As much as we talk about fans getting screwed over — e.g. Red Sox fans seeing parking prices go up — it must be recognized when a team and city does something great for its citizens. The Jacksonville Jaguars are hosting the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football this week (I know, you can’t wait for it), and the city is going all out for the game. Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton has declared the day as “Teal Monday” in Jacksonville and is encouraging all citizens and companies to show their Jaguars pride by attending the game, wearing teal and closing businesses early.
They have several different promotions planned for the game. Fans wearing Jags t-shirts will get a free drink at the team’s official tailgate. Several downtown bars will offer happy hour prices all night. They’ll be selling Jags t-shirts for $5 and offering $1 beer specials at the pregame tailgate. Also, and I’ve never really heard of this before, they are inviting all the fans to sing the National Anthem (calling it the 12th man). The whole evening sounds like it will be a lot of fun and has me so amped up I want to fly out to Jacksonville for the game!
It’s no secret that the Jags are hurting when it comes to fan support. They were ranked dead last in terms of popularity as a team based on a recent Harris Poll, and they had trouble selling tickets last year. This is exactly what a team should do to try and energize a fan base. Just think, the swell of fervor is due in large part to the thrilling win over the Colts.
