Dec. 31, 2010
Quick Slant is an array of brief insights and occasionally opinionated overviews of collegiate athletics in general and the Vanderbilt Commodores in particular.
- About some of those facility upgrades that were mentioned at the introduction of Football Coach James Franklin: the football locker room has undergone an initial phase of renovation within days of the press conference that will be completed before the students return from winter break. A deeper renovation is planned. We’ll keep you updated.
- Another update: the Suggestion Box to solicit your ideas for improving our football culture is now up and running on the front page of vucommodores.com. We are seriously interested in seriously good ideas. We ask for as much elaboration as can be offered; suggestions such as “better music” or “more tailgate space” don’t identify your solution.
We’re looking at Game Day outside the stadium (parking/tailgating and activities before or after the game), Game Day inside the stadium (music, atmosphere, promotions, seating, etc) and even football related communications/activities throughout the year.
- Quick Slant normally has little interest in professional sports but we can’t help but comment on the recent flap over the NFL’s decision to postpone the Vikings-Eagles game during that vicious Northeastern snowstorm. It struck a chord with us, recalling our attempt to play a baseball game with Georgia in the midst of last May’s flood and some of the discussions that ensued days afterward.
Pennsylvania’s governor called the decision to postpone the NFL game further representation of the “wussification of America” while NBC News piled on, suggesting among other things that bizarre weather games typically draw big ratings.
Was NBC suggesting that postponement cost it money with lower ratings and reshuffling Tuesday’s prime time lineup and therefore the decision was wrong? And while the storm apparently didn’t paralyze the City of Brotherly Love as forecast, we all know that the media would have absolutely devoured the NFL’s foolish decision-makers had the game gone on as scheduled and there had been a transportation fiasco or worse — injuries or death — to workers and fans trying to get to or from the stadium. Just because the two teams can be escorted to the stadium doesn’t mean everyone else can travel, work or watch safely.
