Jaguars preparing the way for a time-share?

by Cowtown on Sep 17, 2010 10:46 AM EDT

So I was reading the Jaguars feed on my Facebook page, now that they've cleared out the only spammers I've ever seen make it through on Facebook, and what do I see?

"What do you think of Vic's four-point plan for securing the future of professional football in Jacksonville?" http://jaguars.com/news/article.aspx?id=9261

Well, I'll tell you what I think: it stinks like a post-game laundry bag full of jock straps.

To be fair, 75% of Vic's 4-point plan is just fine, if not exactly groundbreaking: sell tickets, avoid work stoppages or a bad CBA for small markets, and play well. Number four, however, is the rub: "involve" Orlando. Sorry, Vic, but the Jaguars need Orlando like Poland needed Germany.

"Jacksonville" Jaguars. Not "Florida" Jaguars. Not "Everything but Tampa Bay and South Florida" Jaguars. This is a team that is the third NFL franchise in the state. Tampa is just down I-4 from Orlando, and the Dolphins have the residual glow of two Super Bowls and the Marino era, not to mention the serious advantage of being the only pro team in the state for a decade. The Jaguars can not compete with that... IN ORLANDO.

Frankly, this piece is a shill, trying to pave the way for a ridiculous time-share with Orlando. Somebody in Buffalo has let a diseased version of the regionalism idea spread from northern New York to northern Florida. Fans in Orlando are Buccaneers or Dolphins fans, and any overtures from the powers-that-be in central Florida are not made with an idea towards one pre-season game or a few days of training camp.

If Orlando is interested, it's for the big play, just how Toronto is interested in the Bills. If the Jaguars are listening, it means one of two things: they're willing to open that door, or they think they can pull one over on Orlando. If it's the former, Jacksonville fans should want nothing to do with reaching out to Orlando, and if it's the latter, then this is a short-term money grab that will end up alienating fans in Jacksonville while doing nothing to move Orlandoans from their Bucs/Phins rooting interests.

The Jaguars can increase their appeal in Orlando two ways: move there, or maintain a first class organization for a generation or more. In the meantime, any above-and-beyond efforts to appeal to the central Florida market are doomed to erode support in Jacksonville without making significant inroads in Orlando.

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Comments

Orlando makes sense

Looking at census numbers and the fact the Bucs are 141 miles from Jacksonville and only 85 from Tampa it makes more sense for Tampa to really promote there as they are having worse ticket woes than Jacksonville.

Also we don’t need a Toronto solution.

The solution is keep the Jags fans we have in the area, and grow the ones in the smaller metro areas inside and just outside the 75 mile area. Support the local radio stations, etc.. just put more effort into promotions that way.

I think Jacksonville proved the area can support the team.. to get more demand for tickets and to keep season ticket holders.I think more promotion along the I-95 corridor up to Savannah and south to Daytona Beach, maybe reach out along I-10 and panhandles to the Gainesville and Valdosta areas. All while continuing to focus on Jacksonville during the off season will be all thats needed.

If they put a full on ad blitz in those areas and get them to feel the team is also thier team that should be more than enough to sustain the team longterm.

" In Gene We Trust "

by Charles Goin on Sep 17, 2010 1:59 PM EDT reply actions

Being from Brunswick, GA......

I agree with your statements. It only takes about an hour to be at the stadium, and the drive is easy right down I-95. The same could be said for Savannah to the north (about 1 more hour) and the Daytona area to the south (probably just over an hour from the stadium). Heading west on I-10, though there are no major towns, there are a fair number of football fans that might love to support an NFL team.
Cowtown, I do not think that Vic was implying that the team should play any games in Orlando. I also realize that Tampa is closer to the Orlando than Jacksonville is. That being said, I think if I lived on the eastern side of Orlando, and wanted to see NFL football, a trip to Jacksonville would not be out of the questions.
There is a momentum building in support for this team. If they can turn in a good season, the marketing for the Jags needs to spread. Orlando is not a market I would want to skip!

by GAJAGFAN on Sep 17, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I didn't read that much into it

I just think Vic has it wrong. I posted on Facebook that the team needs to become the “team of the South Atlantic” There’s a lot of money up and down the coast from Myrtle Beach to the Space Coast and inland toward Tallahassee, Ocala, and Orlando.

Hell, a couple years ago, I called one of the radio shows and said that when the NFL feels China is worthy of hosting a preseason game, Wayne Weaver needs to volunteer to be the home team for the game and blitz China with a top flight marketing campaign. China made the Houston Rockets thrive by way of Yao Ming.

We need to be realistic here, the city of Jacksonville by itself cannot, or more realistically will not, support the team for the long haul. It is crucial that this team sticks here for the advent of the second generation of fans.

In 5-7 years, assuming nothing changes as far as Weaver’s health, the team is still on the uptick, which I believe it is, etc. the team is going to be clamoring for a new stadium. I don’t see anyone privately ponying up to build one in Jacksonville or the outskirts. It’s gonna take tax dollars at the least.

This being said, it is incumbent on the hospitality industry to roll out the welcome mat for overnight packages. I mean my family and I take day trips or overnight stays to Savannah, Orlando, St. Aug, Myrtle Beach, St. Simons, Charleston, etc. why not people there coming to us ten weekends a year? Hell, last weekend, I must have seen 50 cars with Gator flags going south on 95 in the morning and then north on 95 at 4 pm. People from all over converge to Daytona for the races, bike week, spring break, etc. The price of tickets to the games are so inexpensive by NFL standards that they can be easy throw-ins for a stay at a nice hotel in town.

In conclusion, I have no problem with including other cities in our marketing strategy. We bitch about the “fans” local thinking when it came to the should we or shouldn’t we game with Tebow, but now we want to keep the team to a centralistic marketing strategy only focusing on the 4 counties? I have complete faith that we’ll get past this 2009 rut and prove to be a viable fanbase. BUT, we must never forget 2009 and the aftershocks and the team needs to continuously sell itself. We have no brand equity right now. All we have in truth are about 45K true blues who support the team via ticket sales and probably a couple 100K more who support the team solely through merchandise sales due to personal economic factors.

by Joe Fisher on Sep 17, 2010 2:27 PM EDT reply actions

I am going to guess that Vic’s plan does not include billboards?

by Fivus Viener on Sep 17, 2010 3:29 PM EDT reply actions

I was wondering about that part

Perhaps he realizes now that the city can’t (at least for now) support the team on its own. Plays into his theory that this is a college town, yes even though we only have JU and EWC locally, but UF close enough.

by Joe Fisher on Sep 17, 2010 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

apartment*

by rhettchrystal on Sep 17, 2010 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions

wow wrong 1 lol

by rhettchrystal on Sep 17, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Not sure.

But i think when i was going through Jacksonville in middle July omw to Orlando, we stopped to see my sister’s house, I beleive i saw a Jags billboard.

by rhettchrystal on Sep 17, 2010 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions

apartment*

by rhettchrystal on Sep 17, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Um...I am from Orlando, and I'm clearly on this site for a reason.

And not to rag on Jacksonville, but the city really hasn’t become the new Atlanta, and it needs all the help it can get. There are plenty of sports fans in Orlando dying to go to professional games that aren’t the Magic, and Jacksonville is a viable option. And at the rate that Central Florida’s population keeps growing, you better believe that there are plenty of people with absolutely no allegiance to the Bucs or Dolphins. The Jaguars need to grab those people.

In the end, I know a Super Bowl parade technically wouldn’t happen in my home town, but so what? Jacksonville’s close enough, and it’s the Jaguars team that I love and support. And there are plenty of other people just like me, and the empty seats in EverBank field tell me that the Jacksonville Jaguars need our support.

In Gene We Trust.

by MoveThoseChains on Sep 18, 2010 12:15 AM EDT reply actions

+1

True. Come to all the games, and bring your friends. We love Orlando!

(Panthera onca)

by viator on Sep 18, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions

This is ridiculous

Jacksonville has clearly shown it cannot support the Jaguars on their own. They need to reach out further to build the fanbase. If they can’t do that, there won’t be any JACKSONVILLE Jaguars.

You can't reason with unreasonable people.

by JagsAlex87 on Sep 18, 2010 9:24 AM EDT reply actions

True..

Even the Redkins make thier precense know with promotions and sponsorships of events Big ads in the Yellow pages, etc.. here in RIchmond and we are almost 2 hours south of FedEx. They do it because south of DC is THIER free range. NO competition from the Ravens or Eagles. As I mentioned if Jacksonville did the same to the areas within a 2 hour drive that would be a big help. NOT being in the area I can’t believe they don’t do similar stuff in the Gainesville/Valdosta/Savannah/Daytona Beach areas.

I think the Jags would benefit in one big way by have a game or two in Orlando. They could claim Orlando for marketing reasons. Right now I think Orlando is considered the Bucs secondary market and Jacksonville isnt allowed to promote there due to that fact. That alone would be reason enough. NOT because Jacksonville on its own can’t fill the stadium.. but simply because it would be laying claim to a big market.

That said I don’t see the NFL allowing that, ESPECIALLY with the Bucs are in worse ticket shape than the Jags right now. If the Jags MOVED lock stock and barrell to Orlando is another thing all together. But I don think that will happen as its in the NFLs best interest to keep the Jag/Dolphins/Bucs all 4 hours or so from each other. As I don’t see central/north florida having the concentration of people the DC Metro or NYC area has. So I can’t see it supporting three teams so close together. Especailly when two are having a hard time as it is getting and keeping thier fanbases.

" In Gene We Trust "

by Charles Goin on Sep 19, 2010 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions