Quick Lane Bowl

**emu steve** · December-26-16, 02:22 PM

I think the Lions made a bad mistake swapping out a MAC team [[which would kill to play in Detroit) for an ACC team.

So what do they end up with:

B.C. [[which is in Boston) and Maryland [[which is outside D.C.) and they are being asked to travel to Detroit in a match up of two 6 - 6 teams.

Among power 5 conference teams, getting to six isn't hard: Buy a bunch of OOC games against weak teams and beat a couple weak sisters in your conference and bingo... Detroit here we come... [[BTW, Maryland beat a woeful Howard team [[FCS) and BC beat Wagner [[also FCS). UGH!!! Each team had only 5 FBS wins.

I have a Maryland Terp friend. He thinks his team is awful. Said he won't even watch.

At least if a MAC team [[e.g. EMU, Toledo, etc.) had gotten a bid they'd be tickled pink to play BC, Maryland, etc.

Will anyone from more than 100 miles attend?????

**Atticus** · December-26-16, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

I think the Lions made a bad mistake swapping out a MAC team [[which would kill to play in Detroit) for an ACC team.

So what do they end up with:

B.C. [[which is in Boston) and Maryland [[which is outside D.C.) and they are being asked to travel to Detroit in a match up of two 6 - 6 teams.

Among power 5 conference teams, getting to six isn't hard: Buy a bunch of OOC games against weak teams and beat a couple weak sisters in your conference and bingo... Detroit here we come... [[BTW, Maryland beat a woeful Howard team [[FCS) and BC beat Wagner [[also FCS). UGH!!! Each team had only 5 FBS wins.

I have a Maryland Terp friend. He thinks his team is awful. Said he won't even watch.

At least if a MAC team [[e.g. EMU, Toledo, etc.) had gotten a bid they'd be tickled pink to play BC, Maryland, etc.

Will anyone from more than 100 miles attend?????

The biggest mistake was sticking with December 26 [[and afternoon no less) for the game date. Simply awful choice. If this same game were played on even just the 27th, you would have double the number of fans in the stands.

If the game were the 27th [[or later), the 26th would be a travel date. Very few people are going to travel on Christmas, which means the most fans wanting to attend have to travel to Detroit the day of the game. This is not practical for most fanbases, and it forces the downtown hotels to miss out on potential business. Even having it before Christmas would be better.

Dumb, dumb date choice by the Lions organization.

**emu steve** · December-26-16, 05:41 PM

This game has always been the day after Christmas, though usually later in the evening.

This evening it would have to go up against the Lions game.

There was 60K [[yes, 60K) for a game between a good Purdue team and a very good CMU team a number of years ago. See article with PHOTOS.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Motor_City_Bowl

The Quick Lane Bowl [[I believe this is year three) has been a flop after they cut ties with the MAC and now, for the 2 of 3 years, have two non-Midwest teams.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Quick_Lane_Bowl

2015 was much, much better with CMU getting an open bid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Quick_Lane_Bowl

This game would have been successful even with say Indiana vs. BC. But BC and Maryland???? Nope. No way.

The secret to the Motor City or Little Caesars Bowl was having a local [[within say MI or Toledo) to be the big draw...

E.g., Toledo and CMU fans supported the bowl big time. They drove and showed up in big numbers.

Lions came across as rank amateurs when it comes to college bowls... They knew or should have known that they were too far down in the 'pecking order' to get good B1G Ten or ACC teams, consistently.

**Bham1982** · December-26-16, 06:23 PM

No one is going to show up for a fourth-rate bowl unless it's a bad local team. We already know that. The only bowls that matter are legacy bowls in warm-weather locations.

Good teams or non-local teams will never bother with such day-after-Christmas-in-rustbelt nonsense.

**401don** · December-26-16, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

No one is going to show up for a fourth-rate bowl unless it's a bad local team. We already know that. The only bowls that matter are legacy bowls in warm-weather locations.

Good teams or non-local teams will never bother with such day-after-Christmas-in-rustbelt nonsense.

I think we are all in agreement that the proliferation of games and the ridiculous lowering of the bar to .500 teams in bowls is nothing but a cash grab. If what Steve is saying is that this is a poorly executed cash grab, then I agree.

**emu steve** · December-26-16, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

I think we are all in agreement that the proliferation of games and the ridiculous lowering of the bar to .500 teams in bowls is nothing but a cash grab. If what Steve is saying is that this is a poorly executed cash grab, then I agree.

The Lions are trying to do to CFB bowls what they did to pro FB.

They had a good bowl, the Motor City Bowl, and then Little Caesars, before the Lions got involved and thought they could do better than a MAC opponent.

Now instead of good CMU, Toledo, etc. local teams they bring in teams like Boston College.

Toledo, EMU, etc. would have supported that game today...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/spo...bowl/95860110/

**Hamtragedy** · December-26-16, 11:22 PM

Huh? Whut?

**Bham1982** · December-26-16, 11:30 PM

Just kill this stupid bowl already. There are like four schools that would draw a half-decent crowd. Toledo, EMU, CMU and maybe Bowling Green.

**emu steve** · December-27-16, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Just kill this stupid bowl already. There are like four schools that would draw a half-decent crowd. Toledo, EMU, CMU and maybe Bowling Green.

Would add WMU, too. MAC teams like playing in that game.

No reason to kill it. "Don't end it, mend it."

A 8 - 4 MAC team vs. B1G is a desirable bowl game. Or as someone posted yesterday it should have been EMU vs. Maryland.

Maryland is difficult because of the distance and BC makes no sense at all [[private school, long distance away, etc.).

Before the bowls began, I saw one write-up ranking it the predicted worst of the bowl games.

**renf** · December-27-16, 07:07 AM

How many tickets were sold and how many attended the Quick Lane Bowl yesterday?

**clubboss** · December-27-16, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by renf

How many tickets were sold and how many attended the Quick Lane Bowl yesterday?

Pitiful

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/spo...bowl/95860110/

**emu steve** · December-27-16, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by renf

How many tickets were sold and how many attended the Quick Lane Bowl yesterday?

Never believe announced attendance UNLESS your eye balls confirm it.

They announced 19K. Less than 10K, actual [[probably much less than 10K, truth be told).

I'll try to post photos from the MAC championship game. An honest 45K which looked almost like a Lions' home game [[except for the upper end zones).

**emu steve** · December-27-16, 07:55 AM

Here is a Tweet with a photo:

The lower bowl hold around 40K. The two upper levels are empty [[appears seats were not even sold).

The bottom bowl looks about 15 - 20% full. I'd guess the actual attendance: 8K.

https://twitter.com/sportsprof56/sta...68117133393922

**313rd** · December-27-16, 08:18 AM

In the same breath, i'd wish that the Ford Field/Detroit Lions would host some MAC Games through out the year. Host a Central and/or Western Michigan Game at Ford Field, there is plenty of alumni that would attend these games. I understand that this year Western was undefeated when they played at the MAC Championship game, but they had an attendance of 46,000. Attending the game as an aulm, felt like a reunion. I feel that these games would be a decent draw, even if if was every other year.

**emu steve** · December-27-16, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by 313rd

In the same breath, i'd wish that the Ford Field/Detroit Lions would host some MAC Games through out the year. Host a Central and/or Western Michigan Game at Ford Field, there is plenty of alumni that would attend these games. I understand that this year Western was undefeated when they played at the MAC Championship game, but they had an attendance of 46,000. Attending the game as an aulm, felt like a reunion. I feel that these games would be a decent draw, even if if was every other year.

I agree with you.

Previous MAC games didn't do particularly well at Ford Field, but that was because of EMU.

E.g., CMU vs. Toledo would be a nice CMU home game. EMU could host WMU.

The secret is to have TWO opponents which would draw.

**emu steve** · December-27-16, 01:43 PM

Might add: UNT [[University of North Texas), Denton, TX is hosting Army in a bowl game being played at the Cotton Bowl.

One team [[UNT) has a 5 - 7 record and Army is 7 - 5 but there is a very good crowd [[lower level is full from end zone to end zone).

Why: The Cotton Bowl is 40 miles from UNT and the opponent is Army.

**EastsideAl** · December-27-16, 08:11 PM

I think that the Lions, since dumping the MAC, have been wishfully thinking that one of the local BIG teams would have a bad year and end up here. And, hey, it could possibly have happened with MSU this year. But I also think that both of our local major schools "travel" so well that other bowl games, with bigger payouts and in more attractive locations, would likely take them first if they were eligible.

But being at the bottom of the pecking order, selling a rust belt bowl with a lousy date in a huge stadium, and attracting far away 6-6 teams that can't even fill their own stadiums like Rutgers, Minnesota, and Maryland, clearly ain't cutting it.

**BankruptcyGuy** · December-28-16, 02:18 PM

A couple of things [[as I understand them):

The bowl "payouts" are delivered largely in tickets. So Maryland probably got 20,000 or so tickets at a super-inflated price to get their share of the $1.45MM payout. If the tickets go unpurchased, the school [[not the bowl) loses out.

The bowl then earns money from the ad revenue it sells during the game. If I recall correctly [[things could have changed) ESPN basically acts as a middleman for most of the ads. Since the advertisers make more from a national draw than a local team, there isn't [[often) much connection to a local venue.

That being said, the model is dying a slow death. Some of this year's sponsors include:

Cities/Locations [[Las Vegas, New Orleans, Miami Beach, Boca Raton, Hawaii, St. Pete) [[i.e. the bowl could not find a sponsor)
Companies that I can't see get positive sales revenue from a bowl [[Advocare? Raycom Media? R&L Carriers?)
Companies I had to google to determine who they were [[Gildan? National Funding?)

It's gotten ridiculous. I don't see this system surviving for much longer.

**emu steve** · December-28-16, 05:20 PM

This website pretty well summarizes why bowl games are popular, even among teams without gaudy records.

The pep rally is about 2/3s of the way down.

The kids will probably never forget that week!!!

https://spark.adobe.com/page/8nrrHMd6rheVP/?w=0_8335

**emu steve** · December-28-16, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by BankruptcyGuy

A couple of things [[as I understand them):

The bowl "payouts" are delivered largely in tickets. So Maryland probably got 20,000 or so tickets at a super-inflated price to get their share of the $1.45MM payout. If the tickets go unpurchased, the school [[not the bowl) loses out.

The bowl then earns money from the ad revenue it sells during the game. If I recall correctly [[things could have changed) ESPN basically acts as a middleman for most of the ads. Since the advertisers make more from a national draw than a local team, there isn't [[often) much connection to a local venue.

That being said, the model is dying a slow death. Some of this year's sponsors include:

Cities/Locations [[Las Vegas, New Orleans, Miami Beach, Boca Raton, Hawaii, St. Pete) [[i.e. the bowl could not find a sponsor)
Companies that I can't see get positive sales revenue from a bowl [[Advocare? Raycom Media? R&L Carriers?)
Companies I had to google to determine who they were [[Gildan? National Funding?)

It's gotten ridiculous. I don't see this system surviving for much longer.

I think one of the big winners of the bowl season will be Popeyes and "Bahamas".

I saw the television rating for bowl games, Sports Center, etc. for last week.

The television viewership for the Bahamas Bowl was 1.4M. So the game, and its lead up, etc. etc. was one big advertisement for Bahamas tourism.

I don't know how much Bahamas tourism chipped in, but they got their money's worth...

I'm already planning a return trip to the Bahamas.