lolbrandon
dave brandon creates empty seats
hunter lochmann

Hunter Lochmann Out Comment Count

Brian

UM-ND-12[1]

Lochmann on the left

Jim Hackett ain't having it. A "Chief Marketing Officer" who can't even market his own brain effectively is not long for the AD:

"He resigned his position to pursue other opportunities," said Dave Ablauf, Michigan associate athletic director.

Lochmann was the living symbol of Dave Brandon's incompetence, a buzzword-spewing yes man whose only ideas were bad ones. The fact that Brandon hired a CMO whose twitter handle was "LochDogg" for at least a year after he was hired says somethin' about somethin'.

Under Lochmann's watch, Michigan aggressively polluted its gameday experiences with relentless noise, chintzy contests, and above all money-grubbing. Michigan came to be defined by the bad ideas Lochmann rolled out only to quickly reverse course on and bad ideas it was too late to do anything about except lie. Michigan lied about hiring skywriters; they claimed the Cokes-for-tickets thing was a failed "retail activation," which isn't English. Michigan increasingly focused on roping in "families of four from Grand Rapids who go to one game a year," as he told a prominent member of the alumni association, taking the core fanbase for granted.

That fanbase rebelled against his boss thanks in no small part to Lochmann. Ticket sales now hover on the edge of collapse and Michigan Stadium is just another generic sports experience.

The best news of all is that Michigan doesn't know if they're going to bother to replace him. Air would have been more effective at marketing Michigan than Hunter Lochmann was, and less expensive.

Comments

Bando Calrissian

December 17th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^

I wonder the extent to which his absurdist vision of the gameday experience at Michigan can be reversed. Can Hackett unring the bell? I certainly hope so, but I really worry that there's no going back.

Adios, LochDogg. Happy trails, but may we never meet again.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68097

1464

December 17th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^

All it takes is one person with good ideas who cares enough, and is elevated to a position that affords the ability to make the changes.  The sound system would be great to amplify band noise (sans the issue with the delay).  The lights are an amazing asset, so long as they're used judiciously.  The other upgrades to the stadium can also be used to enhance the real gameday experience.  The big screens can focus on historic games between Michigan and *away team*.  No kiss cam, no macaroni noodle races, no MAKE NOIZE!  If the new administration uses their power for good, it can still be what it once was.

Joined: 06/21/2010

MGoPoints: 37173

UMxWolverines

December 17th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^

This. I've been saying it forever. Literally all they have to do is have the band play or show highlights from another game between breaks. And not the half assed highlights like they show now. OR here doesn't need to be any noise at certain times! God forbid you talk to people around you! But these days everyone's reaction is to go straight to their phone, which sucks. 

Joined: 03/01/2009

MGoPoints: 65348

tolmichfan

December 17th, 2014 at 4:31 PM ^

UMx I can't plus you enough for this comment. I wish they would move the band to behind the goal posts too. Maybe even move them up a couple rows to the point in the bowl where they wouldn't need the speakers. I've herd the complaint that it wouldn't work logisti, but Penn States band is located pretty high in thier stadium right behind the goal posts

Joined: 11/26/2010

MGoPoints: 1433

Lebowski

December 17th, 2014 at 11:33 PM ^

Turn the speakers in the stadium off.  That would be awesome. 

Someone asked earlier today "What the mood on campus was like?"  It was like, "pay attention to the game if you want to know what's going on," "pass me another beer," and having fun watching a team that was in the Big Ten championship race every year.

Maybe the beer thing doesn't work anymore, but the other two objectives are still relevant (HARBAUGH!) 

Of course, nowadays, people say "what?" much more than they used to, BECAUSE THE SOUND IN THE STADIUM IS EFFING ATROCIOUS. 

As a test, bring out the old PA speakers.  Play by play calls, official calls from the field, and announcing dignitaries (Big Ten campionship swimming team, alumni football team from 20 years ago, etc.) should be the only thing broadcast over them.

Video boards are kinda cool, I get that.  So, let's try this; replays only during the game, relevant highlights during timeouts. That's it.  

The AD won't have to fill some empty positions if it works...

Joined: 11/21/2009

MGoPoints: 2503

Don

December 17th, 2014 at 11:01 AM ^

I certainly don't have any personal animus against the guy, but he was absolutely the wrong guy for a position that shouldn't have existed in the first place that was created by a guy who was the wrong guy for his position as well.

Both of them are far more suited to the NBA or pizza or other disposable consumer goods.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148237

True Blue Grit

December 17th, 2014 at 11:47 AM ^

is probably my biggest gripe (other than the rip-off bottled water) of the game day experience.  It doesn't add anything to the experience and I doubt very much the players want or need it either.  And I hate not being able to talk to the person next to me without saying "what?" several times.  Here's to hoping they get rid of it or turn it way down next year.

Joined: 01/21/2011

MGoPoints: 32234

saveferris

December 17th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^

You really believe that?  Just dial back the rock music, limit flyovers to maybe once a season, limit night games to maybe once every 2-3 seasons and reserve them for true marque match-ups, never, ever let noodles back into the stadium, and never mention the words "fireworks" ever again. 

Of course, job one is hire a competent coach, because if the program isn't winning, none of the rest of this shit will matter anyway.

Honestly, if the Athletic Department can just start behaving like they value all Michigan students, alumni, and fans in general, and not just the ones who directly put money into their pocket, they'll go a long way to repairing the relationships that Brandon and Lochmann have trashed the past 4 years.

Joined: 07/02/2009

MGoPoints: 24841