Georgetown thoughts

[jsglow]

My Georgetown thoughts are "what's going on over there? " They can't be too happy with JTIII

Got that right.  Where's our Hoya friend who predicted like a #3 seed?

[warriorchick]

Got that right.  Where's our Hoya friend who predicted like a #3 seed?

He hasn't posted because he is having trouble figuring out how to change his username from "Hoya Since Birth" to "Hoya Until Last Night".

[keefe]

Unlike most of you from the sounds of it, the way your son approaches the game is how I handled my basketball viewing while I was at MU.  One or two before the game and saved the serious drinking for after the game on weekends and maybe not all when there were classes school was the next day, depending on my mood.  There were plenty of opportunities to hoist a few at MU, but I liked to pay attention to the game.

Back in the day we stopped at the Lanche to get things going. On the way out we each grabbed a six of PBR for $1.45. Those down jackets and Army field jackets were the perfect conveyance for getting beverages into the Arena. 

[MUBBau]

My only thought: Down 1 with 5 seconds left, doable.

[jsglow]

My only thought: Down 1 with 5 seconds left, doable.

I said the same to chick as they checked the clock and added a couple tenths.  Must say, DSM was money on that midrange J.

[BM1090]

Unlike most of you from the sounds of it, the way your son approaches the game is how I handled my basketball viewing while I was at MU.  One or two before the game and saved the serious drinking for after the game on weekends and maybe not all when there were classes school was the next day, depending on my mood.  There were plenty of opportunities to hoist a few at MU, but I liked to pay attention to the game.

I'm with you. Some games (non-con, this saturday against Nova) I had a few drinks at the bars near the arena prior to the game. Rarely if ever buy a beer inside the BC. Plenty of time to drink after the games on the weekends.

[Marcus92]

I thought all the made up promotions (Faculty of the game, Season Ticket holder of the game) takes the wind out of the crowds sails. 

Thoughts?

Agree with this 100%. Most if not all timeouts seem dedicated to promoting something or other — rather than keeping the crowd amped up and into the game.

I couldn't care less which row gets Palermos pizza, who gets a t-shirt on a parachute sponsored by Aurora Health Care, which fan wins QDoba for making a layup, who's on the Delta Dental smile cam, where the Direct Supply VIP seats are, or even whether the golf team just won the Big East tournament.

I've also noticed that there's really no more crowd participation cheers. Used to hear the classic slowly accelerating clap effect through the PA several times a game — more often down the stretch in a close contest. Haven't heard it once all year. I could take or leave the cheerleaders. But these days they don't even have megaphones on the sidelines; the emphasis is on gymnastics rather than what cheerleading is all about (presumably leading fans in cheers, if the name means anything).

Granted, revenue matters. The entire basketball program helps raise money for and draw attention to the university. And I know some fans look forward to breaks in the action, to go get a beer or make a restroom stop. But it seems like timeouts at the BMO Harris Bradley Center (brought to you by WE Energies and about 50 other sponsors) have become complete momentum killers.

All of that takes away from my enjoyment of the game, and the game atmosphere. Marquette is essentially trading some hard-to-quantify part of the fan experience and home court advantage (which helps you win more games and attract even more fans) for the opportunity to attract more sponsorship dollars. That's not without its downside.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Funny, I never even considered drinking before or during a game, that's just me though. My beverage of choice was an extra large coffee from the dunkin donuts on wisconsin ave on my way to the Bradley Center. I always found the obnoxiously drunk students, well, obnoxious.

[Benny B]

Agree with this 100%. Most if not all timeouts seem dedicated to promoting something or other — rather than keeping the crowd amped up and into the game.

I couldn't care less which row gets Palermos pizza, who gets a t-shirt on a parachute sponsored by Aurora Health Care, which fan wins QDoba for making a layup, who's on the Delta Dental smile cam, where the Direct Supply VIP seats are, or even whether the golf team just won the Big East tournament.

I've also noticed that there's really no more crowd participation cheers. Used to hear the classic slowly accelerating clap effect through the PA several times a game — more often down the stretch in a close contest. Haven't heard it once all year. I could take or leave the cheerleaders. But these days they don't even have megaphones on the sidelines; the emphasis is on gymnastics rather than what cheerleading is all about (presumably leading fans in cheers, if the name means anything).

Granted, revenue matters. The entire basketball program helps raise money for and draw attention to the university. And I know some fans look forward to breaks in the action, to go get a beer or make a restroom stop. But it seems like timeouts at the BMO Harris Bradley Center (brought to you by WE Energies and about 50 other sponsors) have become complete momentum killers.

All of that takes away from my enjoyment of the game, and the game atmosphere. Marquette is essentially trading some hard-to-quantify part of the fan experience and home court advantage (which helps you win more games and attract even more fans) for the opportunity to attract more sponsorship dollars. That's not without its downside.

No promotions, no t-shirt tosses, no parachutes, no pizza, no fans on the jumbotron, no congratulations.... so in other words, during timeouts, MU should do.... nothing?

[We R Final Four]

No promotions, no t-shirt tosses, no parachutes, no pizza, no fans on the jumbotron, no congratulations.... so in other words, during timeouts, MU should do.... nothing?

They could congratulate Chitown for being sober!

[MerrittsMustache]

I couldn't care less which row gets Palermos pizza, who gets a t-shirt on a parachute sponsored by Aurora Health Care, which fan wins QDoba for making a layup, who's on the Delta Dental smile cam, where the Direct Supply VIP seats are, or even whether the golf team just won the Big East tournament.

The fact that you were just able to rattle off all of those MU basketball sponsors is the exact reason why MU gets money from all of those basketball sponsors.

You forgot David Gruber though!

[Marcus92]

No promotions, no t-shirt tosses, no parachutes, no pizza, no fans on the jumbotron, no congratulations.... so in other words, during timeouts, MU should do.... nothing?

That's not my point. Like I mentioned, I know revenue is important and Marquette uses basketball to promote many things. Just seems like the balance has gone completely toward promotion/sponsorship — versus any "play cool music, start a chant, etc."

Am I the only one who remembers the crowd keeping it rocking throughout a visitor's timeout late in the game thanks to the scoreboard "Make Noise!" meter or something else designed for no other purpose than to fire everybody up?

I will say there are a couple player videos encouraging the crowd to get into the game. Just not enough of this kind of thing, in my opinion — especially late in a close game.

[GGGG]

Agree with this 100%. Most if not all timeouts seem dedicated to promoting something or other — rather than keeping the crowd amped up and into the game.

I couldn't care less which row gets Palermos pizza, who gets a t-shirt on a parachute sponsored by Aurora Health Care, which fan wins QDoba for making a layup, who's on the Delta Dental smile cam, where the Direct Supply VIP seats are, or even whether the golf team just won the Big East tournament.

I've also noticed that there's really no more crowd participation cheers. Used to hear the classic slowly accelerating clap effect through the PA several times a game — more often down the stretch in a close contest. Haven't heard it once all year. I could take or leave the cheerleaders. But these days they don't even have megaphones on the sidelines; the emphasis is on gymnastics rather than what cheerleading is all about (presumably leading fans in cheers, if the name means anything).

Granted, revenue matters. The entire basketball program helps raise money for and draw attention to the university. And I know some fans look forward to breaks in the action, to go get a beer or make a restroom stop. But it seems like timeouts at the BMO Harris Bradley Center (brought to you by WE Energies and about 50 other sponsors) have become complete momentum killers.

All of that takes away from my enjoyment of the game, and the game atmosphere. Marquette is essentially trading some hard-to-quantify part of the fan experience and home court advantage (which helps you win more games and attract even more fans) for the opportunity to attract more sponsorship dollars. That's not without its downside.

My guess is that those sponsorship dollars are well into six figures.  It isn't inconsequential. 

[Marcus92]

The fact that you were just able to rattle off all of those MU basketball sponsors is the exact reason why MU gets money from all of those basketball sponsors.

You forgot David Gruber though!

I know why it happens. I work in advertising, and I've had season tickets long enough to virtually memorize every single Marquette sponsor.

It's a question of priority. If it was important to Duke, I'm sure they could easily raise the money to demolish their quaint, outdated stadium and replace it with a 25,000-seat modern arena (complete with luxury boxes and naming rights going to the highest bidder). But I believe Coach K and the athletic department recognize that there's value in having one of the most intimidating home courts in college basketball. That the Cameron Crazies are worth something to the basketball program and the school.

Lately, MU seems more interested in pushing promotions/sponsorships than doing whatever is possible to create an awesome, unforgettable environment for college basketball.

[GGGG]

I know why it happens. I work in advertising, and I've had season tickets long enough to virtually memorize every single Marquette sponsor.

It's a question of priority. If it was important to Duke, I'm sure they could easily raise the money to demolish their quaint, outdated stadium and replace it with a 25,000-seat modern arena (complete with luxury boxes and naming rights going to the highest bidder). But I believe Coach K and the athletic department recognize that there's value in having one of the most intimidating home courts in college basketball. That the Cameron Crazies are worth something to the basketball program and the school.

Have you been to Cameron during a game?  Do you know if they do something similar?

[Lighthouse 84]

Got that right.  Where's our Hoya friend who predicted like a #3 seed?

He hasn't posted because he is having trouble figuring out how to change his username from "Hoya Since Birth" to "Hoya Until Last Night".

I like how you and Glow carry on conversations on Scoop. In person conversations get so mundane, hey?

[MerrittsMustache]

I know why it happens. I work in advertising, and I've had season tickets long enough to virtually memorize every single Marquette sponsor.

It's a question of priority. If it was important to Duke, I'm sure they could easily raise the money to demolish their quaint, outdated stadium and replace it with a 25,000-seat modern arena (complete with luxury boxes and naming rights going to the highest bidder). But I believe Coach K and the athletic department recognize that there's value in having one of the most intimidating home courts in college basketball. That the Cameron Crazies are worth something to the basketball program and the school.

Lately, MU seems more interested in pushing promotions/sponsorships than doing whatever is possible to create an awesome, unforgettable environment for college basketball.

You work in advertising and you think that MU should turn down six-figure deals with sponsors in order to play a couple extra minutes of Jock Jams?

[warriorchick]

The fact that you were just able to rattle off all of those MU basketball sponsors is the exact reason why MU gets money from all of those basketball sponsors.

You forgot David Gruber though!

I am just pissed that Glow and I are in the T-shirt Dead Zone.  We are too high up for the cheerleader tosses (you'd think some of the dudes would really whip them up here to show how manly they really are), and the parachutes fall on either side of our section.

[Marcus92]

I haven't been to a game at Cameron, so maybe I shouldn't have used that as an example. (Was thinking more about why one of the great programs in college basketball would intentionally keep a completely out-of-date arena that holds fewer than 10,000 fans.)

I saw an article in Forbes earlier this year that addresses the less-tangible value Cameron provides to Duke University:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/2016/01/19/the-charm-of-dukes-cameron-indoor-stadium-is-that-it-still-feels-like-a-college-basketball-arena/#76bf22892f73

A few excerpts:

Perhaps Duke University loses some money each year by not expanding Cameron Indoor Stadium to include luxurious press boxes and only allowing for the smallest of advertisements on the scoreboards and around the stadium.  But in doing so, Duke University has enhanced the brand equity of its basketball team, arena, and school in a way that few other universities have via their athletic programs.

The irony of all this is that big-time college sports programs throughout the country are blaming their elite athletes' demands for compensation as being the act of commercialism that would purportedly destroy big-time college sports.  But all along, most major universities have been commercializing their own arenas and subjecting student seating to the back of their stadium – causing the very atmosphere that they now claim to fear.

A Duke basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium still feels like a college basketball game for fans.  Whereas most top athletic programs have abandoned collegiality in favor of commercialism, Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium keeps just a little more of the former reverberating within its walls.

[warriorchick]

I like how you and Glow carry on conversations on Scoop. In person conversations get so mundane, hey?

Well seeing as during the day we are 40 miles apart....

[Marcus92]

You work in advertising and you think that MU should turn down six-figure deals with sponsors in order to play a couple extra minutes of Jock Jams?

Only pointing out that sponsorships aren't the only thing that provide value to a basketball program — so do the fans. Take a look at the Forbes article I posted the link for. Anyone who's a fan of college basketball knows that money is a huge part of the game. But it all begins and ends with the fan experience. Without them, you don't have any eyeballs for sponsorships, and the six-figure deals will dry up.

[GGGG]

I haven't been to a game at Cameron, so maybe I shouldn't have used that as an example. (Was thinking more about why one of the great programs in college basketball would intentionally keep a completely out-of-date arena that holds fewer than 10,000 fans.)

I saw an article in Forbes earlier this year that addresses the less-tangible value
Cameron provides to Duke University:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/2016/01/19/the-charm-of-dukes-cameron-indoor-stadium-is-that-it-still-feels-like-a-college-basketball-arena/#76bf22892f73

A few excerpts:

Perhaps Duke University loses some money each year by not expanding Cameron Indoor Stadium to include luxurious press boxes and only allowing for the smallest of advertisements on the scoreboards and around the stadium.  But in doing so, Duke University has enhanced the brand equity of its basketball team, arena, and school in a way that few other universities have via their athletic programs.

The irony of all this is that big-time college sports programs throughout the country are blaming their elite athletes' demands for compensation as being the act of commercialism that would purportedly destroy big-time college sports.  But all along, most major universities have been commercializing their own arenas and subjecting student seating to the back of their stadium – causing the very atmosphere that they now claim to fear.

A Duke basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium still feels like a college basketball game for fans.  Whereas most top athletic programs have abandoned collegiality in favor of commercialism, Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium keeps just a little more of the former reverberating within its walls.

Well thanks for that.  My guess is that you are right.  They don't have parachutes falling from the ceiling and the like.

Only pointing out that sponsorships aren't the only thing that provide value to a basketball program — so do the fans. Take a look at the Forbes article I posted the link for. Anyone who's a fan of college basketball knows that money is a huge part of the game. But it all begins and ends with the fan experience. Without them, you don't have any eyeballs for sponsorships, and the six-figure deals will dry up.

But Marquette isn't Duke.  My guess is that Duke can afford to forgo scholarship money because they have other sources of income.  (Especially donor income.)  Similar to Notre Dame football.

[naginiF]

Well thanks for that.  My guess is that you are right.  They don't have parachutes falling from the ceiling and the like.


But Marquette isn't Duke.  My guess is that Duke can afford to forgo scholarship money because they have other sources of income.  (Especially donor income.)  Similar to Notre Dame football.

Spot on.  Duke's endowment is $7.2 Billion - they don't need the extra revenue from Men's BBall.

[Herman Cain]

Agree with this 100%. Most if not all timeouts seem dedicated to promoting something or other — rather than keeping the crowd amped up and into the game.

I couldn't care less which row gets Palermos pizza, who gets a t-shirt on a parachute sponsored by Aurora Health Care, which fan wins QDoba for making a layup, who's on the Delta Dental smile cam, where the Direct Supply VIP seats are, or even whether the golf team just won the Big East tournament.

I've also noticed that there's really no more crowd participation cheers. Used to hear the classic slowly accelerating clap effect through the PA several times a game — more often down the stretch in a close contest. Haven't heard it once all year. I could take or leave the cheerleaders. But these days they don't even have megaphones on the sidelines; the emphasis is on gymnastics rather than what cheerleading is all about (presumably leading fans in cheers, if the name means anything).

Granted, revenue matters. The entire basketball program helps raise money for and draw attention to the university. And I know some fans look forward to breaks in the action, to go get a beer or make a restroom stop. But it seems like timeouts at the BMO Harris Bradley Center (brought to you by WE Energies and about 50 other sponsors) have become complete momentum killers.

All of that takes away from my enjoyment of the game, and the game atmosphere. Marquette is essentially trading some hard-to-quantify part of the fan experience and home court advantage (which helps you win more games and attract even more fans) for the opportunity to attract more sponsorship dollars. That's not without its downside.

I think your right about the Cheers. Would like to see some old school crowd based cheers led by cheer leaders. If done right would make a difference.

[Marcus92]

But Marquette isn't Duke.  My guess is that Duke can afford to forgo scholarship money because they have other sources of income.  (Especially donor income.)  Similar to Notre Dame football.

True enough. But Duke wasn't always Duke, one of the great programs in college basketball. Before 1963, the school had just 1 NCAA appearance — no Final Fours, no title games, no championship banners. It was just another private school that barely anyone outside the state of North Carolina recognized.

Their success since then hasn't come by accident. Of course, it helps when you find a Hall of Fame coach and land McDonalds All-Americans year after year. Coaches make great programs, players make great teams.

But having one of the greatest home court environments has been important, as well. If not, I guarantee Duke would have razed Cameron to the ground years ago. Like UNC or Kentucky, Duke could sell out a 20,000-seat arena. But Cameron gives Duke a unique identity and a competitive edge, however slight.

Over the past 25 years, Duke has won more national championships (5) than any other school. That includes Connecticut (4), Kentucky (3), North Carolina (3), Syracuse (1), and Louisville (1). Every single one of those schools has been led by Hall of Fame calibre coaches and landed top recruiting classes. There's no way to prove that Cameron makes the difference. I simply suspect that home court advantage is dramatically underappreciated as a factor in a program's success.