Second Thoughts

Wolverines use freebies to pad streak

Paige VanZant doesn’t have much MMA experience, but UFC President Dana White said she has an “it factor” that makes her deserving of big endorsement deals and national TV exposure.
Paige VanZant doesn’t have much MMA experience, but UFC President Dana White said she has an “it factor” that makes her deserving of big endorsement deals and national TV exposure.

Michigan's streak of home football games at "The Big House" with more than 100,000 people in attendance got a significant assist from comped tickets in 2014.

The Detroit News reported the school had a significant increase in free tickets given out last season.

There were 62,879 free tickets distributed during the 2014 season that accounted for roughly 8.6 percent of attendance, a sharp increase from the previous season, when 2.8 percent of the attendance came from comp tickets.

Even with the comps, Michigan Stadium surpassed its capacity of 109,901 only once. That came in a night game against Penn State.

The last time Michigan had a home game with fewer than 100,000 was Oct. 25, 1975. The News said the six-figure mark includes "tickets sold, tickets distributed, staffing, catering employees, university facility and operations employees, the spirit squad and marching band, and the media."

The increase in the practice, while striking, isn't all that surprising given Michigan's struggles in 2014. Not only did the team perform poorly on the field, there was the whole debacle with quarterback Shane Morris and the coaching staff's handling of his concussion.

There was a promotion last season where two tickets were (briefly) given away to the team's game against Minnesota with the purchase of a Coca-Cola product. The school called the promotion a "miscommunication" after a picture of the sign started to spread.

MMA'S IT GIRL

As problems go, Paige VanZant has a pretty good one.

At 21, and with only five professional fights to her credit, she finds herself with opportunities that most female fighters dream about.

She has an endorsement deal with Reebok. She's kicking off the main card of UFC on FOX 15 opposite Felice Herrig. She has all the pieces in play to become one of the women's division's precious few well-paid superstars -- if only she can win a few fights.

That's where the problem comes in. As nice as the Reebok money and the main card spot must be, it's hard not to feel like they aren't exactly justified by her accomplishments inside the cage.

In part, that's because her cage time has been so limited. She's had only one fight in the UFC, and it was a prelim. The most recognizable opponent she's faced, Tecia Torres, accounts for her lone loss. Her four victories came against opponents who are a combined 10-8, if their Sherdog records can be believed.

No other fighter on the main card is as inexperienced as she is. No one's even really close.

While VanZant may very well turn out to be a fantastic fighter deserving of big endorsement deals and network TV exposure, she hasn't made that case yet.

This isn't lost on her peers. Other female fighters, especially ones who have been at this for a while, see the two pretty blonde girls on the UFC on FOX 15 poster and they know what the score is.

"I think it's pretty obvious what's going on," Invicta FC bantamweight Tonya Evinger (14-6) told MMAjunkie. "They're selling sex."

Or as UFC President Dana White put it, they're selling VanZant's "it factor."

Judging by fan reactions to videos of VanZant (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Herrig (10-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) getting in each other's faces during pre-fight stare-downs, it's been a pretty successful sales pitch.

QUIZ

When was the first game played at Michigan Stadium?

ANSWER

Oct. 1, 1927. Michigan defeated Ohio Wesleyan 33-0.

Sports on 04/18/2015

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