I hate missed chances. When you are a stAte fan they take up far more of the conversation with fellow fans than is probably healthy. At some point you have to quit carrying the burden of missed chances and go forward.

After that introduction, I’m going to complain about missed chances because I have a positive counter-point to offer to illustrate why it is frustrating.

The past few years we’ve seen a “text your answer” poll or trivia game on the video board at ASU Stadium at each game. After sending in my response I was always puzzled why I never received a response text with an offer to sign-up for promotional text messages. The types I’ve seen before usually offer you an occasional text reminder of upcoming games and let you know about the upcoming promotions and specials for those games. I’ve never been offered that.

Sunday I was in Arrowhead Stadium where the text promotion was a chance to win an autographed Manchester United jersey. I don’t like the Red Devils and it would probably have been e-Bay bound had I won (after trying to sell it locally to a couple bars that push soccer coverage) but I wanted to see how the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer handled the text promotions. Promptly received a text saying I was entered and if I wanted information about the new stadium and tickets text back my name and email. So I sent it.

The next day driving home, less than 24 hours after the game, I get a call from the Wizards. They asked if I had seen the video of the new stadium (yes, my eyes work, it was in heavy rotation on the ribbon board). They explained how I could get in line for season tickets at the new field, but understood living hours away that wasn’t practical so they would give me a direct line number and a person to call to get discounted single game tickets and avoid the online ordering fees.

A prompt response. No complaint there. An offer tailored to my situation, great work there. All in all, I was impressed. I then called Chris Wyche, who used to be an assistant AD at ASU and is now a vice-president with the Wizards after I got home to let him know that I was impressed with the marketing effort and use of text messaging.

Wyche said it had been a big success and the people working the phone banks were actually staying late because they were getting such positive feedback that they were enjoying it and wanted to strike while the iron was hot. They were not only selling reservations for tickets to the new stadium opening next summer, they were selling mini-season ticket packages for the remainder of this season. As of yesterday they reported having sold over 700 season ticket committments for 2011.

Since I had him on the phone I went on to ask about their official twitter feed @kcwizards because it is one of the best official feeds I’ve seen. They don’t just tweet links to official press releases. They also do pre-game tweets reminding fans of the game and their tv/radio/internet viewing/listening options. That second step places them ahead of most right there. As Billy Mays would say, “But that’s not all!”. The official twitter feed sends out links to local media reports about the team, photos from team practices and trips, responds to a few questions from fans and even links to fan blog articles about the team… even some that are critical.

Wyche said the team was getting big into social media. He said that a couple of people work to maintain their social media work.

It’s one of the best social media programs I’ve seen in sports. As I noted above, most teams just use Twitter as another way to let people know about new press releases. The Wizards are brave enough to retweet fan comments, answer questions, and even let people see less than flattering comments made about the franchise.

Arkansas State could learn a great deal from the Kansas City Wizards about marketing. The team has a top-notch plan and they take advantage of opportunities that arise when fans interact with their text and social media programs.

Arkansas State has issued a statement denying statements in the Jonesboro Sun that university officials suggested that a post-season ban in men’s basketball was likely.

The July 21 issue of the Jonesboro Sun contained an article regarding Jay-R Strowbridge, a men’s basketball transfer student-athlete who decided to withdraw from Arkansas State. The statements attributed to Strowbridge regarding a conversation with Dean Lee, Director of Athletics, are not accurate and ASU believes it is necessary to correct this misinformation.

“All of our student-athletes should feel confident that their careers at ASU are not at risk due to the failures of the past. Upon discovering those failures, ASU promptly took corrective actions and self-reported violations to the NCAA. While we certainly will have penalties related to the current investigation, we do not believe those penalties will affect eligibility for postseason play in basketball or any other sport,” Lee concluded.

Update
On his twitter account Strowbridge states he was misquoted by The Sun.

The Story In The Paper I Have Not Read It But I Was Misquoted And Had An Radio Interview w/@RodneyFreeman Clearing Up The Story

ASU’s billboard campaign still going full blast. New one on I-30 in Little Rock just coming in from Sherwood.

While ASU head coach John Brady and ASU fans anxiously await an NCAA ruling on whether Donald Boone will get a sixth year of eligibility, a recent NCAA decision will likely create an air of pessimism.

A Ball State linebacker injured in the first quarter of the season opener last year has been denied a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. Grant, the Ball State player, had taken a voluntary red-shirt year as a freshman rather than a medical red-shirt year. The NCAA ruled that because he did not miss two seasons because of two injuries that he could not gain a sixth year of eligibility.

Boone did not take a voluntary season so that makes the situation a bit different but the year he sat out was to gain academic eligibility. The Jonesboro Sun reported on Thursday that Boone is working toward graduating this summer.

JONESBORO (7/2/10) – Installation of new and upgraded state-of-the-art field turf inside ASU Stadium is still in progress, but is nearing completion with just a few final adjustments and steps remaining before the football field is ready for the start of the Red Wolves’ 2010 fall camp.

The installation process, which began April 25 after the conclusion of A-State’s spring football camp, has been entirely completed with the exception of some logo alterations that will be followed by the application of a sand base and “no-flyout” rubber. The project remains on schedule with an expected finish date of late July.
The new Geo-Surfaces field turf will be slightly thicker than the previous product, which was installed when ASU originally transitioned from a grass field to an artificial playing surfaces prior to the 2006 season. It will have an enhanced look that can already be seen with the addition of a large Red Wolves logo on each 25-yard line and a black trim that outlines the field.

The large white “ARKANSAS STATE” lettering in the red end zones, yard lines, yard-line numbers and hash marks are also finished, while the large A-State logo that will again be featured in the center of the field and two Sun Belt Conference logos are still undergoing some changes.

“We continue to monitor the field’s installation to ensure the final product is exactly what we envisioned from the outset of this project,” said ASU Director of Athletics Dr. Dean Lee. “We are confident that once a few alterations are made and the final steps are completed, the new field’s appearance and quality will be a tremendous asset to our football program.”

Here’s a comparison.

UPDATE
Looks like the logo is now being modified to be consistent with the approved logo.

JONESBORO (6/15/10) – With the installation of a new state-of-the-art field turf in progress, the Arkansas State football field will have an upgraded surface with a slightly different look when the Red Wolves take the field for their home opener Sept. 18.

ASU?originally transitioned from a grass field to an artificial playing surface prior the 2006 season. Like the original field turf installed four years ago, the new Geo-Surfaces product will again feature a large A-State logo in the center of the field and red end zones with large white “ARKANSAS STATE” lettering.
However, the new product will have an enhanced look with the addition of two Red Wolves logos, two Sun Belt Conference logos and a black trim that will outline the field. The Red Wolves and Sun Belt Conference logos will be located on each 25-yard line.
The newest Geo-Surfaces field turf will be slightly thicker than the previous product and will also include a sand base for the first time in addition to the no-flyout rubber that will again be put in place.

“In terms of appearance and the overall product, this new turf will be a nice upgrade to the previous playing surface that we were already extremely pleased with,” said ASU?Director of Athletics Dr. Dean Lee. “We are taking every step in this process to ensure the best quality product is attained, but we are also excited to see the final product that we expect to enhance our football program.”

The reinstallation process began April 25, one day after the conclusion of A-State’s spring football camp, and is on schedule with a projected finish date of late July. The initial stage was to remove the old surface, which is now being stored by the ASU?Athletic Department and could possibly be used in another capacity at a later date.
The next step in the installation process was to resurface certain areas underneath the field that might have received extra wear and tear, and the most recent step, undertaken by Meadows Construction, was to laser-level a mixed sub-base material that was applied. Currently, installation of a black drainage mat is underway that will be followed by the application of the actual turf. The final two steps will be the placing of the sand and rubber within the turf.

For the second time in as many seasons the Sun Belt men’s basketball Freshman of the Year has elected to transfer.

In the current climate of college athletics, that is no surprise. A player who signs with a coach who has a multi-year contract may see that coach terminated before his contract expires or see the coach leave for a better paying job. Out of nearly 350 schools in Division I, most would change affiliation when asked.

In the pros long-time players are cut to save money and players like LeBron James, who has yet to show he has the heart and instinct to match his talent, make it known they are ready to change teams. Players who balk at the team they end up with tank their performance (if they bother to show up) in order to force a trade or release.

Loyalty has become the province of the fans.

What worries me seeing players like Brandon Reed transfer is the logic they (or their family) are using.

If they are doing it to improve their chances at pro basketball, they are simply… stupid. Basketball players should be among the best informed fans around, so ignorance shouldn’t be the reason. Last year of the ten starters in the NBA Finals, the Sun Belt had as many players as every other conference combined. Getting a lot of quality minutes to improve your game carries far more benefit than the name of the school you attended.

The NBA like most leagues has a problem with troubled players. You have to be among the very best for a coach, GM, or owner to want to invest a large signing bonus on a player who will be a problem. That means you better better be in the 20 or so best players in the league.

A transfer is a red flag.

If Reed has the opportunity to move to the pros, John Brady will be called because there will be questions. Where their legal problems? Were there academic problems? Was in some sort of conflict. Coach Brady is a stand-up guy and he won’t run Reed down, but neither is he likely to give a glowing review as scouts make their assessment. If he is a close call prospect, that’s trouble, if he’s considered a safe bet, won’t matter.

There is a future to consider as well. Players and their parents are way too often ignorant of how the world works. A role player at an SEC school might be liked but when the career ends, they are mostly forgotten, even though that association might open some career doors. At smaller schools that average ACC or Big 10 player can be a star, the difference between sitting at home and taking a team to the Sweet 16. It’s a chance to be a local legend. Not only are career doors opened, its a chance to leave a legacy. It’s the difference from being third from the right, back row, in the team picture and having a whole section of honors display in the basketball offices. It’s the difference between “Oh yeah I remember him” and being part of a greatest ever debate among fans.

Butler fans will be able to recite the starting lineup against Duke in 10 years much more easily than Duke fans will recall their starting five. That’s the small school difference.

Gary Parrish of CBS Sports says, what’s the big deal, coaches do it all the time. There are some differences. A coach moves to advance his income. In theory a player is getting no money to change schools. For a coach its the next logical step up the career ladder, anyone who is familiar with pro basketball knows that not only do players not advance their pro potential by changing schools, they are more likely to harm their chances. A coach isn’t required to give up a year of honing his craft when he moves, a player adds a lot of practice time without playing time and isn’t getting game experience, he gets all the time drain of athletics except for travel without the reward of competition in front of scouts.

The NCAA has designed the system so that as much as possible schools are a commodity. A grant-in-aid is a grant-in-aid. You gain little if anything changing schools. The system doesn’t reward transfer with higher earnings or better benefits packages like it rewards coaches.

Parish is wrong on another count. Reed had his dad notify Brady he was leaving. I suspect Samford’s AD will tell you that Brady didn’t have someone call on his behalf when he quit.

I fully believe that there need to reforms that favor players. I’m all for allowing players a free transfer after a coaching change as long as they don’t follow their old coaches. I support four year scholarships if there are safeguards to prevent schools from abusing the system to run players that don’t pan out off campus. I believe in giving transfers their release as long as it isn’t within the league or a team you’ve contacted to play. I just don’t believe that many leaving because they think they are too big time understand what they are wading into.

JONESBORO (5/24/10) – Arkansas State head men’s basketball coach John Brady has issued the following statement regarding Red Wolves’ guard Brandon Reed and his future with the basketball program.

“Brandon Reed, through his father, has asked for permission to pursue other opportunities as it relates to his basketball future. We have not as an institution given him a release at this time. I have talked with Brandon and his parents at length over the last week. Arkansas State gave him an opportunity to play at a high level and put him in a system that allowed him to showcase his talent and prove himself as a player in his first year of Division I basketball. We gave him a scholarship when other schools that saw him did not. It is a situation that really disappoints me, upsets me, is not right and does not sit well with me. But let me be clear, I have and always will want players at Arkansas State that want to be here, want to wear the scarlet and black and be totally committed without reservation to win the Sun Belt Conference and go to the NCAA?Tournament. We have a wonderful school, great fans and have created an opportunity for us to accomplish our goals. This situation does not detour, nor does it stop, the desire or enthusiasm I?have for this program and this community. We will continue to recruit good players that appreciate and are committed to this university.”

Reed averaged 15.1 points per game last season, earning second team All-Sun Belt Conference recognition and the league’s Freshman of the Year award.

Coach Brady will have no further comment on this situation until it is brought to closure.

The old turf is up and it appears the gravel base is complete also.

More interesting is the screening behind the west side seats in the north and south but not behind the middle sections.