Does Losing Net a Value For Butle.

A week or so ago Darren Rovell had a blog post on what, if any, value the New Jersey Nets had lost by “winning.” By passing the Philadephia 76ers with their tenth win, was there any actual value from going from the worst ever to just another losing team. The answer according to the collectable market was no, but on the PR side, there is a bit of a value in being the extreme, whether that is best or worst. Certainly the Nets have orchastrated more ccoverage through all their losing than if they were just mediocre, and ironically now that they have passed the 76ers and have reached 11 wins, all that gallows humor has disappeared. Part of it is that baseball has arrived and the Final Four has pulled eyeballs, but part of it is definately that there is no interest in mediocrity, no matter how compelling the story. people love the best, and they have an interest in the worst.

So that leads us to Monday night's NCAA Championship game, and the potential brand value of being second that Butler University may have. A few years ago people became enthralled with Gonzaga University and their rise to be a “mid major” power, yet their run never made it to the brink of the championship, or the heartbreak that the nation saw last night as Gordon Hayward's half court heave almost gave the Bulldogs the national championship. Certainly Butler captured the imagination of a nation for three weeks, and their success buoyed many who root for the magic of the underdog, whether that is real or perceived. So the question comes up…is there any brand value in losing for Butle.? While Duke receives the national attention of a White House visit and everything else that goes with winning a title, will Butler, or the Horizon League, be able to use th. ride to pull in new brands, or find a niche wit. those who will rally behind an effort that certainly many can relate to in these challenging times…to get close to your dreams only to have them fall just shor.? Will we see coach and players hot the speaking trail Rudy-style in the coming years, looking to inspire others to new height. Or will Butler fall into the group of treams or athletes who finish second and are swept away through the tide of current events, especially in an era where the casual fan may already be on to focusing on baseball, Tiger Woods or whatever else will be the flavor of the da. Certainly Butler's run was unique, and its finish was compelling and heartbreaking. The personalities of the athletes were ones that the casual fan can relate to and their style of play was certainly not otherwordly. Rather it was a bit more throwback to a time when hard work and selflessniss was rewarded. So maybe there is an insurance brand, or a financial services company that is sitting out there looking for faces or a brand to rally behind, and Butler becomes that symbol. It would certainly be no slight to Duke if someone did glean on to the Butler rise, but it would be unique in today's winner take all mentality if it did happen and that in the end, losing on Monday became a bit more valuable than winning did.