Kiffin, Tennessee are bringing their billboards to Atlanta
This image shall soon be staring down afternoon commuters traveling out of downtown north on I-85 at Piedmont Road and I-285 West at Cobb Drive. Not sure about the dude on the left but we know the one on the right can play. (Courtesy of UT)
Many Atlantans laughed when they heard that new Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin planned to erect billboards touting the Vols’ greatness in Florida. But will they still be laughing when they find out he has a couple going up right here in our backyard?
Two 14-feet-by-48-feet digital billboards will be seen along downtown Atlanta interstates early next week, Tennessee officials confirmed. The advertisements feature an image of Kiffin on the left and star defensive back (and Atlanta native) Eric Berry on the right with the words “It’s Time” in big block letters in the middle. It also says “Tennessee Football 2009″ and gives the web address to buy tickets, UTTIX.com. The billboards will be posted on I-85 North at Piedmont Road and on Cobb Drive at I-285 West.
“We’re going through a huge transition with a new coach and a new philosophy and we tried to look at some ways to extend our new brand,” said Chris Fuller, UT’s associate athletics for sales and marketing. “In our market we’ve had a long-standing relationship with Lamar [outdoor advertising]. We’ve had a [billboard] presence in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Jackson for years. Now we’re just expanding that philosophy.”
In addition to locations in Florida and Atlanta, Fuller said four new billboards will go up in Memphis and a few others around the state Tennessee. He said the entire campaign will cost $24,000 and come out of the Vols’ regular marketing budget.
The billboards in Tennessee will tout Berry – a junior safety out of Creekside High in Fairburn – for the Heisman Trophy, Fuller said. “Predominantly because we feel like he deserves it,” Fuller said. “It’s not because we believe it will necessarily help him win it.”
This marketing ploy is not unique to Tennessee. Auburn has had at least two billboards posted in Atlanta for the past several months, Auburn marketing associate Mike Hale confirmed. And, of course, UGA has utilized that forum from time-to-time, especially to draw attention to some sort of team accomplishment.
Atlanta’s 5.5 million population and strong athletic talent base is obviously appealing. The Vols recruit 85 percent of their athletic talent from outside state borders, Fuller said.
“We just feel like it’s a good way to our message out,” he said.
COMMITMENT NEWS
Highlighting Thursday’s recruiting news was the commitment of Atlanta Westlake defensive back Darius Robinson to Clemson. The 6-foot, 170-pound, four-star cornerback chose the Tigers over a host of out-of-state schools, including Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Stanford and UCLA. He said he was not vigorously pursued by either Georgia or Georgia Tech.
At Clemson Robinson will join four other Georgians: Roswell CB Martin Jenkins, Carver-Columbus DE Corey Crawford, Carver-Columbus OL David Beasley and Etowah OL Reid Webster.
“It’s only two hours away. Just that fact alone attracts a lot of players from here,” said Robinson, who said he has spoken with Jenkins several times. “Really, I just felt like I had a chance to go play early at a big-time program. I had a good time with the coaches and people outside of the football team. It’s a great town.” . . .
Also, Pepperell athlete Marcus Jackson received a scholarship offer from The Naval Academy, according to Rivals.com.
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270 comments Add your comment
KNelson
July 31st, 2009
1:53 pm
Gainfully Employeed Dawg do you sell Whole life or term?
Longhorn stuck in Georgia
July 31st, 2009
1:53 pm
I like how fights between Tennessee and UGA ultimately end up with who makes the most revenue that they can only be 2 spots behind the great Univ of Texas.
Brew
July 31st, 2009
1:56 pm
Dear Tennessee, please do not do anything that can be construed as good advertising or increasing your brand awareness in other cities and states. The fans of other schools don’t understand these concepts. It’s not about Lane Kiffin. These jerks made just as much fun of Fulmer,
It’s simply the fact that your school (and yes, you too Auburn who did it first) is way ahead of the curve in things like this. Granted, UT doesn’t get the press in Atlanta that it used to for players being arrested. All that moved way south to Gainesville. So, folks in Atlanta who don’t get to read about the daily exploits of Coach Kiffin in the AJC (or as Vol fans call it, The Knoxville News-Sentinel South) can at least have a face to put with the name that has driven envy and fear into so many of these lesser schools’ fans’ hearts.
No one is sure if the other new coaches in the league even have names or faces because no one cares. It’s Tennessee that everyone fears now. Things were too quiet for too long out of Knoxville and these lesser folks elsewhere got comfortable with that. Now, noise is being made, and these guys are scared to death that once again Tennessee will ascend back to its given birthright as the best, most important program in the SEC.
In fact, DON’T put up the billboards. Traffic down here is bad enough without more of these nimrods being scared to death by a larger than life 3-D image of their greatest fear. We don’t need all these people soiling themselves and driving into others on the interstate. Tennessee will be back to the top soon enough. Everyone knows this. Maybe you could spend the money on consolation parting gifts for everyone else. Thank you, and have a nice day.
DeviousVol
July 31st, 2009
2:06 pm
How do you stop a Dawg fan masturbating? Tatto Tennessee on his pe*#er and he won’t beat it for 9 years.
GatorBait
July 31st, 2009
2:07 pm
Does it matter? Tennessee sucks and Georgia sucks as states and football teams. They are both competing for 2nd place at best in the SEC East. My predictions: Florida goes to ANOTHER SEC championship and shuts up those Texas Longhorns this year while winning their 3rd title in 4 years.
Gator CHOMP Champ
July 31st, 2009
2:17 pm
Preach on GatorBait. Somebody finally making sense. FL will do what they always do and Kiffin’s winning ways will work the same magic they worked in Oakland.
GatorBait!
KingDawg
July 31st, 2009
2:24 pm
If things are that bad, they should give free tickets to alumni. That would only leave a much more reasonable 75,000 seats they’d have to sell.
USCTrojan
July 31st, 2009
2:30 pm
You Georgia fans are comical. Here in California, nobody thinks much of your team at all. Just sayin. To the West coast, Georgia Tech is the better team. Georgia is always hyped but never delivers. Florida owns you muts and Tennesee beats you more than you beat them. I lived in Macon Ga for 2 years on a job assignement and let me tell ya, you Georgians have no right to call anybody redneck or insinuate that another human being is sleeping with a relative. I have never seen so many backwoods people in my life. Withought Atlanta, Georgia is Mississippi. Plain and simple. Dont get me wrong, Tennesee sucks just as bad as you clowns. And Gator fans….see you guys in the NCG.
LeAnn Klinger
July 31st, 2009
2:48 pm
Just commenting on some of the other comments: Food for thought, if Tennessee tickets are sold out, then why the billboards? Recruiting? Or just to remind all that they are still around?! I saw one of the billboards in Florida and found it LOL. Go Gators!
Atlanta Gator
July 31st, 2009
2:56 pm
Good grief, people. Stop making stuff up. You clearly do not check your “facts” before you post them:
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/06/15/daily7.html
For the 2008-2009 fiscal year, UGA had the 2nd highest FOOTBALL-ONLY revenue (behind Texas and ahead of Florida). UGA had the 13th highest OVERALL ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT revenue (that is, including football and all other sports and revenue sources) behind 1st-place Texas with $120.28, Ohio State at 2nd with $117.95 million, Florida at 3rd with $106.03 million, Auburn at 7th, $89.31 million, Alabama at 8th, $88.87 million, University of Tennessee at 9th, $88.72 million, and LSU at 12th, $84.18 million. The link above is to June 15, 2009 Atlanta Business Chronicle; the college athletic revenue numbers were widely reported only a month ago in other media and wire services.
Bottom line: please stop making up your own facts and statistics. You look rather foolish when you do so.
BTW, “profits” were not measured (i.e. revenues minus expenses); these are not-for-profit operations. None of these athletic departments operate on a for-profit basis, and all of the revenue is used by the institutions for some purpose. In the case of the University of Florida, the UAA just made a $6 million contribution to the general fund of the university.
volgirl
July 31st, 2009
3:29 pm
If you want to know who had the highest grossing year go to Forbes.com. It gives you the run down on every team, how much and where it came from, and where the money goes. Get your own facts. Its very easy and self explanatory.
Long Dawg
July 31st, 2009
3:30 pm
USC Trojan, you need a Trojan on that mouth of yours. How does it feel to live in a bankrupt state? Really bright folks in California. Well my friend I’ve been to California many times and besides the weather there is nothing special about it. If you like smog, traffic, gangs, overpriced housing and a bankrupt state California is the place to be.
California is the laughing stock state in the country and you are running your mouth… funny dude… fruit pickers and picnickers
As for the might Trojans it is a good thing you guys play in the PAC 10. Watch out for mighty Oregon this year.
KingDawg
July 31st, 2009
3:33 pm
If USC played a schedule not packed with teams playing at a 1AA level, folks in the SEC might take West Coast football seriously. It also is apparent that USC’s English department is not very stringent.
Long Dawg
July 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
Back on the subject… who cares if there is a Tenn billboard in Georgia. #1 it just shows how desperate Tenn. is and #2 it is not gonna make gomer pyle lane sniffen a better coach. Only in Tenn can you hire a relative and pay them $1.2m. sniffen will set ten football back 10 years and you guys know it so keep on pretending if you waqnt to.
Hillbillies
July 31st, 2009
3:45 pm
Fine, we will look at Eric Berry, and you look at Austin Long and Marlon Brown, last years top two recruits in the state of Tennessee…also, if you want to see what a heisman looks like, come on down to Athens and we can show you a couple of them. Blow hards with no wind..that all UTk fans are.
lakesidegator
July 31st, 2009
3:47 pm
It hasn’t been so much that UT couldn’t get folks to come to the games @ Neyland. It’ been how to keep there from being an exodus beginning in the third quarter. Bill boards won’t cure that…only staying in the game on the field can do it. Watch for the continuing blow-outs. Kiffin can’t do anything about that. Just ask Al. And go Gators!
Les W. Moore
July 31st, 2009
3:50 pm
UGA looked into billboards but found that Mark Richt’s forehead was just as large. The message on Rich’t forehead reads “Kick Me!”
Long Dawg
July 31st, 2009
3:55 pm
Les w Moore, Les the unemployment department just called and said they found you a job…. Village idiot in Chattanooga. Sounds perfect doesn’t it.
Gen. W.T. Sherman
July 31st, 2009
3:55 pm
Remember, it was the citizens of Georgia who torched Atlanta to keep the Northerners from taking their goods and ammunition. Does anyone else smell smoke?
Texas Fight
July 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
I like how when other schools take a jab at UGA, UGA responds. When Texas takes a jab, nothing but crickets. You know we have you beat! Colt wins the Heisman, Horns win another title (Would’ve won last year if the system wasn’t bogus), Mack Brown moves on to AD and Muschamp picks up where Brown left off. Life is good in Burnt Orange
Long Dawg
July 31st, 2009
4:12 pm
Texas Fight, I agree with you on one thing, Texas should have been in the Championship game. However, as much as dislike the gators when it comes to UGA i have to defend them cause they would have kicked some longhorn ass. They would have beaten Texas worse than they beat Okies.
Dawg of Dawgs
July 31st, 2009
4:14 pm
So UT has to advertise now to sell tixs? My, how the mighty have fallen!!
Texas Fight
July 31st, 2009
4:17 pm
Long Dawg…and you are basing that on what? We beat OU, we were healthy. Didn’t look great against Ohio State but thats because we were pissed to be in Arizona. You can believe whatever you want to believe but I guarantee you Texas will be in the MNC game this year and I would love to see Florida make it. Everyone in burnt orange wants to see Florida make it because we know we can and will beat them and when we do, it will be worth 2 MNCs in our minds. The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You!
Cabo
July 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
UT was trying to advertise in the local theaters but Yech has bought up all the ad slots for the “Free football ticket with a purchase of hot dog and drink” promotion at the Varsity.
Bill Lewis
July 31st, 2009
4:29 pm
888-tech-tix for top 20 football…and you don’t have to wear silly colors and drive 3 hours to enjoy it. =)
Long Dawg
July 31st, 2009
4:31 pm
Texas Fight, I’d like to see the same matchup. Well all we heard i the SEC before the Fla Oklahoma game was how the SEC can’t stay with the Big 12 offenses. Well Oklahoma scored a whopping 14 points. What did they scoe on Texas? 40 points? Texas and Oklahoma were essentially equal teams and Florida handeled Oklahmoma so I figured they’d handle you guys about the same.
Texas Fight
July 31st, 2009
4:43 pm
35* and I disagree about them being the same team considering we beat them by 10 points. And keep in mind that if OU’s offensive coordinator wasn’t an idiot and had called a PA QB rollout (like I erroneously predicted he would) they wouldve scored and additional 14 points. I am not here to defend OU’s mistakes of the past but rather to look forward to the old fashioned beat down that Texas is going to lay down on everyone this season. For those of you that think SEC defense is great, ok, I’ll give that too you. We got Muschamp, the brains of one of the best SEC D’s of the decade. And if you don’t think we have the talent of SEC teams, keep dreaming. On top of that, we still have one of the best offenses in the country. Texas is going to be scary this year. Man I can’t wait to play Tebow and the gators!!!!
Halsey
July 31st, 2009
6:04 pm
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a current player, with his name on the advertisement, used like that. So does Berry get a check for allowing his name and image to be used on a board advertising ticket sales? I mean, I know he’s getting paid with a scholarship( as well as some likely less than legal ways), but it seems it’s not right to use a player’s image like that without being able to officially pay him for it.
Tim
July 31st, 2009
6:16 pm
At least Tennesse has been in the postion to be mighty to fall in the first place! Poor puppies! Still living through that 1980 national championship and wacking off to Herschel Walker.
Atlanta Gator
July 31st, 2009
6:16 pm
volgirl—-Can you provide a weblink to the Forbes.com article you mentioned above? I’ve just spent 10 minutes searching the site and the best I could find with is November 2007 article that rates the “most valuable college football teams,” without providing the formula used and without consistently stating the actual program revenues.
Atlanta Gator
July 31st, 2009
6:34 pm
Source: Sports Business Journal
All figures for 2007-2008 and based on school disclosures required by federal Equity Athletics Disclosure Act . . .
Top 10 College Football Programs by Revenue:
(1) University of Texas – $72.95 million
(2) University of Georgia – $67.05 million
(3) University of Florida – $66.1 million
(4) Ohio State University – $65.16 million
(5) Notre Dame University – $59.77 million
(6) Auburn University – $59.67 million
(7) University of Michigan – $ 57.46 million
(8) University of Alabama – $57.37 million
(9) Penn State University – 53.76 million
(10) Louisiana State University – 10th with $52.68 million
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/06/15/daily7.html
Atlanta Gator
July 31st, 2009
6:35 pm
Top 10 College Sports Program by Revenue
(including football and all other revenue sources):
(1) Texas – $120.28 million
(2) Ohio State – $117.95 million
(3) Florida – $106.03 million
(4) University of Michigan – $99 million
(5) University of Wisconsin – $93.5 million
(6) Pennsylvania State University – $91.6 million
(7) Auburn – $89.31 million
(8) Alabama – $88.87 million
(9) University of Tennessee – $88.72 million
(10) Oklahoma State University – $88.6 million
(12) LSU – $84.18 million
(13) Georgia – $84.02 million
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/06/15/daily5.html
Atlanta Gator
July 31st, 2009
6:37 pm
All of the above revenue numbers are from 2007-2008, the latest year for which disclosures are available under federal law. If anyone else has a better source, please provide your numbers, source and weblink. Thanks. AG
SmartyVol
July 31st, 2009
7:44 pm
My favorite Larry Munson quote: “My God, they’ve just beat us again, with a first basemen playing quarterback”. Larry talking about Todd Helton leading the VOLS to victory in Athens, GA. I think it was win number 6 in the streak of 9. Man that was fun. Can’t wait for Lane to do it again.
ismellfear
July 31st, 2009
9:49 pm
Wow all the fear from you people. Ole Kiff has ya on the ropes huh? Times have changed boys. Buy stock in Kleenex while you can.
Delusional Dawg UGASlobberknocker
July 31st, 2009
10:06 pm
Hey UGASlobberknocker you idiot !!! You may want to check your donation levels requires for tickets before spouting off at the mouth…. $5,000 per year donation for the worst seat in Sanford or $32,000 per year donation to get a road game ticket in Knoxville. Dream on Fool !!! You are not anywhere near those numbers. Props to the Gators as you all wear us out on a consistant basis but at least we can claim a little more overall success in against you than the puppy dogs do. Lets have this conversation again in 5 years dawgs and see what has happened in the series then. Good or bad, everyone is talking about Tenessee again and that also means more recruits are discussing and looking at Tennessee also which will lead to you returning to a distant 3rd in the SEC East behind Florida and Tennessee.
Houdawg
July 31st, 2009
10:59 pm
Hey Dave ! You’re on the mark about the billboard costs ……. I’m a small businessman in Houston, operating a youth entertainment biz. Recently checked into billboards and they wanted $6,000 a MONTH ( for ONE ). NO WAY it’s $24K for UT to place them around Atlanta for an extended period …… no surprise some TENN folks can’t do the math …. missing a few zero’s.
Paul Plays
July 31st, 2009
11:31 pm
We need more Big Orange down here! GO VOLS !!!!!
Hairofthedawg
July 31st, 2009
11:57 pm
“it’s Time” alright, but not for what UT was hoping.
VOL
August 1st, 2009
1:45 am
Still waiting for the bulldog billboard in Tennessee. Or the bama one, or the…well, you get the picture. Kids, keep playing the defense while Smokey keeps marking his territory. Of course everyone knows the english bulldog needs help getting it done. BOHICA georgia. No wonder Sherman was able to burn that place down. Face it, the atl, like most of GA is worthless.
VOL
August 1st, 2009
4:51 am
Hairofthedawg: Yep, UT was hoping you’d not post. So you got us there. Other than that, do all of us a favor and unplug your keyboard. Seriously, “it’s Time”.
VOL
August 1st, 2009
4:56 am
Atlanta Gator: You’ve seriously spent 10 minutes searching for a Forbes article that some anonymous Volgirl posted up? Holy (fill in the blank). Dude, let me let you know, get a life. I’ve spent 30 sec just skimming posts on this blog and I’m sure your a total goose. Do us all who call ourselves SEC football fans a favor and start cheering for a PAC-10 team. I reccomend UCLA. No, seriously, you’re a d-bag.
VOL
August 1st, 2009
4:57 am
Sanford Drive: Umm, seriously, who are actually influenced by anyone who claims Samford as a school they root for? Umm, anyone? Let me answer that one: No one. Keep that crap in Birmingham.
mjvolnatlanta
August 1st, 2009
8:29 am
WOW! The billboard not even up yet and it’s already working on these Georgia folks. I love it!!!!
GO VOLS!!!!
mjvolnatlanta
August 1st, 2009
8:44 am
Just consider yourself lucky it wasn’t the the MONSTER hit that Berry put on NoShow Moreno(help me up coach). Ya – thats what I thought, not such a bad billboard after all now is it?
mjvolnatlanta
August 1st, 2009
8:52 am
Your lucky it wasn’t the MONSTER hit that Berry put on NoShow Moreno that knocked him out of the game last year.
Not such a bad billboard after all, now is it?
ORANGE NATION!!!!
TommyJack
August 1st, 2009
9:16 am
It’s not about selling tickets, you dolts.
Smyrna Man
August 1st, 2009
9:24 am
It looks awesome, the pic of EB is sweet, Kiffin is a good looking young guy, the graphics are sweet. If you think this doesnt help UT with recruits, you are retarded
Orange Teams Blow
August 1st, 2009
9:56 am
Some teams recruit by winning. Those that can’t win put up billboards. Kiffin sure is entertaining and even more so in the fall when other teams are running up the score on him.
Atlanta Gator
August 1st, 2009
10:00 am
VOL—-Thank you for your kind words. Please have a pleasant weekend.