UT brought Kareem back to Cleveland to visit with the local media, since apparently few of the CLE sports reporters are planning to attend the MAC media day (what's up with that?).

At least 2 of the local TV stations had short pieces on him on the local 6 o'clock news today ... maybe more but I couldn't scan them all. That's a big deal IMO, because the local media here barely cover Kent and Akron, let alone anyone else in the MAC. Toledo is typically only mentioned if something bad happens there.

Also from posts on twitter it looks like he got interview time with some local radio stations and folks in the MAC offices. Will post links if I can find any of the pieces posted on-line.

Really nice idea to bring him here to get some exposure and recognition back home, which can only help with post-season accolades, if he has another big year. Hope this helps with recruiting the area as well.

Probably a down side of CLE thinking they have pro sports and the OSU juggernaut, which shows the illogic because

1) a huge number of coaches and players that came through the MAC
2) a huge, probably bigger part of their local potential customer base came through a MAC school.

eh


Glad they found time for Hunt. It's good exposure for him, UT and the MAC. I hope it helps with recruiting but I also hope it helps the local media recognize they're missing some great opportunities to get time with future pros and community leaders early in their careers.

I once toyed with the idea of making a list of how the local media ranks coverage of football teams. Although I rarely watch the local news channels any more, I can't believe it has changed much in the last decade. The top of the list would be:

1) Browns 2) OSU 3) Glennville, and other big name HS programs 4) UM/MSU/ND 5) Steelers ...
Akron would come in down in the 20s I would guess, well below Mount Union, John Carroll, All other Ohio HS teams, the Gladiators, the PAC12 ...
KSU would be below that, and the rest of the MAC below that probably running neck and neck with the CFL.

We have like 7-8 local TV stations, plus a local Time Warner channel and Sports Time Ohio STO .... yet neither Akron nor KSU have any kind of TV deal with any of them. How crazy is that. Heck STO had a deal (not sure they still do) to show Oberlin, John Carroll and other local school Basketball games for a while, but not Kent or Akron, other than the overall MAC package they had for a while.

Link to one of the radio interviews on 92.3 The Fan: http://cleveland.cbslocal.com/2015/07/23...ly-got-it/

Link to another interview with ESPN Cleveland in the list on this page. Coach Campbell joins on the phone http://www.espncleveland.com/page.php?page_id=109

"I feel like you've only been there 2 years, but you're gonna be a junior."

Time just flies, doesn't it?

Good interview. I was waiting for the, "Do you ever wish you had gone to a 'big school?'" question, but it never came. Props to them for that.

TV Channel 3's interview with Kareem: http://www.wkyc.com/story/sports/2015/07.../30628111/

Channel 43 devoted most of their "Sports Extra" 15 minute daily sports report last night to their interview with Hunt. Can't locate a stream of that on-line anywhere though.

Has been great publicity. Most every local sports fan should be keenly aware of Toledo Rockets football by now, if they weren't already.

(07-23-2015 09:46 PM)Toledo Football 1st Wrote:  "I feel like you've only been there 2 years, but you're gonna be a junior."

Time just flies, doesn't it?

Good interview. I was waiting for the, "Do you ever wish you had gone to a 'big school?'" question, but it never came. Props to them for that.

+1

Thanks for posting the links guys.

(07-24-2015 04:46 PM)northcoastRocket Wrote:  TV Channel 3's interview with Kareem: http://www.wkyc.com/story/sports/2015/07.../30628111/

Channel 43 devoted most of their "Sports Extra" 15 minute daily sports report last night to their interview with Hunt. Can't locate a stream of that on-line anywhere though.

Has been great publicity. Most every local sports fan should be keenly aware of Toledo Rockets football by now, if they weren't already.

What do they mean Hunt was offered by larger programs including bgsucks? (Hope it's ok I used that name)

A couple Cleveland-area news articles on Hunt:
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/..._2015.html
http://www.news-herald.com/sports/201507...-attention

Of course cleveland.com had to work OSU into the article, with the backhanded slap to the MAC about how the OSU running back will get to rack up yards against 2 MAC teams this year. The News Herald article is better, but I don't think I've ever before seen an article with a byline extolling that the author graduated from ... wait, wait ... you guessed it ... OSU. Yeesh how can we stop that school from riding Kareem's coat tails.

Another local NEO story on Kareem and Lake Erie College RB Anthony Bilal.
http://www.news-herald.com/sports/201508...-this-fall

Very good story!