MacIntyre And Staff To Present Football 101 For Women

[Uncle Ken]

Now don't get all hurt, I was just poking fun at something I see as a very, very small issue. You just got in the line of fire, voluntarily. We live in such an oversensitive world, just about anything is grounds for offense. If somebody gets bent out of shape because it is called Football 101 for women, or whatever it is called, I can't say I really care, nor do I think a person who is going to be truly offended is likely to ever be a supporter of any athletic program. JMO. I hope I didn't offend anybody, wait I mean anyone, oh wait, what's the inclusive PC term when you wish to include all living sentient beings?

You should care. You've made this an issue about society being too sensitive, but that's not it. It's about (as I've said repeatedly) being smart in outreach programs.

I've watched this fanbase get all up in arms because they're not respected by the AD, that the department's vision isn't clearly enough articulated, that parking tickets are issued during practices (when folks are illegally parked) and that bike racks are inconveniently placed. I've seen a whole bunch of whiny when it comes to how the AD interacts with the public.

But when there is what some consider to be a misstep in engaging women the response is "**** them".

My girlfriend is pretty hard to offend.

A few Christmases ago she sent a card and check to my 17-year-old nephew. She knew that card would be opened in the presence of my Mom and Sister (who love her, by the way). My family doesn't miss a Sunday at church, ever.

In the card she wrote: "Do not use this money for hookers." And to emphasize her point, on the check she additionally wrote "not for hookers".

That's a little background.

When I told my girlfriend that CU AD was running a class called "Football 101 for women" she responded with, "Whoa! What the ****?!! That's stupid."

I'm pretty much to the point of believing that posters on this site are willfully refusing to see how it might be offensive because it somehow makes them feel good about themselves.

 

[Buffnik]

I feel bad for Ringo and Howell. They're working in an environment at the Camera that is not supportive of the local CU programs they cover.

I don't always agree with their takes on things, but good guys who would rather cover a positive story. But they have editors that believe major college men's sports are evil.

 

[TDbuff]

I obviously don't know and I don't think he does but isn't this the type of Boulder crap that some coaches are warned about? Football takes a back seat to certain things here. Maybe it's a sign of an advanced community but it also takes the fun out of life.

What's funny about this is neither of the women quoted in the article live in Boulder, or CO for that matter.

 

[dply]

That's a HUGE stretch to go from this minor incident to what you said. weird.

Maybe, or maybe my yoga classes have made me more flexible than you. MM and the AD were doing something they thought was a good way to bring about new fans. And now their best intentions are being lambasted by the local newspaper and random alumni who probably had no desire to ever attend.

 

[BuffLuke80]

Have you met him? All that guy does is instigate about stuff he doesn't care about.

Yeah you never do that, :lol:.

 

[Buffnik]

What's funny about this is neither of the women quoted in the article live in Boulder, or CO for that matter.

I also noticed that while both were well educated and at least 1 had a sports background, neither was asked what a cover 2 defense is or suggested that she had that level of football knowledge.

 

[BuffLuke80]

Who gives a ****? Mac knows why he is here. I definitely think he knew what he was getting into, part of the job. End of the day, results are the only thing that matter. Everybody loves a winner, we are headed there. Kiss the babies and all the other crap along the way.

 

[Buffnik]

Who gives a ****? Mac knows why he is here. I definitely think he knew what he was getting into, part of the job. End of the day, results are the only thing that matter. Everybody loves a winner, we are headed there. Kiss the babies and all the other crap along the way.

This article could have been positioned as further evidence of HCMM's commitment to women's involvement in sports. He did, in fact, endow a scholarship for the WLAX program this year. But that doesn't fit the narrative.

 

[sackman]

That's a HUGE stretch to go from this minor incident to what you said. weird.

Agreed.

This is a minor deal, hardly worth a second thought for MM. He doesn't care, nor should he.

They say there's no such thing as bad publicity. Although we all know that not to be true, in this case, it has people talking about CU athletics. My only disappointment in all this is the fact that CU still hasn't hired a true AD spokesman. They're shoving Plati out there to try to defend this. Not his job. Not what he's good at doing. Won't have the desired effect.

 

[Buffnik]

Agreed.

This is a minor deal, hardly worth a second thought for MM. He doesn't care, nor should he.

They say there's no such thing as bad publicity. Although we all know that not to be true, in this case, it has people talking about CU athletics. My only disappointment in all this is the fact that CU still hasn't hired a true AD spokesman. They're shoving Plati out there to try to defend this. Not his job. Not what he's good at doing. Won't have the desired effect.

Case in point: considering the audience that has a problem with the name of this camp and the way the idea is communicated, it made me cringe when the CU spokesperson referred to camp attendees as "ladies" in his response. Public relations is not the strong suit here.

 

[sackman]

Case in point: considering the audience that has a problem with the name of this camp and the way the idea is communicated, it made me cringe when the CU spokesperson referred to camp attendees as "ladies" in his response. Public relations is not the strong suit here.

If there is a lesson to be learned from this, it's not that the name of the class is offensive. It's that CU did a poor job of articulating and defending the purpose of the class itself. You don't concern yourself with offending people who wouldn't take the class in the first place.

 

[Uncle Ken]

If there is a lesson to be learned from this, it's not that the name of the class is offensive. It's that CU did a poor job of articulating and defending the purpose of the class itself. You don't concern yourself with offending people who wouldn't take the class in the first place.

Bolded: Isn't choosing the proper name part of articulating the purpose?

They would not have to defend it if they didn't leave that door open in the first place.

 

[dply]

Despite me being a good stretcher, I do think the name should be changed.

Or maybe they could offer more with 101 telling the womenfolk that a touchdown is 6 points and the kick after the touchdown is called a PAT not a field goal. Then once they pass that they can more onto more difficult football terms like cover 2. They can also CLEP test out of the entry class and take the more advanced classes if they are smart enough.

I'm just sick of marketed outrage. It is great for clicks and people buying newspapers but I can't see how it actually benefits us as a society.

 

[dply]

Bolded: Isn't choosing the proper name part of articulating the purpose?

They would not have to defend it if they didn't leave that door open in the first place.

Maybe, but I think when you do anything gender or race specific you are going to have detractors.

 

[Uncle Ken]

Maybe, but I think when you do anything gender or race specific you are going to have detractors.

Which is why you need to be particularly careful when marketing to a gender-specific group.

"Football 101 for Women" Message received: Men don't need basic football training. Women do.

"CU Football All Access Pass for our Female Fans" Message recieved: Women are fans too, and get perks for that status.

 

[dply]

I'll endorse Orr for CUADPR.

 

[Darth Snow]

Maybe, or maybe my yoga classes have made me more flexible than you. MM and the AD were doing something they thought was a good way to bring about new fans. And now their best intentions are being lambasted by the local newspaper and random alumni who probably had no desire to ever attend.

Flexibility is only useful in females.

 

[You Assholes]

Flexibility is only useful in females.

****ting in front of children is much more difficult if you're stiff.

 

[Deleted member 807]

Key lesson: implement a vetting process in advance of the announcement. Do a little market research with the Buffalo Bells, the top 5-10 women donators and a sample of previous participants.

Ask for feedback on the proposed name and agenda. Also check out what successful outreach projects look like at other institutions.

Hint: Make sure participants come out of the thunder shoot and follow Ralphie onto the field. Just advertising that activity alone would trump whatever kerfuffle exists relating to the name. Invite CU Video to capture the moment.

[video=youtube;YIcWMxfI5aQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIcWMxfI5aQ[/video]

 

[sackman]

Bolded: Isn't choosing the proper name part of articulating the purpose?

They would not have to defend it if they didn't leave that door open in the first place.

It doesn't matter what the name of the class is. The fact that it's geared towards women is where they run into issues. The name reflects the intended audience of the class itself. I can't see why that's an issue. What's at issue is a very small number of people who feel the need to be offended that there is a class that assumes they don't know anything about football. Well, isn't that kind of the idea behind EVERY class? To teach you something you might not know already?

 

[Uncle Ken]

It doesn't matter what the name of the class is. The fact that it's geared towards women is where they run into issues. The name reflects the intended audience of the class itself. I can't see why that's an issue. What's at issue is a very small number of people who feel the need to be offended that there is a class that assumes they don't know anything about football. Well, isn't that kind of the idea behind EVERY class? To teach you something you might not know already?

Yes, the purpose of the clinic is to teach the basics of football to women who haven't had much exposure. Keep believing that, and the name makes perfect sense.

Simple question: Why don't they teach a Football 101 for Men?

 

[sackman]

Yes, the purpose of the clinic is to teach the basics of football to women who haven't had much exposure. Keep believing that, and the name makes perfect sense.

Simple question: Why don't they teach a Football 101 for Men?

Could be any number of reasons. The first of which is that they don't want to. The second is that they don't need to. If they feel that their fanbase is overrepresented by males, and they want to expand the fanbase, they do things geared towards females. Is that really so difficult?

 

[BuffHerd]

It doesn't matter what the name of the class is. The fact that it's geared towards women is where they run into issues. The name reflects the intended audience of the class itself. I can't see why that's an issue. What's at issue is a very small number of people who feel the need to be offended that there is a class that assumes they don't know anything about football. Well, isn't that kind of the idea behind EVERY class? To teach you something you might not know already?

Like Sackygate 101 for Bleed Black and Gold CU Fans..... come and learn something; bike racks and roaming campus police included

 

[Deleted member 807]

Yes, the purpose of the clinic is to teach the basics of football to women who haven't had much exposure. Keep believing that, and the name makes perfect sense.

Simple question: Why don't they teach a Football 101 for Men?

The purpose should be to effectively outreach and network with an important demographic. Guests that have fun in July are more likely to be in the bleachers in September. Teaching basics shouldn't be goal. Offering a positive experience and making a positive emotional connection is a better desired outcome than just teaching basics.

 

[leftybuff]

You should care. You've made this an issue about society being too sensitive, but that's not it. It's about (as I've said repeatedly) being smart in outreach programs.

I've watched this fanbase get all up in arms because they're not respected by the AD, that the department's vision isn't clearly enough articulated, that parking tickets are issued during practices (when folks are illegally parked) and that bike racks are inconveniently placed. I've seen a whole bunch of whiny when it comes to how the AD interacts with the public.

But when there is what some consider to be a misstep in engaging women the response is "**** them".

My girlfriend is pretty hard to offend.

A few Christmases ago she sent a card and check to my 17-year-old nephew. She knew that card would be opened in the presence of my Mom and Sister (who love her, by the way). My family doesn't miss a Sunday at church, ever.

In the card she wrote: "Do not use this money for hookers." And to emphasize her point, on the check she additionally wrote "not for hookers".

That's a little background.

When I told my girlfriend that CU AD was running a class called "Football 101 for women" she responded with, "Whoa! What the ****?!! That's stupid."

I'm pretty much to the point of believing that posters on this site are willfully refusing to see how it might be offensive because it somehow makes them feel good about themselves.

Part of marketing is knowing your audience. If I am doing an advertising campiagn for Rodizio Grill, do I care how my ad will be received at PETA? Not really, it isn't my target audience. My point is persons who get upset about what, in my opinion, is a relatively benign error in judgment in naming the program (if it is an error at all), probably aren't the target for CU FB any way. As others have posted, many programs do this. To my knowledge only Boulder gets in a snit about it.

I fail to see how your girlfriend's irreverent sense of humor ( I found the anecdote hilarious by the way) somehow validates the further anecdote that if she thinks the name is bad, then I have rally missed the boat in having a different opinion of the matter.

I never said that it could not be offensive to some, only that to whom it is offensive, I fail to take seriously on this point. Life is full of offenses. Some are intentional, some accidental. Some offenses are minor, some are major. I really don't think this is worth the trouble.

Oddly enough, my own view of myself hinges not a whit on my opinion on this matter or this thread, you are reaching in the worst way.

 

[Uncle Ken]

Could be any number of reasons. The first of which is that they don't want to. The second is that they don't need to. If they feel that their fanbase is overrepresented by males, and they want to expand the fanbase, they do things geared towards females. Is that really so difficult?

The message is that (in your words) "they don't need to". In other words, men don't need the class, but women do.

The purpose should be to effectively outreach and network with an important demographic. Guests that have fun in July are more likely to be in the bleachers in September.

That is exactly the purpose of the class. And it's very, very important in my opinion.

I think that I've been very clear that I support the clinic.

I don't know why they wouldn't name it something that is more aligned with the intent.

 

[tante]

Just got this email from the AD:

We would like to apologize to our female football fans. We in no way intended to offend you with our female only basic football class. The event is intended to provide a comfortable setting for women to learn about and celebrate Buffs football.

We are proud to introduce our female fans an opportunity to learns the basics straight from Mike MacIntyre. So sign up for Football for Dummies

 

[BuffLuke80]

This article could have been positioned as further evidence of HCMM's commitment to women's involvement in sports. He did, in fact, endow a scholarship for the WLAX program this year. But that doesn't fit the narrative.

Could've said plenty. I want the ladies to play whatever. Don't bite the hand that feeds you though. The football program is your fund so shut up and play.

 

[Uncle Ken]

Part of marketing is knowing your audience. If I am doing an advertising campiagn for Rodizio Grill, do I care how my ad will be received at PETA? Not really, it isn't my target audience. My point is persons who get upset about what, in my opinion, is a relatively benign error in judgment in naming the program (if it is an error at all), probably aren't the target for CU FB any way. As others have posted, many programs do this. To my knowledge only Boulder gets in a snit about it.

I got this point ad naseum. But I disagree with what you perceive to be the target audience. I think the target audience also includes women who are knowledgable about football, and I think that group might reasonably furrow their brow at the name.

I fail to see how your girlfriend's irreverent sense of humor ( I found the anecdote hilarious by the way) somehow validates the further anecdote that if she thinks the name is bad, then I have rally missed the boat in having a different opinion of the matter.

It seems a number of posters have painted those who are in disagreement with the name as people who are going out of their way to be offended. I'd place my girlfriend in quite a different category, but she clearly understood how the name might alienate some members of the target audience. You are certainly permitted to have your own opinion in the matter--I'm sorry if I've suggested otherwise.

I never said that it could not be offensive to some, only that to whom it is offensive, I fail to take seriously on this point. Life is full of offenses. Some are intentional, some accidental. Some offenses are minor, some are major. I really don't think this is worth the trouble.

Oddly enough, my own view of myself hinges not a whit on my opinion on this matter or this thread, you are reaching in the worst way.

I agree on your point on offenses. Why is this relevant to any of our self-views? My point is that the AD should have anticipated some response and eliminated the opportunity. What does that have to do with your self view? Sorry this thread isn't about you, I wasn't aware that was the point.

 

[unionbuff]

As an Allbuffs female, season ticket holder and a decently knowledgeable football fan, I have to say, this class does not offend me in the least bit. My friends & I talk about going every year and something always comes up.

I do think maybe CU should change the name though - the Broncos used to have the same class and they seem to have done away with the "Football 101" idea. From their website ---

The Denver Broncos would like to thank the women who attended the 4th annual Crush Night Out: A night for the ladies with a splash of football. The 2,200 women in attedance had the opportunity to meet Broncos players including Knowshon Moreno, Julius Thomas, Mitch Unrein, Joel Dreessen, Trindon Holiday and Kevin Vickerson. Alumni autographs were also available and included appearances by Billy Thompson, Vance Johnson, Steve Watson, Reggie Rivers, Steve Foley, Tom Graham, Larry Brunson, Mike Harden, Ken Lanier and Ron Egloff.

Women also had the chance to take pictures with the Super Bowl trophies, participate in on-field activities, see the Broncos locker-room and more. The night concluded with the always popular equipment demonstration led by assistant equipment manager Kenny Chavez and Broncos safety Duke Ihenacho.

My thing is though - I want more than just a splash of football. I want to learn the plays and understand the different defenses we put out on the field. So I realize I'm a different type of girl than one who just wants to stand around oogling professional football players. Um, no thanks.