02.28.08
by

Rachel Eschenbach has thrown down the gauntlet

By Mike Gibson
Fitting that a Temple University fencer has thrown down the gauntlet in response to Lewis Katz’s challenge.
Tell the New Jersey Nets’ majority owner and 1963 Temple grad how to increase fan support for Temple’s athletic teams, specifically basketball and football, and win $5,000 of Katz’s hard-earned cash.
Rachel Eschenbach (pictured, we think) is a Temple fencer and she won the prize for some excellent suggestions.
She formulated a point system, rewarding students for attendance at athletic events.
Excellent suggestions, but we’re not really sure if they are the right ones to put football fans in the seats.
Surely, there are even some better football-specific ideas out there.
In the spirit of what Rachel does for fun and sport, we say:
ON GUARD!!
TOUCHE!!
You take the sword now and keep brainstorming.
Just because Katz’s $5,000 is not available anymore doesn’t mean each one of us can’t make a meaningful contribution to put some fannies in the seats at Lincoln Financial Field this fall.
Football quarterback Colin Clancy won second place for suggesting a class and structuring it to brainstorm further ideas.
Another player, former football kicker Cap Poklemba, showed what just one man can do in drumming up both support and enthusiasm at football games by acting like a one-man raving lunatic. He single-handedly aroused a theretofore moribund fan base into a whooping, involved mob bent for blood in the final three home games of the season.
With apologies to Rachel Eschenbach, Poklemba demonstrated that one man can make a huge difference.
We are many men and, in Rachel’s case, women.
I’m taking Rachel’s sword and pointing it at you now.
“You da man.”
At least when it comes to meaningful ideas to transform an empty stadium into a full one.
Our brain power and kicking around of ideas can make a difference, like Rachel’s ideas undoubtedly will and like Cap’s enthusiasm undoutedly did.
Now it’s up to you.
Take a few hours or days and come back to this story and post your ideas in the comments section here. We’ll publish them as quick as possible and won’t pass any judgments, negative or positive.
Before football season tickets go on sale, we’ll pass all the suggestions on to both athletic director Bill Bradshaw and the hard-working guys in the ticket office.
Remember, nothing too crazy like offering $1,000 cash bonuses for successful field goals (although Cap could use the extra dough).
Something that would not cost much, but entice enough students, grads and Temple people to make the Linc a house of horrors for Owl foes.
Rachel took pen to paper and came away with 5K.
Her’s is a good idea, but just one.
This project needs many more.

4 thoughts on “Rachel Eschenbach has thrown down the gauntlet”

  1. First create a registry of Temple fans that are interested to be part of a new “Temple Fans Care” group. Possibly using Google maps or one of these programs and see where everyone lives. From this list form 4-10 groups/teams to drum up support on a local level. After a big kickoff meeting organizing everyone, the Groups would get together either live or online on as continual basis and come up with their own ideas and concepts to drum up support. Groups would be in competition with each other and possibly compete to see who gets the most fans to a game. They would also be trying to get more members to join their group so that they do better over time. Groups would assign a leader who would get together once a month on campus to organize and focus. One group of course would be the cherry crusade. Attendance could be a key factor but not the only one. Percentage of group members attending each game should be factor. If somebody is expecting you to attend a game and its 35 degrees and rainy you’re more likely to show then if no one knows if you were there or not… Groups could check in behind section 101 at each game. Groups who are the most spirited at the games will earn their teams points, possibly wearing team shirts or bandanas etc or the AD could come and hand them a seal of approval for their support. Groups with the best tailgates will earn their team points. The winners at the end of the year get to go to the MAC championship game or Bowl Game or win a donated prize for their leader or group to enjoy or some of the high priced items that are auctioned of by the owls club every year… Make everything a x2 and allow groups to “bid” using point earned on auction items…that way everyone should at least get something,,, Expand it from their…. Sort of creating a social organization that has a purpose of increasing its numbers as a group and in the attendance of games, along with making it more fun for the groups as a whole. All the groups would more then likely need to be overseen by one person in the athletic department or a dedicated fan, who can help them get things and make sure they are helping the cause not hurting it. That person would follow up with the groups on a continual basis and make sure the groups are talking thinking planning…Groups could also be formed by the seating chart of season ticket holders… This would help for inside the game but could be difficult to do activities if someone living in Harrisburg is teamed up with someone from north jersey… groups would be formed by geography but if best friends 100 miles away want to be in the same group so be it…Each year a new Group could be formed by the graduating senior classes so graduating seniors make sure they come back the next year and get in the tradition of attending. Greek and campus groups could have their own group to keep the alumni in touch with the undergrads possibly competing in their own points system. You could have dorm floors or the rugby players forming groups.-Players of parents could lead smaller groups from their home towns or areas… getting the local high school to come out and support their famous Temple football players alumni…Expand from there…..

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  3. Congrats on winning the Best Non-BCS Blog!!!

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  4. Thanks, Breezy. The most amazing thing about it is that other college football bloggers, some with very good sites like Saturdaysoundoffs, Deadspin and Black Shoe Diaries, led the effort to get me nominated. I didn’t know the award even existed until I visited BSD looking for some Temple game reaction and then saw my name.

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