Solution to our Basketball Woes

[Warthog]

"Sky Center" does have flow.

Especially for Falcons!!!

They could do no interest loan promotions at halftime.

[Rightupinthere]

Yes, they are similar, but heres the thing...those schools actually take care of it. Anderson Arena is falling apart. There is duct tape holding together a lot of the bleachers. You can compare these arenas if we were to take care of Anderson Arena, but its obvious that we dont.

Okay, you continue to harp on AA but have yet to back up your wild claims.

Prove that AA is the reason BG doesn't recruit well (even though that has been proved false).

Prove that AA is the reason players leave (there is zero proof of this).

Define "a lot" of bleachers which are being held together with duct tape.

You continue to grab platters of fudge, toss them against the wall, and hope some of it sticks. It's growing quite tiring.

I'm not saying AA doesn't need a face-lift, but I have yet to see where AA is hindering the school's ability to compete - the tune you are vamping.

[Falconfreak90]

Whats the reason why BG doesnt have the talent? Because the "good" players do not want to come here and play in a highschool gym.

Would someone please tell me how in the heck Anderson Arena is comparable to a high school gym?

I have been in a number of high schools throughout Northwest Ohio and in the Cincinnati/Dayton area. In addition, I grew up in Columbus. I have recruited high schools in North Carolina and in the state of Florida. I have spent a large amount of my time in high school gymnasiums and I can tell you that Anderson Arena is a lot different from 95% of the high school gymnasiums I have been in.

The problem with our basketball team is not the facilities. Maybe the problems for our fans is the facilities, but not for our team. When the basketball team is winning, Anderson Arena rocks. Tommy Amaker does not want to play us in Anderson Arena. Jud Heathcoate left Anderson Arena swearing he would never play us again on the road. No - quit blaming the facility because when the facility is full, Anderson Arena ROCKS! They don't call it 'The House That Roars' for nothing.

Unfortunately, our fan base is full of fair weather fans. Win - they come. Lose - well, there is an OSU game on ESPN that they'll watch instead.

In previous years, the crowds were our sixth man at many games. We came back from 20+ down against TU in 2005. Why? Packed house and the fans got into the game.

Why is it that Curt Miller can recruit good players to come to BG and play in "our high school gym"?

Why is it that Curt Miller and them women can win in Anderson Arena?

No, no, no. The problem is not Anderson Arena.

I have to agree with this 100%. That's how I see the sitiuation at this time.

"Unfortunately, our fan base is full of fair weather fans. Win - they come. Lose - well, there is an OSU game on ESPN that they'll watch instead".

That reason alone pisses me off more than anything...maybe it's just that I love BG athletics so much and can't see supporting another school. I don't know.

[bgsufalcon24]

Whats the reason why BG doesnt have the talent? Because the "good" players do not want to come here and play in a highschool gym

Don't tell me that you think this is the #1 reason why good players do not want to come here and play.

As someone else mentioned, please explain to us why Eastern Michigan got all of those players to play in that hole of an arena in the 90s, yet can't seem to get anywhere near the same talent AFTER the new arena opened?

No, that'd be the coach. Did you even read the post, he said a new coach was #1 on the wish list, and deservedly so.

[svillefalcon]

thank you 24, why do some of you actually read my posts before blowing up on me...

[BourbonFalcon]

Right now there isn't much of any real fan tradition here at BG. I think that in the last few years it is getting better, but like anything else, it's going to take time to build this tradition. This is why we need to bring back some of the old traditions and get current students excited about them. Things like the victory bell along with a few new things will help a lot. We are not going to see rapid consistent increases in attendance or tailgaiting crowds right away. I'm hoping that slowly these things will grow so that in 10 years we can be where we all want to be today.

[CrazyFan]

Right now there isn't much of any real fan tradition here at BG. I think that in the last few years it is getting better, but like anything else, it's going to take time to build this tradition. This is why we need to bring back some of the old traditions and get current students excited about them. Things like the victory bell along with a few new things will help a lot. We are not going to see rapid consistent increases in attendance or tailgaiting crowds right away. I'm hoping that slowly these things will grow so that in 10 years we can be where we all want to be today.

That's what fans were saying 10 years ago.

[orangeandbrown]

This is true. In terms of fan support, very little has changed over the last 30 years. Marketing comes and goes, promotions, coaches, players, and things are pretty much the same. And I don't predict much further change in the coming 30 years.

[BleedOrange]

This is true. In terms of fan support, very little has changed over the last 30 years. Marketing comes and goes, promotions, coaches, players, and things are pretty much the same. And I don't predict much further change in the coming 30 years.

Ugh. This possibility makes me want to go straight to the bottle.

[Rightupinthere]

thank you 24, why do some of you actually read my posts before blowing up on me...

OH PLEASE!

Yes, I agree with everyone, a new coach should be #1 on our wish list, but we could very well use a new basketball arena...

This sentence was written in a vast sea of how our present facilities affect recruiting and the players BG puts on the court. This would not be what I would call a "core argument" - which you are now attempting to back into.

THIS is your core argument:

Whats the reason why BG doesnt have the talent? Because the "good" players do not want to come here and play in a highschool gym.

Should I also quote the part where you were in complete agreement with hoopsfan?

Keep attemtping to wriggle off the hook. I'm finding it entertaining.

[HoustonFalcon]

I am trying to think of a way to put what I feel about this topic into words without saying the wrong things to upset some people. So here it goes. Someone else has pointed out that we ARE getting good players to commit to the program. It is also the best known secret that we can't keep these kids in the program. Anderson Arena IS NOT the reason these kids are leaving. Let's be real. They aren't going to these other gyms and seeing better facilities, coming back to AA, and saying "I've got to get out of BG, these facilities stink". The kids that are leaving for multiple reasons, and we all know the reasons that have been stated. If the fans would come out on a regular basis and support the team, Anderson Arena would be and is a very valuable component to our success. Unfortunately with fair weather fans, it doesn't matter that a lot of the early games that were losses were close, all they saw was a loss.

I can tell you that it is very hard to get kids to play when there isn't a buzz in the gym. Kids feed off of the adrenaline of playing in front of a crowd, and when they see that there aren't a lot of fans their, and there is a silence that doesn't resemble what a college basketball game, it's tough. There is a reason that teams play music before a game, and have the pep band play when there is one. It's not for the fans, the players really do feed off of that. I would say that we can build a new gym, with better parking, but we better build it in the mold of Anderson Arena. Make the lobby bigger, make the lockerroom area bigger, but build the floor and the stands just like the House that Roars. Having the students on top of the action is what makes BG special. It's what gave us a big advantage back in the middle and late 90's when I was there. I understand the concerns of the fans that don't show up to the games. I'm only talking about the ones that aren't students that is. Students get in free, and most of them can walk to the game. Get your lazy butt out and support the teams. I understand that there are classes and studying, and that is very important. But part of the college experience is going out and watching the games, and supporting your university. I know I miss those days, and I'm sure everyone that's not a student on here does also.

Coach Dakich is I'm sure quite to blame for the transfers. I've said before that his harsh style is very difficult to take for a lot of these kids these days. I've documented on here what I feel is wrong with the type of kids that are good players. Most of them have been catered(forgive the spelling if it's wrong) for most of their playing days, and they have quite a bit given to them. The successful programs can keep these kids happy, because they are winning, and they usually have a tradition of winning. Winning keeps most kids happy, getting to the NCAA's makes kids happy, and that is why kids stay. They also have coaches that are tough, and most coaches try to make the kids better men, but they have a way with the kids that isn't so abrasive. I love Coach Dakich, and I love what he stands for. This is the first year that I can see, that all the kids seem to have given up on him. But I'm not sure that they all gave up on him, I think that there are other issues that were there, and if someone wonders, I'll let them know later. Some of those issues were stated above already. I don't know what the answer is, and I seem to have written a novel, and I apologize about that, but I think that there is a little bit of everything that needs to be fixed in the situation we have right now.

[Rightupinthere]

I am trying to think of a way to put what I feel about this topic into words without saying the wrong things to upset some people. So here it goes. Someone else has pointed out that we ARE getting good players to commit to the program. It is also the best known secret that we can't keep these kids in the program. Anderson Arena IS NOT the reason these kids are leaving. Let's be real. They aren't going to these other gyms and seeing better facilities, coming back to AA, and saying "I've got to get out of BG, these facilities stink". The kids that are leaving for multiple reasons, and we all know the reasons that have been stated. If the fans would come out on a regular basis and support the team, Anderson Arena would be and is a very valuable component to our success. Unfortunately with fair weather fans, it doesn't matter that a lot of the early games that were losses were close, all they saw was a loss.

I can tell you that it is very hard to get kids to play when there isn't a buzz in the gym. Kids feed off of the adrenaline of playing in front of a crowd, and when they see that there aren't a lot of fans their, and there is a silence that doesn't resemble what a college basketball game, it's tough. There is a reason that teams play music before a game, and have the pep band play when there is one. It's not for the fans, the players really do feed off of that. I would say that we can build a new gym, with better parking, but we better build it in the mold of Anderson Arena. Make the lobby bigger, make the lockerroom area bigger, but build the floor and the stands just like the House that Roars. Having the students on top of the action is what makes BG special. It's what gave us a big advantage back in the middle and late 90's when I was there. I understand the concerns of the fans that don't show up to the games. I'm only talking about the ones that aren't students that is. Students get in free, and most of them can walk to the game. Get your lazy butt out and support the teams. I understand that there are classes and studying, and that is very important. But part of the college experience is going out and watching the games, and supporting your university. I know I miss those days, and I'm sure everyone that's not a student on here does also.

Coach Dakich is I'm sure quite to blame for the transfers. I've said before that his harsh style is very difficult to take for a lot of these kids these days. I've documented on here what I feel is wrong with the type of kids that are good players. Most of them have been catered(forgive the spelling if it's wrong) for most of their playing days, and they have quite a bit given to them. The successful programs can keep these kids happy, because they are winning, and they usually have a tradition of winning. Winning keeps most kids happy, getting to the NCAA's makes kids happy, and that is why kids stay. They also have coaches that are tough, and most coaches try to make the kids better men, but they have a way with the kids that isn't so abrasive. I love Coach Dakich, and I love what he stands for. This is the first year that I can see, that all the kids seem to have given up on him. But I'm not sure that they all gave up on him, I think that there are other issues that were there, and if someone wonders, I'll let them know later. Some of those issues were stated above already. I don't know what the answer is, and I seem to have written a novel, and I apologize about that, but I think that there is a little bit of everything that needs to be fixed in the situation we have right now.

Bullseye!

Brilliant post, Houston. My hat's off to you.....and what is left of my hair.

[Schadenfreude]

This is true. In terms of fan support, very little has changed over the last 30 years. Marketing comes and goes, promotions, coaches, players, and things are pretty much the same. And I don't predict much further change in the coming 30 years.

I've been meaning to post about the next thirty years.

Thirty years ago, Oakland University wasn't squat, and there were probably a few people still calling it Michigan State-Oakland. Wayne State was, relatively speaking, the shizzle (even today it is one of only four doctoral extensive universities in Michigan, the others being Michigan, Michigan State and Western Michigan).

Now Oakland University already has a Division I NCAA tournament appearance to brag about. It's been longer for Detroit-Mercy, the more storied program in the tricounty up there.

I see people continuing to move into Wood County and I wonder if more people will become invested in the community over time... and, maybe, buy into the Falcons the way folks in Lake County seem to have bought into the Midwest League's Lake County Capitans.

None of that is certain. Hell, it isn't even certain Toledo will continue to sprawl into Wood County like it has. Perhaps good people will stand up and try to protect the wonderful farmland between Perrysburg and Bowling Green.

I think the best thing BGSU is doing is trying to maintain a connection with recent grads. The discount season tickets for recent grads -- it's a tremendous idea.

Many of the major programs, like Penn State, Missouri, etc., aren't putting butts in their seats by just counting on the locals.

[Flipper]

Facilities impact attendance more than recruiting. The coaching staff has more of an impact on recruiting than attendance. Winning probably impacts both equally.

[Goose]

The successful programs can keep these kids happy, because they are winning, and they usually have a tradition of winning. Winning keeps most kids happy, getting to the NCAA's makes kids happy, and that is why kids stay.

Great post HoustonFalcon! The one item I disagree with is the notion that winning keeps kids from leaving. Kent State is a team that has also been hit by the transfer bug, and they have probably been the most successful program in the MAC for the past five or six years. I would guess that most of the players that transferred out of Kent State left because they were not getting the playing time they were expecting.

The point is that you can't point to one specific reason why the majority of kids transfer. Kids transfer because of lack of playing time, homesickness, losing, not getting along with the coach, family tragedy, etc. Unfortunately for us, we have seen far too many kids leave, and it has obviously taken a toll on the continuity of the program.