The SoapBoxers

Writing a novel is quite an undertaking. Trying to put a deadline on yourself is nearly impossible. I recently participated in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org) which is a world wide competition to simply write a story of at least 50,000 words during the month of November. I succeeded. This success was documented while I was writing. So what is the next stage? Well first, I have to get people I trust and respect to help edit that work. I have heard that the best method is to let a work set for a while to mellow. I disagree, at least for me. I want to have some sort of finish.

I have found my initial editor in my wife. Although she does not write herself, she is an avid reader of every genre. Besides being well read and well educated, she also has no qualms about telling me when I am wrong. Being a writer also requires a thick skin. I do not understand the stories of writers who have all of these demands and how they must be treated with kid gloves. They are just people like anyone else and should behave as such. Of course if I become rich and famous author, this opinion may change.

My next task is to keep writing. The best way to do that is to just jump right back into it. I have not set a new deadline, and I don’t have NaNoWriMo to help me now. I have decided to change my genre completely. My first effort was a romance. It is hard for me to admit that, but the fact cannot be avoided. My new effort is definitely science fiction. I have many more characters with major roles. I am also trying to be much more diverse in the personalities of my characters. I will continue to try to avoid too close of association between my real life relationships and my characters. Some association cannot be avoided. We develop our ideas of self and others through our personal contacts or plagiarism from other sources such as literature, television, radio and plays. The best we can do is avoid direct copying, from life or from other sources.

During my first Endeavour, I had the benefit of being on travel for work with plenty of time in the evenings, plus hours on airplanes, to write. These opportunities are continuing but will not be indefinite. I am trying to force myself to a March deadline. This will correspond with a change of my travel responsibilities will be changing from long term to short term events. I want to use these opportunities to the best of my ability while they last. This column will document how well I stick to my deadline.

This column will be different from my NaNoWriMo day by day story development. Instead, I will concentrate on areas of writing that I am focusing on or struggling with during the week I am reporting on. I have never been a reporter, not even in high school. I have always written in the ‘create’ way, supporting a poetry publication and short story booklet in high school. Each column will be between 500 and 600 words. So for this first installment, I have concentrated on what I plan to do, both with my next work and with this column. Check again for updates in the near future. –KEEP WRITING–

“Oh, no. Stan told me that you snoop into his stuff, and that he often fabricates his notes in an effort to get a rise out of you. That must be what he meant. He and I are old childhood friends.”

“Right, he mentions that delusion as well. You believe that you and he are old friends, but he never set eyes on you before he examined you prior to your commitment.”

Walker slumped in the chair. “You have to believe me. This was all a stunt for my book.”

“These notebooks, filled with the incoherent ramblings of a madman? You are operating in a false reality. You have constructed a grand illusion to shield yourself from the fact that you are mentally ill. Stanley’s notes indicated that he had concerns about your ability to receive adequate treatment at this facility. I concur with his opinion and will make a recommendation that you be committed to the Springfield facility, where you will have more constant observation.

The next day, Sascha arrived at Lennox for her monthly visit, and Joe shared the dreadful news with her.

“Don’t worry, honey,” whispered Sacha. “The director at Springfield is in on the plan. You’ll be set free as soon as you get dropped off”

Joe perked up at hearing this news, and returned to his normal self for his final few days at Lennox. Finally, the day of his transfer arrived. He gathered up his belongings – mostly consisting of the notebooks – and Rogers drove him up to Springfield.

After Rogers scrawled his signature on a few forms to authorize the transfers, he jumped back in the car for the solo trip back to Lennox.

“OK, this has been fun, guys,” Joe said to the director of the Springfield facility. “You can let me go now.”

“Go where?”

“Go home.”

“You are confused, son. This is your new home. It may be difficult at first, but you will soon grow to like it here. Let me give you a tour.”

After the fruitless discussion with Rogers at Lennox, Joe decided that it would be pointless to continue his plea for freedom. Sascha had been certain that the director of this facility had been privy to their secret. Clearly, some wires had gotten crossed at some point.

Joe expected Sascha to visit the Springfield facility to inquire as to his whereabouts. A few days passed, then a few weeks. To kill time, he continued his writings, using his experiences at Springfield to write several more chapters in his character’s life.

On the last day of the month, Sascha finally came to visit. She scarcely had time to sit before Joe started talking.

“You have to talk to the director, and to the judge who committed me. You have to explain that this was all research for a book and that I should be set free” he pleaded.

“But then I would have to admit that I lied during the hearing, Joe. That would be perjury. I certainly wouldn’t want to go to jail.”

Joe gasped as she continued to speak.

“I’ve decided that I rather enjoy life without you, Joe. The power of attorney gives me unlimited access to your funds, and I don’t have to put up with any of your annoying habits. I can take a young lover whenever I want. It’s a pleasant life, Joe.”

Walker was stunned. “You can’t possibly be thinking of leaving me here!”

“I really have no choice,” she said, giving him a kiss. “You’ve heard the doctors, Joe. You need treatment.”

He received his first disappointment when Banks told him that he would not be able to use his trusty ink pen. A pen could be a dangerous weapon in the hands of some of the residents. Gone, too, were spiral bound notebooks. Joe was dismayed by their replacements – crayons and composition books. Joe reminded himself that a competent professional could succeed with any tools.

Joe spoke with his good friend, Director Stanley Banks, nearly every day. One day Joe noticed that Banks always carried a red notebook with him.

“The associate director, Rogers, is a real snoop. I like to toy with him by pretending that this is some master record of my observations of all the residents at Lennox. Really, I just make up stuff, just to see if he slips up and mentions any of it in conversation. The stuff I’ve written about you is great,” laughed Banks.

A month after being committed to Lennox, Joe felt that he had become sufficiently institutionalized and had begun to learn about the various disorders that afflicted the other residents. He began to write. His novel would be a pseudo-biographical account detailing the daily struggles of mental illness. He decided that he rather enjoyed the look of the crayon writings – they gave the work a juvenile look. Perhaps Vic, the publisher, could retain that unique look and feel for a few small parts of the book.

Time passed quickly inside the walls of Lennox. Other than the near-daily visits from Banks and the monthly visits from Sascha, Joe was completely focused on his book. He spent nearly all his time either writing or interacting with other residents to gain further insights into mental illness. Over the course of a year, he filled the pages of dozens of composition books with his novel. The novel, he reflected, would likely have to be broken into two or three books, even after Vic edited it.

Near the end of his stay at Lennox, he was visited one day by Associate Director Rogers, rather than by his friend Banks. It wasn’t like Banks to take a day off, and Joe questioned the Rogers about Banks’ absence.

“Dr. Banks was involved in a traffic accident last night and remains in a coma. I have looked over Stanley’s notes on you, Joe. It seems that you will not be in our company much longer.”

Walker smiled. “It will be nice to be free once again – to walk in the park on beautiful spring nights …”

“I’m afraid you misunderstand, Mr. Walker. You will be leaving Lennox, but you will not be re-entering society. You are being transferred to the facility in Springfield.”

“No, no,” replied Walker. “This is a mistake. The story of the transfer was just a ruse to cover the fact that I was going to be released. I completely orchestrated a plan to have myself committed.”

“Oh, yes. Here it is,” Rogers said, leafing through pages in a notebook. “’Patient Walker believes himself to be a famous writer. He is under the delusion that he convinced his wife and myself to have him committed so that he could better research an upcoming book’”

TO BE CONTINUED …

Today, I bring you the first of yet another multi-part story.  I really do intend for the Fiction Friday stories to be 500-700 words, but I’ve been having a few of them get away from me lately.  This is the first of a three part story – the other segments will be published over the weekend.  Without further ado, A Crazy Plan.

“Then, at the end of a year, you get me released, and I vanish from the facility.”

Dr. Stanley Banks finished his steaming coffee with a gulp, and then broke into a broad grin as he looked across the table at his childhood friend.

“I’d probably fake a transfer to another facility. It wouldn’t reflect well on Lennox to simply have you walk out the door.”

“You’re on board with the plan?”

“Count me in. It sounds like splendid fun.”

“Wonderful. I’ve always wanted to write a novel from the perspective of an inmate of an insane asylum. What better way to gain perspective that though immersion?”

“You’ll be a resident, Joe, not an inmate. We don’t much cotton to the term asylum any more, either. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot during your year as our guest,” Banks said with a laugh.

Joe flagged down the waitress, who topped off their cups of coffee. The two men clinked mugs as a toasts toward the success of the endeavor.

The next day, world renowned author Scooter Smith – known to his friends by his real name of Carlton Joseph “Joe” Walker – informed his publisher that Scooter would be taking a step back from the limelight to focus on his next book. Scooter Smith tended to avoid the public eye, and had retreated into seclusion several times in the past, so the publisher was not overly surprised.

“Enjoy the time away from society,” same the voice from the other end of the phone.

“You bet, Vic. I’ll have a best seller on your desk a year from today.”

Vic laughed. “That’s what every publisher wants to hear.”

Shortly thereafter, Sascha Walker began the process of having her husband committed to a mental institution. On the night before the hearing, Joe and Sascha celebrated Joe’s imminent detention with a night of wild sex – fueled by a small amount of cocaine purchased especially for the occasion.

The hearing was decidedly one sided. Sascha’s testimony about Joe’s recent spate hallucinations, delusions, and violent behavior made a strong case for commitment. The renowned psychiatrist Stanley Banks testified that he had examined Walker and felt that an appropriate course of action would be to commit him for a period of one year, with a further course of action to be determined at the end of the year.

The judge agreed took only a few minutes to reach his decision.

“At this moment, I feel that it would be in the best interest of Mr. Walker if he were to be under careful observation. I am committing Mr. Walker to the Lennox Estates Home for the Mentally Ill. His confinement will be at the discrection of Dr. Stanley Banks. Until and unless Mr. Walker is deemed to be mentally competent to handle his own affairs, Sascha Walker shall be granted durable power of attorney.”

Joe could barely contain his excitement when they arrived at Lennox. Joe was duly processed, and Carlton Joseph Walker became the newest resident of the east wing. He embraced Sascha, and she promised to visit at least once a month. After his wife left, Joe got to work, actively blending into the population.

TO BE CONTINUED …

Last week, President Obama gave himself a B+. B+? Really? For what? Encouraging people to trade in vehicles that they owned just to have another monthly payment? Of course, I’m talking about the “Cash for Clunkers” program that just intended to bail out the car manufacturers. The funny thing is, most of the new cars sold were NOT American made, but Toyotas and others of the like. But I suppose all of the things he’s intended to do count. Right? I mean, that’s how he “earned” the Peace Prize.

Seems like this Administration is a system of intentions and giving. He intends to do this, intends to do that. I suppose we should be thankful that he actually did something this week … But one thing he actually did was insult the intelligence of every American this week by claiming that if the healthcare stimulus bill is not passed, that “the federal government will go bankrupt.” Really? We’ll go bankrupt if we don’t tax and spend more? I don’t know about you, but in my family budget, we don’t save more by spending more. But what do I know? I’m not a politician, just a working mother. Although I’m pretty sure that if Obama had ever taken an economics course in school, his former professors are doing a *head desk*.

Common sense is something this Administration needs to ask for this Christmas. Why encourage people to go into debt when we’re in a recession? Why claim that we will go bankrupt if we don’t spend more? Looks like common sense isn’t all that common anymore.

I know that Christmas is the time for giving … but not MY tax money. As the Grinch said, “Bleeding hearts of the world UNITE!” Not me. I work too hard to have my tax money given to those who refuse to work. I don’t want MY tax dollars spent to fund abortion. I don’t want MY tax dollars spent for free healthcare … something that I work for.

Bah Humbug. Obama Claus can go back to the North Pole the other 364 days of the year and keep his hands out of my pockets!

Recently the New York Times has reported that a deal has been struck between the online music application Lala and Apple. Although the specifics have not been released the deal has been speculated to be around $80 million. This purchase could mean big changes for Apple’s iTunes.

Lala is an online-based music application that allows users to “buy” streams of music for 10 cents a track or a dollar and album. Users are also able to purchase full MP3 tracks for 89 cents each. I love this service and currently use it daily. I’m anxious to see what Apple does with it and how it integrates this service into iTunes.

Apple has claimed that they are not really interested in the company behind Lala, but the people. They are buying the ideas and engineers behind the program. This means that they are interested in getting the experience Lala engineers have in streaming music distributed from a cloud. This could mean quite a few different features brought to Apple’s iTunes.

The first possibility is that Apple will directly port the Lala service to iTunes, allowing people to purchase the right to stream music for a cheap price instead of having to pay full price for other music formats. This seems unlikely to me as Lala’s business model doesn’t seem to be working currently and the other options seem to be more Apple friendly.

The next option is a subscription music service. Many of iTunes competitors already offer this already. Napster and Rhapsody allow you to have “all-you-can-eat” music for one low monthly price. They even allow you to download the music to portable mp3 players for listening on the go. Apple could leverage Lala’s streaming music service to bring a subscription streaming service to iTunes.

The final possibility I see Apple possibly considering is custom web radio. The current up and comer in the online music world is Pandora.

Pandora is probably one of my most used web applications. Pandora allows you to rate music you like and chooses new music for your online radio stations based on your ratings. I love Pandora, it does a great job, and it’s growing at a fantastic rate and I can’t imagine that Apple doesn’t want to get into this. Apple already has a recommendation engine with their music Genius, they could easily incorporate Lala’s streaming service to build their very own Genius radio to compete with Pandora.

This is the worst week for sports this time of year. No college football….does anyone else feel the same way.

So with nothing really FUN to talk about here are a few quick hits this week in the world of sports.

Roy Halladay vs Cliff Lee. The baseball pundits are already spinning their webs on this one. I like Halladay more, much much more. He has been in the brutal American League East for years pitching on bad teams and dominating the competition. He will go to the National League and be totally dominating, even more so than he has been. Cliff Lee …. two seasons does not a career make.

Jake Locker – What are you doing? You have the chance to be the number one overall pick in the NFL draft according to some of the experts. Come back for your senior year for the Huskies? It is not like your team is going to contend for the National Title or even Rose Bowl for that matter. Take the money and run kid. Even if you have a good year in 2010 you are STILL going to get drafted high by a crappy team in the NFL, and the money won’t be near as good one Goodell restructures the rookie contracts this off-season.

Tiger Woods – Just when you thought you had heard it all, now possible ties to doctors that have prescribed steroids and HGH to the likes of Marion Jones and A-Rod. Could it get any worse for Eldrick? Can’t wait to see what transpires with this story in the next couple of days.

Toby Gerhart once again proves the East and Southeast bias in the media is alive and well. We have too many folks voting for the Heisman. How you can have Colt McCoy ahead of Gerhard on ANY ballot is a crime. I am still not convinced Ingram is the best candidate but I do think the person that should have won the award got jobbed.

And now the all obvious NFL comments of the week

Will everyone on ESPN quit talking about the Dallas Cowboys? We get it already, they don’t win in December. We can watch our Plasma big screens and figure that one out by ourselves.

Here is another news flash, Randy Moss appears frustrated and played like a pouting four year old on this past Sunday. Have we heard this story before.

And while we are at it … Will the Colts sit their players? Will the Saints sit their players? Who freaking cares? They are both going to the playoffs. Just as long as I don’t have to listen to another crappy 1972 Dolphins and drinking Champagne reference over the next couple of weeks.

Here is hoping next week has better “and fresher” stories to talk about

Bah Humbug!

Red Sox sign Mike Cameron, John Lackey

The Red Sox snuck one past me yesterday by signing Mike Cameron to patrol their outfield.  I had been under the assumption that the Red Sox would sign either Jason Bay or Matt Holliday to patrol left field, and was a bit stunned to hear of the signing.  Cameron is a fine defensive player (a three time gold glove winner), but is a big step down from Bay or Holliday offensively. 

Cameron, who will turn 37 in January, is also considerably older than Holliday (who will be 30 in January) or Bay (32 in September).  Players tend to lose a step as they age, and their offensive skills tend to erode.  So it is pretty likely (almost a certainty) that the Red Sox will get less offense from Cameron than they would from Bay or Holliday.  Cameron is a better defender, although defensive range is less important in Fenway Park than in other ballparks because the left field wall is very shallow.  The ability to gauge where balls will ricochet off the 37 foot high Green Monster is more important than foot speed.

On the flip side, the two year deal, worth a total of $15.5 million, is a lot less money than Bay or Holliday will command (easily twice that much, and for five or more years.)  The Red Sox may have simply decided that it would be more cost effective to upgrade a corner infield sport (with either 3B Adrian Beltre or 1b Adrian Gonzalez).  Gonzalez has come into the spotlight a bit in recent years, but Mr. Eyebrows still doesn’t get the respect he deserves.  His raw numbers (3 straight 30+ homer season, 40 homers and a .958 OPS in 2009) are impressive.  When you stop to think that he plays in a park (Petco) that greatly depresses offense, the numbers are even more amazing.  Put him in Fenway, and he’ll win a couple of MVP awards.

The signing is bad news for Bay and Holliday, as it takes a rich suitor off the table. Bay and Holliday will certainly get some serious coin in their deals, but the Cameron deal may end up costing them a couple of million dollars per year. 

The Red Sox also shored up their rotation by signing right handed starting pitcher John Lackey.  This move makes sense on a number of levels.  Other than the cash given to Lackey ($85 million over five years), the marginal acquisition cost was merely a second round pick.  The Red Sox had signed Marco Scutaro (another type A free agent) earlier in the offseason, and were thus bound to lose their 2010 1^st round pick.  Signing Lackey merely means that their 2010 first rounder will go to Anaheim as compensation for losing Lackey, while reducing Oakland’s compensation for Scutaro to a 2^nd rounder.  Additionally, taking Lackey away from the Angels makes it a bit easier for Boston to get past the Angels, if they were to face them in the playoffs.  While Lackey isn’t as flashy as some of the other top pitchers, he’s definitely an ace-caliber guy.

Phillies Acquire Ace, Trade Away Ace

The Phillies made waves by finally ending Roy Halladay’s long twist in the wind by acquiring Doc from the Toronto Blue Jays.  The Phillies then turned around and traded their existing ace, Cliff Lee, to the Seattle Mariners.  Prospects were the counterweight in both trades.  Halladay is a year older than Lee, but has been a more consistent performer over the course of their careers.  Additionally, Halladay is righthanded (Lee was a lefty), allowing the Phillies to pair him with Cole Hamels for a righty/lefty combination at the top of their rotation.  While the Phillies were able to neutralize teams that were heavily left handed (the Rockies in the NLDS for example) because of the lefty-dominant rotation, having a balance of righty/lefty makes them a bit less susceptible to teams that lean heavily one way or the other.

I know that I was brought to this site to primarily discuss the pleasures and stresses of writing, but I am also a man. This article will focus on one of my favorite and most painful pastime, professional football, specifically the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was born in Pittsburgh and am old enough to remember the bad years before Chuck Noll, the Super ‘70s, the dreadful ‘80s, the resurgent ‘90s and the return to super over the last few years.

The collapse that the various talking heads are discussing can be attributed to several things.

Some are claiming that coach Tomlin won Super Bowl XLIII using coach Cowher’s team. In some ways this may be true, but we must remember that essentially the same team had a losing season the last year of coach Cowher’s reign. It will not truly be Tomlin’s team until year five, we are in year three.

Some are suggesting that coach Tomlin has been too easy on the team, especially the veterans. Again, this is partially true. The fans and pundits are going to have to come to the realization that some of the stars on this team are going to retire either at the end of this year or next year (they have all been playing 10 years or more). This exodus will affect the defense somewhat more than the offense as Hampton (NT), Hoke (NT), Smith (DE), Kirschke (DE), Townsend (CB), Carter (SS) and Farrior (ILB) are all approaching the end of their careers. The offense will definitely suffer when Ward (WR) decides he is done. If coach had run these guys though the toughest practices, they would not have made it this far without serious injury.

As we look at what has gone wrong, we can see holes in every facet of the game. There have been more kick returns for touchdowns and yards than any other team. Admittedly, they have faced the best returners in the league (e.g. Cribbs-CLE twice). Continuing with the special teams, the punting is back in line, just coverage has holes. Field goals are solid and kick offs also good, just coverage. My recommendation is to look for free agents that can be better on coverage. The guys we have are good, but not good enough.

Moving to defense, all looks good until the fourth quarter. This can be attributed to injury (e.g. Polamolu), but I believe that the aging core of the defense is a larger factor in the late game collapses. There is also the lack of breaks. This year has seen a drop in the number of tipped balls landing in the hands of the various linebackers, safeties and corners. There has also been a dramatic decline in forced fumbles and as a result fumble recoveries. The team has to really focus on defense on the off season. This will sound odd to most people who follow the game since the Steelers are still rated so high in defense. That rating is misleading, just look at the results after having leads in the fourth quarter.

In addition, it may be time for coach Dick LeBeau to retire. This is sacrilege to most Steelers fans and most pundits. This is not a condemnation of his talents. It is simply a recognition that he has far too many disciples in the ranks of the defensive coaches throughout the league. One of the biggest problems of continuous success is imitation and careful study.

On the offense, most of the blame will rightfully fall on the line. These guys have simply been outclassed for two years now. The staff did little to sure up the line in the off season, by draft or trade. When even the Cleveland Browns can get eight sacks, there is an issue. This is not the only problem. The lack of a running game has forced more passing, giving opponents many more opportunities to get at the quarterback. Mendenhall has recovered nicely from his injury, but does not have the outside speed to keep defenses honest, and Parker simply has not recovered his acceleration since his knee injury two years ago. Moore is not a premier back, although he does make things interesting. I am not suggesting that the backs need to be replaced, they just need to heal. For that matter, Roethlisberger needs to heal as well. The true actions are to find some key players for the line. It may be as simple as one or two players. This can be seen by the dramatic drop of talent with the departure of Alan Faneca after Super Bowl XL.

Now I am done ranting about the failings of the team. Many will accuse me of being a defeatist, but this season is done. No team with a 9 and 7 record will make the playoffs, and the Steelers have three tough games left. My final recommendations are as follows;

1. Sit Ben in favor of Dennis Dixon. I don’t believe that this will result in more wins, it will give Ben a chance to heal and Dennis a chance to get experience for the next time he is needed to step up due to injury or any other reason.
2. Only play Hines in the first half. This will keep him at the top of his game and give him rest. This will also give some of the other receivers more time on the field. Sweed needs to used or dropped. Logan needs more time beyond returns. Wallace has proven he is a starter. These are the guys practicing with Dixon anyway, so give them time, they are the future.
3. Don’t let Troy play until the Miami game. Make him sit and heal, this will be hard since he is such a passionate player. Roll in the back up linebackers from the special teams to get them into the fold. Again, Farrior is coming to the end of his career, the younger guys need the playing time.
4. Put some veterans in for return coverage. Their example can help the younger players maintain their lanes and assignments.

I confess that I have never played the game, nor have I ever coached. I do not expect coaches Tomlin, Arians, or LeBeau to take my recommendations. This is the United States of America. Everyone here has the right to their own opinion, that is the right of free speech. No one has the right to be listened to, so I have to accept what I can not change.

Texas football coach Mack Brown recently got a raise and will earn $5 million per year.  Several college football coaches make more than $3 million per year.  These coaches make considerably more than the athletic directors and university presidents who are their superiors.  Are they worth the money?

Let’s take a look.  I’ll use a local example – $3 million per year coach Kirk Ferentz of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes  – as a case study.  Iowa is a successful, but not elite, program.  They frequently contend for conference titles, but aren’t at the same level as teams like Florida and Texas who are constantly in discussions for the national title.  They have a devoted fan base, but when the team falls on hard times, they fail to sell out the stadium.

How many more tickets will a team sell if they have a successful coach (let’s say, one who makes $3 million per year) versus a coach that has lackluster results and makes $500,000?  I’ll say that this can be 10,000 or more tickets.

In our case study, the Hawkeyes topped 70,000 in average home attendance in 1991 and 1992.  The 1991 Iowa team finished 10-1-1, while the 1992 team was 5-7 (but would have pre-sold many tickets on the basis on the 1991 team’s success).  In 2000, the team drew an average of just 61,123 fans per home game, due to lackluster seasons in 1998 (3-8), 1999 (1-10), and 2000 (3-9).  Legendary coach Hayden Fry had ridden off into the sunset following the 1989 season, and new coach Kirk Ferentz took over a program in need of rebuilding.

By 2004, the success of the team had once again caused the attendance to top 70,000 – topping out at a capacity average attendance of 70,585.  This represents an increase of 9,462 fans above the 1991 low water mark.  You’ll notice that this is less than the 10,000 figure I mentioned above.  However, we also don’t know how far attendance would have dropped if the team had kept losing.  The 61,123 figure from 2000 may have become a stepping stone along to path to a sub-50,000 average attendance.  For the sake of this case study, we’ll use the 9,462 figure with the knowledge that this will most likely produce a conservative estimate.  Most teams in BCS conferences play seven homes games, so that means that a good Iowa team can sell 66,444 more tickets than a bad Iowa team.

The University of Iowa’s season ticket price in 2009 was $339 ($48.42 per game).  So, how much revenue did those 66,444 tickets generate?  $3,217,218.48 – with negligible marginal cost to the University.  There’s more cash where that came from, though.  Let’s estimate $750,000 ($11.29 per person) in concession stand revenue from brats, nachos, popcorn, soda, and other high margin items.

Successful teams can also tap into a larger revenue stream outside the stadium.  A team’s hard core fans will always buy t-shirts and coffee mugs, but a successful run means that more fair-weather fans (and every team has them) will jump on the bandwagon.  Then there is the issue of money from donors.  Successful teams attract considerably more money from donors.  Every dollar a donor puts toward a project is a dollar the university can save.

Kirk Ferentz is worth the money – no doubt about it.  The revenue increase more than offsets his $3 million salary.

Am I suggesting that a successful football coach has more importance in society than a university president – or, for that matter, a social worker?  No.  But from a pure economic standpoint, hiring a successful football coach can often be worth the money.

Did you find this article interesting?  You may also like my article that asks “Should College Athletes Be Paid?“