Gold Out

[IWB]

Once again MU is sending out notices trying to promote National Marquette Day with a "Gold Out". I know people have been critical on this on other boards every time MU has tried it, but MU is working hard on this. But seriously, why does it never work?

Problem: People just don't pay attention. How many people going to MU games think about it when getting dressed? Some do, put on their MU best, which might be blue, light blue or grey, but they don't think about it as "I need to wear gold".

Solution: There is a simple solution, and these are the little things that MU's Marketing Department always misses on. I saw someone say that it works at other schools because they put shirts on every seat. While this may be true, in this day and age it is tough to get someone to pony up $20k for advertising on t-shirts. So, here is what you do. Get a sponsor that will throw in a little, charge them .50c per shirt. Now print up 2,500 shirts and assemble a squad of students with marketing majors and have them target every person that walks through the gate without gold shirts and sell them shirts for $5.00 each. Remember, this isn't about making money, it is about getting people to wear gold and support National Marquette Day. However, you will make money, so take the profit you make and give it to the Marketing Club for their work in doing the sales end of the deal.

Why is this solution not obvious? I see little things like this at almost every single MU event, and it always drives me nuts.

[Goose85]

A gold t-shirt with the same We are Marquette logo on them. Not very expensive at all, selling them for $10 at the Union. Problem is, most people are not going to the union.

MU has been giving t-shirts to students at games - show your ticket and ID and get a shirt.

Problem with a gold out is MU is not like Penn State, we have three colors other than white.
MU madness one year has a light blue shirt give away, maybe a white shirt give away, then a gold shirt give away. Blue shirts fall from the rafters at games or in t-shrit tosses. Some of the better looking stuff in the Union are blue (that's what I wear).

Many alum don't want to wear t-shirts to games (it is winter), so if your $50 - $75 MU pullover isn't gold, I can see why they aren't buying another one just for a gold out game.

I'll have gold on and it will be an older sweatshirt, but I can see how hard it is at MU as if you are buying one sweatshirt and don't buy a gold one, especially since MU markets the light blue and blue clothes.

[Mrs Gato78]

I was down at Spirit Shop Thursday and $10 gold shirts sold out except for a few XL; they also sent out emails to all season ticket holders

[IWB]

I know they were selling shirts at the Union, and I saw the e-mails etc. They did the same thing last year, and my entire row and the entire row behind me there was not one piece of gold.

To GooMU85's point, yes, I know they have blue, light blue, grey and white items. But over the years most people have picked up at least one item that is gold. But to me, that is not enough - people don't pay attention. That is why I suggest the marketing club gets to the BC and sells t-shirts. In the atrium, in the blue and gold room, in the aisles, so when you see a woman wearing a freaking green sweater with snowmen on it, you can talk her into buying a cheap t-shirt to pull on over her sweater.

[Gato78]

Goes back further than just a few years. It used to be totally uncool to wear colors in the '60's and '70's and beyond. It wasn't until Crean got here that there was aggressive solicitation of alums to weaar colors. That is the mindset. Under the circumstances MU does a good job. Cannot force people to wear gold even if there are free shirts on every seat.

[Gato78]

Interesting at DePaul I would say about 80% of MU people were in gold as a contrast to Depaul fans so we wear it when we see a need:rolleyes:

[MayorBeluga]

When MU added the powder blue as a tertiary color, MU seemed to stress it. They gave out powder blue at Maui instead of gold. Yes, we have navy and powder, but when giving out shirts, it needs to stay gold.

Unfortunately some will not wear gold because of the "Gold" nickname fiasco. Move on people, move on.

Next step? Getting Gato to wear the blue & gold pants favored by Hizzoner, OscarJim and Jimmy Mac.

[Gato78]

I will wear the pants when Alpha Bangura wears a pair.

[IWB]

Back to the "don't care" aspect - There is a couple that sits across the aisle from me. The husband always wears MU stuff, usually blue, as he did today. They wife almost always wears gold. Today? A plain gray sweater. Really? Didn't get the emails?

One more rant on this........ "National Marquette Day"....."Gold Out!!"......"and now, please welcome, YOUR MARQUETTE DANCE TEAM!!!!"......who is wearing green and black. Really? I like the dance team and I have a few friends that are former members. But, they wear a dozen different outfits during a single game, and they are more often colors other than blue and gold. Why?

[Gato78]

If this is all you have to bitch about, it was a GREAT day at the BC!

[MUMac]

Not only the dance team wearing black, but the MU choir singing the National Anthem wore powder blue. That one shocked me.

I agree that the gold fiasco and Crean's pleading to wear gold make people stay away from it. I wear gold to every game, because I think it stands out and looks imposing. Most MU fans wear gold at UW. But today, from endzone to endzone, there was plenty of grey, black, blue ... Most of the people in front of me work other colors - right behind the MU bench.

[IWB]

Well, there is one more thing, but yes, it was a great day at the BC.

[Gato78]

Well, there is one more thing, but yes, it was a great day at the BC.

Let's hear it.............IWB rant coming in 4,3,2,1...........

[IWB]

Well, tough to say because I know the people, but here goes - and sorry, I know there are people that may take offense to this, but when did the BC become a freaking open daycare center? A few weeks ago there was someone a couple of rows in front of me with her toddler, who I would guess is under 2. Well, she felt it was ok for the girl to use the entire aisle as her place to play. The guy across from me was eating popcorn, and the kid saw this and kept going up two rows to put her hand out for more popcorn. All fine and dandy, but the girl was too little to walk back down the steps by herself, often using the people on the end of the rows to hold on to as she went up and down(I was one of those people). Once was fine, but I am watching the game and it became a huge distraction, mainly because she would often fall down, cry etc, but this never was enough for the mom to stop her. The little kid would cry, mom would pick her up and look at the entire section like "Awwww...." - Hey mom - its not cute anymore! A little kid alone on cement and mettle steps is not exactly safe. Well, guy in front of me was a Louisville fan, and she kept falling on him - I know it was pissing the guy off, but what do you do? The mom was turned around watching the kid the entire time, so it's like, if you aren't even watching the game, why are you here?

So fast forward to yesterday - a few rows down further, about 3rd row from the floor. Now this is along the baseline, so anytime someone stands up, it blocks out a few rows in a few sections, so if you stand up, you are blocking the view of about 100 people. Well, same as the other woman, this one has her little 18 month old playing in the aisle - toys and everything. Well, in the midst of MU's run, the mom stands up, walks up about three rows and starts taking pictures of her kid. There were a lot of people in a few rows of TWO SECTIONS, throwing their arms up in the air like what in the hell?, and finally an usher noticed and literally ran up to stop her.

I have no problems with people bringing kids to the games, and it is always awesome when you see a little kid actually cheering etc., but for the love of God, the aisles are not freaking playgrounds!

[Gato78]

Next time, put the Fightin' 218 on it. The parents will be embarrased to no end--if they understand the humor of the Fightin' 218.

[IWB]

One follow up, the one from the Louisville game was wearing gold yesterday, the one snapping photos was not.

[MayorBeluga]

Point of parliamentary procedure: the phrase "for the love of God" should be reserved for imploring a box out at a key free throw attempt by the other team in the 2nd half of a close game. To wit: "Box out! Box out! For the love of God BOX OUT!"

We now return to IWB's regularly scheduled rant.

[IWB]

First off, I do enjoy the Fightin' 218's rendition of "Box out! Box out! For the love of God, Box out!" I do believe that is what caused the neck injury to the woman in your section. I did hear a good one from that section yesterday.... Late in the game DJO falls for a pump fake. He goes up and comes down on top of the Cincy player, landing on him, causing both to fall to the ground. The ref blows the whistle, and out of the Fightin' 218 - "He got all ball!" Two sections of people were laughing, including me, but I have to think that if MU wasn't up by more than a few, it wouldn't have been so funny.

[Hamostradamus]

I would insist the Marketing Dept. start putting more thought into the parachute drops. People want t-shirts, not mouse pads and not Cricket gift bags featuring a bunch of crap other than free cell phones. Oh, and the t-shirts should be gold, not white. The price is the same, and don't tell me it's not. And the Party Row that gets the free swag? It's now ugly sleeveless workout shirts that only a muscular 20 year-old college male can wear.

And that's a viewpoint.

[Goose85]

My kid got the the parachute drop on 'gold out' day. It was a black Jimmy Johns tshirt with an MU logo on the sleeve. Nice of Jimmy Johns to do, but how about gold on 'gold out' day.

I don't take offense to IWB's rant. What I would like to know is did the woman actaully have a seat for the kid or was it a let's get the kid in for free and when she gets too squirmy on my lap I'll just let her play in the isle.

I am a big fan of how family and kid friendly MU games are, I've been bringing my kids since they were little. But I have to agree - put them in a seat or go out to the concourse and buy some dippin dots.

[IWB]

No, this kid was too small to have her own seat, definitely a lap situation. Which again, I have no problem with, until it becomes a distraction for those around you.