Letters and Comments

"The Worst College Bowl Sponsors" [usnews.com] included the Chick-fil-A Bowl on the list. The moniker of "worst" could not be further from the truth when it comes to the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Chick-fil-A Bowl is the ninth-oldest bowl game in college football. Originally called the Peach Bowl, the game has been an Atlanta tradition sine 1968, when LSU defeated Florida State in front of roughly 35,000 fans. We've grown a lot since then. On New Year's Eve, we will host our 13th straight sellout of the 71,000-seat Georgia Dome and millions more will watch on ESPN. Like other bowls, the Chick-fil-A Bowl is set up to do three things—drive tourism for the local community, raise money for charity, and provide unique experiences for student-athletes. Judging by these measures, the Chick-fil-A Bowl is among the most successful bowl games in the country. Tourism: Our 13th consecutive sellout trails only the Rose Bowl presented by Citi and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl for longest consecutive streaks. The fans that pour into Atlanta produce an estimated economic impact of more than $30 million, including $1.2 million in direct tax revenue. But that is just half of the impact. Our bowl also hosts the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff to open each season. This game annually pits two of the country's top teams in a game that has been billed the "Daytona 500 of College Football." Total annual impact: more than $60 million. Charity: The Chick-fil-A Bowl leads all bowl games in charitable and scholarship contributions. Last year, the bowl contributed a record $1.2 million to charities and educational institutions and will match that number again this year. The Chick-fil-A Bowl has provided $5.8 million in charitable and scholarship contributions in the last eight years alone, including an additional $100,000 to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund in the wake of the 2008 tragedy on Virginia Tech's campus and a $100,000 donation to the Louisiana State Hurricane Student Relief Fund following Hurricane Katrina. Other organizations to receive significant funding from the bowl include WinShape Homes, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Lion's Lighthouse Foundation, and the National Kidney Foundation. Experience: Year after year we hear that players, coaches, and their families love coming to Atlanta. The Bowl Week is more than just practices and a game. Players experience the best Atlanta has to offer, including visits to the Georgia Aquarium and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Players' lives are enriched by their time in the city for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, and we wouldn't have it any other way. None of the items listed happen without the financial support of a title sponsor, even if your writer Rick Newman finds the name odd. Having a name that is a little out of the ordinary is nothing new to Chick-fil-A, our 43-year-old, rapidly expanding title sponsor. In fact, people have been wondering about the name since they opened their first restaurant in 1967, but it hasn't slowed them down one bit. The company is now one of the largest privately-held restaurant chains in America, with more than 1,400 locations and more than $3 billion in annual sales. When Chick-fil-A first approached us about sponsoring the game, they were a regional brand with an eye toward national expansion. They saw college sports as a vehicle to drive that growth, but it also provided a way to expose players and fans to the values of the Chick-fil-A organization. Our game was struggling with low attendance and the financial support was drying up. Like most of our games, it was a perfect match! Chick-fil-A leveraged its sponsorship to expand its brand nationwide and the bowl has been able to raise its profile and expand its reach. In addition to the bowl, Chick-fil-A has also partnered with us to operate the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff and Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge (a golf tournament where college coaches and famous alumni raise money for their schools). Chick-fil-A was also instrumental in working with us to bring the National Football Foundation's college Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta. In his piece, Newman said, "The marketing geniuses who ink these sponsorship deals mainly care about just one thing­—getting the corporate name in front of the masses." When it comes to our bowl, that statement is just not accurate. While brand recognition is important, it is only one part of a sports sponsorship. Any branding expert will tell you that it is important to align your company's name with events that reach your customer base, align with your values, and give you a platform to support causes important to your organization. We believe that our game achieves this for Chick-fil-A and does much more.

Gary Stokan Chick-fil-A Bowl President and CEO Atlanta

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I am leaving teaching after 15 years to pursue other interests. Teaching has been a great life ["The 50 Best Careers of 2010," usnews.com]. I taught in New York City, its suburbs, and the suburban San Francisco Bay area. In all cases, I met lots of wonderful students, parents, and teaching colleagues. If you enjoy challenging young people to think and reason for themselves, go for it. Teaching isn't for everyone, but if you are open-minded and are willing to let your students teach you too, you will be amazed at how much you can do. There are office politics in most schools and in most businesses, but that is not a reason to avoid teaching. Stay positive and focused, and get to know other like-minded people, and you'll do fine. Avoid the naysayers. They aren't your reason for living anyway!

Comment by Gerard K. of CA

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As a 21-year-old teacher, I don't understand how you can fairly assess gains on test scores without creating an atmosphere where teachers will be "teaching to the test" in order to achieve these gains ["D.C. Schools Chief Michelle Rhee Fights Union Over Teacher Pay," usnews.com]. I teach in the Advanced Academics program and my students already achieve in the 98th percentile. My "General Ed" colleagues have students who have serious learning disabilities and don't qualify for services because there's not a big enough gap between IQ and potential. However, those students are still required to take standardized state tests. If former President Bush was known for "Weapons of Mass Destruction," Obama will be known for "Weapons of Mass Instruction." Merit pay may increase test scores, but I highly doubt that it will increase critical thinking skills in our students.

Comment by Meredith Fisher of VA

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People should try not to focus on the material aspect associated with the holiday season. Gifts are nice, but I prefer the friends, family, and food!

Taylor of CT in response to Public Opinion:
Are the Holidays Too Secular?

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