Purdue student Zach Spangler is rightfully rewarded for his efforts at halftime.
Spangler shot a 40-yard field goal during halftime of Purdue’s home game against Indiana State on August 31. He was entered into a contest sponsored by the Rohrman Automotive Group and would receive $250 and a two-year lease on a car from the dealership for making the field goal.
It wasn’t as easy as it should have been, though. The dealership informed Spangler last week that his kick came 0.005 seconds after the game’s 30-second time limit expired. And since his foot hit the ball a fraction of a second too late, he wouldn’t be leasing the car.
“Our decision not to award him the top prize was not personal, but simply based on principles and rules,” Trey Rohrman told Purdue’s student newspaper The Exponent in an email over the weekend. “We are disappointed that Zach was led to believe that he had completed the challenge.”
The dealership’s principled stance was shortsighted. And, frankly, it didn’t make good business sense. Instead of showing even a modicum of generosity and giving Spangler the lease right away, the dealership was opening itself up to criticism for being stubborn and stingy. And it gave competing dealerships the chance to build up some goodwill of their own and potentially give Spangler a lease on the car.
Clearly, Rohrman Automotive Group realized that the cost of their booth was far greater than the cost of giving Spangler the car. Spangler told the Exponent on Tuesday that he was given the option of a two-year lease or $5,000.
He takes the money. And his kick also led to a rule change. The game still goes on at Purdue home games, but without the 30-second clock.
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