Whispers – Picnic Panic

OK, our totals were off last time concerning the money raised by Alltel’s “Pig Palace” compared to Southwestern Bell’s “Hog Trough” at University of Arkansas football games in Little Rock. The stir resulting from our figures prompted a double check into the financials of both pregame tailgate parties.

rThrough two games this year, War Memorial Stadium Manager Charlie Staggs said Alltel has donated $34,256, or an average of $17,128 per game. The overall figure was incorrectly doubled in our last issue.

rOur point remains, however, that Alltel’s donations to War Memorial Stadium have been impressive.

rBy comparison, Little Rock businessman Jennings Osborne, who administers the dispersal of Bell’s Trough proceeds, said the Hog Trough was running “about the same as last year.”

rIn 1999, the then Alltel Hog Trough donated about $19,000 to War Memorial Stadium. That broke down to more than $6,000 for each of the three games the Hogs played there. Since the Bell Trough’s money is being split this year between War Memorial and the UA, Osborne said about $3,000 per game has been collected by Bell for War Memorial Stadium.

rOsborne said the Trough is serving about 1,000 people per game. Alltel officials said they served 2,520 pork dinners from their Pig Palace on Sept. 2 and 2,745 on Sept. 16.

rIt has been well documented that Bell gave $11.3 million in 1999 to become the UA’s exclusive telecommunications sponsor, so it’s not like the firm hasn’t paid its own hefty tribute to the Razorback gods. We just found the recent donations interesting.

rThe sensitivity of the whole issue is simply further evidence of how important the corporate dollar has become to college sports. Alltel and Bell aren’t fighting over barbecue being served under a tent — they’re fighting for customers.