But do they have mens soccer? BUT DO THEY HAVE MENS SOCCER?
AND THEY DON'T HAVE BASEBALL EITHER!
Seriously though, there's so much money in Chattanooga that can be donated for facilities like this, it's not funny. Little Debbie, Krystal, Rock City, first Coca-Cola bottler, Chattem, Brach & Brach...Chattanooga is a money town. I had hoped ETSU would see some growth opportunities from the Med School, but I guess they don't care about sports. And it's funny, down here in Chattanooga, fans will donate to BOTH UTC and UT.
ETSU won't get anything like that for a long time. We are stuck with the "Vault of Victory".
And remember who came up with that nickname!
Seriously, though, there may be- and I mean MAY BE a way out of this.
http://johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?C...S&ID=62596
Now, if you ask me, you don't spend another cent on that place unless it's to send out the demo crew.
You put that $14 million and you work with ETSU for $19 million and you build a new arena, preferrably at a size that is capable to hold a hockey team and 10,000 folks so that major concert draws can come.
Freedom Hall is even more obsolete than Memorial Center. At least Memorial Center can draw in Carrie Underwood instead of the act that wants a change of pace from the state fair.
Furthermore, Freedom Hall is just in a bad location. There isn't anything else around it. If ZZ Top sells out it's going to present a traffic nightmare in a residential neighborhood.
And if I go to the ZZ Top concert, you know, I am going to want to perhaps have a beer before I go to the concert. Nothing wrong with a bit of tailgating.
Except in that area. I'd be partying on school grounds and surrounded by houses and such. You're just asking for trouble.
The place ought to be knocked down.
And remember who came up with that nickname!
What were some of the other names we had for the dome? Besides the airplane hangar and the oil drum. I remember we had a post about it on the old Soconhoops board but it's inactive now. That was the only one I remember.
The original nickname was the "half-assed(tro) dome" for/from the Houston Astrodome, and for the half-assed way ETSU always did stuff, including this, obviously. (Remember, this was in the very early days of "domes".) And yes, ETSU turned down $1 million dollars to have it painted like a half-buried beer can.
I'd so rather play in the Bud Dome than the Memorial Center.
I had a professor refer to it as the "Pollack McDonalds'" back when the arches were yellos.[/i]
So now ETSU history not only has a racist band, but also a racist professor.
Good!
We have a racist band? I haven't heard about this one. Whats the story?
God, do I have to tell this story AGAIN?
First ETSU event I ever attended as in '86. It was the football game where ETSU beat Davidson to end their long losing streak.
Comes to the fourth quarter and the Bucs have the game in hand. I'm sitting by the band and the leader starts holding up a cross, points it towards the way of the Davidson bench, and the rest of the members put hoods over their head.
A "fan" next to me nudges me and asks "How do you like our hillbilly humor?"
Let's just say I didn't. First time in my life I ever left a game early.
I realize the band was probably acting independently. Still, it was most disgraceful.
Anyway, that story speaks for itself.
Now, doctor, let's go to this Budweiser allegation.
I've heard it many times, but I want to ask you for something.
Proof.
Because let's face it, you say Bud would have paid $1,000,000. I've heard $3,000,000. I'm sure someone else will say that in leu of a company car the coach would have been given a Clydesdale.
And it's gotten to the point where I believe it's urban legend. We never hear who turned this offer down. We never hear when it was turned down.
If you can tell us that, please come forward.
To my knowledge, I know the facility was repainted in the 90s and the story predates that. So was the facility ever painted prior to its recoloring in the 90s, say in 1984? That would seem to be a time when such an offer- if one was ever profered- would come about.
But the main thing that makes me skeptical of the story is that I have an ETSU basketball poster next to me from 2002-03. The excuse always told is that ETSU didn't want to advertise beer- which would be noble- but the problem is that on this poster there is an ad for Budweiser.
This story of repainting the place like a beer can, when the facts are presented, just doesn't add up.
If you can produce evidence otherwise (when the offer was presented, who turned it down), then please come forth.
I will not be able to present proof. However, one of my best friends, who shall remain nameless, was on a 'committee' (don't know if it was official or not) that looked into it, and actually presented it to either the president at the time, or to the legal counsel, or both. This 'committee' was acting as a liason between the university and Anheuser-Busch, because the idea came from a group of students, one of whom had a close relationship with the local distributor, as I recall. It was a genuine offer, and it was $1 million, not 3.
This was a semi-openly discussed thing on campus at the time. Some people snickered about it, but it was a legitimate offer. I don't think ETSU took it real seriously, but I wasn't on the inside to hear the comments.
And no, this was not 1984, this was 1977 or 1978 when it was about to be completed, or was just completed. The roof only was the object of the offer, not the sides. Things (as far as acceptable advertising goes) were a lot different in 2002 than 25 years earlier. Heck, 1977 was only I think 10 years after freshmen were supposed to wear "beanies" on their heads, etc. Until 1972 or so, women entertaining friends in their dorm rooms had to have the door open and both feet on the floor (yes, this was in the rules). It was a different world then.........
[It is possible that someone wanting to do a search of the student newspaper then ("Pirate Press"?) could find this documented. I don't specifically recall a story about this being in there, but it seems like maybe it was.]
Okay. Thanks for the info.
The thought occurs- since it is, as you say, a different time, would it not be a good revenue source to open these discussions back up with Budweiser, Miller, or whoever else?
Or, if Tri-Cities Beverage puts any of their products in cans, I would say that's a natural that neither party should pass up.
I can remember talk about the offer from Budweiser as I heard students and professors discussing it. The word on campus was that it was turned down because of the Bible Belt sensibility in the area. Don't know if it was true or not but it certainly was discussed on campus.
Look, I've heard the story too.
But even if the story is true, doesn't it sound SOOOOO urban legend?
Actually, I hope it is true. I like the idea of the "Bible Belt sensibility" preventing revenue streams.
Because I really, really, really want Paul Stanton to point the finger at Jesus for having to cut football.
I don't know that there was actually an offer, but I was there when the dome was built. It took forever due to leaks in the roof (and workers kept dying).
There was word that Bud had made the offer at the time. I remember it going around campus. It was quite the buzz, if you'll pardon the pun.
The idea was the planes could see it from the sky and it could be used as quite the marketing ploy for ads.
It sounds like a great idea, they can't use alcohol now because of some sort of Alcohol awareness taskforce that Barbie's dumb ass signed ETSU up for. Basically ETSU can't take money from beer and liquor sponsors, even if it's PSA-type ads about drinking and driving, alcoholism, etc... Real smart, we can take gambling money (Tennessee Lottery, and yes it's gambling) but Budweiser's money is no good.
Maybe the Mouse's Ear could sponsor the dome, or maybe the softball stadium that won't be built for another 20 years.
I actually can see where a college, with tons of students less than 18, would not want to accept alcohol advertising. In fact, if that's the route you want to take, I respect it.
It's the inconsistency that bothers me.
I will say this. I know that most sports related entities in town will not accept advertising from The Mouse's Ear.
But in the case of radio ads, I feel it is absolutely absurd they will accept ads from the Lottery, Colonial Downs, Beer Companies, etc. but not the local strip joint.
I used to say this to Sports Talk when we'd accept tobacco advertising but not the strip joints. I said that I felt every parent in the world would rather their kids not use tobacco, but they would like their children to SOMEDAY have sex.
I brought this up in an earlier thread when the JC Press was reporting on how both Science Hill HS and Freedom Hall were needing upgrades. I still think it would be great if the city and ETSU could partner together somehow.
Scaling back? If they scale back outside events anymore they won't have any at all. That could help ETSU get their arena.
Pitt--- I'm aware of what they will and won't do. The bottom line is if it's a moral concern, then a sin is a sin. No gambling, no strippers, no alcohol money, or in other words, the three things that the majority of sports radio listening males love the most. Bets, beers, and breasts.
Is this enough to help push Johnson City and ETSU to partner to build a new arena?
questions about the future use(s) of Freedom Hall
Well, see, this is where they pick and choose and it really is hypocritical.
I know for a fact Meade's show used to be sponsored by Keystone Beer. I don't know the current list of sponsors, but that used to be one of them.
They do accept gambling money. The Tennessee Lottery is ETSU's most visible sponsor, and Colonial Downs is probably the biggest sponsor of the station.
Now, I've heard the ads for tout services. Andrew Dice Clay for Betus.com, "Duke on Sports," (that show was a tough listen).
Perhaps it is a blessing they DON'T run them.
But here's the deal. Years ago I worked at a local radio station as a sports talk show host. Made a part-time wage for a full-time job.
At one point one of our salesmen took a side job as a DJ at The Mouse's Ear. He got a situation where the establishment wanted to pay $5,000 a week to advertise on the station, and it was refused.
You have to ask what is a bigger sin- paying your employees part-time wages for full-time work or running an ad for The Mouse's Ear? You can't tell me it's the latter.
In a nutshell, that's why this area sucks. Employers don't pay and the people cast aspersions.