Sunday, May 04, 2008
Entitled to getting a title shot
Aaron McFarling
Recent columns
If Salem doesn't win, the video will not be to blame.
That's about all we know at this point. We have no idea how loosely ESPN plans to interpret the phrase "TitleTown USA," the name of the network's latest summer project. We don't know whether the panelists will prefer big-city victories or small-town triumphs.
Heck, we don't even know if hosting the stuff really counts. Maybe you've actually got to produce the champions within the city limits, not just crown them. They're not entirely clear, so we don't know.
But we do know this: The video is sweet.
And that might just be enough.
ESPN is holding a contest to crown the new TitleTown USA, and Salem has entered itself. There were 112 other candidates -- from Boston to Bloomington -- heading into the weekend, and Salem would like to be one of the 20 finalists featured on SportsCenter this summer.
But city officials have no pretenses about their entry.
"There is one TitleTown," said Carey Harveycutter, director of civic facilities for Salem. "There's always only going to be one TitleTown. And that's Green Bay. It is now, it has been and forever will be TitleTown. And all I'm saying is we've got title town -- with a little 'T'."
And they've got the video to prove it.
Mike Stevens, the veteran WDBJ sports anchor, says it took him 2 to 3 hours to write and produce the DVD they've shipped off to ESPN that extols the worthiness of Salem.
But the ESPN people will only know it came together that quickly if they read this. What they'll see on the video is a slick compilation of trophies, spirit and pride, a 4-minute plug for the city. Stevens narrates a video that features nonstop footage of youngsters hoisting hardware as Division III coaches point out the city's love of sports and Southern hospitality.
Salem has a point. The city has crowned 50 champions in Division III sports over the years, including every football championship since 1993. Then there are the titles earned in softball at Moyer Sports Complex, the trophies won by the Salem Avalanche and the six rings claimed by the Salem High School football team.
"If they're keeping open to all types of champions," said J.J. Nekoloff, the ODAC sports information director who first suggested that the city enter the contest, "then I'd think Salem has got as good a chance as anybody."
The city has enjoyed plenty of positive exposure for its sports-friendly milieu. In 2006, USA Today published a story on the front page of its sports section, lauding Salem's success hosting championships in Division III athletics. Sports Travel magazine recently rated the Stagg Bowl among its top collegiate destinations.
But this time is different. This time, Salem officials are pitching themselves. And it just might work.
Check that. It should work, if ESPN has any sense. We've suffered through "Who's Now?" and labored through the network's endless Disney movie promotions. But if ESPN is serious about crowning a new TitleTown USA, then Salem deserves a good, hard look.
"ESPN, for all the great things about it, it's become so much about hype," Stevens said. "This, to me, is a real, valid contest that provides an opportunity for people to show pride in their community."
That's why Stevens volunteered his time to produce the video. A longtime partnership between his station and the city helped him find the footage he needed quickly. He spliced it together with a narrative he wrote in about 10 minutes.
This may be a small town, but the production value isn't. And if you see Salem on ESPN later this summer, you can thank Stevens.
"I don't know what kind of chance we've got at it," Harveycutter said. "But we're sending it in."
And they should have a shot.
