Topic: Food at the Joan

[svherd]

a few times a year probably not, once a year most likely.

Communication has never been MU's strong point. Therein lies one of the issues. jmo.

[iherdya]

Exactly!  It's not reinventing the wheel.  There can be no logical reason that MU has literally the worst concession food/options I've seen anywhere

And I submit it likely has very little to do with Sedexo....as they work with thousands of org's....so it isn't like good food isn't available.  Heck, Sedexo is putting an Aunt Annies sampler in Liberty University Library.

i'm not sure what them putting an aunt annies in at liberty, we have a full starbucks, a mini-starbucks, a pizza hut, chickfila, etc on campus?

there are a lot of places that have better concessions than us, but if you think we're the worst you really need to spend more time going to games at mac schools or cusa schools. largely pretty similar.

fyi, if any local vendor would like to become a partner for sports concessions they're free to do so. we have many local companies already doing so. i think a big issue with our food is the way our concessions are setup, you can't cook in them and the small concourses prevent having grills, etc just outside of the concession stand cooking fresh food. instead everything has to be made hours ahead of time and then stored in hotboxes until sold.

[iherdya]

Communication has never been MU's strong point. Therein lies one of the issues. jmo.

i agree with you there.

[chris88]

Where there is a will there is a way. That's the last I'll say about it.

[HerdFan1114]

I've given up on my memories of hot Dr. Pepper and Lemon from the 70s, but I still think that replacing Kayo's Thunder Dog with a real Stewie and offering Gino's Pizza Bread's are realistic. 

I was beginning to think I had made up Hot Dr. Pepper and Lemon, no one I talk to has ever heard of it.  That being my not from Huntington friends, I forget to ask the ones I used to go to games with.

[herd2win]

I also remember having hot Dr Pepper going to games with my dad.

[coalherd]

I would find it hard to believe that all the entities on campus that deal with Sodexo and food service in general don't meet a few times a year to make sure each person/department has no issues, or if they do, work together to get them resolved. Leverage the collective body. It's not rocket science. Sometimes I really think those at MU only do what is required just to make sure they keep a job.

Svherd, your last sentence goes right to the crux of the matter.  It should be pretty clear that there is a lot of LAZINESS rampant in the upper levels of MU's athletic administration.

Turn over all food service at sporting events to an entity like Sodexho- -out of sight, out of mind.  Another thing MH doesn't have to deal with.  Same with running the school's athletic web site, Herd Zone.  Let IMG essentially run it; MU just plugs in a little content.  Site is mediocre, at best, and apparently MH could care less, even though content is often horribly outdated.  Check under the athletic facilities:  content about the DOT describes ongoing construction that will be completed in 2008!!! Content about the HC describes upgrades done in the 90s, crowds in 80s/90s, early 2000 improvements.  Doesn't Hamrick realize that first place many prospective student athletes may go to find out about a school is the athletic department's official web site, as well as the University's main web site?  MU is deficient in both in many ways.

I wonder if MH has ever really spent a lot of time thoroughly looking at the Herd Zone site to see how it can be improved? Wonder if he has checked sites of similar schools to see what others are doing as a means to improve MU's product?  I do know that on the ETSU and JMU sites, you will frequently find IN DEPTH status assessments from their respective athletic directors detailing many issues/projects, etc., that the athletic departments are involved with, the status of such entities, concerns of fans, future goals, plans, etc.  The AD at ETSU frequently has a detailed video directly covering and discussing ongoing issues in the school's athletic department.  I do know that, IMO, that these other 2 schools sites are far superior to MU's in content, ease of navigation, and certainly not half obliterated by Ads like Herd Zone!!

Doesn't MU have a school of mass communications and journalism?  Has Hamrick ever approached them to see if they could produce some athletic related videos for dissemination through the Herd Zone web site?  Asked the school for possible assistance/suggestions on upgrading and improving the web site?  Suggesting a collaboration where the athletic department may offer some stipend for senior or grad students in the SOMCC (journalism) over an academic semester/year to work on ideas/projects on improving the Herd Zone site, upgrading content, etc., which then could be passed on to IMG for implementation?

[iherdya]

Svherd, your last sentence goes right to the crux of the matter.  It should be pretty clear that there is a lot of LAZINESS rampant in the upper levels of MU's athletic administration.

Turn over all food service at sporting events to an entity like Sodexho- -out of sight, out of mind.  Another thing MH doesn't have to deal with.  Same with running the school's athletic web site, Herd Zone.  Let IMG essentially run it; MU just plugs in a little content.  Site is mediocre, at best, and apparently MH could care less, even though content is often horribly outdated.  Check under the athletic facilities:  content about the DOT describes ongoing construction that will be completed in 2008!!! Content about the HC describes upgrades done in the 90s, crowds in 80s/90s, early 2000 improvements.  Doesn't Hamrick realize that first place many prospective student athletes may go to find out about a school is the athletic department's official web site, as well as the University's main web site.  MU is deficient in both in many ways.

I wonder if MH has ever really spent a lot of time thoroughly looking at the Herd Zone site to see how it can be improved? Wonder if he has checked sites of similar schools to see what others are doing as a means to improve MU's product?  I do know that on the ETSU and JMU sites, you will frequently find IN DEPTH status assessments from their respective athletic directors detailing many issues/projects, etc., that the athletic departments are involved with, the status of such entities, concerns of fans, future goals, plans, etc.  The AD at ETSU frequently has a detailed video directly covering and discussing ongoing issues in the school's athletic department.  I do know that, IMO, that these other 2 schools sites are far superior to MU's in content, ease movement, and certainly not half obliterated by Ads like Herd Zone!!

Doesn't MU have a school of mass communications and journalism?  Has Hamrick ever approached them to see if they could produce some athletic related videos for dissemination through the Herd Zone web site?  Asked the school for possible assistance/suggestions on upgrading and improving the web site?  Suggesting a collaboration where the athletic department may offer some stipend for senior or grad students in the SOMCC (journalism) over an academic semester/year to work on ideas/projects on improving the Herd Zone site, upgrading content, etc., which then could be passed on to IMG for implementation?

i hope to god our athletic director has better things to do than make sure all of the content is up to date on herdzone.

[coalherd]

i hope to god our athletic director has better things to do than make sure all of the content is up to date on herdzone.

Obviously, iherdya, like running an overall MEDIOCRE athletic program, which he is doing quite well, see all those CHAMPIONSHIPS the Herd has garnered during his TENURE!!  Of course, he, and apparently you, are satisfied with the STATUS QUO!!

[iherdya]

Obviously, iherdya, like running an overall MEDIOCRE athletic program, which he is doing quite well, see all those CHAMPIONSHIPS the Herd has garnered during his TENURE!!  Of course, he, and apparently you, are satisfied with the STATUS QUO!!

i think you have some solid ideas, you should share them with aaron goebbel and/or jason corriher.

i also think your vastly overstating what other schools are doing with their athletic sites. i've had to visit dozens and dozens of them in the last few months doing research, most of them are garbage with very limited information.

i do think we could be organizing our web stuff better, we do a lot of stuff on twitter that i don't see cross-promoted on herdzone.com, mike powers and crew do tons of video interviews with coaches, their press conferences, that we don't for some reason put on herdzone. mike does q&a on twitter every couple of weeks, and contrary to popular belief he answers the majority of the questions.

also, i like how we're lazy for using a food service vendor when every division 1 program does the exact same thing and has for 15-20 years.

fyi, img doesn't run our site and most prospective student athletes find out about our school, facilities, etc by the mass amounts of mail we send them with all of that information, as well as social media. i wish we'd do away with the one popover ad on herdzone (i usually use adblocker in chrome so don't see it), but the other ads are similar to what jmu is doing on their site.

[iherdya]

we don't see all of it, but some of the stuff our football recruits are tweeting that we're sending them is impressive. we hired a graphic designer for football recruiting and are churning out some really good looking stuff. i have a former business partner that's made a successful business doing similar things for texas a&m, tcu, etc. that's a really big market right now and looks like we're doing a great job of it.

[Apollo]

i think you have some solid ideas, you should share them with aaron goebbel and/or jason corriher.

i also think your vastly overstating what other schools are doing with their athletic sites. i've had to visit dozens and dozens of them in the last few months doing research, most of them are garbage with very limited information.

i do think we could be organizing our web stuff better, we do a lot of stuff on twitter that i don't see cross-promoted on herdzone.com, mike powers and crew do tons of video interviews with coaches, their press conferences, that we don't for some reason put on herdzone. mike does q&a on twitter every couple of weeks, and contrary to popular belief he answers the majority of the questions.

also, i like how we're lazy for using a food service vendor when every division 1 program does the exact same thing and has for 15-20 years.

fyi, img doesn't run our site and most prospective student athletes find out about our school, facilities, etc by the mass amounts of mail we send them with all of that information, as well as social media. i wish we'd do away with the one popover ad on herdzone (i usually use adblocker in chrome so don't see it), but the other ads are similar to what jmu is doing on their site.

It's lazy because there's been no change in the terrible quality in 20+ years. If they weren't lazy, they'd approach sodexho and attempt to have some things changed.
 
Maybe the university proper can learn some marketing tools from the AD.

[ed swain]

The best advise is never go to the game Hungary.;eat before you go in and after the game.We do need hot Dr Pepper in November.

[coalherd]

i think you have some solid ideas, you should share them with aaron goebbel and/or jason corriher.

i also think your vastly overstating what other schools are doing with their athletic sites. i've had to visit dozens and dozens of them in the last few months doing research, most of them are garbage with very limited information.

i do think we could be organizing our web stuff better, we do a lot of stuff on twitter that i don't see cross-promoted on herdzone.com, mike powers and crew do tons of video interviews with coaches, their press conferences, that we don't for some reason put on herdzone. mike does q&a on twitter every couple of weeks, and contrary to popular belief he answers the majority of the questions.

also, i like how we're lazy for using a food service vendor when every division 1 program does the exact same thing and has for 15-20 years.

fyi, img doesn't run our site and most prospective student athletes find out about our school, facilities, etc by the mass amounts of mail we send them with all of that information, as well as social media. i wish we'd do away with the one popover ad on herdzone (i usually use adblocker in chrome so don't see it), but the other ads are similar to what jmu is doing on their site.

Appreciate the info.  I'm just saying that we could "tweak" our web site without that great of an effort in my opinion.  When we had Jack Bogaczyk on the staff, who was a veteran and excellent "wordsmith", we could have easily had him update the data/narrative regarding all the athletic facilities.  Can't believe that NONE of the improvements and/or upgrades that have been done since MH came to MU are discussed at all in the description of the Henderson Center.  We have nothing, written description and picture, on the site about the Bobby Pruett Center, Dunfee weight room, etc. 

I'm sure MU does ok in communicating with prospective student athletes it is in contact with.  I'm just saying that the casual student athlete who just wants to learn about MU athletics and hasn't had ANY contact with anyone at the school would probably get on a computer and Google Marshall, find the school's web site and from there the athletic department site to learn a little about both.  First impressions are often very important.

Of the names you mentioned, I told one of these gentlemen over TWO years ago about how out of date some of the data is on the web site and was told it would be "looked into".  So much for that.

Appreciate the info about ad blocker and Chrome.  Just wish I was "sophisticated" enough to take advantage of the info.  Just so damn tired of having half the Herd Zone site blocked with ads every time I get on the site.  Finally, I just believe that Hamrick could take the time and use Herd Zone to communicate, either through a letter to Herd Fans or, as I mentioned, a video.  Twitter is limited, what, to 140 characters, and can be used for a brief response to a specific question.  IMO, can create more questions, and possibly problems, than provide good answers in many instances.  Just ask a certain fellow in DC!!

[Thundering In MD]

I was beginning to think I had made up Hot Dr. Pepper and Lemon, no one I talk to has ever heard of it.  That being my not from Huntington friends, I forget to ask the ones I used to go to games with.

I remember it because it was a huge deal.  I was five and my dad had just joined the MU Faculty in 1972.  We had season tickets starting in that year.  Dad said that he only remembers them serving Hot Dr. Pepper for the Ohio game that year.  Whether it was one game or more, it is a vivid memory.

[Herdmeister]

Svherd, your last sentence goes right to the crux of the matter.  It should be pretty clear that there is a lot of LAZINESS rampant in the upper levels of MU's athletic administration.

Turn over all food service at sporting events to an entity like Sodexho- -out of sight, out of mind.  Another thing MH doesn't have to deal with.  Same with running the school's athletic web site, Herd Zone.  Let IMG essentially run it; MU just plugs in a little content.  Site is mediocre, at best, and apparently MH could care less, even though content is often horribly outdated.  Check under the athletic facilities:  content about the DOT describes ongoing construction that will be completed in 2008!!! Content about the HC describes upgrades done in the 90s, crowds in 80s/90s, early 2000 improvements.  Doesn't Hamrick realize that first place many prospective student athletes may go to find out about a school is the athletic department's official web site, as well as the University's main web site?  MU is deficient in both in many ways.

I wonder if MH has ever really spent a lot of time thoroughly looking at the Herd Zone site to see how it can be improved? Wonder if he has checked sites of similar schools to see what others are doing as a means to improve MU's product?  I do know that on the ETSU and JMU sites, you will frequently find IN DEPTH status assessments from their respective athletic directors detailing many issues/projects, etc., that the athletic departments are involved with, the status of such entities, concerns of fans, future goals, plans, etc.  The AD at ETSU frequently has a detailed video directly covering and discussing ongoing issues in the school's athletic department.  I do know that, IMO, that these other 2 schools sites are far superior to MU's in content, ease of navigation, and certainly not half obliterated by Ads like Herd Zone!!

Doesn't MU have a school of mass communications and journalism?  Has Hamrick ever approached them to see if they could produce some athletic related videos for dissemination through the Herd Zone web site?  Asked the school for possible assistance/suggestions on upgrading and improving the web site?  Suggesting a collaboration where the athletic department may offer some stipend for senior or grad students in the SOMCC (journalism) over an academic semester/year to work on ideas/projects on improving the Herd Zone site, upgrading content, etc., which then could be passed on to IMG for implementation?

If we didn't have IMG we wouldn't have jumbo video at football and basketball. We wouldn't have an upgraded sound system and so on. They fronted the money and were paid back over the term of our contract. A win-win. Same goes for Sodexo. They are paying for par
t of the concourse expansion in the west side. MU will pay them back overtime. The bookstore company is paying for the new stadium bookstore facility.

[coalherd]

Which has what to do with questions about the quality of food offerings/quality at Herd sports venues?  Or about possible improvements to the Athletic Web site?  So they front $$$ for some stadium upgrades, advertising ribbon, etc.  As best as I can find out the concourse "upgrades" are minimal, at best.  They give money, but that in itself doesn't mean that they should dictate things that the athletic department should be in charge of.  If enough Fans, etc., complain and question the food service offerings at Herd venues, shouldn't the AD at least have the concern and gravitas to look into and address said complaints?  And, if necessary, go to Sodexho, IMG, etc., to discuss and possibly address, work out the issues?

[iherdya]

Which has what to do with questions about the quality of food offerings/quality at Herd sports venues?  Or about possible improvements to the Athletic Web site?  So they front $$$ for some stadium upgrades, advertising ribbon, etc.  As best as I can find out the concourse "upgrades" are minimal, at best.  They give money, but that in itself doesn't mean that they should dictate things that the athletic department should be in charge of.  If enough Fans, etc., complain and question the food service offerings at Herd venues, shouldn't the AD at least have the concern and gravitas to look into and address said complaints?  And, if necessary, go to Sodexho, IMG, etc., to discuss and possibly address, work out the issues?

he can go to img, he probably can't go directly to sodexo because it's a school wide contract instead of an athletic department contract.

fyi, img doesn't dictate things, sponsors dictate things. they'd be similar with or without img. we've had a long relationship with img (isp before img bought them out), but i really like what learfield is doing these days. their purchase of sidearm sports was a great move in my opinion.

[Herdfan2005]

Sodexos contract is close to being up.  I dont see Marshall not resigning another contract with them. 

[iherdya]

Sodexos contract is close to being up.  I dont see Marshall not resigning another contract with them.

close is of course a relative term, but i believe it was a ten year contract starting 09-10 school year. so we'd have two more years left on the contract.

[2xBison]

Sodexos contract is close to being up.  I dont see Marshall not resigning another contract with them.

so you expect them to sign another contract with Sodexo?

[iherdya]

so you expect them to sign another contract with Sodexo?

god i hope we at least accept other bids. i was trying to think when the sodexo contract originally started, i feel like it was early 00's? almost 20 years with the same company is a long ass time to just keep going and not take time to revisit things.

[coalherd]

close is of course a relative term, but i believe it was a ten year contract starting 09-10 school year. so we'd have two more years left on the contract.

Which means, iherdya, that Mike Hamrick has plenty of time to GET OFF HIS DUFF, look into and research thoroughly fans concerns/complaints, possible changes/additions to food offerings, etc., etc.  Let's just hope he doesn't take his typical status quo, easy way out approach and just perfunctorily agree to go along with another contract with Sodexho with no real changes forthcoming.

[Apollo]

Which means, iherdya, that Mike Hamrick has plenty of time to GET OFF HIS DUFF, look into and research thoroughly fans concerns/complaints, possible changes/additions to food offerings, etc., etc.  Let's just hope he doesn't take his typical status quo, easy way out approach and just perfunctorily agree to go along with another contract with Sodexho with no real changes forthcoming.

And if he gave a %^&* about the fans, I'd say you're right. You and I both know it won't happen though.

[Pinkerton99]

Marshall needs to tell Sodexho to pound sand.  They have wrung every cent they can out of what they provide to Marshall.  Their "food" takes away from the game day experience.  It's just another product that has turned to %^&* in the name of cost cutting.  I am sure they thought nobody would notice.  This is why many companies are getting away from outsourcing and bringing core functions in house.  The ability to control your product is paramount.