OAK RIDGE 2017 FOOTBALL

[HTV]

I enjoy Thursday night games because it opens up everyone's opportunity to see teams they have never seen before and in most cases the games have always been good matches which keep the crowd watching to the end. My question is , do the schools get any money from the broadcast since some people are going to opt to stay home as to travel eighty miles away like I did last year when Maryville played at Bradley in a rain storm. From looking at the game on TV it looked like you could have brought everyone from Maryville on a bus due to all those factors.

 

I am pretty sure that the home school gets something like $500, but I think that goes to the school, and not the football program.  

 

That night at Bradley Central the weather forecast was brutal, but there were only some brief showers during the game until about 30 minutes or so after the game ended.  The skies opened just as we had packed up our equipment and gotten in to the car to head home after an abbreviated post game show.  It was Thursday, so there weren't many scores to track and we could see the weather coming from the Southwest.  We got out of there as quickly as we could.  

 

But you are correct - it was pretty much a family and hardcore fans (looking at you, Stars) gathering in the stands for Murvl folks that night.  

Edited May 21, 2017 by HTV

[BarneySox2007]

I am pretty sure that the home school gets something like $500, but I think that goes to the school, and not the football program.  

 

That night at Bradley Central the weather forecast was brutal, but there were only some brief showers during the game until about 30 minutes or so after the game ended.  The skies opened just as we had packed up our equipment and gotten in to the car to head home after an abbreviated post game show.  It was Thursday, so there weren't many scores to track and we could see the weather coming from the Southwest.  We got out of there as quickly as we could.  

 

But you are correct - it was pretty much a family and hardcore fans (looking at you, Stars) gathering in the stands for Murvl folks that night.  

The rain or the distance and TV didn't keep me away that night because I love road trips but they had a very good chance for hail that night and I didn't want to take a chance.

[Governm]

I enjoy Thursday night games because it opens up everyone's opportunity to see teams they have never seen before and in most cases the games have always been good matches which keep the crowd watching to the end. My question is , do the schools get any money from the broadcast since some people are going to opt to stay home as to travel eighty miles away like I did last year when Maryville played at Bradley in a rain storm. From looking at the game on TV it looked like you could have brought everyone from Maryville on a bus due to all those factors.

I disagree. At least half of the games they show are blowouts and they show the same teams on there every year. It also seems like several teams are always on there more than once every year. It's Maryville, Farragut, Oak Ridge, Catholic, Fulton, and Sevier County and they throw in the occasional 1A team from BFE to make it look diversified. That is pretty much the way they do it every year. Edited May 22, 2017 by Governors91

[BarneySox2007]

I disagree. At least half of the games they show are blowouts and they show the same teams on there every year. It also seems like several teams are always on there more than once every year. It's Maryville, Farragut, Oak Ridge, Catholic, Fulton, and Sevier County and they throw in the occasional 1A team from BFE to make it look diversified. That is pretty much the way they do it every year.

Four games that come to mind last year was the Austin East vs Halls,  Bearden vs Halls, K. Central vs Mo, West and Greenback vs Coalfield.which were pretty good games. I'm sure Packer don't just take a game and say you'll be the game of the week. If I were a betting person I'm sure he has to go down a lineup of teams before he finds two schools that are in agreement to move schedules around to do this. Your bunching up a week for some of those schools that may have to play two tough games in a row.and in this day in time I'm sure he has to deal with some winner personalities with a few of these A.D.'s from what I've heard. Sure there may be a few games that aren't good but for the most part they beat nothing on a Thursday Night. I always enjoy the show on afterward also which is very good. Other than that commercial of the guy getting in the back of that car with the two girls then gets arrested for drunk driving fifty times I have no complaints and that's coming from someone that complains all the time.

[boyfromsi]

Disagree on this one. I don't know of many college coaches who are spending 3 1/2 hours on Thursday night watching a live high school game on TV or online.  They can watch Hudl video of a dozen prospects in that amount of time.

 

And to clarify, I am not anti what Mark does with his broadcasts.  He and his crew do a great job of production.  I know most of those guys and we swap game prep stuff when I am working a radio broadcast of one of the Thursday games.   It's a quality broadcast.  My concern is the length of the games and the way it completely changes the normal flow of a Friday night.  But I also understand why it has to be that way.  TV is very expensive to produce.  Those spots have to be include to generate the revenue to make it work.  

 

But I also completely understand why some schools are opting out of hosting those broadcasts.  Every AD I have talked to about it tells me that it does adversely affect attendance, and in this day and time, every paying patron is important to the home teams.  They have to have gate to help pay for the programs.   And the coaches by and large hate the way it drags the games out.  

 

And I have also had administrators tell me that the absentee rate on Friday after a Thursday night football game is much higher than a normal Friday because of the lateness of the game ending.  

 

Mainly a reply to the direction of the exposure, but in the main I agree.  However, it is another source of video to put up on Hudl.  

 

I agree about the production; it is first rate. I just wish there was a way it could coexist with the drop in gate from hosting a game on Thursday.  

 

BTW, don't be surprised if the Oak Ridge/Fulton game is picked up if the game is to decide the Region Championship.  The game is at Fulton. 

Edited May 22, 2017 by boyfromsi

[osunut2]

It's not to attract kids to your school, even though that might be a small side benefit.  It's another way to showcase your kids to a wider audience for the next level. 

I don't think it has anything to do with the next level, especially in this era of Hudl, YouTube, NFHS, Periscope, etc. I think Packer wants good, compelling matchups to some degree, but I would argue that it's more about community exposure, which is one reason why Packer and his crew rarely visit the same stadium twice during the regular season.

[atrisk]

I don't think two teams have to be in agreement. I think the home team makes the call on the Thurs. night game. Did Oak Ridge play the scheduled intra squad game and if so how did it go ?

[boyfromsi]

I don't think two teams have to be in agreement. I think the home team makes the call on the Thurs. night game. Did Oak Ridge play the scheduled intra squad game and if so how did it go ?

 

The intra squad game that was scheduled on Monday was not played.  The last practice was on Friday after the scrimmage.  The players that did not get much playing time during the scrimmage did get about an hour of 11 on 11 play at that final practice.

[HTV]

I don't think it has anything to do with the next level, especially in this era of Hudl, YouTube, NFHS, Periscope, etc. I think Packer wants good, compelling matchups to some degree, but I would argue that it's more about community exposure, which is one reason why Packer and his crew rarely visit the same stadium twice during the regular season.

 

And the reality is that it also has to be about which teams will draw numbers of viewers.  Got to have eyes watching to sell it to sponsors to make it happen.  

 

It's interesting that they have chose to go to Bradley Central last year and to Ooltewah this year to get Maryville on the air.  Obviously Maryville draws numbers when they are on.  But it's also interesting that most of the local games that week are going to be on Thursday since it is fall break week in Knox and several of the surrounding counties.  

[Governm]

And the reality is that it also has to be about which teams will draw numbers of viewers. Got to have eyes watching to sell it to sponsors to make it happen.

 

It's interesting that they have chose to go to Bradley Central last year and to Ooltewah this year to get Maryville on the air. Obviously Maryville draws numbers when they are on. But it's also interesting that most of the local games that week are going to be on Thursday since it is fall break week in Knox and several of the surrounding counties.

I cant understand why they have never once done a broadcast of the Battle for the Bell (William Blount vs Heritage). That is a real rivalry that has been competitive more often than not in recent years. It would also have Maryville and Alcoa fans tuning in. They'll have several Knox Co schools on there multiple times every year, but they havent done this game a single time in all of the years they have been doing games. It doesn't make any sense to me. Edited May 22, 2017 by Governors91

[BarneySox2007]

I cant understand why they have never once done a broadcast of the Battle for the Bell (William Blount vs Heritage). That is a real rivalry that has been competitive more often than not in recent years. It would also have Maryville and Alcoa fans tuning in. They'll have several Knox Co schools on there multiple times every year, but they havent done this game a single time in all of the years they have been doing games. It doesn't make any sense to me.

The new word at William Blount today is Anus.

Shad said it Anus that don't want to play on Thursday Night , it's Heritage.

[SdotBears]