turkey farmer had donated a
number of frozen turkeys to be used in their place.
"Thus, I didn't get in trouble, and I did draw people's
attention to the program," said Bredehoft.
MICHIGAN ATHLETIC Director Don Canham also
spoke at the clinic, saying that it is of tremendous
importance to cater to the customer.
"You have to make it easy for the customer,"
Canham said. "It has to be easy to get there. You
have to have easy access. It has to be easy for them to
get something to eat. You need good rest room
facilities. You have to make it fun. You need to make
it a spectacle. In the Slippery Rock game coming up
(to be held at Michigan Stadium), we'll have the hor-
ses from the Budweiser commercial and the San
Diego chicken."
Canham also said that when he arrived at Michigan
he did not direct ads solely to the male audience. "We
made sure we directed the ad to the woman of the
house since she decides the weekend. I'd get on cook
shows making salads and talk about Michigan foot-
ball."
Potts said that the best time of the year to sell
season tickets is not during the season, but rather,
before it. "You're unbeaten in February, you're un-
beaten in March, you're unbeaten in April, you're un-
beaten in May, you're unbeaten in June, you're un-
beaten in July, you're unbeaten in August. Hope
springs eternal. Now's the time to sell tickets. Did
you ever hear of a coach who had a bad recruiting
year?"
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For ony a S'ng e dollar over the regular cost
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Friday.
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