Aug. 30, 2004
Ian: Thank you so much for your willingness to answer questions for Baylor fans and offer feedback from people such as myself. You're making tremendous progress with the department! My question is regarding the response for the Olympic gold-medal winner Jeremy Wariner. What specific events are planned in honor of his victory and for both he and Darold Williamson? Furthermore, what kind of marketing and PR moves are taking place because of this historic event? Are there going to be posters, banners, t-shirts, etc? If I can offer a specific suggestion to consider, what about a Michael Johnson/Wariner poster, billboard, statue, or some other kind of tribute to honor both men to be placed throughout campus and at the track? Thanks again. William Lee
Scottsdale, Ariz. Editor's Note: A similar question was received from Bill Hollis of Grand Prairie, Texas. William, Thank you for the e-mail. As a result of the outstanding work of our coaches, staff and student-athletes we are making rapid progress on many fronts! The Olympic Games have been a very special time for the entire Baylor family as we have followed our student-athletes as they have excelled on a world-wide stage. In winning the gold medal in the 400 meters, Jeremy Wariner has gained celebrity status during the Games and has brought Baylor University and our athletic program national and international visibility beyond any measure. We are looking forward to honoring Jeremy, Darold Williamson and Coach Hart at the first opportunity once they return home from the Olympics. The timing of the Baylor event will be entirely dependent upon their post-Olympic commitments. We are already at work developing limited edition t-shirts and making preliminary plans to recognize them at a football game this fall. Thank you for the question and excellent suggestions. Ian
Ian, What are the chances of getting some jet flyovers before some of the football games? Thanks. Chuck Calvit
Cypress, Texas Chuck, Thank you for the question. Our marketing staff has been working tirelessly on developing a number of initiatives that we believe will enhance the fan experience at Baylor football this fall. At this time, we do not have a flyover planned, however, there are numerous ideas that we are excited about unveiling. We have improved our hospitality areas for both students and alumni, added a number of special promotions and expanded our merchandising and concessions operation. For a more complete list of special event promotions, please check out www.baylorbears.com or be sure to get a copy of the Sept. 2nd Football Preview in the Waco Tribune-Herald. Thank you for your support! Ian
Ian, Will a Baylor head football coach ever have his own TV show? A lot of fans like to see and hear game film with the head coach. We had a coaching show before Kevin Steele. I enjoy your comments. Butch Highfill
Waco, Texas Butch, We do not have plans to add a Guy Morriss coach's show at this point. Inside Baylor Sports, our magazine program that covers the happenings in all of Baylor Athletics, is very popular and affords us a strong presence throughout the academic year. In the fall, this program allows us to show game footage and comments from Coach Morriss, along with keeping our fans informed about other important and interesting information. I look forward to seeing you at the home opener on September 11th versus Texas State! Ian
Ian, I was wondering what the email address of the Baylor volleyball staff is. I am interested in your volleyball program and I would like to contact the school. Thank you. Jennifer Moffitt
Lubbock, Texas Jennifer, The e-mail addresses of all of our staff can be found on the www.BaylorBears.com website under "contact us" which you can find on the left side of the main page. We are looking forward to Baylor volleyball this season under first year head coach Jim Barnes. The team has been working extremely hard during the pre-season and we are excited about their prospects this year. Best wishes.
Ian, I was wondering since the old sailor bear is so popular why doesn't the university just adopt it? Then there would be no need to spend a crazy amount of money to design one. And if the plan is to create a new one, than please don't use the group that came up with the current logo. Sic em' John S. Nau
Houston, Texas Editor's Note: A similar question was received from Derek Tonkin of Waco, Texas. John, Thank you for the question. Baylor University has adopted the sailor bear as a spirit mark that is used by student groups and for other specific purposes. However, the sailor bear is not unique to Baylor and is unable to be registered as a Baylor mark. With that, we have retained Rickabaugh Graphics to develop a new bear logo that we believe will be widely embraced by the entire Baylor family and provide us an opportunity to experience greater success in the licensing and merchandising areas. Rickabaugh recently met with 137 Baylor students, student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans during its recent focus group sessions. This feedback has been extremely helpful in refining a series of illustrations into a logo that will appeal to all of our constituencies. Ian
Ian, I have a suggestion for home football games. Why not make every home game military appreciation day? Active duty military could purchase discounted tickets in advance or at the stadium on game day. Fort Hood is the largest military base in the U.S. and it seems that it may be an overlooked market segment. I think the army personnel would be excited to see an army veteran (Paul Howard) playing for the Bears. Would it be possible for the army, or other branches of service, to parade the flag during the pre-game national anthem? Ronnie Rummel
McGregor Texas Ronnie, You will want to be at Floyd Casey Stadium on September 11th for the Texas State game when we host Hero Day! We will have a large group joining us from Fort Hood and highlight the important work of our military in protecting our nation and preserving our freedom. We will have several military dignitaries on hand and will have a patriotic theme throughout the game. As you mentioned, there has been a great deal of interest in Baylor defensive end Paul Howard who recently joined our football program after serving in the military in the Middle East for the past two years. Ian
Ian, This question really pertains to the marketing of the football program. I have been very disappointed to see the punter as the player we have selected to showcase. Though I do agree the punter has played an important part in the Baylor program the last few years, I think it is sending a poor message. Would you please let me know what the logic was in the decision to put a picture of the punter on football poster, the email invitation to the Coach's Dinner and release it to several preseason publications. Thanks for your response Marc Atnipp
The Woodlands, Texas Marc, Baylor is fortunate to have one of the finest punters in the Big 12 and the nation in sophomore All-America and Ray Guy Award candidate Daniel Sepulveda. Moreover, he is an excellent student and great ambassador for the football program and university. With that, we didn't see any reason not to include him among our featured players on the poster and cover of the media guide. As you may know, Coach Morriss and several other players including Marques Roberts, Justin Crooks, Maurice Lane, Willie Andrews, Anthony Krieg, John Martin, Jonathan Evans and Khari Long are featured in various collateral marketing materials. Baylor Athletics will always recognize and celebrate excellence whether it comes from our punter, the men's tennis team or even Olympic gold medalists! Ian
