P*ss*ng off the fans we really need!

[bgsufn]

I apologize in advance, for this is long.

I have been a football season ticket holder for the past several years. Joining me is a friend of mine named Joe. Nice guy, no real connection to BG - his son went here but didn't graduate. He drives down from near Pontiac, Michigan for all the games. We have a very low-key tailgate and we watch the games from our seats on the 50. We've also been to bowl games together, road games Kent and Akron, etc. This year, he bought a season ticket for his wife as well. I give you all this as background, because if we had a few thousand more "Joes" we'd never be talking about attendance at all.

After all these games at the Doyt, my 64-year-old friend was told on Saturday that he couldn't bring his stadium seat into the game because it was metal. One of those ridiculous rent-a-cops that BG brought in a few years ago made him walk it all the way back to his car before he could come in. Now here's the great part - I got in with my seat just fine. What the heck?!? Joe's got back issues and has sat in that seat for the better part of six years now. Why, on the second-to-last home game, are we telling senior citizens they can't bring their stadium seat in?!? And why are the "rules" enforced for one person and not another.

I point all this out because that experience has soured Joe on coming to BG games every year. This year, he spent at least $170 for season tickets, plus merchandise at the team store, and food and beverages at the concession stand. He has had other things that have frustrated him, but this was really the last straw. Are we really willing to p*ss off the casual BG fan like this?

Maybe I sound winey, but ever since the powers that be decided we needed to hire CSC, the fan experience has been lacking. We've seen it in the Stroh, the Doyt and even the season ticket holder parking lot. Have they really helped our programs more than they have hurt them? BG is not a big time program where we have 100,000 people coming to watch a football game. It has always been a family atmosphere where you can be a part of the team. Remember in Anderson how you used to be allowed on the court after games? Gone. It's just silly that we try to act all big time and in the end we screw the very person we need to recruit to come here.

I don't want this to come off as me just bitching, but I have done my part to try and bring people in to BG. I just feel that some of this silliness is what's causing people to not make the effort to come to the games. We have the students, and the die hards, who (usually) will show up. It's the casual fan that we need to bring in the place. These actions do not help our cause at all.

[BGWriter]

It's not whining to point out stuff like this.

Big organizations that run sporting events often lose sight of how much impact the little things can have on the bottom line.

He shouldn't have to do it, but I hope your friend writes to the AD and explains what happened, so he can get the use of his seat and be able to sit comfortably at the games. Good fans should not be run off because of incompetence.

My best to him.

[falcon83]

that is another great example of why we will never have a full house in any sport. BG has lost sight of the fan. After yesterday's game, I've lost sight of BG

[falcon83]

that is another great example of why we will never have a full house in any sport. BG has lost sight of the fan. After yesterday's game, I've lost sight of BG

[CrazyFan]

Let's take the casual BGSU fan attitude towards this..."Well, this is normal at almost every sporting event you go to. You can go to the s**t shoe and they will do the same thing to you." My apologies to your friend. Customer service and appreciation have gone to the waste side for this program, administration and this university. It is becoming more mechanical than ever, and we can't create our own atmosphere anymore. We hire freaking outsourced IDIOTS to create our environment who #1 objective is money and quantity, not fan experience and quality. It's just sad. Absolutely no reason, except some rent a idiot misunderstanding the rules, that your friend couldn't bring in a simple seat cushion for his back. Maybe we should start another attendance thread and discuss why nobody in town or the area comes to games......perfect example.

[Class of 61]

I seriously think you should forward your post to our A.D. Having talked with Chris at lenght re: our own game experiences etc., I know he would like to make things right with your friend. And you're right; we can't afford to lose these "outside" friends and fans if we EVER hope to regain a true rabid fan base again.
I was asked if was carrying anything into the game by some older BIG guy at the gate...I told him, "yes, a program"...he didn't say a word...but the very fact he was questioning someone who basically was just walking into the game, i.e. no blanket, seat back etc. made me wonder what the heck this guy thought he was doing. Security is one thing, and it's important; but we (BG) need to see how the "average" fan is treated.
I 'm serious in that I think Chris should be contacted and told these details. FWIW, I saw several folks carrying these type things into the game on Sat. Don't know if they were "metal" or not, but many or even most have some sort of material to create a back support.

[Flipper]

Welcome to America.....risk managers and insurance people create guidelines. Organizations hire outside contractors to carry them out so they have someone to point to if there's an issue and the contractor hires some automaton who looks at you and compares you and your belongings to his "list ". None of it is geared towards the average fan who just wants to enjoy the game and the process..essentially by design...creates distance between you the customer and the University you want to support.

It sucks....

[Falcon Fanatic]

bgsufn: You need to forward this thread to Kingston. Major Falcon had an issue with how parking was handled (parked in lot 13 Friday night and was told to move to lot 20). He emailed Kingston on Saturday and the AD wrote back and sent Elsasser over to talk with Mitch during the tailgate. We are hoping this discussion will lead to some changes!

[bgsufn]

Thanks everyone! I've forwarded my concerns to Mr. Kingston.

[Falconfreak90]

Good going Chris. I've had it with these rent a cops at all venues and the way they operate. And the concession stands just plain suck. No other way to say it.

Beat Miami

[factman]

bgsufn: You need to forward this thread to Kingston. Major Falcon had an issue with how parking was handled (parked in lot 13 Friday night and was told to move to lot 20). He emailed Kingston on Saturday and the AD wrote back and sent Elsasser over to talk with Mitch during the tailgate. We are hoping this discussion will lead to some changes!

So he's sent the guy that created the problem, to solve the problem? Hope Mitch didn't argue with him, or him might "go off"! Never know what might happen then. . Steve Messenger would have been a much better choice to handle those kind of problems.

[mscarn]

Let's channel this into one simple request to take to the admininstration, the rationale of which has already been laid out convincingly in this thread and others:

Fire CSC and the incompetence and pedantry that it poisons our venues with.

[FortWayneFalcon]

Again, I say. This IS important.

[hammb]

Good going Chris. I've had it with these rent a cops at all venues and the way they operate. And the concession stands just plain suck. No other way to say it.

Beat Miami

We are NOT big time. We are never going to have 25k-30k people in the stands on a weekly basis. We don't NEED to have a corporate catering company serving up the same crap.

Embrace our localness, embrace our smallness. Get some local eateries out there serving good food. There are plenty of places in the BG/Toledo area that can make great food and I know quite a few do it in a portable setting at local festivals, etc. I have to think there'd be some interest on the part of the restaurants.

BG has always rejected chain restaurants, keeping them out of the town. So why do our sports teams cater to the corporate catering type crap? The kettle corn at the games is a great start, but take it further. The only concessions I ever buy at our events are pop/beer, that kettle corn, and the Fracklate Chip Cookies. The rest is just garbage, and there is no reason why it should be.

[musicman2343]

Embrace our localness, embrace our smallness. Get some local eateries out there serving good food. There are plenty of places in the BG/Toledo area that can make great food and I know quite a few do it in a portable setting at local festivals, etc. I have to think there'd be some interest on the part of the restaurants.

BG has always rejected chain restaurants, keeping them out of the town. So why do our sports teams cater to the corporate catering type crap?

This is something I don't understand either... I for one, never eat concessions, but I do know you'd have people knocking each other over in line to get things like:

1) Pollyeyes breadsticks
2) Myle's Pizza
3) Cookie Jar Cookies
4) Chips and salsa from El Zarape
5) Coffee/hot chocolate from Grounds for Thought

I'm sure everyone else can think of other things too! Why don't we embrace those companies? Keep it local - local is ALWAYS better. I might even buy stuff from concessions if that was being served...