My issues with the SEMO game (not player related)

[BGorDeath]

Upon entering the Doyt Saturday and seeing the crowd, I thought BG finally made the turn into stepping up as a D-1 program as a game day experience. However, after the game, I had some issues. They are:

1. Concessions. I stood in line for 20 minutes only to find out they were out of everything. No Doyt dogs. No chicken sandwiches. No pizza. No peanuts. No popcorn. And this was before halftime. An excuse of "we weren't expecting this kind of crowd" doesn't fly. You averaged 22,000 the year before, expect big crowds EVERY game and plan accordingly. I was pissed.

2. Scoreboard looked great. New PA sounded great. New PA announcer sounded great until I heard Kyle Mangor was playing and not Cole Magner. Inexcusable. Learn how to pronounce the home team's players names before you step up to the mike, junior.

3. As I drove away from the Doyt listening to the post game, my first thought was "how much and they paying Gibson and why?" I can get more game description from my three year old describing the game with paper and crayons. Love him for being a BG player, dislike him as an incapable analyst. Where's Gerling? Also with the broadcast, during the post game interview with Coach B., all you could hear was Coach B.'s answers because everytime a reporter asks a question I have to find out the the post game interview is sponsored by "5/3 Ancillary Pepsi Frickers Store that wants to be the best restaurant that I will ever need to drink my loan at". Quit whoring out your station to get in as many sponsor plugs. Instead, let me hear your programming at that given moment.

That's it! Omar looked good. Band looked good in the new uni's. Field look good. Now, only if I didn't have to wait a month to get back to the Doyt.

Thanks for listening, and now back to our feature presentation "Gymkata."

[hammb]

As you said the concession thing was inexcusable. I didn't try to get anything myself, but sitting in the student section that news came around. I know for a fact that some of the students that left early did so because they were hungry. A couple guys next to me were whining about how hungry they were, then when they went to get some food came back with nothing and got their friends and they all left. You cannot be big time if you cannot even serve hot dogs. They're cheap. If you have to throw some away for preparing too many (or give them away) deal with it. It paints a very poor image of BG football if someone who's coming to their first game (FRESHMEN!?) cannot even get a hot dog in the 3rd quarter.

My issues with the game are more on the outside of the stadium however. BGSU, take a step back, we are becoming a big time football program. Big time football programs build a following and that starts early in the day. Now, I like being able to beat the parking fee, but they are really losing out on some money by not being there early enough. We got there at noon, there were many others around already, and there was no charge for parking yet. Looking around I'd say that the U lost out on close to a grand by not charging for parking early enough. That, I can overlook.

However, I would gladly pay my $5 for some more porta potties and trash cans. It is ridiculous when the portalet is 3/4 full at 2:00 and it is just that...A SINGULAR portajohn. C'mon BG, there were a LOT of tailgaters out there yesterday sharing that one john. When I needed to go a little later I looked out to see about 10-15 people in line and decided to just pee in a cup and dump it out. Its not what you want to have to do, but the U is making it your only option. We need at least 5-10 johns on that side of the parking lot with all the tailgating that goes on now. Funny, I remember the days there were about 3 of 'em in the entire parking lot and we never had to wait for the one nearest us...glad those days are gone, but I think they need to make an improvement here.

The other area is trash bins. There were no trash barrels at all along our grassy area. I was speaking with FalconFan and it is a disgrace all the garbage that was along that way, but where was everyone supposed to throw it? Personally we bagged ours and left it there, at least it was bagged up. But it would help those that have to clean up immensely if we had some barrels out there to put the trash in. I'm not going to say that everyone would be 100% neat & tidy and use these barrels (I know not everyone did last year), but it certainly doesn't hurt to have some convenient places to put your garbage.

It is clear to me that the university is still a step behind on the state of our program. Hell, I was too, expecting roughly half the attendance that actually showed. However, I think its time to realize we are becoming a program, and with that comes rowdy tailgates. With big tailgating crowds you really need to have more waste containers, both biological and otherwise

[bgsuman]

Can someone bring this to the U's attention? Is there any way we can communicate these concerns(if they somehow weren't noticed by many others)?

maybe submit a letter BG news? or hell send it to Ribeau? This sounds sad. I am a Grad and would like to come back and make it worthwhile, but if I cant even get a dog!! or know who is playing-Kyle Magnor? what the heck!

[BGGrad01]

Can someone bring this to the U's attention? Is there any way we can communicate these concerns(if they somehow weren't noticed by many others)?

maybe submit a letter BG news? or hell send it to Ribeau? This sounds sad. I am a Grad and would like to come back and make it worthwhile, but if I cant even get a dog!! or know who is playing-Kyle Magnor? what the heck!

I think a quick email to someone at the Athletic Department would work. There were similar concerns before the NIU game last year and they put extra portajohns and trash bins out there. I think I emailed Jim Elsasser and got a response pretty quickly stating that they were aware of the problem and would fix it. Can anybody confirm that Elsasser is the contact guy regarding these concerns?

[xxBggirliexx]

My problem with the game wasn't the PA system or the food...but the fact that officers were coming around telling us (students) we had to sit down and support the team so everyone could see. This is not a golf outing, part of what makes the games fun for fans and the players is the fact that we are up and cheering pretty much the whole time. Players feed off of that excitment on top of their own adreinaline. Lets look at Anderson Arena, do you think officers would come up to us and tell us to sit there? No, because then it wouldn't bethe house that roars. the university needs to do a better job of placing those who pay for general admission tickets and don't want to stand away from us students. Sitting made the game not enjoyable, and in turn i left at the half. If you wanna sit and watch the game stay home and buy copies of the games!

GO BG!!!!!!

[TG1996]

The setup of AA makes it easier for the students to stand the whole time, but they do need to figure out a way to position the students so they don't block people that "CAN'T" stand for the whole game. Its really a tough call, too, as the "ring" of students sitting down low and stretching the length (or so) of the field is a huge part of the atmosphere, but the only answers I could think of would be to leave rows empty behind them (which are reserved seats, so that's not happening) or "stack them" in one section of the west stands at either endzone, which would kill the atmosphere along the sideline. Its really a tough call, I think.

[Tricky_Falcon]

Yeah, you should voice your concerns to Jim Elsasser. I have done so a few times and he good at getting back to you and making the necessary changes.

[kdog27]

The setup of AA makes it easier for the students to stand the whole time, but they do need to figure out a way to position the students so they don't block people that "CAN'T" stand for the whole game. Its really a tough call, too, as the "ring" of students sitting down low and stretching the length (or so) of the field is a huge part of the atmosphere, but the only answers I could think of would be to leave rows empty behind them (which are reserved seats, so that's not happening) or "stack them" in one section of the west stands at either endzone, which would kill the atmosphere along the sideline. Its really a tough call, I think.

There is no way to make everyone happy. Leave things alone, what is it now 14 straight regular season wins?

[bgsufan67]

Last night was my first ever BG game as a freshman. Around 12 minutes left in the second quarter my friend goes to get something to drink. He doesn't come back until the middle of halftime!!! That is ridiculous.

[Tricky_Falcon]

Last night was my first ever BG game as a freshman. Around 12 minutes left in the second quarter my friend goes to get something to drink. He doesn't come back until the middle of halftime!!! That is ridiculous.

The lines were unbelievably long. I wouldn't be surprised if people tried to bring their own food and drinks to the game next time.

[rollalongFF0304]

Last night was my first ever BG game as a freshman. Around 12 minutes left in the second quarter my friend goes to get something to drink. He doesn't come back until the middle of halftime!!! That is ridiculous.

I couldn't make it to the game, but I'd tend to excuse the long lines and lack of food yesterday. The reason is because it's the first time ever thatstudents could use their meal plan to purchase concessions. Dining services didn't have anything to base their food preparations for -- they were going into the game blindly, and obviously guessed low.

And students were basically thinking, "go to the game and get as many "free" hot dogs and popcorn as you want."

It's like getting lunch on the first day the dining halls are open. The place is packed. But as the semester wears on, things even out a bit because people figure out the system.

I have a feeling things will be a little bit better on the 16th.

[It's the Journey...]

Ok, the whole concession stand thing sucks. Should they have had more food, of course. As far as the long student lines, give them some slack. For the first time students were able to use their meal plan money in athletic venues. This was the first time those concession workers, who are volunters from various groups trying to raise money, had to deal with running meal cards in a live game situation. Now that it has been done once and problems have been exposed they will be fixed. The director of Dining Services will make things run smoother in the future. From the comments students I was sitting around were saying some of them were going to the window that was labeled "Meal Plan Cards" and using cash. That was dumb, use the cash windows. It will run better for homecoming. As far as the students standing is conerned I see both sides. There are signs that state students may stand the whole game. But they are all the way down at field level and not at the ramps where they should be. Second, it has been that way for a while and if these are season ticket holders that are complaining, they need to wake up. Now I do not know what the police officer said during the game but in my conversations with Jim Elsasser the cocern is standing on the metal seats. We just replaced most of the bench seating in the Doyt which cost a lot of money. Sutdent general fee money I might add because over 47% of every students general fee goes to Athletics. These seats are for sitting on, n ot standing on. When students stand on them, jump on them, etc. the chance of the seats breaking away from the concrete and causing injuries grows. Jim has told me the problem is not with students standing the whole game, its with students standing on the seats. I am glad they started to crack down on it the first game of the season instead of waiting until the third like last year. If BG is going to start acting like a "Big Time" football program it needs to enforce all of its stadium policies or get rid of the ones they have no intention of sticking to.

[TG1996]

There is no way to make everyone happy. Leave things alone, what is it now 14 straight regular season wins?

I agree, though I think it shouldn't totally be blown off, just so that they are always thinking (or noticing at other stadiums) ways to make it work better for everyone. I think its great that students stand for the whole game, and get loud from start to finish, the only thing I'd have an issue with is if they're standing on the benches (which I don't know if they do one way or the other). That seems like it would be an easy compromise to lower the "height" of the student section a couple feet, and isn't an outrageous request by any means.

[xxBggirliexx]

Let me clear that up, it wasn't standing on the seats we were repremanded for, it was standing on the concrete and standing in general. I understand the seat thing and can respect that if that is what they were trying to prevent, but I personally was told i couldn't stand at all and I was not standing on the seats.

[able1]

Everyone knows where the student section is, if they plan on sitting behind them, they should plan on standing. I know that's not totally fair to everyone, and I'm not trying to sound cruel, but the students standing and being loud is what creates the atmosphere we love on gamedays. Can you imagine playing Marshal this year with the students being forced to sit?
I'm not trying to be completely insensitive to others (even though I know it sounds like I am), but I don't want to see the energy of the stadium reduced because of this. Don't sit behind the student section if you don't want to stand! I sat on the east side for this game and there were a lot of families and older fans that didn't want to stand and it was perfect for them.
If we want the stadium to be as intimidating as possible, let the students go (within reason of course!) That section was awesome last night, especially considering who we were playing. Can't wait for homecoming!