Soft Pretzel Logic

How does this constitute a promotion?

How do you know its really a promotion? Its just something the team is doing as part of the game day.

There will be no guy with a hot dog machine firing off hot dogs.

There is no tie-in to Septa that I am aware of.

Its just something the team wanted to do, right?

A few years ago, Andy Reid had the Eagles take the train to Washington.
It was just a means of transport and nothing more.

Brian

Brian, If they took the time to put out a release about it, it's not just a means of transportation. By the way, can you get the express from Cecil B. at that hour? Or is that a local stop only?

I found the release

PHILADELPHIA - Temple University head men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy and his Temple Owls will travel to the Wachovia Center for their game against the #7/9 Duke Blue Devils via public transportation. The Owls will leave the Liacouras Center at 4:45 p.m. to take Septa's Broad Street Line south from the Cecil B. Moore stop to the Pattison Avenue stop. The team will then walk, as their fans will later that night, to the Wachovia Center.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for our team to travel as Philadelphians do on a daily basis to and from work," said Dunphy.

I dont see anything about a "promotion"

BK

Broad Street Line Bluetrain (express) does not stop at Cecil B Moore/Columbia Avenue.

You should be able to queue at either Race/Vine, Spring Garden, City Hall, or Walnut/Locust.

It is always good to buy tokens for the round trip ahead of time :)

Sanjay Ramkumar

Dunphy did the same thing a few years ago with Penn -- the team took the subway to a game, I think at Temple.

Wow, college "students" taking the subway. One would think that they are mere mortals.

I agree with Brian. Although they are using public transport as a means to the end, they are really only promoting their METHOD by which they are traveling to the game.

The release speaks nothing about fans or alums or students. And just because it is in a release, does not make it a "promotion".

Channel 3 issued a statement/release about Alycia Lane. That was more of a news item and less of a station promotion.

The President of the Maldives was saved by a boy scout yesterday in an attempt on his life. The country issued a statement via a release. Again, a news item. Not a "promotion" for the country's tourism economy

So this really not a 'promotion' in the sports sense that we are all quite used to, such as "Jimmy Rollins Bobblehead for all fans" or "Samuel Dalembert Growth Chart" for examples.

In addition, Judd brings out a solid point in that there is history here. So its not a Temple thing per se. Its just the way in which this coach is choosing to get to the game.

To me, not really a promotion.

Tony

All college teams should turn this into an "Amazing Race" type of contest. Divide the players up on different types of SEPTA transit and the first ones there get to start the game. ;-)

One of the "roadblocks" on the Septa Amazing Race College Contest would be a game of HORSE against FGCU, played on an outdoor court somewhere near a Septa stop.

The Penn Quakers would be stuck there forever!

Then the host would say "Youre the last team to arrive...You are out of the race"

Seeya!

It's a promotion in that they're hoping to PROMOTE interest in the game - hence the university athletic dept issuing a press release.

By issuing the release - as opposed to a STATEMENT, which is what Tony seems to be confusing this with - they're working to generate additional media coverage (like this blog post), to ultimately increase awareness of the game and ticket sales.

The Lane statement, or the Maldives statement were media materials generated to meet a media demand for a specific piece of information - as opposed to the Temple release (since I doubt the media or public were clambering for info on how the Owls were planning on travelling to the Duke game).

Ok, enough with the PR-101 discussion - GO OWLS.

The blog implied that the "promotion" was so unique or out of the ordinary. See below:

you do have to give Temple some
credit for trying a promotion that I
never would have imagined a program
of its stature doing

The choice of words probably could have been better, which led to the confusion and the follow-on subsequent discussion to the nature of the "promotion".

However, I don't think people who were NOT planning on attending this game will NOW choose to attend because Temple has elected to take the Subway to the game.

If anything, it could generate some additional "interest" in the game, but I highly doubt that it will result in any increased ticket sales or revenue.

Regarding media coverage, Duke's reputation as a national power speaks for itself. If the media was planning on covering this event, they were going to do so anwyay.

I suppose it may result in Channel 29, for example, sending a camera crew to the subway station to see the guys drop their tokens in the slot to get onto the platform.

I can hear Tolly now

"Franny is a good guy and taking the train is an awesome thing for the good kids at a good school taking the awesome Broad Street Line"

Still, its awareness at best.

Tony

Hey, I didn't say it was going to be an affective promotion :)

Anyway, GO OWLS.

I cannot see how it will be effective either.

Good luck to the team.

I think they will need it plenty of it tonight, as Duke is loaded with talent. More so than in recent years.

Line says 13 on the one service I use.

What the heck are the Maldives?

The Maldives (or Maldive Islands) (IPA: /ˈmɔlˌdaɪvz/ or IPA: /ˈmɔlˌdivz/), officially the Republic of Maldives, is an island nation consisting of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is located south of India's Lakshadweep islands, and about seven hundred kilometers (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka. The Maldives' twenty-six atolls encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets, roughly two hundred of which are inhabited by local communities.

The name "Maldives" derives from Maale Dhivehi Raajje ("The Island Kingdom [under the authority of] Malé")."[1] Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands", or from mahila dvipa, meaning "island of women", but these names are not found in ancient Sanskrit literature. Instead, classical Sanskrit texts mention the "Hundred Thousand Islands" (Lakshadweepa); a generic name which would include not only the Maldives, but also the Laccadives and the Chagos island groups. Some medieval Arab travellers such as Ibn Batuta called the islands "Mahal Dibiyat" from the Arabic word Mahal ("palace")"[2] . This is the name presently inscribed in the scroll of the Maldive state emblem.

Apparently there was a attempt on the life of their President, and a boy scout saved him.

You cannot make this stuff up!

Alex

Will there be a detour on the Septa Amazing Race College Contest to the Maldives?

That's the question that we need answered!

Best thread of alltime on Pretzel Logic

Scott

By now, the team should be well on their way!

By my calculations, the train should be leaving Walnut/Locust for Lombard/South.

Next time, we should have a liveblog of the train ride.

That would be historic!

Sid