Where Was this type of Marketing in '79?

[BankShot]

http://www.courier-journal.com/arti...ick-Pitino-sign-400-more-Maker-s-Mark-bottles

Other than a few 7-Up Bottles, T-shirts and a commemorative glass, not much flowed from the '79 ISU/Bird Runnerup nest...where was Syc Pride marketing specialist par excellence SSOM when we needed his creative insight?

 

[Coach]

I have a sealed bottle of Maker's Mark with my name on it that I received as a gift in 1974. Have decided to keep it and let the family enjoy it after my funeral........which is hopefully still several years down the road.

Also have a little story about not taking full advantage of the 1979 run. I was in Salt Lake City for the finals and after the championship game was fortunate to attend a gathering of fans and the Sycamore players in one of the hotels. Sam Bowie, then a high schooler at the finals for some kind of high school all-star game taking place, was on a concourse area above the party area. I overheard someone tell one of our staff that he was wanting to talk to someone about Indiana State. That person told him to tell Bowie that they would get back to him later as they did not want to talk with him at that time. Yes, Sam Bowie had a lot of injuries, etc. and never quite lived up to his potential, but at that time he would have been the most heralded recruit that ISU had ever been involved with. And that is the rest of the story.

 

[BankShot]

Someone needs to have a Bowie knife to the 'nads on that one...:tomatoes:

Of course, most of ISU was caught up in the euphoria of the lil' school "dream" and could care less about next season, let alone 5-15 yrs. down the road.

 

[Chief_Quabachi]

I remember a rumor in 1980 that Bird had a recruiting visit/interview setup between Coach Hodges and Patrict Ewing, but Hodges had imbibed in too much adult beverage and missed the appointed meeting...reported that Bird was livid...TRUTH or FICTION???

I have no idea and prefer to believe it was false.

 

[BankShot]

Where was the "meeting" supposed to be...Ballyhoo? Who was buying? :thumbsup:

 

[Sackalot]

That type of marketing in college basketball circles is because of Bird and Magic. I couldn't have happened before that or immediately following because NCAA basketball was not all that important or interesting prior to Bird and Magic.