This irritates the crap outta me...

[Warthog]

Doesn't it have to be a sell-out to have the local black-out lifted? Oh no, that's just the NFL.

[falconfan1]

Appropriate and polite emails expressing your opinions are very appropriate on this Toledo/home game watch party concept. Those fans should be at the game- I absolutely agree- every single one of them. There is absolutely no reason to be in Maumee watching TV when you could be in BG. That simple.

Having said that, alumni chapter leaders often set up there own events and association folks support them with communication. Perhaps our alumni folks missed this distance situation as they worked to communicate a number of watch parties across the country. As expressed elsewhere, Lori and Kam are tremendous workers on behalf of BG alums- they are alums themselves. Their work ethic is excellent and I am sure they will take these constructive comments to heart. As also posted elsewhere, Kam has not yet returned from her maternity leave and she came in to to help with Homecoming events early.

Hang with the staff and keep helping them out. I am sure they appreciate it. We all need to learn, work together and cheer on the Falcons.

Go Falcons!

[Dayons_Den]

Can you imagine the feeling of working in our marketing / ticketing department and seeing this? It's like the left hand is on a completely different page than the right.

[Tech83]

My reply from Kam:

Brian,

Your point is extremely well taken and I appreciate your
feedback and by no means did you overstep any boundaries by
emailing me.

The Alumni Association organized events for all the away games
you mentioned in your email, that is why we didn't offer a
watch party. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, we will
not be offering pre-game tent parties for the November home
games - so we thought a watch party would fill the void. You
are correct though it is somewhat counterproductive in terms of
getting people to the stadium. I do feel bad now - hindsight
being 20/20.

Thanks again for emailing me and bringing the point to my
attention.

Go Falcons!
Kam

IMO - This is a BS response and lacks creativity.... sorry for that comment..... but a tent is not a requirement..... the Toledo Chapter easily could have arranged to meet locally such as Myles, Frickers, and then attend the game. How is that any different than arranging a watch party at BW3's in Toledo.

[Class of 61]

I got an e-mail today from the greater Toledo Alumni Association. In it was included the following paragraph:

Tuesday, November 15
This will mark our first football watch party! The BGSU Falcons will
take on Miami of Ohio on ESPN2 and we hope you will watch the game with
us at BW3 located at 425 West Dussel Drive in Maumee. This is a super
casual event - come and go when you want and you only pay for what you
eat or drink. This is sure to be a good game, why wouldn't you want to
watch it with fellow Falcons? RSVP to event host Lori Corvino at
[email protected] or by phone at 419-372-0352.

Now give me a break. The greater Toledo Alumni organizing a watch party for a HOME GAME!?!?!? Please. Here is a team that has been put on NCAA probation, and in need of attendance. Now we've got our local alumni association sending out e-mails encouraging the closest alumni base to not attend the game, but instead watch it at a bar? A bar that is less than 30 minutes away from Doyt Perry Stadium??

We have a home game against a traditional rival and it's in primetime. We should be encouraging our local alumni to ATTEND games not watch them at BW3. Seriously you're going to end up spending more to eat & drink at BW3 for 3 hours than a ticket would cost. Grrrr...

[/rant]

Hamb,
This is VERY similar to what the Cuy. Co. alums did a few years ago...they organized a "Watch Party" at a Twinsburg bar to watch BG vs. KSU in basketball....and the KSU campus is only about 15 miles or so from Twinsburg!!! I emailed them at the time that this was ridiculous.....it seems that some of the chapters would rather sit in bars and B.S. than actually attend a game of any kind in person....Thank GOD for the AZZer's!!!!!!!!

[SaxyIrishTenor]

My reply from Kam:

Brian,

Your point is extremely well taken and I appreciate your
feedback and by no means did you overstep any boundaries by
emailing me.

The Alumni Association organized events for all the away games
you mentioned in your email, that is why we didn't offer a
watch party. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, we will
not be offering pre-game tent parties for the November home
games - so we thought a watch party would fill the void. You
are correct though it is somewhat counterproductive in terms of
getting people to the stadium. I do feel bad now - hindsight
being 20/20.

Thanks again for emailing me and bringing the point to my
attention.

Go Falcons!
Kam

IMO - This is a BS response and lacks creativity.... sorry for that comment..... but a tent is not a requirement..... the Toledo Chapter easily could have arranged to meet locally such as Myles, Frickers, and then attend the game. How is that any different than arranging a watch party at BW3's in Toledo.

That was also my immediate thought. What a load of sh!t. It does nothing to REMEDY the problem.

[robdupont]

The Bgsu Sports Marking department is E-mailing the promotion for that Game to help fill the stands I will post has soon has I get them. Lorain County Alumni Group is also having a Watch Party at BW3 in Elyria. I do not know if the Alumni realize what we could loss. What the effect it would have on are Sport Programs..

[It's the Journey...]

Unless a particular chapter is over 250 miles from BGSU there should NEVER be a watch party done for home games. Instead there should be busses from these area bringing Falcon fans to watch THEIR alma mater play in THEIR own stadium. I live 200 miles from BG and will not miss a home game this season. I was in Cleveland as well. Chapters that don't get on board should lose the right to have their events publicized through University channels. Or they should be charged more to do it. Let's be the first to charge them a "coward charge!"

[Schadenfreude]

The Bgsu Sports Marking department is E-mailing the promotion for that Game to help fill the stands I will post has soon has I get them. Lorain County Alumni Group is also having a Watch Party at BW3 in Elyria. I do not know if the Alumni realize what we could loss. What the effect it would have on are Sport Programs..

What am I missing?

The Cleveland game counts.

The only thing at stake here is a pretty backdrop for ESPN -- which is important, but not life or death.

[robdupont]

Look you only have a Season Ticket Base of 2600, thats what the BGSU marking deparment told me. Lets say only eight thousand or less show up for the Maimi Game, that can eat up the first game attendence. So yes we need to fill up those sits for the Miame Game. Yes!There is a concern on the attendence for that game. Oh! By the way will we have a tent for that game?

[Falconfreak90]

Unless a particular chapter is over 250 miles from BGSU there should NEVER be a watch party done for home games. Instead there should be busses from these area bringing Falcon fans to watch THEIR alma mater play in THEIR own stadium. I live 200 miles from BG and will not miss a home game this season. I was in Cleveland as well. Chapters that don't get on board should lose the right to have their events publicized through University channels. Or they should be charged more to do it. Let's be the first to charge them a "coward charge!"

Exactly. I simply cannot believe the Toledo Chapter is organizing a watch party for a home game.

The Summit-Medina Chapter is poor, at best. I rarely, if ever, see anything mentioned they organize and have NEVER received an invite to a game at Kent or Akron in any sport. Sometimes I've wondered how one becomes involved with that. ANy thoughts? I mean I'd be rounding up people left and right to get to BG games in BG as well as Kent and Akron.

We all have opinions why attendance is lacking...here is a prime example. I am taking a half day vacation so I can get the family up to the Doyt from Green....2 1/2 hours away. The Freaklings are getting out of school early for a "field trip"...a football field trip! And yet some people can't drive a half hour to get to the stadium?

I like Kam as well. Have met her a few times..but that response was lame.

Well written, Hammb!!

GO FALCONS!!! DIP THE CHIPS!!

[Bleeding Orange]

Unless a particular chapter is over 250 miles from BGSU there should NEVER be a watch party done for home games. Instead there should be busses from these area bringing Falcon fans to watch THEIR alma mater play in THEIR own stadium. I live 200 miles from BG and will not miss a home game this season. I was in Cleveland as well. Chapters that don't get on board should lose the right to have their events publicized through University channels. Or they should be charged more to do it. Let's be the first to charge them a "coward charge!"

Exactly. I simply cannot believe the Toledo Chapter is organizing a watch party for a home game.

The Summit-Medina Chapter is poor, at best. I rarely, if ever, see anything mentioned they organize and have NEVER received an invite to a game at Kent or Akron in any sport. Sometimes I've wondered how one becomes involved with that. ANy thoughts? I mean I'd be rounding up people left and right to get to BG games in BG as well as Kent and Akron.

We all have opinions why attendance is lacking...here is a prime example. I am taking a half day vacation so I can get the family up to the Doyt from Green....2 1/2 hours away. The Freaklings are getting out of school early for a "field trip"...a football field trip! And yet some people can't drive a half hour to get to the stadium?

I like Kam as well. Have met her a few times..but that response was lame.

Well written, Hammb!!

GO FALCONS!!! DIP THE CHIPS!!

Which is exactly why you need to stage a coup and take over that chapter. I'm serious. I can't even begin to express my rage at our alumni after this past weekend. Did any of you venture out to the greek tents before the game, or look out at them during the game? I did, and I talked to a lot of them who said they weren't going to the game because they would rather drink with their damn chapter alumni. Now, I don't fault the students so much as I do the alumni themselves. If they want to come back and re-live their petty, pathetic college lives for a weekend, great! But at least set some sort of damned example for current greek members by supporting the damned football team of your alma mater by taking a three hour break from the boozing and buying a damned $15 ticket. These people are one of the big reasons that our greek population really doesn't give a damn about supporting our University - they get a pretty good example of doing just the opposite once a year.

This got me to do a lot of thinking over this past weekend, and this is only one of the many things that has me pretty upset. This bullsh*t from Kam (who is otherwise a wonderful woman) didn't help. This crap is inexcusable, and I have a feeling that no one has really been called on it...well...ever. It is time.

[TG1996]

Freak, we all know you're the exception to the rule.


(And your loyalty to BG is pretty cool, too. )


My experience with alumni chapters is it's all what you make of it. The Indy one works pretty well, because they have a small group that plans a happy hour/dinner at the same place the first Thurs. of each month. If others make it, that's great, if not, a group of friends still enjoys a night out together. From there, I've worked my way into other events, and have met some great Falcons. They have the same "major" events every year. A wine and cheese party with an auction for the scholarship fund in February, then a student send-off party/picnic in July or August, and will even make plans to meet in Muncie to head over to football or hoops games at BSU.

In Columbus, it seems like there was the occasional event advertised, but I only ever really went to one. (And got drunk at a CBJ game and yelled at a fellow alum. Oops! ) I think the way the Indy group "weans" you into the group makes you a lot more apt to go in on the big events.

[SW-MI Falcon]

I understand everybody's frustration, but for the most part, people that attend game watch parties don't go to games at all. They are like the greeks that stayed in the tent. Sad, but true. Alumni events including game watch parties are social rather than fan base gatherings. I don't think by offering a game watch party in Toledo that you're hurting attendance that much. You're talking about maybe 25 people that probably had no intention of going to the game anyway. Again, sad but true.

BTW - I will miss the game watch parties in GR because I go to the games. It's a three hour drive, well worth it for me.

[bgsufn]

Can we just agree that this was a dumb idea and move on? I don't think there is some big conspiracy by the alumni association to hurt attendance. They made a mistake and knowing Lori and Kam, they regret it. To my knowledge they haven't done watch parties in Toledo for home games before and probably won't ever do it again. When I talked to Kam on Saturday night I think she realized that a mistake was made.

They are trying their best with limited budgets to encourage Falcon Alumni support their school. I think they've done a good job so far and will give them a pass on this one because of all the positive things they've done in the past.

I will be there for the Miami game and I will be encouraging others to do so.