Sounds like a well-played advertising card on Hooters part, knowing the fallout that would occur. I'm disappointed mostly that they would see the resulting dropout rates and upset parents as necessary damage to get some headlines. But that's just my humble opinion. Bummer for the kids involved! Unless they get a Hooters cheerleader squad.

I'm not a parent, and I agree that probably colors my opinion.  Hooters is a bar and grill, and there is no nudity, and there are other bar and grills that sponsor little league teams who encourage their watresses to dress just as skimpy, it's just not in the name of the restuarant.  Now, I wouldn't blame the league for not accepting them as a sponsor, because there are many parents who would disagree, and attendance at games and participation would drop.  I can't believe Hooters would think it would be a good marketing technique to sponsor a little league team instead of maybe an adults softball team, just because it wouldn't hit their target audience as much. 

I guess there just targeting the future customers! you got to get them early!

Only joking, but in a way its not aimed at the children at all, the sponsor is for the people watching the games and Im not big on your crazy sports over there but im guessing that most the audience is adults.

But most of the audience at little league games are soccer moms (or in this case, baseball moms), which isn't really the target audience for Hooters customers.

Ultimo,

I agree with you, I think they sponsership is intended for the spectators, which will be mostly the parents of these children.

But that kind of makes it even more questionable in my mind,

I mean really, how many people stop to watch a pee wee league game?  It's not something the average person gets up on a saturday and says "Gee, I think I'll go down to the park and catch some Pee Wee baseball".  (I'm sure there's a few people that actually do that, but not many).

Generally the only people watching are going to be parents, and the occassional aunt, uncle, granparent, etc.

If I were looking to spend advertising dollars, I would think this would be the group of people MOST LIKELY to be offended by the fact our logo is on the back of their children, and as a result I may be alienating just as many if not more potential customers than I'm enticing.

 

Yeah, you're absolutely right about that.

The ends justify the means to them I'm sure.

I tend to believe this is another overblown non-issue.  Jeremy, when my kids played soccer and basketball the sponsor didn't mean anything to the kids. They were happy to have a uniform and play.  You know if parents just let the kids play and not make an issue of the sponsor no one would care.  If Hooters required the team to visit as a part of the sponsorship, I wouldn't agree with that.  Personally, if I were the coach or manager I would not take the kids to the restaurant.  We could do carry out or something like that.

To add some fuel to this fire.  What if one of the parents worked there and got the sponsorship?  I know a lot of the leagues where I live encourage the parents to help with sponsorship.  I couldn't pull my kid off the team because someone stepped up to find a sponsor.  If the parents were that upset why didn't they band together and sponsor the team themselves?  It's easy to point the finger but there usually is another soultion. 

REMEMBER, IT'S ABOUT THE KIDS!!!  LET THEM BE KIDS.  

Hey Riggs, is this becoming talk radio?!

JUST KIDDING! I actually pick up the headphones when you guys come on the air! Although I was really craving pancakes yesterday morning thanks to you!

I dunno, I feel there is a fine line between ignoring issues and blowing them out of proportion - isn't that what parenting is all about? Picking your battles? I do think that there are a lot of parents out there who pick battles for self-serving purposes, to look like the good, protective parent, regardless of whether what they're doing has any real effect (or possibly even a counter-effect). But then you can't turn a blind eye to the snickering in the dugout about what Hooters really represent, and how cool they're team is compared to the Mighty Tornados sponsored by Jeb's Trophy Shop that they're playing against.

My daughter's softball league doens't have a sponsor this year, and the parents are fine with the cost of the outfits. I'd pay for the outfits before I'd put Big Pecker's Bar & Grille on her jersey.

OH MY ZIM!

You just did something I couldn't do all day yesterday, come up with a proper Euphamism (sic?) for the male equivelant of this.

I was thinking yesterday, can you IMAGINE how different this would be if it were a girls soccer team and they had a logo on their back for (as you say) Big Peckers Bar & Grill, sure the logo would be a woodpecker, but his beak would clearly be ridiculously long and meant to conjure images of something else.  And it would be well known that to be a server at the Woodpeckers you have to be well endowed and wear very tight shorts.

THAT WOULD NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVER FLY

Yesterday, all the Euphamism's I could come up with were too legitimate, I mean "Dick's Bar & Grill" doesn't really suggest anything other than the fact Dick owns a bar and grill.  Every other one I thought about didn't work, but yours is perfect.

It really makes you have to look at the issue in a different way.

Zim,

I'm gonna try to walk that fine line between too much talk and just the right amount.  But I won't always get it right

I know when I started planning for the morning show I was thinking I'd let you guys in on my breakfast every morning by eating it on-air and telling you what gourmet treat I'd whipped up that day, but then I though "nah, that would be cruel".  I remember how many times I used to rush off to work without breakfast

 

LOL I have a mental image of a well endowed Woodpecker now, u must stop!!!!

Classic I love it!!!!

Jeremy,

There is a line that can't be crossed but I don't think Hooters is on that side of it.  Maybe right up to it but for me it doesn't cross it.

I understand that others feel it's way over.  If someone pulls their child off the team I can understand their position.  They are the parent and have to do what they feel is right or comfortable with.  I don't have a problem with that.   

Now here's one on me.  I would guess that it was maybe a year or so after Hooters opened in town before I realized what the owls eyes were (anyone else want to fess up on this). I'm not that naive but I never made the connection.