Wise UTEP move

UTEP's new athletic slogan, "Yes We Can," was a wise move because perception can mean so much.

"Yes We Can" is geared toward a lot of endeavors, but the one involving community involvement, I think, is where the Miners hit a 3-pointer. They are now committed to getting to know fans better.

I don't think El Pasoans have been liking UTEP coaches/athletes as much as they have in the past. Basketball Coach Tony Barbee is not out in public a lot, as one example. It's his nature. It's not a fault, but he's not perceived to be an out-with-the-fans sort of guy.

I know its get old comparing everybody to Haskins, but His Coachency was out and about virtually every day in the pickup of his. He got to know so many people, not just those who gave money to the Athletic Department. That's important because it makes a person feel good to be able to say they know the coach, be it basketball or the more out-in-public Football Coach Mike Price.

"Guess you said 'hi' to me today, Dear?"

"Who?"

"Tony Barbee, and he remembered my name."

Getting to know athletes/coaches is a two-way street. It takes the people of El Paso to be friendly, too. And I think they are.

I think more UTEP players/coaches will find that out — and visa versa — now that "Yes We Can" goes out in public.

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Comments

[rayman]

"Yes We Can!"---UTEP
"Oh No You Won't!"---UTEP Foes

[Rooster]

WOW Joe you never seem to suprise me! Tell me again why the El Paso Times pays you?

[John Franco]

Yeah, Joe, I'm so pumped up by that ingenious slogan! Gonna go buy my season tickets right now!

[tio tomas]

Joe when did you drink the Obama Kool-aid. Sports marketing Is about selling season tickets and psyching up the fan base about a great program and upcoming season. You want to pander to the community fine, but don't do it with sport and a bad campaign idea. UTEP can pat itself on the back for jumping on the multi-cultural Obama band wagon, bit dont do it with sports. UTEP sports is one of the only things El Pasoans have to look forward to and they water it down with this. I am returning my season tickets, canceling a scholarship for Miner Athletics because I am fed up with this crap. I get enough crap from UT, OU, TECH, and A&M grads in north Texas. I do not need it from the University itself. Mediocrity breeds more mediocrity. You are endorsing this, makes you chief panderer

[stahala]

Tio what is your problem? Because of an unoriginal slogan you are gonna return your season tickets? Wow. You are tired of the crap you get from those other schools? Isn't that something all Miner Fans must endure? In fact any fan of any school endures crap from other fans of other schools. The university is giving you crap cause of a slogan? Your season has been watered down cause of a slogan? Its like you're looking for an excuse not to be a Miner Fan. You dont need one. Just leave. Bye. Im glad you are returning your tickets. Jump on the Texas bandwagon or one of the others that give you crap.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

If the Miners win a bunch of games and pack the Sun Bowl, then it's a brilliant campaign.

If they go sub .500 again and have fans pulling their hair out, then it was a miserable failure.

Remember the "Meaner Breed" turned out to be a bit tame.

[Ben]

Any word on whether Stefon Jackson is going to sign with any NBA teams since he didn't get drafted?

[Mack]

How about this slogan: "Get on the bandwagon"........ it seems these blogs are all about this. Everytime I look at this blog its so called Miner fans trying their hardest to find flaws with the Utep program. I know the programs does have its flaws, and we all want a program we can be proud of, but Utep is not this type of program. We will be good some years and bad others. I welcome El Paso and Utep fans get on the bandwagon and see where we can go this year.

[dagwood]

Here are a few slogans that ought to get consideration.

1. "Maybe We Can, and Maybe We Can’t."

2. "It Could Happen --- Even a Blind Squirrel Will Occasionally Find an Acorn."

3. "Coming Up With an Already-used Slogan is a Lot Easier than Having a Winning Season."

4. “Fourth Place in CUSA is as Good as First Place in Most Division Two Conferences.”

A cheesy slogan and a buck and six bits will get you Grande coffee at Starbucks.

[just a thought]

The UTEP athletic department must come up with a slogan every year. Sometimes they are catchy and other times not so much. CLEO brought up "A Meaner Breed" which brought back memories (mostly bad).

The 'Yes we Can' chant is a little questionable because it was just used in a very passionate election and irks many UTEP donors that voted for the other guy (see above). Community involvement Joe? Maybe. Something in Spanish would likely provide greater support and less backlash around here.

Some support this as a ballsy move but I think it was a bit lazy and shortsighted. After all, I own an Obama T-shirt but I don't wear the thing around my McCain buddies and then expect them to pay for dinner. Keep it classy UTEP.

[tio tomas]

Stalhala: My problem is the perpetuation of mediocrity. The problems of fundamental sports marketing. If I was looking for an excuse to not be a fan I would not be complaining. Obviously you are fine with the status quo, that being loserville. I will leave Miner Fandom for good as you ask, take my money with me and give it to someone from El Paso with more aspirations than mediocrity and forget about college sports altogether. If you took time to understand the deeper frustration as a fan, you would agree and do the same. Wallow in your mediocrity. UTEP has done a disservice by propagating this touchy feely stuff when it comes to sports.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

tio,

How does UTEP perpetuate mediocrity and what steps would you take to remedy this?

How are we going to achieve excellence in marketing and the final product? You are obviously frustrated to the point where you are ready to abandon the program altogether.

I am curious about the specifics of your disenchantment with UTEP athletics and am wondering if you have a step by step solution.

[tio tomas]

CLEO:This ad campaign Is pandering at the worst level. To lift the Obama ad campaign is unoriginal. To ride the coat tails of an ineffectual president is even worse.

I would prefer to excite the fan base with football action and UTEP sports. There are players to tout. Trevor Vittatoe is exciting to watch. The kicker with his gold shoes and 6o yard field goals is exciting. The potential of watching potential NFL talent is more exciting than a visit to the hospital. Vittatoe like Gerrard from Jacksonville has the Potential to become a star from a mediocre program .Yet Stull and Co. pushes a cheesy aspirational message that does not illicit excitement. This campaign makes me want to puke, because it positions UTEP as a team that always has to try. There is no aspiration in a message that touts "HOPE". HOPE is maybe. Maybe = I don't think can.

If you need solutions, feel free to hire me. Resolution is not free. UTEP is a for-profit entity that takes in students money and state funds. THey should budget accordingly. Marketing and advertising is not important to UTEP. They expect free air-time, discount Billboard space and donations from companies like Western Refining and donations from Rubins and Durhams, yet they run the university like a not for profit. UTEP is a business when it comes to charging student fees. When it comes to paying for other marketing, they come with hat in hand. It is a poorly run business with TV contracts and big game payouts, yet there is no money. False. Have I answered your questions?

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

tio,

You seem to be more upset with UTEP blurring of Obama's campaign slogan than the reality of what goes on in budgeting for a successful athletics program.

Most D-1 programs run at a deficit. Only 9% of all D-1 programs are self-sufficient. UT Austin spent about 250 million on it's stadium improvements and is one of the few schools who can afford big spending within their budget.

But you mention the Rubins and the Durhams as if their donations are a crutch. If you look at Oklahoma St. and it's 165 million dollar stadium expansion, you can thank one T. Boone Pickens for that little chunk of change. Most universities, including O.K. State operate this way as most are running a deficit.

UTEP is hardly in a position to be boastful about it's place in the college football world. It has one of the smaller athletic budgets in the country. Reaching out to the community is a survival tactic that is not only smart, but necessary.

Maybe you should keep your season tickets. You would be helping improve the budget situation and be part of the solution rather than being part of the problem.

[tio tomas]

CLEO: I am upset at both. UTEP cannot play woe is me with all the TV/CUSA money. UTEP is for profit. They should properly allocate for advertising based on sales. It is what all businesses do. Why should UTEP not have to budget for marketing, they teach it in the business school.

Deficits or not, Universities are for profit businesses that ask for handouts. Proper business acumen says a portion of proceeds of tickets sales be put back into marketing your product. In this case they do not. So the University is to blame, not the season ticket buyers. The market place speaks. If the team is weak, so are sales. If the marketing stinks, ticket sales stink. If UTEP cannot figure out a way to promote excitement then it is their own fault.

The survival tactic of community outreach is a ploy and it is weak. This is sports. Sell me excitement. Sell Miner Football. Not some mediocre kumbaya story. All UTEP fans want to support Miner Athletics. Sell the fans on something other than community. Sell me on Johnnie Lee Higgins, Chris Jacke, and Tony Tolberts of UTEP football... Hope and Change is not sports marketing.

UTEP needs to allocate and save money for marketing, like all schools should. Because they educate itis not an out for not running a proper business. College football is a multi-billion dollar business and they ask for a handout. Not from me.

I am done with Stull and Natalicio. But I will still root for the Miners. But not with my wallet.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

I don't believe that the advertising campaign we have before us now is problematic because of poor budgeting. I'm sure a slogan and overall theme that would be satifactory to you could be achieved with the same amount of money that has been allocated to "yes we can."

College athletics are not a normal supply and demand market. The universities have to have investors (fans and donors) who are willing to commit BEFORE the team is a winner. We can't offer support to a winner until we have offered support to a loser first.

When UTEP announced the "yes we can" slogan, my wife and I looked at each other and shook our heads. Not because of politics, but because it seemed like a stretch to actually sell tickets using this slogan. I understand the need for community support and donors, and I know it is a fact of life for every university. I just am disappointed when fans are so fickle that they can't see beyond what's in front of them.

Be a fan or try to find a way out. Looks like "yes we can" is a way out for some.

[stahala]

Very good posts Tio and Cleo. Thank you for answering my question tio and thank you for arguing my side cleo, much better than i could. And yes tio, i am use to living in loserville. My teams are UTEP, the dallas cowboys, the dallas mavericks, and the atlanta braves. But i refuse to switch teams. These are my teams and they are going to be for life. I dont care what marketing campaign they come up with, thats not important to me, cause as a fan Im already sold on all these teams and no unoriginal cheesy political(even if it is from the opposite political side of which i voted as it obviously was with you)slogan is gonna change that. I want to be in the stands cheering my teams, and unfortunately that usually means buying tickets(i've been known to sneak into games, sorry). Were not part of their business(yes yes we buy tickets etc., spare me), we are die hard Miner fans, lets keep it that way.

[just a thought]

Well said CLEO -- as usual.