One day left: Get the word out


Nine days ago, I wrote a post entitled “Nine Days in November.”
It was as much about our fans recruiting other Temple people to come to the game tomorrow night (8 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field) vs. Ohio to  support the Owls as it was about the importance of the game.

Better yet, spread the word by Facebook and Twitter to every sports radio station and TV station websites, write comments on Philly.com after every Eagles’ story. Do whatever you can.
Just don’t sit back and hope 30K come. Be proactive.


This is an important game, no doubt.
How important?
Well, if the Owls win, they get a clear path to the championship game (Miami is an easier foe than Ohio).
If the Owls lose, there will be no championship.
If the Owls lose, they get sent to MAC Hell: The Hummanitarian Bowl in Boise, Idaho, probably against a Hawaii or a Fresno State.
I don’t see any more than 100 Owl fans making that trip, God forbid it ever happens.
That takes care of the football end of the business.
You could make a strong argument about a more important aspect of the game being a strong showing by Temple fans.
A strong showing by Temple fans (in my mind, 25K plus) would send a clear message to the rest of the world via a national television audience (ESPN2) that Temple can keep Al Golden, that Temple can be a viable presence in a BCS conference, that Temple football can deliver the nation’s fourth-largest TV market in a big way (that last point was proven a year ago on Dec. 29).
Those are just some of the positive messages a packed house can bring.
A weak showing by our fans would be a disaster for Temple University’s national image. We have a chance to change all of the negative stereotypes in just one night, so let’s do it.
That’s why I’ve pressed more strange flesh in the last nine days than a politician in October.
In the last few months, I’ve seen tons of people wearing Temple stuff. Just never had the guts to say anything to any of them.
Nine days ago, I made a commitment to approach every one of them.
Nine days, 37 people. I talked the game up to every one. Eight of those people said they were coming anyway. Another 20 said they’d think about it. One elderly couple said they haven’t been to a Temple game in 20 years, but had nothing else to do Tuesday night and would be there.
Let’s face it.
Our core fan base is 15K. It’s a solid 15K. However, if each one of us recruited one or two more people outside our of group that base balloons to 30K or 45K.
In 24 hours, walk up to as many strangers wearing Temple stuff as you can.
Better yet, spread the word by Facebook and Twitter to every sports radio station and TV station websites, write comments on Philly.com after every Eagles’ story.
Do whatever you can.
Just don’t sit back and hope 30K come. Be proactive.
These kids and this university deserves the support.

4 thoughts on “One day left: Get the word out

  1. Mike,I should be working on a paper I have do at 5:00 PM today, but I wanted to say a few quick things:First, I wish the Temple University administration would shut down campus (the tech center, the student center, the library, ect) and cancel all classes from 7:00pm-12:01 midnight (and heck, even cancel morning classes for Wednesday) so these kids had no excuse not to come to the game. I'm getting so P.O.ed and frustrated: I've gotten so many excuses about classes on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and homework kids need to do (which never seems to stop them from getting plastered every Thursday). Heck, maybe they should even give kids a free absence if they show up. The administation should do this once every year to get kids into the stadium to show them that, even if you don't follow football, or even like sports, the games are A BLAST.Second, this is my last home game as a student at Temple and I probably won't be living in the Philly area by the time next football season comes around. I've passionately read your blog for the five years I've been a student at Temple and would really like to know where I could find you prior to the game tommorrow so that I can shake your hand and thank you for the service you have provided both me and the ENTIRE Temple University community.GO OWLS!Zach

  2. Zach,it would be a pleasure to meet you … from 4 p.m. to 5:55, I will be along the row with the portable toilets … wearing that Temple sweatshirt pictured in a post below (and a MAC conference hat) … plenty of Temple sweatshirts, but only one guy wearing a MAC hat … from 6 p.m. to 7:45, i will be in McFadden's … from 7:55 until 11:30, I will be in the stadium … section 121, row 22, seat 1. Back at my normal seat this week. The club section fans didn't cheer when I went up there for the BG.

  3. Although I believe Temple will win the next 2 games plus the MAC championship. I would prefer a matchup in the Humanitarian Bowl especially if its with Fresno State. The latest bowl pojection I have seen has Temple versus La-Muonroe in the Little Ceasars Bowl, not an appealing matchup at all. The other MAC affiliated bowl the GoDaddy.com Bowl has Ohio projected versus Troy, again not a very appealing matchup, Fresno or Nevada are far better matchups than what might await Temple in other bowl games, unless of course a Big Ten team faces us in Detroit. Sure the Humanitarian Bowl is in Boise and is the second bowl game played this season but a quality opponent is what I m interested in and hey, I've never been to Boise.

  4. Flights to Boise average about $200 more than flights to Detroit. … I don't have the money for Boise.I can drive to Detroit and Mobile in a pinch.Detroit. I can take a train each way and sleep on it without getting a hotel room.I imagine a lot of our fans feel the same money pinch.I'm not all that excited about whatever sights I might see in Boise.If push came to shove, I'd rather win the MAC title in Detroit and go back to Motown again if they can get us an attractive Big 10 opponent like Penn State or Northwestern to beat.

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