I had a message on my answering machine yesterday from UH football coach Art Briles. It was a robocall, in which he implored all supporters of Cougar athletics to buy some tickets to the Liberty Bowl on December 29. I’ve already got bowl game plans, but thanks for asking. What made me curious about this is why my phone number would be on their to-be-called list. Neither Tiffany nor I have any connections to UH (her parents are alums, but that’s a pretty thin link), and I have never paid money to attend a football game that featured the Coogs. (I have bought tickets for one baseball game, a few years ago when UH hosted Rice in the baseball super regional, and for one men’s basketball game, circa 1993, also with Rice as the visitors.) I figure if they’re calling me, they’ve cast an awfully wide net. For good reason, it seems: According to the Rice fan forum, Houston AD Dave Maggard has sent out an email calling ticket sales to date “extremely disappointing.” You have to create an account on the Cougar fan board to see that link, which I haven’t done, but I’ll take the subsequent poster’s word for it that sales have been in the 2000-3000 range, which compares quite poorly to the 5000+ tix Rice fans have bought (scroll down to Matt’s comment). Maggard is well-known for never wanting to lose to Rice in anything, so I figure those numbers have got to burn him a bit.
Anyway, I’m curious. Has anybody else received such a call? Leave a comment if you have.
What made me curious about this is why my phone number would be on their to-be-called list.
Maybe they’re targeting influencers? That seems pretty cutting-edge for Maggard and crew, but ya never know.
I got the same call yesterday, but I’m a basketball and baseball season ticket holder, so I chalked it up to that.
Justice posted on the ticket drive as well yesterday.
What’s the big deal about Rice selling 5000 tickets? Annualized, that’s only 111 tickets per year since their last bowl appearance.
Rep. Coleman’s Capitol office just got that same call.