Alvarez, Music City Bowl Reps Address The Media Wednesday
December 03, 2003 | Football
Wisconsin head football coach Barry Alvarez graciously accepted an official invitation and the "key to the city" of Nashville, Tenn., for the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone Wednesday afternoon at the Kohl Center.
Chairman Joe Kelley of the Bowl's Board of Directors and Executive Director Scott Ramsey presented Alvarez with a guitar emblazoned with the Music Bowl logo and Wisconsin's Motion W as Nashville's key to the city and the official invitation to attend the Bowl on Dec. 31.
Following the presentation, Alvarez, Kelley and Ramsey addressed the media and discussed the upcoming game as well highlights and events for fans making the trip to Music City, U.S.A.
A partial transcript can be found below. Complete video is available by clicking on the "Multimedia" link located in the red menu bar above and then scrolling to the bottom of the page for "Notable Broadcasts".
Fans interested in learning more information about the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone can visit www.musiccitybowl.com
Opening Statement by Joe Kelley, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl: 'Thank you very much. Good afternoon. It's a delight to be here and a pleasure to serve as the chairman of the board for the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl as presented by Bridgestone. It 's nice to be here on behalf of our board of directors, our staff, volunteers and also the Nashville (Tenn.) community. I'm particularly pleased that Scott Ramsey (Executive Director of the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl) - if you don't know him, well you'll get to know him ' he's the executive director of our bowl and he and his staff just do an outstanding job. Our organization and the entire city is excited about the opportunity to host the University of Wisconsin. You know I would be remiss if I did not mention what I think is the tremendous tradition and reputation that Wisconsin has, which I think is a direct tribute to coach Alvarez and (UW Director of Athletics) Pat Richter as well for their leadership.
'Last year, we entered into a new partnership with the Big Ten conference. We're confident that it is providing our young bowl with a formula for success for several reasons: 1. Off the bat is a match-up of the two premiere football conferences in the United States, the Big Ten and the SEC; 2. The availability to offer a destination city that would give the majority of fans from both conferences an opportunity to drive to the game if they desire; third, it's an event that our local Nashville community is embracing and also gives us the opportunity to showcase as a national audience on ESPN. This year's event is shaping up to be what we believe to be our best ever: a New Year's date for the bowl, New Year's Eve; the addition of another local sponsor in Bridgestone in addition to our title sponsor Gaylord Hotels; the new community marketing campaign that will have in excess of three thousand youths attending the game and these are kids who are primarily involved in the youth football leagues and ' more importantly, we are excited to have the Wisconsin Badgers and your fans participating in this year's bowl game. We look forward to having all of you in Nashville. But now for the real reason that we are here.
'On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to formally invite the University of Wisconsin to the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone. Now in doing that, we do some things a little differently in Nashville and coach I would like to present to you our version of the key to the city in Music City, U.S.A. (Kelley stands up and gets guitar from Ramsey) And if you don't know Scott Ramsey, you should have seen the looks he got going through the Chicago airport. He didn 't get any in Nashville, but he did here (laughing). This is our key to the city (hands coach Alvarez guitar). A guitar that we present to you and all of the Badger fans and we're delighted you're here. I have to tell you one other thing that goes with this. This is the sixth year of our young bowl and the SEC has not won a game yet.'
Wisconsin head football coach Barry Alvarez: 'We hope to continue that.'
Joe Kelley: 'So your predecessors said you have to keep that going and keep that winning streak. We are delighted to have you and your team be a part of our bowl.'
Barry Alvarez: 'Well Joe, on behalf of the University of Wisconsin and all of our football team and administration, we accept this with tremendous honor and we feel privileged to have the opportunity to come to Nashville and represent the Big Ten conference at this bowl game. We have heard tremendous things about your bowl and your city and we think we bring a package. It's not only our football team, but it's a tremendous band that we are very proud of and a fan base that I think Nashville will respect once we leave (smiling). Like I said at the bowl in 1993, they asked whether I thought we would have a number of people in red and I said `You 'll see a number of people in red and they will come with their ankles taped '.'
Joe Kelley: 'Ready to play! That's great.'
MEDIA Q & A
Barry, I would like to see you strum the guitar. 'I have to admit that I can't do it, but I will take lessons for you. '
For Joe or Scott, tell the fans in Madison what they will see and get and be involved with down at the bowl.
Joe Kelley: 'Let me take a shot at that and Scott can give you more detail. As I mentioned this is the sixth year of the bowl and we have been very successful in a short period of time. You will find I think without any question that Nashville is one of the friendliest cities, if not the friendliest city in the country with its Music U.S.A. party, you will have a number of things in and around Nashville during the holiday season, not the least of which will be something we think will be unique to some of your bowl experiences coach, the night before the game on Second Avenue, which is the entertainment district of Nashville, is a Battle of the Bands which usually draws 20,000 to 30,000-plus people to listen to the event for a while. That will be a fun thing to do. I think you will find that the things that we have planned for the players and coaches, at least as they have time, will certainly display the hospitality of Nashville and the number of things that we have lined up for them. We are also very pleased to play this in the new coliseum which is a great venue there that the Tennessee Titans use as their home field. They have big game coming up this weekend by the way. I think you will find that the hospitality and the number of things to do that will make it enjoyable and that's our effort to do that. Scott may want to touch on some issues. '
Scott Ramsey: 'I think in the packet there we had a extensive list of events and everything. I think just to add a little bit on to Joe, we have tried to schedule a four-day package where we have opportunities for everybody from fans to players to the band and cheerleader party to special events that will happen throughout those three to four days from about (December) 27 through the 31. Not only that, but I think our city hosts events well. I think that is one of the reasons that the bowl is an important event for us to start when we built the stadium five years ago. I think it will be a very walkable city from hotels to entertainment to restaurants to our stadium all within a package of downtown that is all available by walking. So from that standpoint we feel very confident about hosting the event.'
On the close proximity of the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl to Wisconsin and the fit with the UW's needs in a bowl:
Barrry Alvarez: 'I thought it was an excellent fit and I would be remiss if I didn't thank the Big Ten conference, some of the other bowls, the committee from the Music City Bowl for all being so cooperative to allow us to move quickly and have this bowl invitation at such an early date. It's enabled a number of our fans to make plans and to start to make plans to drive down, to make plans to be at the game and decide how they want to be there. From what I understand from our ticket manager, the response has been very good so far. I thought it was a perfect fit and I think it will end up being a perfect fit.'
