I know this is talked about way too much, but for a top ten team at home for only two more games this crowd is embarrassing.
Can't fill the lower bowl for a top ten team at tip off?
Generations of MU fans would kill for this type of team.
Reminds me of a 2000/2001 crowd...those were rough days
Its the opponent. I know you guys don't care....many fans do.
Midterms?
you'd think we were back in C-USA playing ECU
Quote from: mu89 on February 22, 2012, 07:15:50 PM
Midterms?
A two hour study break was always perfect for me.
Quote from: DCWarriors04 on February 22, 2012, 07:16:34 PM
you'd think we were back in C-USA playing ECU
ECU is only about 20 behind Rutgers in both kenpom and RPI.
STFU about opponent
This is sad.
They're studyin'
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on February 22, 2012, 07:25:07 PM
ECU is only about 20 behind Rutgers in both kenpom and RPI.
Do they have two top 10 wins as well?
Too busy watching the game to care
guess we always gotta have somethin to b*itch about here...
Quote from: PTM on February 22, 2012, 07:27:43 PM
STFU about opponent
This is sad.
Students come out depending on the opponent. Sorry that reality gets in the way of how you think the world works.
Quote from: PTM on February 22, 2012, 07:27:43 PM
STFU about opponent
No....I'm not going to STFU assh*le. Seriously...wtf is that?
I can guaranty you that if this were a highly ranked opponent, the student section would be packed. Diehard fans can't seem to get this, but the quality of the opponent matters to the casual fan, and most fans are casual fans.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on February 22, 2012, 07:36:00 PM
No....I'm not going to STFU assh*le. Seriously...wtf is that?
I can guaranty you that if this were a highly ranked opponent, the student section would be packed. Diehard fans can't seem to get this, but the quality of the opponent matters to the casual fan, and most fans are casual fans.
+1
I'm pretty sick of the crowd talk on this board. Get over it. We're playing Rutgers. The crowd is what it is. Enjoy the game
Maybe they gave up watching shi*ty opponents for Lent?
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on February 22, 2012, 07:36:00 PM
No....I'm not going to STFU assh*le. Seriously...wtf is that?
I can guaranty you that if this were a highly ranked opponent, the student section would be packed. Diehard fans can't seem to get this, but the quality of the opponent matters to the casual fan, and most fans are casual fans.
+2....did you honestly expect it to be filled?
Anybody who has paid any attention to this team the past 5 years or so knows the struggle it's been to fill the student section, and if you pay attention to this board at all you know we've beaten that dead horse repeatedly....time get over it and just enjoy the team, the student section is what it is.
If you're posting here, then you obviously aren't at the game either (or watching it live)...
That being said, I am 600 miles away from BC
Quote from: wheresthecake? on February 22, 2012, 07:48:00 PM
+2....did you honestly expect it to be filled?
Anybody who has paid any attention to this team the past 5 years or so knows the struggle it's been to fill the student section, and if you pay attention to this board at all you know we've beaten that dead horse repeatedly....time get over it and just enjoy the team, the student section is what it is.
... and sorry for beating another dead horse. We still get 2,000+ students to the game. That is equal to 25% of the undergrad population. Duke has 6,000 undergrads and draws 650 students.
The students are not bad. They just have too many seats given the size of the BC.
I'm sitting in my season ticket seat homeboy
Is the rest of the stadium full? I'm pretty sure the attendance rate of students is probably 10x that of alumni living in the Milwaukee area. I realize there are differences between the two groups but still. How many of you writing on this thread are sitting in your living rooms in Tosa? I'm an alum and I love MU BBall, but it is awfully easy for many alumni to be awfully hypocritical when it comes to attendance.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 22, 2012, 07:54:22 PM
. They just have too many seats given the size of the BC.
This
Chief
Did they shut the lights off in the upper deck of the Bradley Ctr? Usually you can see all the empties, but not tonight.
Quote from: DJO's Pump Fake on February 22, 2012, 07:54:35 PM
I'm sitting in my season ticket seat homeboy
Well then watch the game and quit complaining...
i can't stand the jerks who can't get to their seat for the start of the game/2nd half. don't worry, we'll all get blocked out from watching the game while you take your sweet @ss time, waving to people who really don't care to see you, checking your cell phone, and finally making your way through your isle was everyone has to stand to let you through. wish they would block people at the entrance until a dead ball.
Quote from: avid1010 on February 22, 2012, 08:18:16 PM
i can't stand the jerks who can't get to their seat for the start of the game/2nd half. don't worry, we'll all get blocked out from watching the game while you take your sweet @ss time, waving to people who really don't care to see you, checking your cell phone, and finally making your way through your isle was everyone has to stand to let you through. wish they would block people at the entrance until a dead ball.
Have you never been to a sporting event?
Zzzzzzzzz.
Wake me when this thread is over.
Zzzzzzzzz.
It wasn't an "embarrassing" crowd. It was a standard crowd for any Wednesday night versus a bottom feeder conference team.
That MU is #10 is going to influence very few non-season ticket holders under those circumstances.
Best weekday crowd of the BE conference season. Exactly on the average of the year.
----
Day Date Opponent Attendence Average
Friday 11/11/2011 Mount St. Mary 13,834
Monday 11/14/2011 Norfolk State 12,765 13,300
Monday 11/28/2011 Jacksonville 12,848 13,149
Saturday 12/10/2011 Green Bay 14,208 13,414
Saturday 12/17/2011 Northern Colorado 13,593 13,450
Thursday 12/22/2011 UWM 14,917 13,694
Thursday 12/29/2011 Vanderbilt 15,684 13,978
Sunday 1/1/2012 Villanova 14,550 14,050
Wednesday 1/11/2012 St. Johns 14,484 14,098
Saturday 1/14/2012 Pittsburgh 18,404 14,529
Monday 1/16/2012 Louisville 16,688 14,725
Tuesday 1/24/2012 USF 13,693 14,639
Tuesday 1/31/2012 Steton Hall 13,828 14,577
Saturday 2/11/2012 Cincy 18,815 14,879
Wednesday 2/22/2012 Rutgers 14,807 14,875
I don't know where the numbers come from, but there is NO WAY there were ~15K in attendance tonight. There must have been 5 large who decided to watch from the concourse. Should we revisit the door vs. the attendants again?
Also have to question Cincy. 18,815? That is near record numbers--didn't happen.
GU will be sold out and rockin.........by these numbers I would say maybe close to 22K, maybe 23K. ;)
BTW--F Steton Hall.
Agree with MU84 on the size of MU's student body and the size of the Bradley Center. Seriously, stop talking about a small Jesuit University filling a cavernous 18K Hockey Arena for a Wednesday Night game against a nothing opponent. I live in Seattle and barely watched the game and I am a HUGE fan. The opponent matters, students don't give a crap about games on weekdays, and fans get complacent so easily when a team gets DD wins.
Go Warriors!!
I think another thing to keep in mind is that MU has had realtively few weekend home Big East games this year. On the flip side, they play a ton of road games on Saturdays.
Here's the breakdown:
Home BE schedule:
Sun - Villanova (no students)
Wed - St. John's
Sat - Pitt
Mon - Louisville
Tues - South Florida
Tues - Seton Hall
Sat - Cincinnati
Wed - Rutgers
Sat - Georgetown
Road BE schedule:
Wed - Georgetown
Sat - Syracuse
Sat - Providence
Sat - Villanova
Sat - Notre Dame
Mon - DePaul
Sat - UConn
Fri - West Virginia
Wed - Cincinnati
So, MU plays 5 home games during the week, and 4 on the weekends (only 3 with the students in school). They go on the road for 6 weekend games and 3 weekday games. I'd also suggest that if you flipped the home and road schedules, the students would have packed the games for Syracuse, Notre Dame and West Virginia, much more so than the games against USF, Seton Hall and Rutgers.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on February 22, 2012, 07:36:00 PM
No....I'm not going to STFU assh*le. Seriously...wtf is that?
I can guaranty you that if this were a highly ranked opponent, the student section would be packed. Diehard fans can't seem to get this, but the quality of the opponent matters to the casual fan, and most fans are casual fans.
If the students can't fill the lower bowl every game regardless of visiting team, then cut the section down. At least stop calling it the best in the country.
Marquette had better student showings against Norfolk State and Jacksonville than Rutgers, that is the problem. But you wouldn't know, you weren't at the game, or the previously mentioned games.
Get off the high horse as*hole.
I'm with PTM on this one. If an entertaining Top 10 team, that has won 11 of 12, can't bring out students then nothing will.
It's pathetic. Cut down the section in the upper deck and sell those seats to STH. At least make some more money off of those empty seats.
Can we rename this thread mountains out of molehills plz?
Quote from: MUfan12 on February 22, 2012, 10:55:44 PM
I'm with PTM on this one. If an entertaining Top 10 team, that has won 11 of 12, can't bring out students then nothing will.
It's pathetic. Cut down the section in the upper deck and sell those seats to STH. At least make some more money off of those empty seats.
At least give the tickets away to groups or MPS or something.
Usually I stay away from these threads, but not having the lower bowl filled for a conference game is entirely unacceptable and is a new low water mark.
The attendance is solid; it's all about the size of the venue. If we were in a 12,000 seat arena, we'd be talking about 100+ sellouts in a row. As a parallel, SLU can't fill up a beautiful new 10,000 seat arena:
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/slu/bernie-on-slu-s-attendance-problems/article_b38cbe40-598e-11e1-964b-0019bb30f31a.html
SLU is a different type of program, but the school size and urban location are very comparable.
Quote from: PTM on February 22, 2012, 10:51:53 PM
If the students can't fill the lower bowl every game regardless of visiting team, then cut the section down. At least stop calling it the best in the country.
Marquette had better student showings against Norfolk State and Jacksonville than Rutgers, that is the problem. But you wouldn't know, you weren't at the game, or the previously mentioned games.
Get off the high horse as*hole.
Sooooo classy.
Cut down the section? Really? Whatcha gonna do for big games then when it is completely sold out? A Wednesday night game against a crap team...
One last question: You give up common sense for lent?
Quote from: Warriors10 on February 22, 2012, 11:06:16 PM
Sooooo classy.
Cut down the section? Really? Whatcha gonna do for big games then when it is completely sold out? A Wednesday night game against a crap team...
One last question: You give up common sense for lent?
What am I going to do? For starters, make more money off the seats by selling them at higher value than the students pay?
Why does Rutgers draw less than Norfolk or Jacksonville for the students? Where's the common sense there?
Quote from: Warrior of Law on February 22, 2012, 11:06:03 PM
The attendance is solid; it's all about the size of the venue. If we were in a 12,000 seat arena, we'd be talking about 100+ sellouts in a row. As a parallel, SLU can't fill up a beautiful new 10,000 seat arena:
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/college/slu/bernie-on-slu-s-attendance-problems/article_b38cbe40-598e-11e1-964b-0019bb30f31a.html
SLU is a different type of program, but the school size and urban location are very comparable.
No problems with overall attendance from me. I'm directed solely at the students who couldn't fill the lower bowl. That hasn't been a problem since injured Diener, MJax point center games.
I am confused...as the student section in the lower bowl was near full...latecomers yes, but the only empties were in the band section.
No way were there 2,000 students there tonight. The students that were there did a nice job, so want to acknowledge that. They weren't the only ones who didn't show up, though. At best, the BC looked half-full. Quite pathetic, frankly, for a top ten team.
So if 15,000 tickets were sold for this game, where was everybody else? We drive from Chicago, and wouldn't dreamed of missing it, whoever they were playing.
after seeing anonymous eagles pic on the blog tonight of the student section i felt ill. that is sad and repulsive what the students with student tickets did tonight. for unnatural carnal knowledge sake i had the end of the deane and first two rotten dick head years as mine at mu, yeah nit. this team is top ten and these over priveledged hipster fucks cant go to a game? unnatural carnal knowledge them. just give them the 2 sections behind the hoop as they obviously have more important crap do like jack off. i mean seriously assholes, cant fill the lower bowl?? i gave my season tcket away 2 fucking weeks ago bc i had 34 customers flying to chicago for training i had to entertain and these spoiled fucks couldn't make the game??? unnatural carnal knowledge em...cut the tickets...not like they will notice anyway
Quote from: avid1010 on February 22, 2012, 08:18:16 PM
wish they would block people at the entrance until a dead ball.
Pretty sure I wouldn't copy anything DePaul does, except this. If you aren't in the section when the ball is put is thrown in the air at the beginning of the game/put into the play at the beginning of the second half, you should have to wait 'til the 16-minute time out to take your seat. Exception would be a time out/free throw IMHO.
Quote from: PTM on February 22, 2012, 10:51:53 PM
If the students can't fill the lower bowl every game regardless of visiting team, then cut the section down. At least stop calling it the best in the country.
Marquette had better student showings against Norfolk State and Jacksonville than Rutgers, that is the problem. But you wouldn't know, you weren't at the game, or the previously mentioned games.
MU undergrad is 8,000 Student section of the lower bowl seats 2,000. Total size of the student section is 3,600. If the lower bowl is full, that is 25% of the undergrad population. I wrote this already.
So, let's compare this to what many
think is the best student section in the country. They have 6,000 undergrads and play in an arena on campus. They also get to sit between the end lines, not behind the basket.
So yes, MU is the best student section in the country. Try going to going to weekday night games against bottom feeders at other schools and tell me who is better.
-------------
http://dukechronicle.com/article/low-attendance-forces-duke-athletics-sell-student-seats
Low attendance forces Duke Athletics to sell student seats
January 24, 2012
Once regularly an asylum for 1,200 Crazies, Section 17 at Cameron Indoor Stadium now rarely plays host to a student-only crowd.
Student attendance at men's basketball games has fallen consistently over the last five years, even dropping after Duke won its fourth national championship in 2010. This season, approximately 650 undergraduates have attended each game, 150 fewer than during the 2008-09 season. As a result, Duke Athletics has begun to sell an increasing number of general admission tickets in the student section on a regular basis.
"It has nothing to do with the revenue. We just want it to be full," Director of Marketing and Relations Mike Forman said. "If there were 1,200 students every game we would love it."
This is not the first season in which students have been accompanied by paying customers in Section 17, the 1,200-seat stretch of bleachers that run parallel to the court across from the team benches. Last season, Section 17 tickets were sold for every regular season home game except for Michigan State and North Carolina. Approximately 850 tickets are sold to home games during winter break, reserving 100 spots for local students to attend.
"It does take a lot to go to K-Ville and wait outside, sometimes in the cold and in the rain, and then go into Cameron where you have to stand and jump up and down," co-head line monitor Ellie Garrett said. "Students need to realize that going to Cameron is... an awesome experience."
This lack of undergraduate interest has led Duke Athletics to sell about 300 tickets per game this season, priced at $65. The general admission tickets are offered first to Iron Dukes and then to football and women's basketball season ticket holders. If there were still to be tickets remaining after that opportunity, they would be opened up to the general public, though that situation has yet to arise.
The head line monitors meet with Forman 10 days before each home game to approximate the number of undergraduates who will attend based on a variety of factors, including game time, day of the week and other campus events.
When the Blue Devils played Wake Forest last week, 400 tickets were made available to Iron Dukes because of concerns over the game's competition with fraternity and sorority rush, along with the Demon Deacons' struggles. Still, Section 17 was still under capacity at tip-off, leading head coach Mike Krzyzewski to gesticulate across the court during play, encouraging the fans to get louder.
No general admission tickets have been sold for this Saturday's game against St. John's, however.
"The enthusiasm hasn't been there," Forman said. "[Head coach Mike Krzyzewski] has had to drum up enthusiasm himself, which he shouldn't have to do. The students should be doing that themselves... whether 500 or 1,200 of them are there."
One of the biggest causes of the declining attendance is the students' misconception of the time commitment involved, Garrett said, along with the increasing prevalence and popularity of online streaming on sites like WatchESPN.com.
"The rumor we've had to deal with over the past couple years is that it's hard to get into games, and if you show up half an hour before tipoff you won't get in," Garrett said. "We've been trying really hard... to really debunk those rumors because they're simply not true."
Another part of the problem has been an underwhelming home schedule over the past several years due to a down ACC and marquee nonconference matchups moving to Madison Square Garden. Duke has played just three ranked nonconference teams in Cameron Indoor Stadium over the last four years, and only three ACC teams are currently placed in the Associated Press Top 25.
Diminishing student attendance is a national trend, Forman said, and collegiate sports marketing departments have been combating it in a variety of ways. Many have altered their in-game experiences to become more engaging during stoppages in play, especially timeouts and halftime. Over the last few years, Duke has begun incorporating highlight videos, player introductions and popular music into its pregame festivities, but the marketing department currently has no plans to significantly alter the in-game atmosphere.
"Every other school in the country is playing canned music during timeouts, doing cheesy promotions," Forman said. "We try to stay away from that."
During the offseason, the sports marketing staff plans to investigate more of the underlying factors of the undergraduate attendance decline. Until then, though, the few students left will just have to get Crazier.
Maybe the NCAA will move the team to Vegas.
I haven't seen the entire student section full this season. Lower, yes, upper, not once. Maybe offer the student seats to recent grads. Between college and finally getting up the money to afford season tickets took a few years, and I imagine quite a few local grads would love the opportunity to get those seats at a discounted rate.
This would have never happened if Crean was still here.
Quote from: brewcity77 on February 23, 2012, 05:35:17 AM
I haven't seen the entire student section full this season. Lower, yes, upper, not once. Maybe offer the student seats to recent grads. Between college and finally getting up the money to afford season tickets took a few years, and I imagine quite a few local grads would love the opportunity to get those seats at a discounted rate.
The upper bowl student section was filled for he Cincinnati game. I had the luxury of sitting in the Miller box that game and went and got my cousin, who is a freshman this year, to come sit with us at halftime. He was siting two rows from the top of the Bradley Center and the sections on either side of him were full too. It helps that the game was actually played on a Saturday afternoon instead of a Tues or Wed night.
I don't understand these posts. Don't we end most years pretty high on the attendance list nationally? And don't we do that in a smaller town (27th in the country) with a smaller enrollment than other schools?
Marquette has a great and passionate fan base. What those disgusted by our turnout want is for Marquette to, really, single handedly buck the trend of live sporting event attendance.
We're already doing better than 95% of other schools. I guess we could do a little better, but asking for Marquette fans to be so completely unlike all other fans all over the country is kind of silly.
* * *
As for reducing the student section to sell more tickets: the day the stadium is full to capacity except for the student section, I'll agree. Until then, there are plenty of seats for folks to buy.
Quote from: Norm on February 23, 2012, 06:49:14 AMThe upper bowl student section was filled for he Cincinnati game. I had the luxury of sitting in the Miller box that game and went and got my cousin, who is a freshman this year, to come sit with us at halftime. He was siting two rows from the top of the Bradley Center and the sections on either side of him were full too. It helps that the game was actually played on a Saturday afternoon instead of a Tues or Wed night.
Entirely possible. That was one of two games (Louisville the other) that I wasn't able to attend this year. I'm optimistic that we'll be full up again for Georgetown, and am actually a bit disappointed they lost to Seton Hall the other night. While I know that it's good for us in terms of getting the double-bye, I was hoping that game would be contested between two top-ten teams.
It will still be one of the three biggest games in the country on the final day, along with UNC/Duke and Louisville/Syracuse, but if we're both in the top-ten, that'd just be monstrous.
While I would not go as far as saying the crowd was embarassing last night, the student section was smaller than I expected. MU is a top ten team and there were only two home games left. Rutgers is a not-so-sexy opponent, but I was still surprised at the relatively small number of students.
MU has to stop saying it is the best student section in the country before tip off and then shining spot lights on thousands of empty seats. It actually makes me laugh.
I am not blaming just the students. The MU marketing department does not seem as aggressive as in past years. When was the last time there was a bobblehead giveaway? I am not suggesting bobbleheads are the answer, but only that it is an indication of how the marketing efforts have declined.
I am excited for a great crowd against Georgetown to send Jae and DJO out in style.
I live 20 miles from the RAC where Rutgers play their games. They would die for half that attendance at a game.
Quote from: Utile et Dulce on February 23, 2012, 07:44:21 AM
I don't understand these posts. Don't we end most years pretty high on the attendance list nationally? And don't we do that in a smaller town (27th in the country) with a smaller enrollment than other schools?
Marquette has a great and passionate fan base. What those disgusted by our turnout want is for Marquette to, really, single handedly buck the trend of live sporting event attendance.
We're already doing better than 95% of other schools. I guess we could do a little better, but asking for Marquette fans to be so completely unlike all other fans all over the country is kind of silly.
* * *
As for reducing the student section to sell more tickets: the day the stadium is full to capacity except for the student section, I'll agree. Until then, there are plenty of seats for folks to buy.
Marquette does that because of the number of tickets sold; not the number of actual people who show up.
The part that strikes me funny still, and has for the last two to three seasons, it certainly seems MU is selling tickets to these games, and that being the case, why would people who've already spent their money on a ticket then waste that money by not showing up?
With the 'late arrivers', the students filled the lower bowl with the exception of the seats behind the band. There were some in the upper deck.
One of the challenges MU has is that tickets are rarely scarce. Obviously the big Saturday games are packed at it is entirely possible that Georgetown will be an all time record crowd. But a Tuesday or Wednesday evening is generally going to draw 14,000+ in this economic climate. And again, it was way worse 10-15 years ago. MU does quite well.
The interesting numbers are the total of season tickets sold each year.
If you watch a Georgetown or Nova game (and definitely St John's @ MSG) they have similar "issues". NBA arenas are a blessing and a curse. On March 3rd it will be a blessing.
Quote from: The Lens on February 23, 2012, 08:20:01 AM
If you watch a Georgetown or Nova game (and definitely St John's @ MSG) they have similar "issues". NBA arenas are a blessing and a curse. On March 3rd it will be a blessing.
Yep. Georgetown rarely has many peopel in the upper bowl (save for when Syracuse comes to DC), and their student sections are just the immediate sections behind both baskets. Granted, they have to haul across town to play in the Verizon Center, but Marquette games generally have a better crowd and atmosphere than Georgetown games.
Quote from: muwarrior69 on February 23, 2012, 08:10:09 AM
I live 20 miles from the RAC where Rutgers play their games. They would die for half that attendance at a game.
Rutgers doesn't have a top-10 team, but they have an enrollment of over 50,000.
I haven't read through this whole thread so I apologize if someone else mentioned this.
Marquette having a very good team has become the norm. Students are used to MU being good so when they play a team that isn't a big name, it's not a big deal. Similarly, for the first 3 basketball seasons I was a student at MU (98-99 thru 00-01), the big draw was the opponent. If MU was playing a highly ranked team, the student section would be packed. If not, you could show up at tipoff and sit in the first 10 rows. When MU had Wade, it was an exciting event to go to MU games because they were actually that highly-ranked team worth seeing. The current students don't remember MU being anything more than a perennial NCAA Tournament team so, much like the norm to students around my age was an NIT team who was only worth watching when they played a big-time opponent, the norm to students today is a perennially ranked team who isn't worth watching if they're going to blow out a conference bottom-dweller.
We look at it and say, "How could the students not want to come see a Marquette team that's this good?!" while the students say, "Marquette is always good. Why would we want to go see them beat up Rutgers?"
For better or worse, that's how it goes. Personally, I'd much rather have it the way it is now than the way it was 10-12 years ago.
Who cares if they call it the best student section in the country and posters here disagree? Only the people in attendence hear that anyway, it never goes out on a broadcast.
What has bothered me all season is whoever runs the scoreboard is terrible at updating player substitutions! Every game I've been at so far has seen players subbing in but often when you look up to see who player 55 that just scored/blocked a shot/fouled etc. is for the visiting team they aren't even listed on the scoreboard even if they've been on the floor 5 minutes. I don't recall ever noticing this happen in previous seasons.
Quote from: brewcity77 on February 23, 2012, 05:35:17 AM
I haven't seen the entire student section full this season. Lower, yes, upper, not once. Maybe offer the student seats to recent grads. Between college and finally getting up the money to afford season tickets took a few years, and I imagine quite a few local grads would love the opportunity to get those seats at a discounted rate.
Then you should get your eyes checked, it was full to the rafters versus Cincinnati. I said this at the time, too. Students had their backs against the upper deck wall that Saturday.
Everybody points fingers at the students and wants to sell parts of the student section to other fans. Well, considering the rest of the Bradley Center's attendance was as weak as the student's, I don't think that makes much sense.
EDIT: Didn't see this had been settled on the third page.
Quote from: MUStudent on February 23, 2012, 09:39:10 AM
Then you should get your eyes checked, it was full to the rafters versus Cincinnati. I said this at the time, too. Students had their backs against the upper deck wall that Saturday.
Everybody points fingers at the students and wants to sell parts of the student section to other fans. Well, considering the rest of the Bradley Center's attendance was as weak as the student's, I don't think that makes much sense.
The rest of the BC was pretty packed. Upper deck was probably 75% full.
The students didn't bother to show up.
Quote from: Skatastrophy on February 23, 2012, 09:41:02 AM
The rest of the BC was pretty packed. Upper deck was probably 75% full.
The students didn't bother to show up.
You are absolutely incorrect. Not sure what you were looking at, but the student section was 100% full. Do you guys scan the audience with 20 minutes until tip and then never look up again or something?
Quote from: The Golden Avalanche on February 23, 2012, 08:10:33 AM
Marquette does that because of the number of tickets sold; not the number of actual people who show up.
That's how everybody reports attendance numbers so your point, or lack thereof, is moot.
Quote from: MUStudent on February 23, 2012, 09:42:48 AM
You are absolutely incorrect. Not sure what you were looking at, but the student section was 100% full. Do you guys scan the audience with 20 minutes until tip and then never look up again or something?
Last night. I don't really care about your wayback machine.
No wonder we didn't make this list. http://www.facebook.com/ilovecollegehoops?sk=app_148595948584796
Quote from: avid1010 on February 22, 2012, 08:18:16 PM
i can't stand the jerks who can't get to their seat for the start of the game/2nd half. don't worry, we'll all get blocked out from watching the game while you take your sweet @ss time, waving to people who really don't care to see you, checking your cell phone, and finally making your way through your isle was everyone has to stand to let you through. wish they would block people at the entrance until a dead ball.
+1 At Blackhawks games they hold the patrons back until stoppage on the ice, then you can go to your seats.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 23, 2012, 04:02:51 AM
MU undergrad is 8,000 Student section of the lower bowl seats 2,000. Total size of the student section is 3,600. If the lower bowl is full, that is 25% of the undergrad population. I wrote this already.
So, let's compare this to what many think is the best student section in the country. They have 6,000 undergrads and play in an arena on campus. They also get to sit between the end lines, not behind the basket.
So yes, MU is the best student section in the country. Try going to going to weekday night games against bottom feeders at other schools and tell me who is better.
Why are you only looking at undergraduate population. MU is not close to the best student section in the country. Not close. At times we are very good, but this year has been disappointing for all the reasons mentioned. We aren't a top 10 team very often and not predicted to be this year. The team is playing great. The Duke example you give is different in a number of ways. They truly are this good every year so they have a built in factor that there is nothing new. Michigan's student attendance this year has been extremely impressive. MSU's is always great.
The top student section in the country doesn't care about day of the week or who the opponent is. They go to see their team, all other factors be damned. Tickets are cheap. It's a 1 mile walk to the BC or take a shuttle.
Quote from: RawdogDX on February 23, 2012, 05:36:33 AM
This would have never happened if Crean was still here.
Difficult to say, but part of the disappointment is that it happened far less frequently in the past then it is today, despite a really good team. There is a disconnect somewhere with the students and the athletic \ basketball department. I don't know if it is apathy or lack of trying by the marketing guys. Wish we could get it fixed as the students play an important role.
Quote from: Utile et Dulce on February 23, 2012, 07:44:21 AM
I don't understand these posts. Don't we end most years pretty high on the attendance list nationally? And don't we do that in a smaller town (27th in the country) with a smaller enrollment than other schools?
Yes we do. There is also the listed number or attendance and the people that show up in the stands to cheer, which are often two different things. Some of the frustration people are venting is the latter, not the former.
Quote from: muwarrior69 on February 23, 2012, 08:10:09 AM
I live 20 miles from the RAC where Rutgers play their games. They would die for half that attendance at a game.
Marquette is not Rutgers. We're a top 10 team. I'm sure Illinois State and Bethune Cookman would die for our attendance.
Quote from: MerrittsMustache on February 23, 2012, 08:44:38 AM
I haven't read through this whole thread so I apologize if someone else mentioned this.
Marquette having a very good team has become the norm. Students are used to MU being good so when they play a team that isn't a big name, it's not a big deal. Similarly, for the first 3 basketball seasons I was a student at MU (98-99 thru 00-01), the big draw was the opponent. If MU was playing a highly ranked team, the student section would be packed. If not, you could show up at tipoff and sit in the first 10 rows. When MU had Wade, it was an exciting event to go to MU games because they were actually that highly-ranked team worth seeing. The current students don't remember MU being anything more than a perennial NCAA Tournament team so, much like the norm to students around my age was an NIT team who was only worth watching when they played a big-time opponent, the norm to students today is a perennially ranked team who isn't worth watching if they're going to blow out a conference bottom-dweller.
We look at it and say, "How could the students not want to come see a Marquette team that's this good?!" while the students say, "Marquette is always good. Why would we want to go see them beat up Rutgers?"
For better or worse, that's how it goes. Personally, I'd much rather have it the way it is now than the way it was 10-12 years ago.
As someone who used to bash the students all the time, it's not all their fault. They, like casual MU fans, become complacent with success. That's not a knock, it's just human nature. Call it spoiled or whatever you want. But when you are an underdog team and don't have high expectations placed on you and you are successful the crowd/fans get more rowdy (see year one of James/Matthews/McNeal or the season following their departure). There was a buzz about the team because they were the scrappy underdog. This year that's not the case.
Like Merritt says, students and most MU fans expect them to beat Rutgers. So, why pay money to go see MU beat a crappy Rutgers team on a weeknight? It might suck but that's life.
And I know it's been mentioned, but if MU played in an arena that sat 12,000 - 15,000, every game would be packed. Playing in the BC has its plusses and minuses. Drawing 15,000 to a weeknight game doesn't seem like a big deal when it seems so cavernous in there and the place seats 19,000.
At this point...what r ya gonna do? Even if the student section is packed in the lower bowl and they are cheering, you don't really hear them much or at least they don't drive the crowd noise as much in such a huge arena.
Quote from: jmayer1 on February 23, 2012, 09:43:08 AM
That's how everybody reports attendance numbers so your point, or lack thereof, is moot.
No crap.
And, that wasn't my point.
There is a good direct comparision we can make, that holds most of the variable constant. We played Rutgers at home two years ago in a mid-week game while students were in session.
Between 2010 and last night, there was a decline of nearly 2,000 fans, or 11.8%
2010 (last time Rutgers was in town):
RU Record: 9-10, 0-8 in conference
MU Record: Unranked, 12-8 overall, 3-5 in conference (first home game after road losses to DePaul, SU)
Game date: Tuesday, January 26
Attendance: 16,793
2012:
Record: 12-16, 4-11 in conference
MU Record: Ranked #10, 22-5, 12-3 in conference (10-1 record in last 10 games)
Game Date: Wednesday February 22
Attendance: 14,807
Its not our coach is (Buzz for both games)
Its not the opponent (Rutgers for both games)
Its not due to a weekday game (mid-week for both games)
It's not due to the quality of the opponent (Rutgers sucked both games)
It's not due to student break (classes in session both games)
It's not due to the weather (no storms yesterday--maybe in 2010, but that would reduce att. for 2010)
It's not due to disappointment in MU's season to date (we're much better than 2010)
Its not the economy (Unemployment has improved since 2010)
I guess that leaves the argument that Tuesday games draw better than Wednesday.
Either that, or Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant) Fred Hill is a much bigger draw than current Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant Mike Rice) :)
I don't know what the answer is to the decline in attendance--but I don't think it can't easily be dismissed with any of the usual explanations.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 23, 2012, 04:02:51 AM
MU undergrad is 8,000 Student section of the lower bowl seats 2,000. Total size of the student section is 3,600. If the lower bowl is full, that is 25% of the undergrad population. I wrote this already.
So, let's compare this to what many think is the best student section in the country. They have 6,000 undergrads and play in an arena on campus. They also get to sit between the end lines, not behind the basket.
So yes, MU is the best student section in the country. Try going to going to weekday night games against bottom feeders at other schools and tell me who is better.
Bahahahaha! No one on this board thinks they're the best. Students weren't the best when I was there, before I was there or since I left. Even though it's an opinion, there's no way you can sell that to yourself.
You're numbers are little hazy. I know the majority of statistics are made up, but just doing an eye test if the student section is 3,600 seats, then the lower bowl doesn't hold over half of the capacity.
If you want some actual numbers, here we go.
Marquette has 11,599 students that can buy students tickets, not just the 8,000 undergrad that you posted.
The total size of the student section is not 3,600 seats, but 4,100 seats. The lower bowl, not including the band is approximately 1,100.
I'm sure we've gone over these numbers before.
Anyway, it's not too much to expect 9.5% of the available body of students to show up and fill the lower bowl for Rutgers. It wasn't an issue for lesser opponents this season, and hasn't been an issue for even lesser conference foes after the Final Four dark days. Filling the lower bowl should be the standard for every game, except maybe an exhibition.
Quote from: The Equalizer on February 23, 2012, 11:10:27 AM
There is a good direct comparision we can make, that holds most of the variable constant. We played Rutgers at home two years ago in a mid-week game while students were in session.
Between 2010 and last night, there was a decline of nearly 2,000 fans, or 11.8%
2010 (last time Rutgers was in town):
RU Record: 9-10, 0-8 in conference
MU Record: Unranked, 12-8 overall, 3-5 in conference (first home game after road losses to DePaul, SU)
Game date: Tuesday, January 26
Attendance: 16,793
2012:
Record: 12-16, 4-11 in conference
MU Record: Ranked #10, 22-5, 12-3 in conference (10-1 record in last 10 games)
Game Date: Wednesday February 22
Attendance: 14,807
Its not our coach is (Buzz for both games)
Its not the opponent (Rutgers for both games)
Its not due to a weekday game (mid-week for both games)
It's not due to the quality of the opponent (Rutgers sucked both games)
It's not due to student break (classes in session both games)
It's not due to the weather (no storms yesterday--maybe in 2010, but that would reduce att. for 2010)
It's not due to disappointment in MU's season to date (we're much better than 2010)
Its not the economy (Unemployment has improved since 2010)
I guess that leaves the argument that Tuesday games draw better than Wednesday.
Either that, or Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant) Fred Hill is a much bigger draw than current Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant Mike Rice) :)
I don't know what the answer is to the decline in attendance--but I don't think it can't easily be dismissed with any of the usual explanations.
Have ticket prices gone up significantly since 2010?
Quote from: MUStudent on February 23, 2012, 09:39:10 AMThen you should get your eyes checked, it was full to the rafters versus Cincinnati. I said this at the time, too. Students had their backs against the upper deck wall that Saturday.
EDIT: Didn't see this had been settled on the third page.
Guessing you saw that I wasn't there for Cincy ;)
Quote from: The Equalizer on February 23, 2012, 11:10:27 AM
There is a good direct comparision we can make, that holds most of the variable constant. We played Rutgers at home two years ago in a mid-week game while students were in session.
Between 2010 and last night, there was a decline of nearly 2,000 fans, or 11.8%
2010 (last time Rutgers was in town):
RU Record: 9-10, 0-8 in conference
MU Record: Unranked, 12-8 overall, 3-5 in conference (first home game after road losses to DePaul, SU)
Game date: Tuesday, January 26
Attendance: 16,793
2012:
Record: 12-16, 4-11 in conference
MU Record: Ranked #10, 22-5, 12-3 in conference (10-1 record in last 10 games)
Game Date: Wednesday February 22
Attendance: 14,807
Its not our coach is (Buzz for both games)
Its not the opponent (Rutgers for both games)
Its not due to a weekday game (mid-week for both games)
It's not due to the quality of the opponent (Rutgers sucked both games)
It's not due to student break (classes in session both games)
It's not due to the weather (no storms yesterday--maybe in 2010, but that would reduce att. for 2010)
It's not due to disappointment in MU's season to date (we're much better than 2010)
Its not the economy (Unemployment has improved since 2010)
I guess that leaves the argument that Tuesday games draw better than Wednesday.
Either that, or Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant) Fred Hill is a much bigger draw than current Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant Mike Rice) :)
I don't know what the answer is to the decline in attendance--but I don't think it can't easily be dismissed with any of the usual explanations.
Wow. Real good analysis here.
Quote from: muwarrior69 on February 23, 2012, 08:10:09 AM
I live 20 miles from the RAC where Rutgers play their games. They would die for half that attendance at a game.
+1
I love to see the BC filled, but if the lower bowl is at least filled there shouldn't be many complaints. The BC is a HUGE arena to fill for college basketball and some of you may have seen where the great Duke was having trouble filling their student section this year (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/01/duke-is-struggling-to-fill-student-section-with-students/1#.T0Z7GlHSw7s). It's even smaller than MU's.
There is nothing to complain about. Rutgers sucks and when you're a student it's not easy to make it to those Wednesday night games.
Quote from: The Equalizer on February 23, 2012, 11:10:27 AM
There is a good direct comparision we can make, that holds most of the variable constant. We played Rutgers at home two years ago in a mid-week game while students were in session.
Between 2010 and last night, there was a decline of nearly 2,000 fans, or 11.8%
2010 (last time Rutgers was in town):
RU Record: 9-10, 0-8 in conference
MU Record: Unranked, 12-8 overall, 3-5 in conference (first home game after road losses to DePaul, SU)
Game date: Tuesday, January 26
Attendance: 16,793
2012:
Record: 12-16, 4-11 in conference
MU Record: Ranked #10, 22-5, 12-3 in conference (10-1 record in last 10 games)
Game Date: Wednesday February 22
Attendance: 14,807
Its not our coach is (Buzz for both games)
Its not the opponent (Rutgers for both games)
Its not due to a weekday game (mid-week for both games)
It's not due to the quality of the opponent (Rutgers sucked both games)
It's not due to student break (classes in session both games)
It's not due to the weather (no storms yesterday--maybe in 2010, but that would reduce att. for 2010)
It's not due to disappointment in MU's season to date (we're much better than 2010)
Its not the economy (Unemployment has improved since 2010)
I guess that leaves the argument that Tuesday games draw better than Wednesday.
Either that, or Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant) Fred Hill is a much bigger draw than current Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant Mike Rice) :)
I don't know what the answer is to the decline in attendance--but I don't think it can't easily be dismissed with any of the usual explanations.
Ash Wednesday? Did Gesu have a 7PM Mass for the after work crowd?
Now for some real heresy....how about moving some of the weeknight or weak OOC games to the old arena across the street. For sentimental reasons (the 60 or so games I saw there), I could see the appeal. It would drive the season ticket holders nuts, though.
Quote from: LeftyWarrior on February 23, 2012, 07:57:26 AM
While I would not go as far as saying the crowd was embarassing last night, the student section was smaller than I expected. MU is a top ten team and there were only two home games left. Rutgers is a not-so-sexy opponent, but I was still surprised at the relatively small number of students.
MU has to stop saying it is the best student section in the country before tip off and then shining spot lights on thousands of empty seats. It actually makes me laugh.
I am not blaming just the students. The MU marketing department does not seem as aggressive as in past years. When was the last time there was a bobblehead giveaway? I am not suggesting bobbleheads are the answer, but only that it is an indication of how the marketing efforts have declined.
I am excited for a great crowd against Georgetown to send Jae and DJO out in style.
This has nothing to do with marketing. I live 1,500 miles away from Milwaukee and I still knew that there was a theme, created by the marketing department, for last night's game. Follow them on twitter if you're not satisfied with their efforts, then at least you'll see how much they do. MU has hands down one of the best marketing staffs in the country. I posted on another thread about going to last Saturday's UConn game and their game presentation was pathetic. Also, their student section was not better than MU's and they are the defending national champs.
Quote from: tower912 on February 23, 2012, 11:54:09 AM
Now for some real heresy....how about moving some of the weeknight or weak OOC games to the old arena across the street. For sentimental reasons (the 60 or so games I saw there), I could see the appeal. It would drive the season ticket holders nuts, though.
Now why would they do that? They have sold thousands more tickets than the old arena's capacity for every game for at least a decade.
If you want nostalgia, one can go to an away game against UWM.
Quote from: We R Final Four on February 22, 2012, 10:06:36 PM
I don't know where the numbers come from, but there is NO WAY there were ~15K in attendance tonight.
It's paid attendance, that is where the numbers come from.
Quote from: tower912 on February 23, 2012, 11:54:09 AM
Now for some real heresy....how about moving some of the weeknight or weak OOC games to the old arena across the street. For sentimental reasons (the 60 or so games I saw there), I could see the appeal. It would drive the season ticket holders nuts, though.
The old arena across the street holds a capacity of 10,783 for basketball.
Last night's "embarrassing" attendance was 14,807.
Need I say more?
p.s. If MU averaged an "emabrasing" 14,807 per game last year, it would have ranked merely 15th in the nation. Oh, the humanity.
Quote from: Chili on February 23, 2012, 02:44:16 AM
after seeing anonymous eagles pic on the blog tonight of the student section i felt ill.
FWIW, that pic was taken before MU came out on to the court right before introductions. By tipoff, the lower bowl sections were nearly all filled in.
Also, I'm seeing people claim that 2K of the 3600 student seats are downstairs? Given the triangular shape of the sections in the lower bowl, I find that hard to believe.
Quote from: The Equalizer on February 23, 2012, 11:10:27 AMI don't know what the answer is to the decline in attendance--but I don't think it can't easily be dismissed with any of the usual explanations.
If I were to guess, I would say the importance of the game. Right now, we are a lock for the tourney and I'm sure many saw last night's game as a formality. In 2010, that wasn't the case. We were 11-8 (2-5) coming into the Rutgers game but had shown flashes of possibly being a tournament team if things started to break right for us. Of our 8 losses, 7 of them were by a combined 16 points, and 4 of those had come against teams ranked in the top-8 in the country. I remember that's when Andy Glockner of SI first jumped on the Marquette bandwagon, boldly (and accurately) predicting we would go from 2-5 to 11-7 (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_glockner/01/18/bubble.watch/1.html) in the Big East.
Bottom line, that Rutgers game was important, and started a stretch where Marquette won 9 of 10 games. Just think back to that 2010 team...Hayward, Butler, Acker, Cooby, DJO...that was the time when we were all thinking of how close they were to being good and just waiting for them to start finishing the close games.
I understand that on paper it seems to be the same, but the importance of those two games couldn't be more disparate when you take time to remember just what that Rutgers game meant at the time.
Quote from: Warrior1214 on February 23, 2012, 11:46:39 AM
+1
I love to see the BC filled, but if the lower bowl is at least filled there shouldn't be many complaints. The BC is a HUGE arena to fill for college basketball and some of you may have seen where the great Duke was having trouble filling their student section this year (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/01/duke-is-struggling-to-fill-student-section-with-students/1#.T0Z7GlHSw7s). It's even smaller than MU's.
There is nothing to complain about. Rutgers sucks and when you're a student it's not easy to make it to those Wednesday night games.
Really? It's not easy? You have to be fucking kidding me....this might be the most absurd thing posted on this board ever. You are a college student not a heart surgeon for Christ's sake. What a bunch of twats!
+1,000 >:(
Quote from: Chili on February 23, 2012, 12:21:03 PM
Really? It's not easy? You have to be fracking kidding me....this might be the most absurd thing posted on this board ever. You are a college student not a heart surgeon for Christ's sake. What a bunch of twats!
DOES THIS LOOK EASY TO YOU?
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2zpjhgk.jpg)
Quote from: Chili on February 23, 2012, 12:21:03 PM
Really? It's not easy? You have to be fracking kidding me....this might be the most absurd thing posted on this board ever. You are a college student not a heart surgeon for Christ's sake. What a bunch of twats!
Apparently someone forgot about the students playing in the game, managing the team on the bench, playing in the band, on the cheerleading/dance teams, or interning with the athletic department who are giving up WAY more than the 3 hours needed to walk to the BC, watch the game, and walk home.
Quote from: Warrior1214 on February 23, 2012, 11:59:11 AM
MU has hands down one of the best marketing staffs in the country.
Completely laughable.
Quote from: Chili on February 23, 2012, 12:21:03 PM
Really? It's not easy? You have to be fracking kidding me....this might be the most absurd thing posted on this board ever. You are a college student not a heart surgeon for Christ's sake. What a bunch of twats!
Not to single you out here, but by "easy" I'm assuming he means academic-wise. Which means its the same old argument - where is your priorities? And just because you made basketball a priority (as I did in when I was in school) doesn't mean that current MU students should either.
I also don't think raking the guy over the coals is a good way to get him to change his mind.
"Completely Laughable" = +1.
One of the best? Please. It's ok. But nothing that great. They had a nice deal for a ticket I saw for last night's game ($20 for a ticket, shirt and towel or something like that?).
Then again, this harkens back to the marketing-related discussion last week.
Quote from: Warrior1214 on February 23, 2012, 11:59:11 AM
MU has hands down used to have one of the best marketing staffs in the country
Fixed.
Quote from: Chili on February 23, 2012, 12:21:03 PM
Really? It's not easy? You have to be fracking kidding me....this might be the most absurd thing posted on this board ever. You are a college student not a heart surgeon for Christ's sake. What a bunch of twats!
Nice name you called my kid. She would have gone to the game, but she was busy working. She drives the LIMO that makes sure that the students who got to go to the game get home safely, even if they are wasted.
Quote from: warriorchick on February 23, 2012, 12:44:54 PM
Nice name you called my kid. She would have gone to the game, but she was busy working. She drives the LIMO that makes sure that the students who got to go to the game get home safely, even if they are wasted.
So, she drives only senior students, aina?
Quote from: 4everwarriors on February 23, 2012, 12:49:47 PM
So, she drives only senior students, aina?
Pregaming takes care of the others.
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on February 23, 2012, 12:38:04 PM
Not to single you out here, but by "easy" I'm assuming he means academic-wise. Which means its the same old argument - where is your priorities? And just because you made basketball a priority (as I did in when I was in school) doesn't mean that current MU students should either.
I also don't think raking the guy over the coals is a good way to get him to change his mind.
I certainly buy the priority argument.
Anyone who has visited over the last decade has noticed the student at MU is a little more serious then what we got up to during our time. Still, we're not talking New Haven or Palo Alto.
Most importantly, it's a two hour window. It wouldn't be that hard -- even during a testing week -- to schedule the studying to where a basketball game can be your break. In fact, my guess is it would be beneficial for the mind.
How many student should go to the game? What is the number that says they are supporting the program?
MU has 8,012 undergrads and 3.587 post grads, total 11,600.
Duke has 6,526 undergrads and 8,220 post grads for a total of 14,746. They get 650 to a game and sell the rest of the student tickets to the general public. No one questions their support. We are on page four of this pointless thread.
I think the answer is whatever the size of the stadium we play in. So long as it "looks good." So if we played in Miller Park and all 11,600 student showed up and 20,000 general public, we would whine that their are still 20,000 empty seats and it means we do not support our team.
Conversely, if we played Rutgers in the AL and 1,000 students showed up, and the other 2,000 seats were sold-out, we would then be the best supported program in the country.
This seems to be what we are arguing.
Quote from: The Golden Avalanche on February 23, 2012, 01:27:52 PM
I certainly buy the priority argument.
Most importantly, it's a two hour window. It wouldn't be that hard -- even during a testing week -- to schedule the studying to where a basketball game can be your break. In fact, my guess is it would be beneficial for the mind.
20% to 25% of the students agree with this. The rest have other priorities for that study break.
I think 20% to 25% is very high and show supprt.
Say what you want, but this doesnt look good - even if its 5 mins before the game.
(http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/523070574.jpg?key=20471318&Expires=1330026632&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIYVGSUJFNRFZBBTA&Signature=Ws~b6AY88uA~mRo1qm0u~BwIhUS~31F9Lf1~VmrMNBPDXb2tKBLzJf66qiTjzedw7K825FFehl09TPsI8bt6KccSXUWNwTRL9JhnhQ87ejmwJs1MZtRBerDuP9jvWD-zwKmpraRUfC~910FWsJEFljeBEMJYtZzuaGbcgdKs8lU_)
Quote from: Aughnanure on February 23, 2012, 01:37:55 PM
Say what you want, but this doesnt look good - even if its 5 mins before the game.
The students would come out if Tom Crean were still coach.
I drove up for the game from Chicago. Left work early to get my son and his friend to come with me. The game was wonderful and the team was outstanding. I didn't give a damn whether the Arena was filled or not.
Perhaps we were expecting the Al days, when he knew he was successful when the last seat in the last row was filled. Well, as already has been pointed out, Al filled an arena with 10.782 seats. At issue is whether those Marquette teams could have filled THIS arena?
My own view is that given Marquette and the Milwaukee Bucks, plus that loser school on the East Side, there may be too much basketball for a city the size of Milwaukee. The question that ought to be asked is whether Marquette or anyone could fill the Bradley Center on a weekday night without a Top 5 opponent?
Is Milwaukee worthy of a Marquette-caliber team?
Quote from: Henry Sugar on February 23, 2012, 01:40:56 PM
The students would come out if Tom Crean were still coach.
We should fire Buzz, and do it before the Georgetown game.
Quote from: Aughnanure on February 23, 2012, 01:37:55 PM
Say what you want, but this doesnt look good - even if its 5 mins before the game.
(http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/523070574.jpg?key=20471318&Expires=1330026632&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIYVGSUJFNRFZBBTA&Signature=Ws~b6AY88uA~mRo1qm0u~BwIhUS~31F9Lf1~VmrMNBPDXb2tKBLzJf66qiTjzedw7K825FFehl09TPsI8bt6KccSXUWNwTRL9JhnhQ87ejmwJs1MZtRBerDuP9jvWD-zwKmpraRUfC~910FWsJEFljeBEMJYtZzuaGbcgdKs8lU_)
The clock is 6:55 so it is 12 minutes before the game, not 5. Yes those 7 minutes matter and it was a later arriving crowd. Where is the 7:30 picture?
Quote from: Henry Sugar on February 23, 2012, 01:40:56 PM
The students would come out if Tom Crean were still coach.
I don't know why you would say that. The students love, love, love Buzz. And I would bet that if, during his handshaking with the student section at the beginning if the game, someone said, "Hey, Buzz, I blew off studying for tomorrow's Biochem midterm to be here!", he'd respond with, "What the hell are you doing here? You should be at the library!"
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 23, 2012, 01:44:49 PM
The clock is 6:55 so it is 12 minutes before the game, not 5. Yes those 7 minutes matter and it was a later arriving crowd. Where is the 7:30 picture?
Its from Anonymous Eagle, I'm 800 miles away.
Everyone is missing the most obvious answer here: the BC started policing the student drinking in line a couple of years ago, so the social joy of waiting in 5 degree weather for two hours to get a seat in the lower bowl just doesn't have the same impact. Students have become soft hairy wet cats now-a-days.
Hell, back in the day, I would go pick a bar fight with a longshoreman pre-game as a warm-up.
Quote from: warriorchick on February 23, 2012, 01:49:13 PM
I don't know why you would say that. The students love, love, love Buzz. And I would bet that if, during his handshaking with the student section at the beginning if the game, someone said, "Hey, Buzz, I blew off studying for tomorrow's Biochem midterm to be here!", he'd respond with, "What the hell are you doing here? You should be at the library!"
Sugar doesn't swing with teal.
Quote from: Dr. Blackheart on February 23, 2012, 01:56:10 PM
Everyone is missing the most obvious answer here: the BC started policing the student drinking in line a couple of years ago, so the social joy of waiting in 5 degree weather for two hours to get a seat in the lower bowl just doesn't have the same impact. Students have become soft hairy wet cats now-a-days.
Hell, back in the day, I would go pick a bar fight with a longshoreman pre-game as a warm-up.
Is this true? Cause if so this makes much more sense than "the kids are studying" argument. Back in the Three Amigo days, it was hard to get a lower bowl seat if you didn't come 1.5-2 hours before the game - and much longer when we played the top-tier teams.
This threadnaught is so full of tears. I love it! :D
I sacrificed studying for an IT exam to be there, but I for one can understand why plenty of students, during an exam-heavy week, might want to just watch us beat up on the state college of New Jersey on a Wednesday night from the comfort of their apartments/dorm rooms
I think I'm more disappointed in the alumni. That's right I said it
They should just had the games at the Al Mcguire Center. That way it will hopefully be to capacity...
Quote from: The Equalizer on February 23, 2012, 11:10:27 AM
There is a good direct comparision we can make, that holds most of the variable constant. We played Rutgers at home two years ago in a mid-week game while students were in session.
Between 2010 and last night, there was a decline of nearly 2,000 fans, or 11.8%
2010 (last time Rutgers was in town):
RU Record: 9-10, 0-8 in conference
MU Record: Unranked, 12-8 overall, 3-5 in conference (first home game after road losses to DePaul, SU)
Game date: Tuesday, January 26
Attendance: 16,793
2012:
Record: 12-16, 4-11 in conference
MU Record: Ranked #10, 22-5, 12-3 in conference (10-1 record in last 10 games)
Game Date: Wednesday February 22
Attendance: 14,807
Its not our coach is (Buzz for both games)
Its not the opponent (Rutgers for both games)
Its not due to a weekday game (mid-week for both games)
It's not due to the quality of the opponent (Rutgers sucked both games)
It's not due to student break (classes in session both games)
It's not due to the weather (no storms yesterday--maybe in 2010, but that would reduce att. for 2010)
It's not due to disappointment in MU's season to date (we're much better than 2010)
Its not the economy (Unemployment has improved since 2010)
I guess that leaves the argument that Tuesday games draw better than Wednesday.
Either that, or Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant) Fred Hill is a much bigger draw than current Rutgers coach (and former MU assistant Mike Rice) :)
I don't know what the answer is to the decline in attendance--but I don't think it can't easily be dismissed with any of the usual explanations.
Here is the thread from two years ago whining how the January 26, 2010 Rutgers crowd sucked
http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=17580.0
Do these two year old comments sound familar?
There's no way there were 14,000 people at the game. Students probably numbered little less than a 1,000, there were plenty of empty seats in their area in the lower bowl. I sit in the upper deck several rows from the top, and most of the seats in front of us that are usually filled were empty.
Student turnout was very poor for the game, especially being only one week into the semester.Lower level was primarily full. Student section was filled in the lower bowl but empty up top. I believe the student section is where you get the difference between actual attendance and reported attendance. Very disappointed with the student section last night. First week back, I would have thought there would have been more. Granted it wasn't horrendous, I just thought there would have been a lot more. Maybe our record has something to do with it. student section was a joke.
the place haqd maybe 10k people. you people who think they had more are nuts.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 23, 2012, 02:21:52 PM
Here is the thread from two year ago whining how the January 26, 2010 Rutgers crowd sucked
http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=17580.0
Do these two year old comments sound familar?
There's no way there were 14,000 people at the game. Students probably numbered little less than a 1,000, there were plenty of empty seats in their area in the lower bowl. I sit in the upper deck several rows from the top, and most of the seats in front of us that are usually filled were empty.
Student turnout was very poor for the game, especially being only one week into the semester.
Lower level was primarily full. Student section was filled in the lower bowl but empty up top. I believe the student section is where you get the difference between actual attendance and reported attendance. Very disappointed with the student section last night. First week back, I would have thought there would have been more. Granted it wasn't horrendous, I just thought there would have been a lot more. Maybe our record has something to do with it.
student section was a joke.
the place haqd maybe 10k people. you people who think they had more are nuts.
End of thread.
Compared to weekday Bucks games, last night's crowd was like the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
Quote from: brewcity77 on February 23, 2012, 12:18:06 PM
If I were to guess, I would say the importance of the game. Right now, we are a lock for the tourney and I'm sure many saw last night's game as a formality. In 2010, that wasn't the case. We were 11-8 (2-5) coming into the Rutgers game but had shown flashes of possibly being a tournament team if things started to break right for us. Of our 8 losses, 7 of them were by a combined 16 points, and 4 of those had come against teams ranked in the top-8 in the country. I remember that's when Andy Glockner of SI first jumped on the Marquette bandwagon, boldly (and accurately) predicting we would go from 2-5 to 11-7 (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_glockner/01/18/bubble.watch/1.html) in the Big East.
Bottom line, that Rutgers game was important, and started a stretch where Marquette won 9 of 10 games. Just think back to that 2010 team...Hayward, Butler, Acker, Cooby, DJO...that was the time when we were all thinking of how close they were to being good and just waiting for them to start finishing the close games.
I understand that on paper it seems to be the same, but the importance of those two games couldn't be more disparate when you take time to remember just what that Rutgers game meant at the time.
That's certainly an interesting theory. I wouldn't have given the average fan that much credit. I probably would have guessed that the loss at DePaul might have dampened enthusiasm from the average fan, making them less likely to buy a ticket. But let's run with the theory for now.
If you're correct, then the game against Seton Hall on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 would have been an equally unimportant game, and if your theory holds, show low attendance.
--We came into that game a lock for the tourney with a 21-4 overall record and 11-2 in conference--actually slightly better than the 22-5/11-3 record we had going into last night.
--Game was midweek just like last night
--Seton Hall was slightly better than Rutgers--but still just 14-10/5-7 in conference at the time.
Did the unimportance of the game keep the crowd small?
Nope. Attendance for that game was 18,709. Almost 4,000 more than we had last night.
Maybe Seton Hall had a large number of alums in Milwaukee that artifcially inflated attendance that night. :D
I'll offer another reason: Bradley Center/Game Fatigue.
Even though this year we have fewer BC games, the experience of a Season Ticket Holder over the course of ~20 games can be draining. (everyone get ready with their tiny violins.)
Figure it's 3 hours per game, we're now entering the 54-57th hour of getting in your car, finding a parking spot, marching to the BC, etc. Not to mention leaving the BC, getting to your car, fighting to get on the freeway, then forking over $30 to the babysitter for the 19th time.
All for watching MU beat up on Rutgers.
Just sayin. My wife and I haven't missed a game in years, and went last night. But the joy of going to the 1st game versus the 19th game is different. That could easily explain why there were 5 empty seats in my row last night, usually filled.
Quote from: The Equalizer on February 23, 2012, 04:29:04 PM
That's certainly an interesting theory. I wouldn't have given the average fan that much credit. I probably would have guessed that the loss at DePaul might have dampened enthusiasm from the average fan, making them less likely to buy a ticket. But let's run with the theory for now.
If you're correct, then the game against Seton Hall on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 would have been an equally unimportant game, and if your theory holds, show low attendance.
--We came into that game a lock for the tourney with a 21-4 overall record and 11-2 in conference--actually slightly better than the 22-5/11-3 record we had going into last night.
--Game was midweek just like last night
--Seton Hall was slightly better than Rutgers--but still just 14-10/5-7 in conference at the time.
Did the unimportance of the game keep the crowd small?
Nope. Attendance for that game was 18,709. Almost 4,000 more than we had last night.
Maybe Seton Hall had a large number of alums in Milwaukee that artifcially inflated attendance that night. :D
... and here is the thread about the crowd for the February 17, 2009 Seton Hall game ..
Title: Last Night's Student Section = Weak Sauce
http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=12690.0
Some excerpts:
You have a top 10-15 team, playing their 3rd to last home game of the year, against a quality opponent that has been playing well as of late...and you guys drop the ball. Bottom level wasn't even completely full, we saw whole rows of the section behind the band open, and there were maybe 100 scattered in the first few rows of the upper deck. You can't use midterms as an excuse as they are two weeks away.
Very disappointing. I expect nothing short of chaos next Wednesday. You need to go and redeem yourselves. Clearly, we gotta stop the announcement about the "Best Student Section in the Country" before games, after showings like last night.
I have to agree with this thread. Those students that were there did a nice job....but where was everyone else?! I don't get it. Top 10 team, 3rd to last opportunity to watch an amazing group of seniors and there were barely any students in the upper deck....baffling.honestly?....I'd cut the student section by 1500 seats.Just pathetic, what exactly would it take to get the students all there? as stated already, top ten team, three games left! They are so predictable, of course next week its a big name top rated team so they will all show up. Well last nights game was important as well. How many students have night classes, just pathetic!
Marquette students ain't what they use to be. They worry way to much about grades now. They don't even realize that these are the best years of their lives and be able to get hammered and root for your hoops team on a Tuesday night.Agreed. The students are great....the ones that are there always bring it. I don't buy the "we Marquette students have other things to do argument." Really...like what? Please don't tell me studying...it's a Tuesday night in February...it's 3 hours out of your day. I understand not wanting to miss a class, but indifference or hanging out on your couch is not a good excuse. This school hangs its hat on basketball, this team is top 10 and there's 3 frickin home games left for this group...get to the Bradley Center! Ugh.---------------
Einstein's definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Literally every weekday game back to 2008 has a thread whining about the crowd. And each one is writiten as if it is a total surprise and giving us some new never heard information.
Quote from: Skatastrophy on February 23, 2012, 09:44:06 AM
Last night. I don't really care about your wayback machine.
Student section was probably 65-70% full and the rest of the arena was probably 70-75%. So I guess some fans would have relished the opportunity to purchase tickets high in the corner of the upper deck rather than the ones closer to midcourt that were clearly readily available?
That argument doesn't make any sense. If the rest of the arena was sold out, I would have no counter to that logic, but it wasn't even close, so how would opening up more seats help anybody?
Quote from: Pakuni on February 23, 2012, 12:13:43 PM
The old arena across the street holds a capacity of 10,783 for basketball.
Last night's "embarrassing" attendance was 14,807.
Need I say more?
p.s. If MU averaged an "emabrasing" 14,807 per game last year, it would have ranked merely 15th in the nation. Oh, the humanity.
No way there were more than 10,000 bodies there last night.
Quote from: jmayer1 on February 23, 2012, 09:43:08 AM
That's how everybody reports attendance numbers so your point, or lack thereof, is moot.
NFL is through the turnstyles. But, in a comparison of one college to another, you are correct.
Haha it's so awesome to be rooting for a team that literally has so little to complain about, we have to nit pick the school's marketing. (Which has delivered at least a top-11 national attendance ranking for three consecutive years.)
Times are good, fellas. Wish more people were at the games to appreciate it... #ZING!
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 23, 2012, 04:50:27 PM
I'll offer another reason: Bradley Center/Game Fatigue.
Even though this year we have fewer BC games, the experience of a Season Ticket Holder over the course of ~20 games can be draining. (everyone get ready with their tiny violins.)
Figure it's 3 hours per game, we're now entering the 54-57th hour of getting in your car, finding a parking spot, marching to the BC, etc. Not to mention leaving the BC, getting to your car, fighting to get on the freeway, then forking over $30 to the babysitter for the 19th time.
All for watching MU beat up on Rutgers.
Just sayin. My wife and I haven't missed a game in years, and went last night. But the joy of going to the 1st game versus the 19th game is different. That could easily explain why there were 5 empty seats in my row last night, usually filled.
Isn't that part of the discussion whether to renew a season ticket or not? If it gets to be a drain by February, why go through with that stress and/or fatigue? Just buy a five pack and few extra games that better fit the schedule.
It's easy for those who go every game to say it could be fatigue. It's easy for those who can't go to every game to say fatigue is bullshit. I could see both sides but, in the end, we're talking about getting in and out of Milwaukee, not Los Angeles. It may be the easiest city I've ever encountered with regard to traveling "downtown".
The answer to that one is simple, TGA. 5-packs are in the upper bowl. Season tickets (for a lot of us) are in the lower bowl. I know some sing the praises of being in the upper deck .. but I have no love for watching a game in the rafters.
And indeed, it's not hard to get to the BC .. from the final buzzer to my house it's under 25 minutes. Regardless, it's a factor in the adventure of a 2 hour basketball game.
Every game, every seat has a value to its owner, and that's different for every person. Sometimes they go, sometimes they don't. Fatigue is just one possible reason on the list of many.
Quote from: The Golden Avalanche on February 24, 2012, 07:53:36 AM
Isn't that part of the discussion whether to renew a season ticket or not? If it gets to be a drain by February, why go through with that stress and/or fatigue? Just buy a five pack and few extra games that better fit the schedule.
It's easy for those who go every game to say it could be fatigue. It's easy for those who can't go to every game to say fatigue is bullcrap. I could see both sides but, in the end, we're talking about getting in and out of Milwaukee, not Los Angeles. It may be the easiest city I've ever encountered with regard to traveling "downtown".
Probably better off going through Stub Hub and selecting good seats for only the games you want. The 5 packs put you in the upper deck. The Stub Hub route lets you go to the games you want and sit with the hairy wet cats in the lower bowl. Read an article months ago that stated a number of pro teams are having trouble with season ticket sales because of the Stub Hub impact. Why pay for a whole season to get the crud games when you can still get good seats at a lower price through Stub Hub. The difference with college fans is that they may want to help out their college because the revenue goes to the Athletic Department, but that won't hold true for all purchasers, especially in an economy as crappy as ours where value to cost is key.
Quote from: AnotherMU84 on February 23, 2012, 04:57:01 PM
... and here is the thread about the crowd for the February 17, 2009 Seton Hall game ..
Title: Last Night's Student Section = Weak Sauce
http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=12690.0
Some excerpts:
You have a top 10-15 team, playing their 3rd to last home game of the year, against a quality opponent that has been playing well as of late...and you guys drop the ball. Bottom level wasn't even completely full, we saw whole rows of the section behind the band open, and there were maybe 100 scattered in the first few rows of the upper deck. You can't use midterms as an excuse as they are two weeks away.
Very disappointing. I expect nothing short of chaos next Wednesday. You need to go and redeem yourselves.
Clearly, we gotta stop the announcement about the "Best Student Section in the Country" before games, after showings like last night.
I have to agree with this thread. Those students that were there did a nice job....but where was everyone else?! I don't get it. Top 10 team, 3rd to last opportunity to watch an amazing group of seniors and there were barely any students in the upper deck....baffling.
honestly?....I'd cut the student section by 1500 seats.
Just pathetic, what exactly would it take to get the students all there? as stated already, top ten team, three games left! They are so predictable, of course next week its a big name top rated team so they will all show up. Well last nights game was important as well. How many students have night classes, just pathetic!
Marquette students ain't what they use to be. They worry way to much about grades now. They don't even realize that these are the best years of their lives and be able to get hammered and root for your hoops team on a Tuesday night.
Agreed. The students are great....the ones that are there always bring it. I don't buy the "we Marquette students have other things to do argument." Really...like what? Please don't tell me studying...it's a Tuesday night in February...it's 3 hours out of your day. I understand not wanting to miss a class, but indifference or hanging out on your couch is not a good excuse. This school hangs its hat on basketball, this team is top 10 and there's 3 frickin home games left for this group...get to the Bradley Center! Ugh.
---------------
Einstein's definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Literally every weekday game back to 2008 has a thread whining about the crowd. And each one is writiten as if it is a total surprise and giving us some new never heard information.
When you drop from 18,700 seats sold to 14,800, you've already flushed out 4,000 of the indifferent. If you still have an issue with no-shows at the lower attendance, it might be different than the issue you had in 2009. That's a nearly 20% drop for a similar type game, from a similar-quality opponent, mid-week, etc.
All I'm saying is that if I were Larry Williams, I probably wouldn't dismiss the attendance decline with a cavalier "we've always had no-shows" statement.
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 24, 2012, 08:17:36 AM
The answer to that one is simple, TGA. 5-packs are in the upper bowl. Season tickets (for a lot of us) are in the lower bowl. I know some sing the praises of being in the upper deck .. but I have no love for watching a game in the rafters.
And indeed, it's not hard to get to the BC .. from the final buzzer to my house it's under 25 minutes. Regardless, it's a factor in the adventure of a 2 hour basketball game.
Every game, every seat has a value to its owner, and that's different for every person. Sometimes they go, sometimes they don't. Fatigue is just one possible reason on the list of many.
I'll admit I bought a five pack this year. I live near the Wisconsin border in Illinois and there's no way my patience or my marriage would last through a set of season tickets.
The five pack seats I have are OK, but except for the Georgetown game, I doubt seriously I couldn't just buy virtually identical seats at mid-court upper deck on the day of the game. They aren't really good seats, though I like being in the arena and watching the game in person.
This, quite frankly, is a problem for Marquette. That upper deck is crap for the most part, the result of having luxury suites between the levels. The fans know it and given that Milwaukee probably isn't big enough to generate enough buzz to sell out an 18,000 seat arena every home game, there's always tickets.
That said, I'll admit the ONLY reason I drove up from my office in downtown Chicago was that I had the tickets and I didn't want to waste them. There's no way I'd go to a Rutgers game, mid-week, if the tickets weren't in a package.
Marquette really has to get more weekend home games. I have season tickets and made it to only a handful of games. Can't bring the kids to the weeknight games, and thus, I can only make so many games leaving the wife and kids at home. Add in the associated game costs, parking, etc, work schedules, and making weeknight games so often isn't practical and is expensive. Less enjoyment on a weeknight, then a weekend game, for me and a lot more hassle. Plus, the games are all on TV now.
So, the solution: Better dates and times. The Bucks are not flexible, I know, which is sad. Somehow it would be nice to have some more pull with the BC. I guess better dates/times is a dream that will not happen.
I for one will probably only get a couple of season tickets next year instead of buying 4 and giving almost all of them away. At 36 a pop or so per ticket, the value just isn't there for me anymore.
How often do we get Saturday night games? Even Sunday and/or Saturday day games are better... sorry for the semi-rant.
If season tickets is too large of a comitment for anyone - please PM me about splitting season tickets next year.
I would love to go to more games and sit in better seats than my 5 packs + individual games tix allow for.
Quote from: The Equalizer on February 24, 2012, 09:31:33 AM
When you drop from 18,700 seats sold to 14,800, you've already flushed out 4,000 of the indifferent. If you still have an issue with no-shows at the lower attendance, it might be different than the issue you had in 2009. That's a nearly 20% drop for a similar type game, from a similar-quality opponent, mid-week, etc.
All I'm saying is that if I were Larry Williams, I probably wouldn't dismiss the attendance decline with a cavalier "we've always had no-shows" statement.
18,700 is technically a sell-out (18,600 is a sell-out) for the BC and the 2009 thread read's exactly like this week's thread. In fact I went and double checked the attendance because I could not believe the comments for a sell-out. But your right it was a sell-out and this board's comments were the same for a game that drew 4,000 less. Hence, this board has no credibility when discussing the crowd. All they see are problems.
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 23, 2012, 04:50:27 PM
I'll offer another reason: Bradley Center/Game Fatigue.
Even though this year we have fewer BC games, the experience of a Season Ticket Holder over the course of ~20 games can be draining. (everyone get ready with their tiny violins.)
Figure it's 3 hours per game, we're now entering the 54-57th hour of getting in your car, finding a parking spot, marching to the BC, etc. Not to mention leaving the BC, getting to your car, fighting to get on the freeway, then forking over $30 to the babysitter for the 19th time.
All for watching MU beat up on Rutgers.
Just sayin. My wife and I haven't missed a game in years, and went last night. But the joy of going to the 1st game versus the 19th game is different. That could easily explain why there were 5 empty seats in my row last night, usually filled.
I think there are three "elephant in the room" issues:
1. Lack of compelling personal storylines around local players. People loved to watch Steve Novak or Travis Diener because they were outstanding local players that stayed home. The Diener family has deep ties in the Wisconsin, and Novak's dad was a coach at Brown Deer, and Steve picked MU over some impressive national programs.
I don't think there's the same level of interest in Jamil Wilson--certainly not after he went to Oregon for a year, then sat out for a 2nd year. And Blue just isn't going to generate the same type of love as Diener or Novak.
2. Keeping the same core group of players together. The amigos saw average attendance in conference games grow from 15,450 as frosh to 18,194 as seniors. Same trend with Mac/Key/Anglavar. Yeah, you've got a tough job to replace them, but they built excitement season over season over season. You knew when you had the amgos were coming back, there was already some built-in excitment for the upcoming season. And near the end (as that 2009 Seton Hall game) you could start to say you have only a few chances left to see 3 of MU's all-time leading scorers.
3. Under-hyped recruits. The Amigos were heavily marketed before their first game. Key/Mac/Anglavar were hpyed as well. Before the 2009-10 season, MU marketed the #1 recruiting class that containd 3 incoming top 100 recruits and the top player in Wisconsin. It's just harder to build excitement in advance around the unranked class with Mayo (WV), Anderson (CA) and DWilson (TX).
I'm sure some purists will argue that none of these issues should matter. But we're talking about being able to market MU to a broader audience.
I would concur with all those points.
Will Burton fill the seats?
Tom Crean used to buy all the students Papa John's while waiting in line. That's the only reason we all went.
For the real, non agenda driven data on MU attendance see The Trend in Attendance thread started by AnotherMU84.
Quote from: murespect on February 24, 2012, 03:12:16 PM
Tom Crean used to buy all the students Papa John's while waiting in line. That's the only reason we all went.
I am willing to bet that he did not spend a penny of his own money.
Quote from: SaintPaulWarrior on February 24, 2012, 03:29:26 PM
I am willing to bet that he did not spend a penny of his own money.
Whether he paid for it or not, it was still a nice gesture.
It clearly wasn't the reason kids showed up to games, but everybody loved the product he was throwing out back then. He's basically a one-man marketing department anyway.
I know everyone around here loves to hate him nowadays, but back in 2005 the man could do no wrong on MU's campus.
Quote from: murespect on February 24, 2012, 03:37:04 PM
Whether he paid for it or not, it was still a nice gesture.
It clearly wasn't the reason kids showed up to games, but everybody loved the product he was throwing out back then. He's basically a one-man marketing department anyway.
I know everyone around here loves to hate him nowadays, but back in 2005 the man could do no wrong on MU's campus.
All I was saying is that Papa John bought those pizzas most likely.
Quote from: murespect on February 24, 2012, 03:12:16 PM
Tom Crean used to buy all the students Papa John's while waiting in line. That's the only reason we all went.
Gotta figure that was the Athletic Dept. springin' for the 'za. Old tight wad still has the first greenback that flew his way.
Quote from: murespect on February 24, 2012, 03:37:04 PM
Whether he paid for it or not, it was still a nice gesture.
It clearly wasn't the reason kids showed up to games, but everybody loved the product he was throwing out back then. He's basically a one-man marketing department anyway.
I know everyone around here loves to hate him nowadays, but back in 2005 the man could do no wrong on MU's campus.
Agreed. Crean got the students pumped up. Did a great job of that. Gave out coffee and donuts to us before the Pitt College Gameday Game in 2007. And as much as some people loathe him now (I'm indifferent), he was loved, at least among students. I'm not saying Buzz doesn't do a good job of this either, but I've been off campus since 2008 and have no way of knowing. I actually like Buzz's genuine humility more, but you can't say Crean wasn't making an effort.
Haven't I heard somewhere here that MU outdraws the Bucks? Sounds like a positive to me
Quote from: elephantraker on February 24, 2012, 05:53:19 PM
Haven't I heard somewhere here that MU outdraws the Bucks? Sounds like a positive to me
Marquette has more students than the Bucks.
Quote from: GOO on February 24, 2012, 09:59:32 AM
Marquette really has to get more weekend home games.
Really? We all wish most of the games could be on weekends. That being said, 5 of the 9 BE home games were on the weekend/holiday this season.
Quote from: mupanther on February 24, 2012, 10:46:37 PM
Really? We all wish most of the games could be on weekends. That being said, 5 of the 9 BE home games were on the weekend/holiday this season.
A dsy game on MLK does not count as a weekend game for us non-government working stiffs.
Quote from: The Equalizer on February 24, 2012, 10:48:52 AM
I think there are three "elephant in the room" issues:
People loved to watch Steve Novak or Travis Diener....I don't think there's the same level of interest in Jamil Wilson--certainly not after he went to Oregon for a year, then sat out for a 2nd year. And Blue just isn't going to generate the same type of love as Diener or Novak.
I think you may be missing one more elephant in the room. It's a never-discussed reason that may make the average Marquette fan more likely to root for Diener or Novak versus Wilson or Blue, (even though all four are from Wisconsin).
Quote from: warriorchick on February 25, 2012, 07:24:23 AM
A dsy game on MLK does not count as a weekend game for us non-government working stiffs.
Thank you for pointing out, in what I already wrote.
Quote from: WI_inferiority_complexes on February 25, 2012, 09:39:43 AM
I think you may be missing one more elephant in the room. It's a never-discussed reason that may make the average Marquette fan more likely to root for Diener or Novak versus Wilson or Blue, (even though all four are from Wisconsin).
I don't think that holds water. Frankly, Diener and Novak have performed better than Wilson or Blue, to this point. Plus, those on a Final Four team are going to endear themselves to the faithful for decades to come.
I thought it didn't need saying, but it might.
The Bradley Center is one of the ten largest Division I basketball arenas by capacity.
1.) Carrier Dome (Syracuse) 34,000
2.) Rupp Arena (Kentucky) 23,000
3.) Marriott Center (BYU) 22,700
4.) KFC Yum! Center (Louisville) 22,090
5.) Dean Smith Center (North Carolina) 21,750
6.) Thompson-Bolling Arena (Tennessee) 21,678
7.) Verizon Center (Georgetown) 20,035
8.) Madison Square Garden (St. John's) 19,979
9.) RBC Center (NC State) 19,722
10.) Bradley Center (Marquette) 18,850
And we still get respectable crowds. Would be easy to get lost in a gym that big.