Greensboro Grasshoppers get thirsty with Jim Boeheim promotion

Jim Boeheim’s take on Greensboro set the internet aflame on Wednesday, especially once the city itself responded on Twitter. Lost in the shuffle, of course, was the fact that he wasn’t wrong about keeping the ACC Tournament in larger cities. It’s just that the delivery of the message may have hurt its acceptance among the conference’s old guard.

As mentioned at the time, the city’s response to Jim was well-placed shade, and exactly the type of thing that any smart social media manager would (and should) do in response to criticism like Jim’s.

Yesterday, Class-A minor league baseball team the Greensboro Grasshoppers also wanted in on that sweet, #hotsportstake action.

From the website:

The Greensboro Grasshoppers announced today that Tuesday April 11, 2017 will be the ‘Jim Boeheim (No) Value Night’ at First National Bank Field. All fans with a valid Syracuse, NY Driver's License will be given a free ticket, $20 in food and beverage vouchers, and a pre-game meet and greet with retired Hall of Fame Bat Dog, Miss Babe Ruth, for the 7:00PM game against the Delmarva Shorebirds.

"Contrary to what Jim Boeheim thinks, Greensboro is a great place and we want to show off our city, our ballpark and our southern hospitality to our friends from Syracuse. We know that not all of them are whiners and grouches like their basketball coach," said Grasshoppers Team President and General Manager Donald Moore.

Boeheim will be honored during the "Whine of the Game" that night sponsored by Carolina Pediatrics of the Triad. "We may invite the coach to attend, although his presence will bring us no value, none," Moore continued. "I suspect he may already have plans to be at a game in New York, Washington, or Atlanta that evening and unable to come."

It’s all typical, minor league promotion, I suppose. But this does come off as incredibly thirsty. The conversation was gone by the end of Wednesday, and the promo more reads as an angry local business owner than a witty (see the city’s quip) response to the Syracuse Orange basketball coach.

They grabbed plenty of headlines on Thursday, though, which was ultimately the goal here. Can’t knock them for putting in the effort for a little press. Class-A teams aren’t ones to make non-local news much.

If you’re anywhere near Greensboro — and I’m sure a few of you are — this seems like a deal you shouldn’t pass up, especially if SU makes the tournament again.

And if they happen to get back to ANOTHER surprise Final Four... I’d almost guarantee Boeheim makes the trek down in April, solely for gloating purposes.