Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Did Somebody Get a New Marketing Director?

Is it just me...or is there pink just about everywhere we look this month?

NFL players wearing pink cleats? Delta flight attendants trading out their killer new red uniforms for pink ones...and the airline repainting one of its jets pink? And Hard Rock International sponsoring Pinktober?

Did Breast Cancer Awareness Month get a new Chief Marketing Officer, or what?

'Cause they're everywhere...and that's very cool.

Photo Credit: Jason Getz / Atlanta Journal Constitution

The Ingenuity of Football Fanatics

As NFL and College Summer Football Camps begin opening across the United States, I'm reminded of the amazing ingenuity that is applied to communicating the action on the field to those outside the stadium...even in 1924.

I had the honor of keynoting Discover Kalamazoo's Annual Tourism Week event this May at Western Michigan University. There, I was amazed to see one of the first Grid-Graphs used to "broadcast" the action from an away game back to students on campus (click image to enlarge).

Someone at the opposing stadium would telegraph the play by play results to WMU, where an operator would activate lights on the big board to the student body. The type of play and its result would be shown on the bottom, who made the play on the side...and, my favorite, a unique way of revealing the score on top.

That took the student servers and me some time to figure out as I waited in the wings to go on stage. And, then, it hit us: By lighting up a combination of 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32, one can make any number up to 63.

Pretty amazing stuff for 1924.

Turning a Public Goof into Gold

Discovered The Business of Sports last weekend while trolling for back-stories to use in a presentation Monday to the National Association of Sports Commissions. Blogger Russell Scibetti comments on the world of sports, marketing...and anything else that comes to mind.

I so loved his take on how the Washington Nationals could turn a recent embarrassment to their favor.

The story: Apparently some of the Nationals players have been wearing jerseys on which the team name is misspelled. Russell suggests that rather than trying to hide from the gaffe, the team should sell the jerseys for charity.

He has a bunch more ideas too...and I'll send you to his post to read them.

Blast from My Past

Totally in my own zone as I stepped out of the hotel elevator yesterday in Chicago's North Shore. In front of me were three girls in purple. Kenyon College purple.

"Whoa...Kenyon," I blurted. They turned, smiled and asked, "You know Kenyon?" We were, after all, hundreds of miles from Gambier OH...and Kenyon is not exactly a household world. Except in the world of Swimming, where the men's team has won 29 consecutive Division III National Championships. The women's team has won 22 of the last 25 National Championships.

And when they turned, I saw their team t-shirts. Swimmers... in town for this weekend's TYR Invitational at Northwestern.

"I was recruited to swim at Kenyon," I said. They gave me that fishy look and probably thought it was a pretty cheesey attempt at a pick-up line. "In fact," I continued, "I was your team's first coach, when it was still a club sport before it built enough cred for the College to establish it as a Varsity sport."

Now they knew I was bullshitting them. Until I said, "yea, I coached the team after I quit the men's squad and before Coach Steen took over." Their eyes finally registered recognition, as Jim is still the coach; the rock god of all swim coaches. One of them said that she was sure one of her teammates' mother had been on that first squad, but she didn't know her maiden name.

They smiled broadly. I wished them well. It was one of those totally surreal moments that happen every once in a while on the road.

And remind me why I love this gig.

A Whole Lotta Love?

Damn. China can throw an extravaganza. The closing ceremonies of the 29th Olympiad were simply stunning.

And then, there was Jimmy Page, playing before a worldwide audience in the tens of millions with Leona Lewis belting out "Whole Lotta Love" as London's invitation to the 2012 Games.

Way, way down inside, I'm gonna give you my love,
I'm gonna give you every inch of my love,
Gonna give you my love.
Yeah! All right! Let's go!

Now, I know some lyrics might get lost in the translation...but, hell, I understood this one in Middle School.

Thinkin' that's not exactly the Zeppelin song that would be the most appropriate to invite the world when in Beijing's Bird Nest.

Beats "The Lemon Song," though, I guess...

Silver Sucks

Watching the incredible come-from-behind (and in-your face) American Olympic win last night in the 400 Free Relay, I realized what a shitty medal the Silver is.

With the Gold, you have bragging rights. With the Bronze, you can tell your kids or future lovers that you were one of the top three in the freakin' world.

With Silver...it's clear that you blew your chance at Gold.

Silver Sucks.

Let the Eckecheiria Begin

In the early days of the Olympics, there was Eckecheiria...the Sacred Truce. Just prior to the commencement of the Games, there was a cessation of all conflict and hostilities for one month (later extended to three) in order that athletes might travel to and from the games in safety. It also had something to do with the "Olympic Spirit."

As the Beijing Games begin, it sounds like a pretty cool idea...and one that is being urged by the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism.

Age Means Nothing

Case in point: Last night's Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha.

The simply incredible 41 year old Dara Torres not only qualified for tonight's 100m Freestyle finals...she set a personal best time in the event.

Better than her time in the 2000 Olympics. Better than her time in the 1992 Olympics. Better than her time in the 1998 Olympics. Better than her time in 1984 Olympics.

Yeah...24 years ago.

Age Means NOTHING. Passion and Dedication is EVERYTHING.

UPDATE 7/4: Seeded third in tonight's finals, Dara takes first place and is going to the Olympics. Simply amazing.

63,510 Free Drinks

As a Madison icon prepares to close its doors in the next few days, I popped in the other day for one last drink (OK...maybe 3).

Rusty's has been a fixture on Madison's west side for decades. And as I absorbed the ambiance that will be soon lost, my eyes locked on a piece of poster board affixed to the ceiling chronicling the number of free drinks that Rusty's has poured since 1980 in celebration of every Packer touchdown scored (click image to enlarge).

Simply amazing...and an interesting view of how a pro football team impacts the economy of a roadhouse bar 141 miles away. As the team improved in the 90s (and won Super Bowl XXI), so did business. As the team faltered over the past few years, so did business. And, as the Pack came roaring back this year...so did business. Fascinating.

So long Rusty's. It's been real....

The Once in a Lifetime Fan

The Green Bay Packers elicit fervent adoration and loyalty from their fans. I see it first hand here in the land of cheese, beer and brats...and have friends around the country that make an occasional pilgrimage to Lambeau Field. 

But, I've never seen the level of dedication that I'm seeing from Australian Wayne Scullino...who quits his job, sells his house, uproots his family and travels to America to live the dream of following his beloved Packers. As he posts on his blog:

45,000 kilometres, 28,000 miles. 162 days. 16 Games, 9 Stadiums. 1 family and the Green Bay Packers.

Despite being a Packer fan, I don't get it...but I dig it.

Way to go, Wayne! Lovin' your posts...

And thanks to the Green Bay VCB's Jason Ring for the pointer...