----- Original Message -----
From: Campbell, Craig (Brabant)
To: media@theibl.ca ; media@theibl.ca
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 7:15 PM
Subject: RE: IBL Release #8
No legitimate news organization cares about this second-rate leage or its useless press releases. I always deleted them when I got them, and asked to be removed, but I've continued to get them for years for no reason.
Let's get rid of the league and unused press releases.
Craig,
My question to you is have you ever been to an IBL game before you passed this harsh judgment?
People still enjoy this league very much so, i've been going for almost 24 years now and im 43.
Isn't a reporters job to report on news? Is the league not news worthy to you and the Hamilton News? There is a team right in your backyard with some decent coverage might be able to draw more fans and in turn put a better product on the field . Close minded reporters like yourself make it impossible for teams to stay afloat.
Frankly I'm shocked that a reporter who's main job is to cover news, and sports would write something like this. Mr. Campbell i think your email box is about to get flooded with emails about your stance.CCampbell@hamiltonnews.com in case people care to weight in on the issue.
ReplyDeleteHamilton should try to use part of the Dominico formula. Allow fans Free entrance to all home games. Give out free Magazines featuring the Thrunderbirds and chock full of print ads from sponsors. Run raffles every game - get a sponsor to offer prizes and sell tickets. Work your sponsors. Support your fans who come out to watch the games.
ReplyDeleteThunderbirds have the use of a really nice stadium. Fill it with fans sitting in free seats and Thunderbird sponsors will take notice and new sponsors will come knockinig. Keep filling the stadium with fans during the regular season and the whole city of Hamilton will take notice. It is part of an IBL success formula which has stood the test of time.
Toronto Maple Leafs home games are available to fans for free. To the best of my knowledge, The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball Club has always made a profit by the end of the year - even in the lousy economy of the last few years. How many other teams run a consistently profitable IBL franchise?
Hamilton might want to test the Dominico formula for a season or two.
How do most teams do in attendance on average per game anyway? I know Ottawa and London don't do bad, but what about the rest of the League?
ReplyDeleteIt varies, Toronto doesn't charge so its hard to get an accurate # from them, Guelph's numbers are down but have steadily been increasing as the season went along. I haven't made a trip to Barrie. Brantford crowds have been decent all year. Hamilton the night i was there to watch Guelph it was cold and literally only 10-20 people there.
ReplyDeleteThis league is the premier amateur league in Canada. It provides great entertainment and a family oriented experience at an affordable price.
ReplyDeleteI took the Director of Marketing assignment this year in order to expose more people to the quality product offered.
One of the things we did was to add Facebook and Twitter to our site to encourage discussion and the exchange of ideas in an effort to promoter the league. I am pleased to see that these social media tools are being used.
Family oriented experience you say!!
ReplyDeleteAt Christie Pits you never see any of the leafs congregating around 3rd base. The Leaf players are disciplined and move down to the end of the field. At the end of the field there are few people and never families with kids.
Now go over to the visiting team side for a family experience. More often than not those players congregate around 1st base. They sit down with their backs against the fence so the families sitting behind them are out of their line sight. Just sit down beside one of those families near 1st base for an interesting Family Experience. You will quickly learn many swear words. You might even hear tales about players and hookers. At a recent game, the visiting team were sitting around 1st base with their back against the fence between 1st base and the Rogers camera. There was a family a few feet away with two kids. There was a young boy whose father let him stand by the fence behind the players - I guess to get closer to his idols.. The visiting team were losing and likely the frustration set in. The swearing started and kept growing. I finally went and interrupted the players. Immediate hush with looks of indignation on their face - like who the hell are you. ONE player must be commended as he Thanked me for letting them know. That guy should be running the team - great PR instinct. Anyhow the swearing stopped - for about a half hour. Had the players moved to the end of the field then no one would have been within earshot of any swearing etc.
Another time at a double header the visiting team member were gathered around - again near 1st base, during the intermission. Their Team Manager then proceeded to literally verbally abuse them all. That got a major tongue lashing. It was you F n this and you F n that. You could just see the players want to slink away under a rock. If one wants to strip down the players they should do so in private and NEVER in public. Within ear shot was a young mom with her son standing by the fence. I asked her how she felt about it. She said that it was ironic because as that Team Manager was gathering the visiting team members, she had told her son that he should move closer by the fence and listen because as a Team Manger he probably had some very important stuff to tell the team. Her son got a ear full of important stuff and learned many new words that he had never heard before. Mommy what does F this mean? Mommy what does you F in A Holes mean? That meeting should have been private. Worst case, he should have moved to 2nd base and laid into them - well away from anyone hearing anything.
Premier Amateur League you say? The Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club fit that billing. The other teams, not so much.
Craig,
ReplyDeleteStep in the box buddy, lets see if you can play up at our level and than you can write your piece about how 'second rate' you think the league is. Joker
1st let's clear the air - Toronto Maple Leafs are not allowd by the City to charge entrance to Christie Pits, hence free admission.
ReplyDelete2nd Mr. Dominico has deep pockets to draw from.
3rd Craig from Brabrant newspaper obiviously doesn't know his a... from a hole in the ground! The Hamilton Thunderbirds are getting great news coverage from the Mountain News, The Spec, CHTV, Oldies 1150 & the fomer Talk 820. Because of this they are getting more & more fans out to each game.
Lastly, to quote the comment above, Craig, get your butt out to a game & put your bat where your mouth is!
Ottawa averaged about 2400 people a game. Home opener was approximately 4200.
ReplyDelete