Big Money for Big Egos

Big Corporations, Football players, Football coaches and Football organizations are big on egos, image, and money.

The Buzz started when the University of Maryland debut all their new Under Armour uniforms on the fashion runway. Like it or not, it was a huge marketing gamble by both Maryland and Under Armour.  Maryland got instant attention and a new look.   Actually several, and Under Armour has a new line to promote.

What?  You didn’t think they would sell the uniforms when the helmets were auctioned off for $32 thousand dollars?

Silly.

Under Armour and the University of Maryland have announced plans for a limited production run just in time for the holidays.  The price point is somewhere in the area of $70.  Yes that is Seventy Dollars.  Far less than the $32 hundred that 10 poor schmucks paid just a few short months ago.

I hope they got certificates of authenticity (pre-market production) and at least a signature or two.

If not, I would ask for my money back.

Not Your Average Terrapin

Lower Level Tickets to the Game:  $50

 

New Under Armour Jersey: $65

 

Top Buzz on Google and Twitter AND National Media Coverage:  Priceless

 

 

 

I have to admit it, at first I did not like the new uniforms.  I’m old school and I think of the University of Maryland as the Terrapins.

 

And, being old school, I tend to think one should gain recognition the old fashion way, through hard work and determination and, in the case of sports programs, Winning!

 

George Mason did it.  So did Richmond and VCU.  And they did not need new uniforms.

 

But this is a different world we live in today with instant access, social networking and such.  If you aren’t out there being noticed, being talked about, you are not relevant.

 

Irrelevancy will kill any program.

 

What better way to become relevant, talked about and yes, even sought after than by getting into the news for a gimmicky uniform on national television.

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity and in this case, Maryland and all forms of media are proving them correct.

 

Building teams is difficult, time consuming, requires a bit of luck and can take years to do.

 

Just ask Shanahan . . .

 

It also takes people.

 

To build any such team, consistently, requires getting people to pay attention to you, to seek you out, maybe even to become part of your program.

 

Maryland, for one brief moment in time, became bigger than the Justin Bieber’s and Kim Kardashian’s and Lady Gaga’s of the world.

 

They won the national attention and relevancy game.

They also won the football game.

If they can keep winning on both fronts, nobody will care what uniforms they wear and the University of Maryland sports program will be better for it.