Buffalo Wild Wings Effectively Orphans Its Own Bowl Game
Oh, the indignity...
And that is probably about as fitting an end to this football season as I could possibly come up with that didn't involve a contract extension for the entire coaching staff.
Did anyone try to actually go to a Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the game? If we didn't have two kids in diapers it was probably something the wife and I would have done, expecting some kind of discount promo special if you showed up wearing team gear for one of the participating schools.
Apparently not only was such an obvious offer not available, the actual game itself was downgraded significantly at restaurants nationwide.
I understand that there was a Joe Theismann-esque leg breaking in one of the fights, though...so at least you got to see that on the big screen.
December 29th, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 10:07 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 10:12 AM ^
Last night was a big night for Affliction t-shirt guy. He probably went tanning in the morning for the occasion.
December 30th, 2013 at 10:25 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 10:14 AM ^
With that said, not surprised areas outside of Michigan chose the fight first.
December 29th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ^
On the Buffalo Wild Wings website, the front page says they are "the official hangout for NCAA sports".
December 29th, 2013 at 12:52 PM ^
*Rules and restrictions apply.
Terms subject to change if UFC
is happening simultaneously.
BEER. WINGS. SOME SPORTS.
December 29th, 2013 at 10:33 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 10:38 AM ^
UFC is gross.
December 29th, 2013 at 10:43 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 3:39 PM ^
I think that says a lot about where UFC has come from and where it's headed. It's a demographics and advertising revenue thing and it does very well at that thing.
December 29th, 2013 at 10:48 AM ^
UFC = almost all men = drinking beers the entire time
Football = food and a few beers = mix of men and women = lounging at the table for 4 hours
It is strange from a commonsense standpoint, and awkward for sure, but I would bet a new set of tires they have the data to back it up inside their restaurants that UFC is a moneymaker due to the high alcohol sales. Likely they will not lose any business in the future due to not playing the BWW bowl. It was in a weird time slot anyway and they may have anticipated early exit blowout doom from Michigan fans after the news of Gardner's foot got out.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:04 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 11:43 AM ^
the "food and a few beers...lounging at the table for 4 hours" is what the UFC fans do too. They hate working these nights.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:09 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 11:40 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 6:25 PM ^
BWW is the place to watch UFC. Remember that UFC is pay-per-view. People have to go somewhere to watch it and that place is BWW. This should be pretty well known by anyone who frequents sports bars.
UFC nights are bigger than NFL sundays... by far.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:40 AM ^
Being a smart businessman includes knowing when to move on. The bowl was a sunk cost so there is no reason to kill the business just to prove how bull headed you can be. That is like running up the middle 27 times when it isn't working.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:53 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 12:22 PM ^
I also agree w Finance-phD.
To your point: yes they should have done a better job promoting their own event. They could have easily split the bar area in 2: one side all tables and TVs dedicated to the football game and the other to UFC. All locations in Kansas and Michigan would have audio to the game for the teams playing in the game (I know you weren't in MI so that part wouldn't help you).
To Finance-phD's point: they already sunk in millions of dollars, so adding discounts, etc. would have cost them even more. Buffalo Wild Wings put in about $2 mil and then costs for ads. They got their brand out there nationally, which is all they wanted and weren't going to do anything more. From last year: http://www.sponsorship.com/Sponsorship-Consulting/Focus-on-College-Football-Bowl-Games--IEG-Research/What-s-in-a-Name--$99-Million-for-Bowl-Game-Title.aspx
I'm not sure if this still applies but when I worked in a bar, the rules on the pay per view events was your capacity times the cost of the event. The fights are usually about $60 so you're looking at $45k for a 750 capacity bar.
December 29th, 2013 at 10:58 AM ^
and we all know it. People killing each other for the edification of a frustrated working class is a much bigger draw and we all know it. When public executions become a little more campy--THEN BWW is going to become the Apple Computer of America.
Michigan football may be in the toilet, but American cultural life has at least a two-step head start.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:18 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^
Who, Countess on that double move?
December 29th, 2013 at 11:08 AM ^
I called them before-hand and asked what their plan was for showing the game, they said that the biggest screens and sound would all have the UFC fight on them. I stayed home and didn't eat wings, sadly.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 11:17 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 11:17 AM ^
Honestly if I could have I would have orphaned that game. Just take it to a new house and leave it forever, never to acknowledge its existence again.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:19 AM ^
Next time the BWW folks call, politely tell them to go screw themselves.
Maybe Dominos can sponsor a bowl sometime.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:46 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 12:44 PM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^
December 30th, 2013 at 8:43 AM ^
You surely have heard the comparison of pizza to sex... the worst I've ever had...... was still pretty good.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:20 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 11:26 AM ^
Man, first the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl ran short of pizza, and now the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl gets snubbed by its own sponsor. When it was the Copper Bowl, was there a problem at the stadium in obtaining tastefully rustic cookware as well? You would think you would stick by something in which you have invested many millions and perhaps make something which passes for an effort to market it as well - I don't think there were any bowl-related offers in the Detroit area.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:32 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 11:29 AM ^
both sucked. Both fights were over in 2-3 rounds. The Silva match ended ugly I guess. The bowl game was a yawner and UM never showed up, much like the fans that DIDN'T go to BWW.
UFC fans are probablygonna buy more, drink more and party harder than football fans. So I get that, but to down play your own corporately sponsored event is bad PR and marketing. Just sayin'.
December 29th, 2013 at 11:33 AM ^
get their wings in the stadium, so it sorta balances out
December 29th, 2013 at 11:46 AM ^
you can always go to their website and send some feeback:
December 29th, 2013 at 11:51 AM ^
December 29th, 2013 at 12:23 PM ^
This doesn't surprise me at all. B-dubs is going to make more money showing the fights than its own bowl game. How poor is the planning though to have both events at the same time? It's literally the only bowl game going on during UFC...
December 29th, 2013 at 6:30 PM ^
I'm sure BWW didn't plan that. The UFC fight was probably announced late relative to the bowl schedule. BWW just sponsors the game, they have no say in when it is, I would believe.
December 29th, 2013 at 12:25 PM ^
I wanted to watch both events, and was happy that I was able to do so.
TVs were 50/50 split between UFC and the Michigan game. Audio was for the Michigan game until the very last UFC fight --- at which point K-State led 21-6 (which, no offense, may as well have been a 2100-6 lead, not many people were feeling a comeback).
BWW does pretty well on the UFC PPV nights --- and those come around about every 5 weeks or so. Honestly a good move for them to prioritize that over a mid-tier Bowl game (IMO).
December 29th, 2013 at 1:18 PM ^
Jim Delaney and his fellow alleged geniuses leading the Big Ten agreed to affiliate the conference with a bowl sponsor that won't even prioritize the bowl game it sponsors. Excellent planning. Makes perfect sense that you'd agree to an arrangement that gives the BWW their choice of teams ahead of the Gator Bowl.
December 29th, 2013 at 1:06 PM ^