Attendance - Ideas to improve?

[unigriff]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

from a students point of view (and from what ive been told and heard)...Most students don't care for UNI basketball, They lose "ALL" the time, and because of those reasons they don't go. They said they'll go when we are in first or second place in the conference. (that was from a large group of people)

[KansasCityPanther]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

Basketball is not football...you lose 2 or 3 games in football and you probably miss the playoffs. Unless your a BCS school then you only have to win 6 games to get to a meaningless bowl game. Basketball is about peaking at the right time. Four years ago UNI made the NCAAs with a team that is very simliar to this years team. Even though the losses suck, I still enjoy watching the team compete, just like P73 mentioned.

I would feel very different if there was a sense that this team had packed it in and were just going through the motions. Since Mac UNI Basketball has played with pride and they expect to win, that's all you can ask from a team. I remember when we would play Iowa, just to play Iowa....expecting to lose. Hopefully those days are over for good and I hope that fans of all levels of enthusiasm can appreciate that. We have a great home in the MC and have every reason to be proud of what UNI stands for.

[KansasCityPanther]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

UNI will never be in first place without a great deal of fan support. Players get energy from the crowd. The crowd can make the difference between winning and losing. If that's the case they gave the student section too many seats. I guess too many just don't get it.

[panthertrack]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

Why blame bad performances on players? Get on the fans. That'll teach em.

[KansasCityPanther]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

I am not blaming fans for bad performances by the players. Just stating the obvious, fans are part of the game. That's a good thing, otherwise there wouldn't be a reason to put seats in stadiums only TV cameras. I am only saying that as a player it has to mean more playing for a full house (I would settle for nearly full).

[dan_beeding]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

My freshman year, the first year of Mac's Maniacs, we had as many (if not more) students as this year's team. I think a great deal with that was the basketball players acting like people. What I mean by that is when I see them at the bars or on campus in a social situation, they associate with basketball players and jersey chasers only, with few exceptions. In 03-04, when Brooks and Viet and Josten and Stout were freshmen, I can remember them going around our whole dorm begging people to join Mac's Maniacs. I don't think these guys think they are above the rest of the student population, but over the past few years, I have noticed them acting more and more like your typical big-school stud athletes. If the guys from the 03-04 class wouldn't have acted like they wanted us there outside of the games, I more than likely wouldn't have been as interested in the team's success as I was and have been since.

[Newsbreaker]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

I missed two easy jumpers last game. Sorry.

[JCPanthers]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

Some of you are absolutely pathetic. For those of you who refuse to go to games until they win or play a different style of basketball...don't bother, we don't want you. We want fans who stick behind our team win or lose.

[TH1974]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

Some of you are absolutely pathetic. For those of you who refuse to go to games until they win or play a different style of basketball...don't bother, we don't want you. We want fans who stick behind our team win or lose.

Which is it? Apparently some people want more fans, some fewer.

[TH1974]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

I missed two easy jumpers last game. Sorry.

If you keep missing those, News, enrollment will go way down. Get it together!

[Newsbreaker]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

If you keep missing those, News, enrollment will go way down. Get it together!

Once at a game I had a conversation about something other than basketball. I'm pretty sure I dropped our FG percentage by .03231% that night. Next time I'll make sure someone else is in my seat during said conversations.

[4N6]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

Ok, don't get all p----d off. This is just an opinion. If I hear one more person suggest that we have a $1.00 hot dog, pop, or whatever promotion, I think I'll puke. That's something reserved for rodeos and minor league baseball. (And that's coming from a Bucks fan.) Don't suggest shuttle buses either. Doesn't work. Just look at shuttles for other past events in the Cedar Valley. This ... I do know about.

It's sad but true, that UNI BB will always be a second or third choice for things to do of many people in he Cedar Valley. And the people I'm talking about here are basketball fans. Still many more people have never been to a UNI BB game, and of those, most will stay that way. I remember a game from over twenty years ago, that at halftime I counted the people in attendance. True, I had little to do at the moment, but I will never forget that night. It's gotten better, but it hasn't changed. Many, many people in the Cedar Valley would not think of getting in their car at 6 or so on any given night, drive to Cedar Falls for a game, and return home after 10. Why? because it's UNI, and not Indiana, UCLA, Florida, or ... Iowa.

So you must be asking ... 4N6 ... "They pack them in at Southern Illinois and Wichita State. What gives?"

Tradition. UNI came close a few years ago with three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Now look what happened. OMG ... they're back to playing like they used to. Above .500 for sure, but losing games they should have one (Iowa this year) and winning a few surprise games. I've actually heard this very argument this past week. I have been attending UNI basketball games for nearly thirty years. I've seen spurts of increased attendance. (Who will forget a few years back when over 8,000 packed into one side of the Dome for the game against Southern when the Salukis hadn't lost in forever.) But, it's sad but true, I'm guessing we will never see attendance selling out the McLeod night-after-night unless one thing happens.

They must win. Now again ... don't get all in a huff. This doesn't have to happen for the loyal fan amongst us. I'll be there tonight (what a HUGE game.) I'll be there in St. Louis, and I'll be there beginning next year in spirit (from 1,300 miles away as my wife and I retire to Gator Country. The house is already built and paid for - no turning back.) But you know who I'll be watching online (if it's working any better by then.)

Don't think that the Panthers don't recognize true fans - the ones they see in the stands game after game - trust me, they notice. The Panthers have a good fan base. Too bad there aren't more of us !!!

[JCPanthers]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

Ok, don't get all p----d off. This is just an opinion. If I hear one more person suggest that we have a $1.00 hot dog, pop, or whatever promotion, I think I'll puke. That's something reserved for rodeos and minor league baseball. (And that's coming from a Bucks fan.) Don't suggest shuttle buses either. Doesn't work. Just look at shuttles for other past events in the Cedar Valley. This ... I do know about.

It's sad but true, that UNI BB will always be a second or third choice for things to do of many people in he Cedar Valley. And the people I'm talking about here are basketball fans. Still many more people have never been to a UNI BB game, and of those, most will stay that way. I remember a game from over twenty years ago, that at halftime I counted the people in attendance. True, I had little to do at the moment, but I will never forget that night. It's gotten better, but it hasn't changed. Many, many people in the Cedar Valley would not think of getting in their car at 6 or so on any given night, drive to Cedar Falls for a game, and return home after 10. Why? because it's UNI, and not Indiana, UCLA, Florida, or ... Iowa.

So you must be asking ... 4N6 ... "They pack them in at Southern Illinois and Wichita State. What gives?"

Tradition. UNI came close a few years ago with three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Now look what happened. OMG ... they're back to playing like they used to. Above .500 for sure, but losing games they should have one (Iowa this year) and winning a few surprise games. I've actually heard this very argument this past week. I have been attending UNI basketball games for nearly thirty years. I've seen spurts of increased attendance. (Who will forget a few years back when over 8,000 packed into one side of the Dome for the game against Southern when the Salukis hadn't lost in forever.) But, it's sad but true, I'm guessing we will never see attendance selling out the McLeod night-after-night unless one thing happens.

They must win. Now again ... don't get all in a huff. This doesn't have to happen for the loyal fan amongst us. I'll be there tonight (what a HUGE game.) I'll be there in St. Louis, and I'll be there beginning next year in spirit (from 1,300 miles away as my wife and I retire to Gator Country. The house is already built and paid for - no turning back.) But you know who I'll be watching online (if it's working any better by then.)

Don't think that the Panthers don't recognize true fans - the ones they see in the stands game after game - trust me, they notice. The Panthers have a good fan base. Too bad there aren't more of us !!!

Spoken like a true Panther. Too bad you are retiring to Florida cuz we will all miss your loud mouth and the railing of the officials.

[JCPanthers]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

Which is it? Apparently some people want more fans, some fewer.

I already said that....

We want fans who stick behind our team win or lose

[TravelingPanther]

Re: Attendance - Ideas to improve?

Some of you are absolutely pathetic. For those of you who refuse to go to games until they win or play a different style of basketball...don't bother, we don't want you. We want fans who stick behind our team win or lose.

Exactly. What a poor mentality from some people. If you have kids, teching them that winning is everything is fantastic.

I bet kids hate going to games, especially if we lose.

Last time I checked, win or lose, there are a lot of kids at the games having a blast. I love seeing all the little kids dancing, making signs, trying to get shirts, etc.