Hey students, townies and alums, BG's in 1st place!!!

[BGSU33]

Here's a thought...maybe we have a student population that doesn't care too much about sports. Not just BG sports...but sports in general. Or maybe they don't care enough to carve out a 2-3 window each week to go to games

I'm betting many of those same students would come running if Ohio State football or basketball played a game at BG. Which would in turn show they care something about sports. Further, how is it that students at many other MAC schools come out in better numbers than BG? One could argue that BG has the best football/basketball combo in the MAC right now. They'll turn out to watch a mascot take off its head but not to watch a first-place team.

[BGSU33]

Student turnout for hockey is pretty decent. I'm thinking the major issue with basketball is that they've been so bad for so long that they just need to prove themselves.

When it comes to basketball, most of us can't remember the good old days. Most people weren't even born the last time BGSU played in the NCAA tournament.

It's beyond ridiculous how long it's been since we've been in the tournament. In the last decade or so we've seen other MAC schools like Kent State make the Elite Eight, Ohio make the Sweet 16 and others make the round of 32. Meanwhile BG is approaching a half of a century since it's last appearance. Not its last win, just its last appearance. You are correct, there are a ton of people who weren't even born the last time BG was in it.

[TG1996]

The hockey excitement has been building for a few years, this is literally over night for MBB. Also, the power of a national ranking (and a sustained one at that!) doesn't hurt.

"Number 8 in the country" will probably always trump "First place in the MAC."

[FalconTurf]

Here's a thought...maybe we have a student population that doesn't care too much about sports. Not just BG sports...but sports in general. Or maybe they don't care enough to carve out a 2-3 window each week to go to games

I'm betting many of those same students would come running if Ohio State football or basketball played a game at BG. Which would in turn show they care something about sports. Further, how is it that students at many other MAC schools come out in better numbers than BG? One could argue that BG has the best football/basketball combo in the MAC right now. They'll turn out to watch a mascot take off its head but not to watch a first-place team.

I hate mascot beheading. Greeks show long enough to see if they are being represented, take a few duck-faced selfies with their member and leave early regardless of quality of team, game or result. That is not the crowd we want. I would prefer some middle school or elementary kids in the bleachers who really care about the home team winning. If one dorm would take some initiative declare a section of the bleachers their own I would be happy. It will build but I think most college kids have been to basketball games while hockey is a new experience. Maybe that's what needs to happen in the Stroh - something unique the kids have never been a part. One creative student needed and others will follow.

[BleedOrange]

In all this talk, we're forgetting one important thing: it's so damned cold the women's team wouldn't draw fans if they played naked. Hell, I doubt if half the kids are even making it to class. Brbrbrbrbr.

[Class of 61]

Joyce and I were planning to come back on Sat. For the double header (and a triple header for me w/ hockey). We were kind of snowed out of the last time due to weather problems...but this time we've got a more legit reason....seems as if my stepdaughter is about to deliver our newest grandson.

But I've been reading your comments with interest as I'm perhaps the only one on this board who DID see the true glory days of BG basketball. Saw Jimmy Darrow score 52 pts in a game twice, still a school record I think ( and w/ no 3pt buckets), a very young Nate Thurmond, along with a FRESHMAN team that could've beaten most teams in the MAC today. Nate, along with Ira Harge, Wavey Junior, Elijah Chapman, and several others were limited to freshman ball then. Harge transferred to NM State and was 3 rd team all american, the same yr that Nate was 1st team and butch Komives 2nd team. Could you imagine this group in present day? ( guess it'd be called Kentucky)

Either way, it's truly disappointing to see the apparent lack of student support.

[commonsense]

The ticket price is too high. General Admission is $14 plus $10 for parking. Toledo had season tickets for $80 that includes free parking, $20 gift certificate for the team store, and $5 free concessions at each game. We are simply overpriced. For what BGSU charges, it is not reasonable family entertainment for most people.

[BGSU33]

In all this talk, we're forgetting one important thing: it's so damned cold the women's team wouldn't draw fans if they played naked. Hell, I doubt if half the kids are even making it to class. Brbrbrbrbr.

It's plenty warm inside the Stroh once you get inside.

[factman]

Joyce and I were planning to come back on Sat. For the double header (and a triple header for me w/ hockey). We were kind of snowed out of the last time due to weather problems...but this time we've got a more legit reason....seems as if my stepdaughter is about to deliver our newest grandson.

But I've been reading your comments with interest as I'm perhaps the only one on this board who DID see the true glory days of BG basketball. Saw Jimmy Darrow score 52 pts in a game twice, still a school record I think ( and w/ no 3pt buckets), a very young Nate Thurmond, along with a FRESHMAN team that could've beaten most teams in the MAC today. Nate, along with Ira Harge, Wavey Junior, Elijah Chapman, and several others were limited to freshman ball then. Harge transferred to NM State and was 3 rd team all american, the same yr that Nate was 1st team and butch Komives 2nd team. Could you imagine this group in present day? ( guess it'd be called Kentucky)

Either way, it's truly disappointing to see the apparent lack of student support.

You have me by a few years "61", but I also saw and remember all of those teams and players. Nate was a senior my freshman year, and we hitchhiked to Lansing to see the NCAA Regional games. Komives scored 25-26 on supposedly the best defensive player in the Big 10 (it really was 10 back then), and he was basically on one leg with a pulled hammy! If I remember correctly, if we would have beaten Illinois, we would have played Loyola, who we beat earlier, and ended up being the national champs.
I also remember almost every home game, Jim Hof begging everyone to SQUEEZE towards the middle, to create more seats in Anderson Arena, so everyone (students) had a seat, as the bleachers on both sides of Anderson (no chair seats in lower section then) were almost always full. GREAT times!

[AyZiggy97]

In all this talk, we're forgetting one important thing: it's so damned cold the women's team wouldn't draw fans if they played naked. Hell, I doubt if half the kids are even making it to class. Brbrbrbrbr.

It's plenty warm inside the Stroh once you get inside.

The note from Hackenberg points out that the women outdrew the men last week.

I have a pretty sour opinion about most of our so called fans. I doubt most of them would know how to react if they accidentally wandered into The Stroh during game action. The students packed Anderson my senior year in 1997. Up to that point there was little enthusiasim surrounding the Larranaga tenure. Something has changed in the last two decades and I don't think it's as simple as the lean years of Dakich II and Orr.

[Falcon137]

Here's a thought...maybe we have a student population that doesn't care too much about sports. Not just BG sports...but sports in general. Or maybe they don't care enough to carve out a 2-3 window each week to go to games

I don't think that's the case. Football draws 4-5k students for certain games, hockey draws very well.

It's going to take time for the fans to come back, men's basketball is dead to basically a generation of fans. Here is the games won the previous 12 years; 15, 15, 18, 9, 14, 14, 20, 14, 14, 16, 13, 12. You have to be a hardcore fan, to stick it out through those years. Students quit going and caring about games, they turned into alums who quit caring and following. BG basketball followed the perfect recipe about how to destroy interest in your program.

College basketball attendance is all about getting students and locals to the games. It competes for eyeballs and dollars more so than any other sport. If you are a alum who is a college basketball fan in Ohio and don't live in the Bowling Green area, you have one of these options close to you - Xavier, Cincinnati, Miami, Ohio, Dayton, Wright State, Ohio State, Youngstown State, Cleveland State, Kent State, and Akron. And in your own backyard, Toledo and to a certain extent, Findlay. It's a tough sell, especially with no marquee games, where the casual fan comes, sees the product and then decides to come back.

I will say more and more people seem to be jumping on the train. I've had friends who never attended a game or cared about BG basketball sending me text about a win or that they saw them listed in bracketology. But, it's not going to happen overnight.

[hammb]

The ticket price is too high. General Admission is $14 plus $10 for parking. Toledo had season tickets for $80 that includes free parking, $20 gift certificate for the team store, and $5 free concessions at each game. We are simply overpriced. For what BGSU charges, it is not reasonable family entertainment for most people.

I'm inclined to agree that the standard ticket prices are too high. I've been complaining about that for years for both football and basketball. UT has had that rocket pack or whatever that gets you the cheap seats, parking, concessions, etc for such a great value for years, and we have done NOTHING to compete with that...quite sad really. We then find ourselves scrambling for promotion days all the time with $1 tickets or deals through local vendors, etc. I'd REALLY like to see a cheap deal like UT offers for season tickets...that's the way you build a fanbase and up your attendance figures.


And the parking? The parking for basketball is absolutely RIDICULOUS. $10 to park in the lot closest to the arena and you're not even allowed within the first 6 rows!? $5 to park in the lot that is a long hike away!? Somebody needs to seriously re-assess this. Parking in downtown Toledo is pretty limited and still cheaper than $10 for decent parking on Huntington Center/5th Third days.

I don't like paying $10 or whatever to park for football, but at least I'm tailgating. It's a flat out ass rape for a 2 hour basketball game...especially when they still won't let you anywhere near the arena.

[zete]

The stabbers of cherries wrote:

[quote="hammb"I was saddened speaking to my grandfather last week, and this is exactly what we're dealing with. This is a man that was a season ticket holder from the days of Nate Thurmond on through until a couple years ago. He said he's pretty much lost all interest. He always took the games serious and got so worked up only to be let down again and again. He finally realized he couldn't take it, stopped getting his tickets, and now he just doesn't have an interest. I wish I could get him to come back because I know he'd LOVE the type of ball Jans has them playing, but he just doesn't seem to care anymore...and that's really sad as he's the one that was taking me to games 30 years ago and got me into it.

But that's what happens when you bring back a coach year after year who doesn't care. You get fans who won't care. The ship may have sailed for my grandpa, but I know we will get some new fans to come, and some old fans back. It's just gonna take some time. An NCAA tourney berth would certainly do it. I just know it's going to take more than regular season success (especially in a year where we didn't really have a marquee "name" win OOC).[/quote]



I am starting to feel the same. Love basketball in Anderson. New place rings hollow.

[Rollo83]

I know we are building something here and Jans has us headed in the right direction. But, next year's team has a good chance of not being as good/successful as this current team. We lose Holmes. Henderson and Clarke. That's a pretty big core of what we are doing right now.

I have faith Jans will keep building this thing and he will bring in some talented players to fill holes. But they will be freshmen. So if this current team wins 20 games and gets a top 4 seed in the MAC Tournament, what happens next year if we only win 15 games and finish in the middle of the pack? Will the momentum continue and the fans start to come back?

God forbid someone (another program) comes calling for Jans with a boat load of cash then.

Such is the life of a mid-major!

OK, I'll stop now and just enjoy this fantastic season we have going...