Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
“Oh, that’s typical UH … ” — it could be said of the University of Hawaii athletic department hiring a new director of marketing and fan experience and, well, not promoting the news for more than a week.
Only this time there was a plausible explanation for the delayed announcement. New director Eric Mathews, who joined media relations four years ago, has been busy traveling with the NCAA Tournament-bound Rainbow Wahine basketball team.
In his new position, Mathews will handle marketing and promotions. In frat-boy vernacular, marketing is letting people know about a party; fan experience is providing the music and kegs — proverbially, of course.
For UH, Mathews is an out-of-the box selection. He has a regional accent, only that region is Kentucky’s. His rapid-fire delivery sometimes does not pause for an ‘okina. And while he was diligent in providing statistics and information to the media, his better skill was running the social-media platforms. He expanded the popular feature of student-athletes directly sharing their stories. Several years ago at the newspaper, there was a sports clerk who did OK. Years after leaving the paper, he became a successful pediatrician. For the former clerk — and Mathews — it’s all about finding the right fit. This job is the right one.
Mathews is intelligent (he’s a Ph.D. candidate), well rounded (background in broadcasting) and personable. His passion for sports includes taking off on Major League Baseball’s opening day, viewing it as a national holiday.
Mathews also has failed — admittedly many, many times — dusted off, and tried again — many, many times — with greater results. UH now has a leader who embraces the mantra of “If at first you don’t succeed …”
UH has had several good ideas that did not end well. Free basketballs were given to the first 1,000 fans to leave the Stan Sheriff Center. There were 1,000 people with basketballs who listened to the end of UH’s upset of New Mexico on their car radios.
The balloon brigade was forced to disband because of a ruling that the orange balloons waved as distractions to opposing free-throw shooters matched the color of the basketball rim. (Although that did not explain how Boise State was allowed to wear blue uniforms that matched its blue field. On a kick-return play, a Bronco laid down to blend with the turf as a possible lateral-receiving option.)
And a proposed Stevie Wonder concert did not materialize because the scamming intermediary company did not inform Stevie.
The thing is, UH gave up on what were good ideas. There were no other ball giveaways. The balloon distraction burst. And while the so-called Wonder Blunder was no fault of a suckered UH, it scared off school officials from trying musical fund-raisers. (In 2014, UH got skittish on reaching a deal with Bruno Mars, who ended up playing his shows in the Blaisdell Arena.)
For the innovative, a failed project is a suggestion for improvement. Thomas Edison failed hundreds of times before inventing the light bulb. “I have not failed,” Edison was famously quoted, “I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax had an overall losing record in his first six seasons. Steve Jobs was fired from the company he founded. He then created software that eventually led to his return to Apple, and the reason many of you are reading this on your cell phone.
In-game promotions and entertainment are often as important as the game. Watch an NFL game and there are four replays for every incomplete pass. Attend in person and there are 30 seconds of defensive ends adjusting their pads. Fans need to dance, shake their hair and paddle an imaginary canoe or else it’s just an announcer reading a list of corporate sponsors.
The hope is Mathews will create more interaction between student-athletes and communities, revitalize the Manoa Maniacs (or resurrect the BowZos), and disperse lots and lots of swag. It also would be wonderful if he could set up a tailgate area. A child-care room would be useful for parents who would like to watch a game without being asked: “When is it over?’”
Mathews appears to have the energy and inventiveness to enhance fan experience.
Or, at the least, to keep trying.
72