BG - OHIO

[BGSUFanatic7]

That costs money, sir. This department is probably one of the more underfunded, understaffed departments in the MAC if not FBS. Carry on with your continuous rants though.

Well hell, if we don't have the money and can't raise the money, maybe we should eliminate some programs? If we cannot have a proper, competitive program, why have one at all? If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. If all we can provide is substandard token garbage, why bother in the first place? This is just simple pride.

$.02.

Listen, cutting basketball is out of the question...

Yeah, why not? We an use our 4000 seat monument to decades of mediocrity and obscurity for good causes like women's basketball, volleyball, and entertainment events. We can put our glorified high school gym to perfectly good use without a Louis Orr led men's basketball program. Let's admit it - almost nobody cares about BGSU men's basketball. It's been this way for a long time - why else is 4000 seats the "perfect" capacity - very, very few people have ever really given a s**t. Not the campus. Not the community. Not the media. Not Ohio sports fans anywhere. It just wouldn't make any difference. Let's put a real program out there or put the money into programs that aren't futile.

(Food for thought)

This is not food for thought. And saying that few people give a s**t is a huge disrespect for the couple of thousand that do show up to every home game. It just wouldn't make any difference? You sound dumb. You are acting like this program has never been good.

[hammb]

That costs money, sir. This department is probably one of the more underfunded, understaffed departments in the MAC if not FBS. Carry on with your continuous rants though.

Well hell, if we don't have the money and can't raise the money, maybe we should eliminate some programs? If we cannot have a proper, competitive program, why have one at all? If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. If all we can provide is substandard token garbage, why bother in the first place? This is just simple pride.

$.02.

Listen, cutting basketball is out of the question...

Yeah, why not? We an use our 4000 seat monument to decades of mediocrity and obscurity for good causes like women's basketball, volleyball, and entertainment events. We can put our glorified high school gym to perfectly good use without a Louis Orr led men's basketball program. Let's admit it - almost nobody cares about BGSU men's basketball. It's been this way for a long time - why else is 4000 seats the "perfect" capacity - very, very few people have ever really given a s**t. Not the campus. Not the community. Not the media. Not Ohio sports fans anywhere. It just wouldn't make any difference. Let's put a real program out there or put the money into programs that aren't futile.

(Food for thought)

We are a MAC level D1A program. If you're basing it solely on number of people that truly CARE about the programs I would argue that ALL of the sports programs are futile.

I was a full time student from 98-02 and I can say without a doubt that people cared about BG basketball during this time. We had fun players to watch, we had an awesome student atmosphere at games, and we won.

I also come from a family that has had season tickets every year since the 70s. My grandparents and uncle still have season tickets and none of them have any real association with the university other than being part of the community.

I do believe that if BG returns to winning it will have a following, both on campus and in the community. And even when they do get that following back I think the Stroh Center will prove to be the proper capacity for a smallish D1 college in a smallish community. Just because they'll never need 10,000 seats doesn't diminish the program in my eyes.

I still think it's total BS to call the Stroh a HS gym too. It's a very good facility, by far the best at BG, and the best I've been to in the MAC as well. EMU & NIU built these "non HS Gyms" that so many seem to want and now they are empty caverns with no people there. I much prefer the smaller, more open concourses of the Stroh to what EMU has.

[Falcon137]

I was just kidding.

[Flipper]

We have a glorified HS team...not a glorified HS arena...

[BleedOrange]

I was just kidding.

Yeah, my post was partially tongue in cheek too.

The 98-02 stretch was a blip of success. In the 70's, AA rocked like that all of the time. I remember it because I attended games then. Based on conversations with my Dad, interest in the program may be at an all-time historic low. After David Jenkins junior year, the 80's were flat. The Laranaga years were flat, except for the dumb luck of recruiting an Antonio Daniels when OSU happened to be already loaded with 2-guards.

The 4000 seats IS a testament to BG's longstanding tradition if insignificance and apathy. And the acceptance of this is a loser's mentality. The gym at my suburban Copley-Fairlawn HS can be expanded to hold more than the Stroh, the parking is better, and the access is better. Also, the practice facility is bigger and better.

The Stroh Center makes a loud statement, and it is this: "We've been nothing for decades, despite housing a D1 program, and nobody cares about it. Let's be realistic - our mediocrity will continue into perpetuity, so let's be 'pragmatic' and build something that accommodates our lack of ambition and aspirations for our program." And never mind OU's attendance, NWO has so many more shopping malls and chain restaurants that we could never hope for half of OU's attendance attendance. And during those historically accidental years when the stars are aligned (like 98-02) and we have a good team, we'll have a sense of "scarcity" so we can raise a few more $s for practice mats and mesh jerseys by raising ticket prices.

Our basketball program is a token effort. We have the facility to that represents it.

[Flipper]

The wake up call for the program should have been the attendance at the final game in AA. You would expect that game to draw a sell out or close to it...it didn't. I was a bit stunned by the apathy.

I don't think arena size sends a message about the program...I think winning sends a message about the program. The program looked pretty credible when they would ambush Big 10 schools in our old building...

[guest44]

Give me the Larranaga years all over, and I'd be happy. BG was in the picture every season. Under .500 was unheard of. The MAC was loaded with talent, as it produced NBA players almost yearly. Those years in the MAC were really good product. BG vs. Samford this year is the worst I've seen live in all my years of watching BG hoops.

[Falcon137]

I actually really like the size of the Stroh. Out of the 300+ D1 basketball programs only about 40-50 need an arena any bigger than 8,000.

Some of them build for concerts for their city and or to house hockey. The Stroh does neither. It is a basketball building. A rarity these days. No MAC school needs a 10,000 seat arena.

Look at Gonzaga, they built a 6,000 seat arena. Pack it to the rafters and make it an intimidating place to the play. The Stroh will rock when this program turns and it won't need to seat 11,000 to make it special.

[FalconTurf]

I was amazed as well that AA did not sell out for the last game. I really think The Stroh has atmosphere just like AA and will never be too small. I just don't see 3,000 season ticket holders with 1,800 students attending a Buffalo-BG Wednesday night. Toledo, the occasional Big Ten opponent (which will be more difficult to get not being in the CCHA with them) and the stretch run of a great season will be the only consistent sellouts. I truly hope for more but when is the last mid-major non-conference sellout?

[BGSU33]

I went to the Ohio at Akron game last week. Ohio got off to a very good start and DJ Cooper was making all kinds of plays, especially with his passing. OU jumped ahead 23-10 and Keith Dambrot made a big change. Instead of staying with defending Cooper with a guard (because he was having his way with them), Dambrot put small forward Nick Harney on Coooper for much of the rest of the game. Result? Harney really bothered Cooper with his length and athleticism. Cooper was unable to get off the same sort of passes both in transition and into the post, and his scoring looks were very limited. I turned to my friend and asked "do you think Orr would even think of putting a guy like Seeley (very similar size, length and athleticism as Harney) on him like that?" Answer. Nope. I was wondering if our coaching staff was even aware of Akron making that move in preparation for Ohio a few days later. My guess, who the hell knows. But after watching us go with our "lockdown" defender Kraus in many situations against OU, my guess is one, the thought never even crossed Orr's mind. Two, he is hellbent on playing Kraus regardless. Or three, both. I think that kind of move is exactly the kind of thing that separates good coaches from poor ones. Dambrot went with an idea and it worked. Orr never made anything close to trying that sort of thing, and went with something that has failed over and over (Kraus). Just another example of why a coach like Dambrot excels and Orr is left shrugging his shoulders and starting every answer off with "well......you know what (long pause, searching for an answer), shoulder shrug, shoulder shrug, wipe his face.....then eventually an answer.

[Flipper]

OU had a nice win against Kent...nice in the sense that they should have lost. Any way...that 13,000 seat arena had 8400 in it for a game against a huge rival. OU...coming off a historic NCAA run and playing against a traditional rival on a Saturday afternoon plays to a roughly 65% capacity crowd.

I don't htink our arena is too small by any stretch...

[Ozcat]

Any way...that 13,000 seat arena had 8400 in it for a game against a huge rival. OU...coming off a historic NCAA run and playing against a traditional rival on a Saturday afternoon plays to a roughly 65% capacity crowd.

1) Kent is not a "huge" rival. Miami is our rival, and our disdain for Akron is up there. Kent is a distant 3rd.

2) Tip was at 11AM. It was originally scheduled for 7PM. The change in time for tv likely cost us 1,500 fans.

3) That 65% capacity crowd is 3x the size of the MAC average. Pretty impressive.

[h2oville rocket]

Any way...that 13,000 seat arena had 8400 in it for a game against a huge rival. OU...coming off a historic NCAA run and playing against a traditional rival on a Saturday afternoon plays to a roughly 65% capacity crowd.

1) Kent is not a "huge" rival. Miami is our rival, and our disdain for Akron is up there. Kent is a distant 3rd.

2) Tip was at 11AM. It was originally scheduled for 7PM. The change in time for tv likely cost us 1,500 fans.

3) That 65% capacity crowd is 3x the size of the MAC average. Pretty impressive.

His point wasn't to denigrate the size of OU's fanbase but to say even at OU, with all those things going for it, they can't fill their fieldhouse. The concern in the thread was overbuilding-no MAC school needs a 13,000 seat arena. Few need even a 6,000 seat arena.

[BleedOrange]

Any way...that 13,000 seat arena had 8400 in it for a game against a huge rival. OU...coming off a historic NCAA run and playing against a traditional rival on a Saturday afternoon plays to a roughly 65% capacity crowd.

1) Kent is not a "huge" rival. Miami is our rival, and our disdain for Akron is up there. Kent is a distant 3rd.

2) Tip was at 11AM. It was originally scheduled for 7PM. The change in time for tv likely cost us 1,500 fans.

3) That 65% capacity crowd is 3x the size of the MAC average. Pretty impressive.

His point wasn't to denigrate the size of OU's fanbase but to say even at OU, with all those things going for it, they can't fill their fieldhouse. The concern in the thread was overbuilding-no MAC school needs a 13,000 seat arena. Few need even a 6,000 seat arena.

[Flipper]

Any way...that 13,000 seat arena had 8400 in it for a game against a huge rival. OU...coming off a historic NCAA run and playing against a traditional rival on a Saturday afternoon plays to a roughly 65% capacity crowd.

1) Kent is not a "huge" rival. Miami is our rival, and our disdain for Akron is up there. Kent is a distant 3rd.

2) Tip was at 11AM. It was originally scheduled for 7PM. The change in time for tv likely cost us 1,500 fans.

3) That 65% capacity crowd is 3x the size of the MAC average. Pretty impressive.

His point wasn't to denigrate the size of OU's fanbase but to say even at OU, with all those things going for it, they can't fill their fieldhouse. The concern in the thread was overbuilding-no MAC school needs a 13,000 seat arena. Few need even a 6,000 seat arena.

Give that man a cigar....or a stuffed bear...something.