CSNbbs

Article from the Star Telegram summarizes up the decision by Plains Capital to drop out as the title sponsor from the game. Comment by Alan White, President and CEO of Capital Plains, "The first year (TCU-Boise) was great, but last year (Marshall-UC) was a failure. We don't want to be involved and not have some teams to attract some people. It's a simple as that".

P.S. Now all we need is MAKO to stop by for some analysis of those comments :D

ExCincyKid I thought you would have gone to support your hometown team--or would that be Miami U? It was unusually cold that night in Ft. Worth--around 20F and dipping into the teens by the end of the game. Marshall actually brought about 2,500 fans I would guess. Cincy didn't bring many, but they brought their band. I for one had a great time, but I can see why Plains Capital is dropping the game. They wanted a B12 team and now they realize their chances for that are slim having to pick at #8. I hope they keep the bowl though.

<a href='http://www.pbase.com/craig_c/marshall_vs_cincinnati' target='_blank'>http://www.pbase.com/craig_c/marshall_vs_cincinnati</a>

*GASP* This was TOTALLY unforeseen.

Wow, pretty harsh words from a sponsor.

Endzone2 Wrote:Cincy didn't bring many, but they brought their band.

<a href='http://www.pbase.com/craig_c/marshall_vs_cincinnati' target='_blank'>http://www.pbase.com/craig_c/marshall_vs_cincinnati</a>

Cincy did not support the NO Bowl either; two bowls in a row from which Cincy fans have been noticeably absent. Three strikes and you are out; Cincy may have difficulty getting another bowl invite until they prove they can support a bowl invite with traveling fans.

Where's the knock on CUSA...c'mon, you guys can do better than that?

Here's one of our bowls (for now) losing its sponsor and none of you have taken a potshot yet?

Y'all are getting soft! :D

What the he11 is Plains Capital anyway and who gives a rat's nut?

What the guy's statement seems to be, if I may paraphrase, is, "If we can't get TCU every year, then we ain't sponsorin.'"

Well, to me, that's a chickenshizzle attitude. A sponsorship is only as good as the level of commitment behind it. These sponsors are going to have some good years and some bad years as far as matchups. That's the nature of the beast. If they jump ship after one lousy year, then they were never really the sponsor of the BOWL to begin with, but were only sponsoring the colleges they hoped would fall down that low. To which, the other side of it is, know your place. The Fort Worth Bowl isn't the Rose Bowl and they were lucky TCU slimed their way into that bowl two years back.

So I'm not knocking C-USA. I'm saying to Plains Capital, take your bank or mortgage company or whatver you are and go buy an ad in the Texas Longhorns' 400-page gameday program. Don't knock two schools that came to play in a bowl with your miserable logo on it.

For the record, I love GMAC :D

99Tiger Wrote:Where's the knock on CUSA...c'mon, you guys can do better than that?

Here's one of our bowls (for now) losing its sponsor and none of you have taken a potshot yet?

Y'all are getting soft! :D

No potshot required. Res ipsa loquitor.

But, in the words of <a href='http://http//www.goodbyeherd.com' target='_blank'>the bard</a>:

Fat, drunk, and stupid
Is no way to play in the
Fort Worth Bowl, fellas.

EndZone: I grew up in Cincinnati (and yes, as a youth I was a Bearcat hoops fan!), and during my college years (at Miami) I even took a couple undergrad business law evening courses at UC while I was working at the EPA Research Center on St. Clair right around the corner. But, I'm a Miami alum and a Miami fan.

And Marshall reportedly had about 1,000 fans at the game. Some of their donors did buy some tix and gave them away, though.

A terrible matchup. If you move this bowl to Indy or Toronto, I think the attendance would be better. The Motor City Bowl is perfect. short drive, cheaper on wallet for MAC fans, and near a casino. What's in Ft. Worth? If you get MAC vs BE in an Indy bowl or Toronto, I think that game would do well. Having mediocre C-USa teams in a region that is not close to either school is a disaster.

OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:A terrible matchup. If you move this bowl to Indy or Toronto, I think the attendance would be better. The Motor City Bowl is perfect. short drive, cheaper on wallet for MAC fans, and near a casino. What's in Ft. Worth? If you get MAC vs BE in an Indy bowl or Toronto, I think that game would do well. Having mediocre C-USa teams in a region that is not close to either school is a disaster.

Yea, there aren't any CUSA teams in Texas :rolleyes:

Quote: Yea, there aren't any CUSA teams in Texas

Ya know, it's hard to keep track of just who is in Conference USA. Ever think of changing your logo to a revolving door?

now that we had our fun

how about a serious ?:

What is the fate of the game? Could the NCAA pull it if there is no new title sponser soon? could the bowl go on IR (oops, maybe that icon who just got nut kicked will be on IR) er deactivated for a year?

Inquiring minds want to know...

ah, a newspaper article (on C-USA board) gives the answers:

**************************

Star-Telegram article.

Bank leaves Fort Worth Bowl

By WENDELL BARNHOUSE
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

There will be a Year Three of the Fort Worth Bowl. It just won't have PlainsCapital as its corporate sponsor.

Tom Starr, executive director of the bowl, confirmed late Thursday afternoon that PlainsCapital had declined to exercise its option to sponsor the game for a third year. PlainsCapital, a bank founded in Lubbock which has expanded to the Metroplex, had a two-year sponsorship contract with an option for a third year.

Starr said that the lack of a corporate sponsor would not prevent this year's game from being played. It's scheduled for Dec. 23 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

"The first year was great but last year was a failure," said Alan White, PlainsCapital Corp. president and CEO. "We didn't want to be involved and not have some teams to attract some people. It's as simple as that.

"ESPN and the city of Fort Worth did everything they could do, but for us it just didn't work."

The Fort Worth Bowl attempts to match teams from the Big 12 Conference and Conference USA. However, the bowl has yet to have a Big 12 team and White said that was a major reason his bank decided to drop out. ESPN and the Fort Worth Bowl have been negotiating with the Big 12 to move up in the conference's selection order, but have been unsuccessful.

The first year of the Fort Worth Bowl featured TCU playing Boise State. That game drew 38,028. However, Year Two was hindered by frigid weather -- a wind chill of 17 degrees -- and a matchup between Cincinnati and Marshall. That game drew an announced crowd of 13,204.

PlainsCapital's decision to drop out as sponsor was not a surprise to the Fort Worth Bowl. PlainsCapital was scheduled to make its decision on the option year in March and the negotiation period was extended for three months.

The Fort Worth Bowl is owned by ESPN Regional television. Pete Derzis, senior vice president of ESPN Regional Television, praised PlainsCapital for the "energy and enthusiasm" it brought in helping the Fort Worth Bowl get off the ground.

"Their sponsorship was a great marketing tool for them as they entered the Fort Worth/Dallas area," Derzis said. "But marketing strategies change."

Starr and Derzis said the search for a new corporate sponsor has already started. Derzis said he was on the phone with contacts Thursday in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

"We're actively looking for another corporate sponsor," Starr said. "The money from a title sponsor is key. ... ESPN Regional has sales departments in every major city. They've got a lot of tentacles out there."

The game was a failure because they were left in a lurch by the Big 12 not having enough bowl teams. Plus, they had at the time what was probably the worse CUSA team they could draw simply by geography. 75% of the time I think this bowl would do quite well, and from what I have heard, the Dallas-Ft. Worth area is a great place to visit if the weather is not unseasonably cold like it was last year.

Okie Chippewa Wrote:

Quote: Yea, there aren't any CUSA teams in Texas

Ya know, it's hard to keep track of just who is in Conference USA. Ever think of changing your logo to a revolving door?

I don't know.

You ever considered making yours a school bus?

That's a good idea, KT. As long as the UCF logo appears as a speck in the bus's rearview mirror.

Who are the owners of the Motor City Bowl?

Quote:You ever considered making yours a school bus?

I'm thinking of something along these lines....