Los {l Wrote}:For me, the biggest element in all this will be the external engagement. How do you get more people interested/excited about BC athletics? If you do that right, all the other pieces tend to fit into place (attendance, donations, facilities).
Wasn't sure where to share this little tidbit, but I will throw it in here.
This past Saturday I was very "fortunate" to have 2 different sporting events to attend to during the day. As the first event came to an end, the BC-Purdue game was knotted at 7-7. We had some time to kill so we hit a pizza/sub shop nearby for some lunch prior to event #2. I noticed a TV in the establishment was showing the UGA game on ESPN, and as I was ordering and preparing to ask to have the game switched to ESPN2, another "customer" was being handed the remote. I asked what game he was putting on and if it would be BC, to which he proclaimed "Notre Dame baby. Don't be mentioning BC around here." (I laughed).
Now I'm with wife and one of my kids, and who really gives a fuck in the whole scheme of things, so I went about my business of waiting for my sub. It's then that I realize that Shorty McFatty has a green ND Hat on, a 12+ year old ND T Shirt on, some sort of ND sneakers on, and a Fighting Irish tattoo on his calf. (Disclosure - I'm not embellishing for effect - it was his legitimate garb) Textbook ND Steakhead. At some point in the game, the BC score scrolls on by (and we are now down by a couple of scores) and he makes some snorty-ish comment about the score and BC losing. Again, who really gives a fuck, but I asked him if he went to ND - something I already knew the answer to. "Nahhh, but my fathah groo up watchin'' 'em and me and my bruthahz luv'd 'em and uv cohse ahmm Irish..." I told him I always thought it was weird that a University with a French Name located in the middle of Indiana was adopted by the Irish when in reality BC was founded on providing an education to the Irish Immigrants of Boston. I think he was completely confused by this, and by that point we were wrapping up our food. Unfortunately his "team" was taking care of business against Wake at this point and I could tell BC was enjoying a 7-night stay in WTF City, so it was time to go.
Not much of a story, but we talk about the Stereotype, however I always imagine in my head that it just isn't really any longer. Unfortunately it is, and that's why I quoted the above. The commoners in New England frankly don't like BC. Blue Collar Southies still love ND. Millenials don't like sports. People in between resent BC for its wannabe snootiness. etc, etc. I just don't foresee a scenario where a whole new generation of fans can be born/created from the surrounding areas. Sure, we'll get a few, but they're just replacing the dying Whalepants.