Albany ConQuest Names July 26th Home Game as the 'Conquest/Price Chopper/Time-Warner Fill The Arena
July 5, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release
(ALBANY, NY) âThe first-place Albany ConQuest (10-2), defending Northeast Division Champions of arenafootball2, unveiled a new joint-promotional partnership with Price Chopper, the largest chain of supermarkets in the northeast, and with Time-Warner's Capital News 9 of Albany.
As the kickoff of this partnership, Conquest officials announced that their Saturday, 7:30 PM, July 26th home game against their bitter rivals, the second-place Mohegan Wolves (8-4), at the Pepsi Arena, has been designated the "Conquest/Price Chopper/Time-Warner Fill The Arena Challenge."
The Conquest and the Wolves have split their first two games this season, with Mohegan winning 52-45 on April 18, and Albany avenging that loss with a 60-36 victory on June 28. The game on July 26th will not only be the rubber match between the two sharp rivals, but could also determine the playoff seeding for the 2003 af2 playoffs.
The Fill The Arena Challenge seeks to break the record for the highest attendance at any af2 game this season. That record was set at 10,229, by the Louisville Fire on opening day on March 29, 2003.
Leading up to the game, Price Chopper will be doing in-store poster promotions, running television and radio ads, and other media advertisements. It will also be making available to its shoppers $5 off lower level corner, end zone, or upper level tickets to the Conquest game (and any playoff games), if they show their Price Chopper AdvantEdge Card at the Pepsi Arena box office.
Time-Warner Capital News 9 is also lending very significant support to promoting the "Fill The Arena Challenge."
Between July 14 and July 26, Capital News 9 will be donating 150 commercials on its own channel, as well as 50 commercials on ESPN, ESPN2, YES, and MSG, as well as cross web links to the Conquest web site. Additionally, Time-Warner will e-mail 80,000 RoadRunner subscribers, promoting attendance at the game, and offering subscribers a chance to win Price Chopper and Albany Conquest prizes.
Capital News 9 will also be covering the event during its regular sports reports, and, depending on scheduling, plans to cover the event live the night of the game. As with all Albany Conquest home games, the July 26th game will be broadcast in full on Time-Warner's Albany Channel 2, Schenectady Channel 14, and Great Barrington Channel 11.
Mona Golub, Manager of Public Relations and Consumer Services of Price Chopper, stated, "We are pleased to lend our support to our hometown professional football team, the Albany Conquest. Arena football is fast paced, exciting, and great family entertainment. We wish them well and look forward to supporting them through the playoffs."
The Conquest players, mascot and dance team will be appearing and signing autographs at various Price Chopper stores leading up to the game, as well as appearing at the Price Chopper tent and football toss area at today's July 4th Fireworks at The Plaza. The Conquest will be running a full-page ad in the Game supplement in the Albany-Times Union that will appear the week of the game. A Price Chopper store employee (or lucky shopper) will be selected to conduct the coin toss at the game and to be interviewed on Time Warner's Capital News 9 broadcast at the game.
At the July 26th game, there will be several half-time activities. Two selected teams of fathers and sons will compete in a QB Toss Challenge to see who can get the most passes into a target in 25 seconds. The high-scorers win a Barbecue Grill from Price Chopper. Then fans will be challenged in a Sling-n-Fling contest to throw numbered mini-footballs at a target at midfield. Price Chopper, will be donating a $100 store gift certificate to the winner. Time-Warner Capital News 9 will also be providing prizes for fans. Finally, the Conquest will be providing prizes such as hats, t-shirts, and souvenirs from the Conquest Fan Center at the Pepsi Arena.
Rob Thompson, General Manager of the Conquest, said, "We appreciate the support and vision demonstrated by Price Chopper and Time-Warner is co-promoting the âFill The Arena Challenge.' These two institutions in our area clearly understand the importance of the success of local sports.
"This âFill The Arena Challenge,'" Thompson continued, "is important to demonstrate that the game is popular and the fans support the team. There are some doubters in the press, who blame the fans for apathy. We don't buy that. Besides, this July 26th grudge rematch with the Mohegan Wolves is going to be electric. They've sworn to crush us in revenge for our 60-36 blowout of their team on June 28th. We shall see. Our team is ready for anything. And no fan who likes excitement is going to want to miss this game."
Peter Taubkin, spokesman for Time Warner Cable - Albany, said, "Time Warner Cable has a long history of supporting local sports in this market. We're uniquely positioned to deliver live local sports programming to over 300,000 customer homes, and join other supporters in recognizing the import of having successful local sports teams thrive in our community."
Bob Belber, General Manager of the Pepsi Arena stated, "The excitement in the arena during Conquest games is just as intense as that during the NCAA championship event and near sell-out Siena basketball game."
âPrice Chopper and Time Warner have really "stepped up" to support our hometown Albany Conquest. I am personally asking every resident in the Capital region to help us Fill the Arena on July 26th and break the league's attendance record. The players and coaches are so proud of their success, but perhaps more important, they really are proud of playing in Albany. Help us meet the challenge. Let's show the rest of the country that Albany loves arena football", further stated Belber.
For ticket information, call (518) 487-2222.
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