Last summer Gameops.com visited the Calgary Stampeders for a live game review. The Outriders (Calgary's dance team) also caught our eye....and not the way dance teams normally do. Find out the lesson learned from the Outriders and how it can improve your entertainment teams and mascot.
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The balance between entertainment and sport is a delicate one. Too much sizzle can turn off purists, make the game seem unimportant and distract from your core product. A good game operations professional is always vigilant of pushing too hard with their inventory of entertainment elements.
That balance should be repeatedly examined and balanced to maintain the focus on your game while enhancing the entertainment value, motivating your fans and adding value for your sponsors.
Its easy to find dance teams, mascots and video board operators who are either unaware of this balance or convinced their part of the show is more important than the game. When I visited Calgary last year I was struck by a dance team (the Outriders) who was keenly aware and focused on the game. They understood that they could both entertain, be involved, and still maintain that the game is more important than what they were doing on the sidelines.
I have attached a video clip to show what I was so impressed with in Calgary. It's about 35 seconds long, showing what happens between each play at the CFL game. The dance team fills each break with crowd interaction, short sideline 8 counts and bumper music fills. Then they precicely and completely turn their attention to the game and show that they are completely engaged in the play on the field. Its a small thing, but it was consistant through the entire game and it sent a crystal clear message: We are here to entertain between the action....but we are not here to distract from the actual game.
It should be noted that I have seen hundreds of games and never saw this message more clearly sent. Between each break the message stood. We are here to fill in between the game action, but not to step on it.
As the video shows (and this happened again and again) the team was also very precice and focused on doing this. They had a step count that took them from the facing away from the field crowd-engaged dance steps to a quick turn back to the action. A signal that they wouldn't want to miss any of the action....and neither should you.
This is a lesson that can be applied to mascots, dancers, video board operators and music operators. The role of entertainment has a place and these groups should always been aware of the sports action and how what the entertainment is doing looks in contrast to the action on the field.
For mascots, this means considering what you are doing during play. Are you engaged with the fans and building their interest in the game? Or are you an annoying distraction to the people around you?
I will never forget when I was shadowing a well-known mascot a few years ago. He was in the crowd doing a comedy bit. The bit went on for about 10 minutes in the crowd and he never stopped once to acknowledge the game, a score, a great play or to let fans follow the game. The entire 10 minutes was about him and his bit...despite the game going on in front of him. Fans who paid over $50 for their seat had one option: Watch the mascot.
When I reflect on that I think of the handful of people who he was directly working around. Some may have been willing participants in the playful antics, but others were just subject to a furry mascot putting himself and his show ahead of the game. It's safe to say every mascot has been guilty of this, but it's also safe to say your mascot would be best to tread that line infrequently and carefully. For every laughing fan, there is sure to be one who would rather watch the game while it's in action. It's important to ask if you are allowing both fans to enjoy their experience.
In the world of game operations we are charged with motivating and entertaining the crowd, simply put we are icing to the cake of your selected sport. Are you being as careful of the balance and respectful to the sport as the dancers in Calgary or as flippant and self-absorbed as the mascot in the crowd?
Jon Cudo began his career in sports entertainment with the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA). The Minnesota native performed as the Wolves mascot Crunch for the first seven years of the franchise. During that time Jon performed in over 35 states, in seven countries, for over eight million fans. During his travels he realized that great ideas in game entertainment happen at all levels of sports and many work in different sports, which was the impetus for Gameops.com years later.
Cudo functions as the webmaster and editor for Gameops.com, remains an active mascot and performer, produces several events each year, and consults with teams on game entertainment and mascot programs.
The balance between entertainment and sport is a delicate one. Too much sizzle can turn off purists, make the game seem unimportant and distract from your core product. A good game operations professional is always vigilant of pushing too hard with their inventory of entertainment elements.
