The Jaguars -- What's Your Suggestion?

[winthropf]

STJR has some great ideas!
I was actually talking to someone about this subject this weekend.  The other person was a season ticket hold up until this year and unfortunately can't afford tickets any longer.  Unfortunately I haven't been able to go recently either... 
Like many have said before the "you're not a real fan, if you don't go to the game" argument for supporting the team just starts to turn people off.  She wasn't the first former season ticket holder I've heard say, "I don't need a guilt trip, just let them leave...".

That being said we talked about the ways that we thought the Jaguars could inspire more devotion from the people of the surrounding area.  One of the problems that came with the team here is that many of the citizens of our fair city originally come from other cities and many already have allegiances to other NFL teams (there is a sports bar near my house that recently was even called Steel City...  a Steelers hangout in Jacksonville, WTF?...  I'm pretty certain you won't see a Jags Den bar in Pittsburgh). 
Ok, so our ideas wasn't that far removed from STJR...  but why don't we have pep rallies?  We can have them for home games and away games...  Saturday nights?
Open up the outside of the stadium and have an event in the Pepsi zone.  Make it free with entertainment from the Roar and Jaxson and THE DRUM CORP(those guys are awesome!).  Bring out the coach and some players to say how they are going to crush the other team....  (gotta keep it on the target of the next game, right Del Rio..  at least that's what I heard from Garrard).
The idea is to create a community around the team.  Even if you can't afford to make to the game on Sunday, you can be a part of the community.   Have a band, show some highlights...  make a best of reel of the Jags against the upcoming opponents....  anything.  Some people will say it's hokie or silly, but the families that have kids will come out for a free night and those people will eventually buy tickets when they can.  Let the folks bring their RVs and tents early Saturday, party on Saturday night, stay overnight in the lot and be there for tailgating early on Sunday morning.  Make suprise appearances at the Jags tent parties on Saturday night.  Maybe even like the mayor, council men, cheerleaders.

Put up a screen at the same Pepsi stage on Sundays for away games and invite fans and families to come out for picnics and watching the game on the big screen, lots of fun with other fans.

I will admit I feel much more connected to the team this year, even in light of the blackouts, because I added Garrard and Quentin Groves on Twitter...  Those two guys are out in the city and try to get people excited, I think that is great and it works.  I've been into listening to the last 2 home games on the radio and really paying more attention.  Previously I couldn't really fit games into my life so it was out of sight out of mind.  Now, every Sunday it is kind of growing as an itch that I want to go to a game.
Garrard's radio show thing was a good idea, I understand what Del Rio is getting at, but it works and it can get people involved.  Anyone know if he has plans to do one earlier in the week?
The players are trying and you have to appreciate that!

[stjr]

Wintrhopf, welcome.  You are right on.  If the Jags are, in large part, about civic pride and community, then, by golly, let's make their games a community-wide celebration/event with Downtown to the Stadium the main event outside of the game.

Want to do something really different? How about a "Jags Parade" a few hours before the game of the players, coaches, and cheerleaders working their way through Downtown to the Stadium with kids and fans lining the streets to see their favorite players?  If not the current players, maybe some former greats still idolized by the fans along with Jaxson De Ville and the Roar?  Add to the parade, youth football players marching with their pro football idols and some high school or college bands.  What kid would forget that when they grow to ticket-buying age?

Maybe the NFL teams need to borrow a few more tricks from the college world.  How about a "Homecoming Game" with extra special festivities?  I am sure we could get some great ideas from the Gator Growl.  This might be appropriate for the game following the extended absence caused by Florida-Georgia weekend and the Jacksonville Fair.

I bet a lot of companies would be interested in sponsoring events like this and the revenue could help the City defray costs or further support the Jags.

I also think the Jags should look at nicknaming the stadium the "Jacksonville Jungle" (a la "The Swamp") and maybe throw up some palm fronds and vines around the walkways, etc.  When the Jags score, we could have a Tarzan yell and beat our chests once for each point we have.  A little offbeat craziness in the stands would make the team unique and create some extra buzz, not to mention engage the fans more.  As the "Jungle" maybe the Jags could even get a Brazilian airline like Varig or the country of Brazil to buy the stadium naming rights to promote tourism (especially now that they have the Olympics).  Not only would this be one-of-a-kind, Jax would be viewed as a more global city.  Rio could become our new sister city and we could grow trade for the port.  Who knows what all this could lead to?! 

[winthropf]

STJR thanks for the welcome.  I'm usually lurking around these parts and throw my 2 cents in the ring from time to time.

I love the idea of the parade.  It's reminiscent of what the Seattle Sounders do before their game, they call it the March to the Match...
http://www.soundersfc.com/Matchday/March-to-the-Match.aspx
They have a team band (like the Drum Corp!) that leads the march...  Gathering point is about half a mile away..  so that would be like, ummm, Metro Park....
Then the band leads the group to the stadium with fight songs...
Sounds like a lot of fun.

And, walking to the match together reminds me of the Football (and by Football, I mean soccer) match that my wife and I attended in London about 2 years ago.  We rode the Tube as far as we could and then walked with the crowd to Craven Cottage (home of Fullham, on the Thames...  hmmm a stadium on a river).  It was an amazing experience with the home team fans chiding the visiting team fans...  Fulham was playing West Ham, another London team.  People were singing and yelling.  My wife said she would like going to Football games here if they were more like the ones over there...  (yeah, yeah..  here comes the cracks about soccer holligans).

Anyway, I agree with the sponsorship ideas and think that lots of companies would want to get signed up...  especially if it is shown how much involvement there is....

[Wacca Pilatka]

Adam, with regard to the fountain and greening the space around it...any chance some of the ideas in the original early 80s Riverwalk plan might be implemented, such as adding a Great Lawn that can also serve as a small concert venue around the fountain?

[Keith-N-Jax]

Some very good ideas,just get JSO on board.Their goal seems to be to herd everyone out of downtown as quickly as possible.

[Adam Hollingsworth]

stjr/winthropf -- Really energized suggestions.  I'm going to send them on to our special events folks...don't be surprised if you see them put into action!  We are certainly focused on creating an event around the stadium on game days...and draw a larger crowd, with or without tickets.  I love the idea of away game events too.  Look for some experimenting for Kansas City and Indy...and even more to come next year.  And yes, the Riverwalk MUST be an action-packed pedestrian linkage all the way to the stadium.

Wacca Pilatka -- Do you have the plan you speak of...would love to see it. 

[thelakelander]

Adam, here you go.

SOUTHBANK RIVERWALK MASTER PLAN
The Jake Godbold administration labeled the 1980’s as “The Billion Dollar Decade” for downtown redevelopment.  One of the major projects planned and constructed during this era was the Southbank Riverwalk, which opened in 1985.  The 1.2 mile walk was designed by Perkins & Perkins Architects / Planners and Design Consortium Landscape Architects to be a festive waterfront public space linking Friendship Fountain and the Harbor Masters restaurant (now River City Brewing Co.) with hotels and office buildings east of the Main Street Bridge.  While the riverwalk was constructed it never lived up to expectations, partially because what you see today is less than half of what it was supposed to be.

Aquarium

Just to the south of the maritime museum, original plans called for an aquarium facing Friendship Fountain, which would showcase local fresh and saltwater marine life.  Never built. 


Friendship Park River Fountain

A geyser shooting water 500ft into the sky, located in the river.  Would become one of the most notable landmarks in the city.  Never built. 


Great Lawn

Open space for recreation and relaxation.  Never built. 


Under the Bridge Café

A Sidewalk Café that would link both sides of riverwalk.  Never built. 


Ship Museum

An attraction created to emphasize the historic relationship between the city and the river.  Would include floating ship exhibits.  Idea was scaled down into the current maritime museum, which is housed in a small kiosk. 


Amphitheater

A 3,000-seat open-air facility with bandstand and theatrical lighting, built out into the river that would be used for public concerts, ballets, festivals and school graduations. 


San Marco Blvd Sculpture

This would have been located in the middle of the circle next to MOSH.

[stjr]

I wonder if the Florida Times Union is reading my posts?!  Quote from an above post by me just a few days ago:

I also think the Jags should look at nicknaming the stadium the "Jacksonville Jungle"...

Today's Times Union headline:

Paying for Jaguars' jungle has Jacksonville in debt 

(http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-10-10/story/paying_for_jaguars_jungle_has_jacksonville_in_debt)

Coincidence?  Or someone likes my suggestion?  Just give me credit, no money necessary. 

[urbanlibertarian]

Delusions of grandeur.