TV Impressions: AU vs WMU

[72 Roo]

I've got to get this off my chest. Some may not agree with me but here goes.The AU-WMU did not present well on TV. The gym is obviously small like many in the MAC. But there is no freakin' excuse for all the empty seats in the lower bowl behind the bench/scorer's table side. Here we are going for our 15th win of the season, on national TV, Dambrot only losing twice in the JAR, a five game win streak, etc., and the blue hairs who buy the former Zip Athletic Club seats don't even fill half. That was downright embarrassming to all of us who love the Zips. How can you project a quality program that is exciting to be part of, yet half the lower bowl seats are empty?Mac has got to do something about these no-shows. Without these seats filled our marketing takes a huge PR hit. The people buying the rights to those preferred seats need to use them, even though they are mostly half dead during games, or Mac should fill them with students if unoccupied 5 minutes after tipoff. Some schools have done just that. If a person is running late they can call a hotline and get another 5 minute extension. Otherwise the seats go to students who can bring life to the courtside and help create an exciting atmosphere. Our program is getting better. Demand for tickets will grow faster if the JAR can be turned into a can't pass it up venue. People will rave about the electric atmosphere. It will happen. The sooner we get those seats filled the better the program looks in person and on TV. If we want better athletes we've got to present on TV better.Talking about presentation, the AK-Rowdies looked anemic. The ones that were there tried their best but there are not enough bodies on either end to project excitement. I don't know who is to blame for this, maybe no one. But the fact is the critical mass of crazies needed to make the impression we want aren't in the stands. It looks over TV like Akron is trying to have a program, we are successful, but no one cares. I refuse to believe that. This board is passionate and I can remember all the way back to Tony Laterza, Wyatt Webb and Memorial Hall. The desire for the passion of those days is still here. Mac and his marketing dept need to harness it.Until then, I will still drive from Columbus to see as many games as possible. I'll still support the ZIPS no matter what, but on TV we do not look good.

[Lone Zip in Col]

The AU-WMU did not present well on TV.

Who in the Hell is AU

[ZachTheZip]

Talking about presentation, the AK-Rowdies looked anemic. The ones that were there tried their best but there are not enough bodies on either end to project excitement. I don't know who is to blame for this, maybe no one. But the fact is the critical mass of crazies needed to make the impression we want aren't in the stands.

Anemic?! Your'e joking right? I don't know about the North end, but we were packed together like sardines on the South end. We couldn't get more people in there without busting the bleachers. Maybe if the Administration gave us the one lower side behind the player's benches, sold the seats behind the baskets, and we combined both the North and South sections together in one huge group we would've looked better on TV. I agree about the people with reserved tix never showing up. I absolutely hate that, but I hate it more when the majority of people who do show up don't even cheer once for the entire length of the game. All they do is . After the non-sellout today, I have my doubts about getting a sellout at any game other than OU. Even the Bracketbuster will only have around 4,000 people show up at this rate.

[skip-zip]

1) The Rowdies did their best today to get themselves, and the rest of the crowd into the game. This game was not an easy game to get into. Unlike the game against Can't. You did the best with what you had.2) Giving students ONE section behind the visiting teams bench would be great. 3) I know the University needs to raise money. And they know that the corporate folks and the older supporters will not pay big money for anything other than the lower seats. BUT, they need to start taking a closer look at how many of them actually attend most games, and consider mixing the crown a little bit more. We can't do a great job supporting our team when all the noise comes from the two small rowdies sections, and the upstairs general admission. EVEN DURING THE Can't GAME...the lower reserved section only stood twice: at the start of the game, and after that nice 2nd half run that gave us the lead. 4) Empty courtside seats really makes us look BAD on TV.5) I already predicted that this game, and the bracket buster will not fill the JAR. I wish I had been wrong.6) The OU game MAY get close to a sellout. I personally know of a few people that are marking the game on their calendar just to harrass Bubba.

[FearTheRoo]

Keep in mind, many of the empty seats are corporate owned and not individually owned. For example, my neighbor works for National City Bank. They are a big sponsor and have many seats. He's tried unsuccessfully to find out who keeps the tickets as he was trying to get us games. He's pretty much given up because no one knows, yet many times the seats are empty. It comes down to this, the University has had a program for so many years that was bad and/or not marketed at all. IMO, it will take several years of winning seasons before there is a level respect earned where these seats will not go empty.As for the ROWDIES being anemic, you must have looked past the ROWDIES to the 16 fans from WMU. I was VERY close to the ROWDIES for this game and they did a great job. Especially considering that it was a blow out.

[RowdyZip]

Ok. I had to work today, so this was my first missed game of the season. Just got done watching the game on the DVR. Man, that was a boring first half but nothing looks better than a stomping on national tv. Will it show up in the media poll monday? Hopefully. I'm slightly annoyed at the loser they had doing the halftime rap. One of my biggest pet peeves, he referred to us as ACK-ronn. KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE TEAM NAMES IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A SPORTSCASTER!!! idiot. Anyways, looks like it was a great game. I think I may be heading to Ypsilanti on wednesday if anyone wants to ride.

[K-Roo]

AU?? Game presented fine... Some people are never happy... Attendance-- 4,029.. looked full enough to me.. better than a 3/4 empty Bradley Center for UW-Milwaukee vs UW Wisconsin-Green Bay... (which made me miss the 10-1 Zips start,, thank you very much.)Wide shots shows the upper sections full and the lower bowl nearly full...By the way, my son and I bought seats in the "Blue hair" section last time out... $20.00 ea... great seats.. but a family of four drops $80.00... if they don't have season tickets.

[Bleacher Bum]

I don't get it. Why is everyone dissing the blue hair section? I wear blue hair to the game. Anyhoo, the band should be on the north side. Let the south side rise and be obnoxious. Let the band be with the north side and let them be quiet together!

[72 Roo]

I appreciatethe debate on my comment as to how we present on TV. I also appreciate the reminder regarding my faux pax in referring to us as AU vs U of A. I stand corrected, but it really doesn't change my opinion. The lower bowl on the teams side was half full. Eevry time the camera panned slightly up you saw it and it looked bad.I know the Wisc Green Bay vs Wisc Milwaukee was worse. Do we really want to benchmark ourselves against them. I think not. Rather take a look at the Big East, that's the level we need to shoot for. Their games rarely have any open seats lower to courtside. The lower bowl seats are owned by many corporate supporters. The university can still reserve the right to place fans there if those seats are not used. That is a policy we should give consideration. The timnes i have brought friends to a game they are amazed that the prime seats are so open. Until the purchaser fills them I think the university has to protect its image by puting people in those seats. Perhaps if the buyers show up the university will also provide cardiac defibulators to resuscitate the blue hairs after they stand once per game. They really should be moved so we can get some excitement courtside. But first things first. My main issue is filling those seats.Some of you have read my comments to be critical of the Rowdies. They were not. I only said it did not appear there were enough of them on TV. I still think that is an accurate statement. The ones who showed did well. I hope you grow in numbers. Thanks for being a Rowdy.

[FearTheRoo]

Just about every seat was full on both sides for the ROWDIES (except driectly behind the standards). I think it is just the design of the arena having like 10 rows at each end and no more.

[UAZips]

How long before they go to what they did in the rubber bowl? Make sure that the TV side is as full as possible for games that are on national television. I don't know exactly how you'd do it, but I wouldn't think it would be too tough to make sure those hundred or so empty seats on the lower tv side are filled.

[ZipAlumn]

It runs in my mind that the lower seats on the team side were much more full last year. The Akron - Can't game was the first time that I noticed how empty they were. Did something change in the way the tickets were marketed and sold? In 2005-06 and 2004-05 I was able to score some seats from a sponsor (Sky Bank) and those seats were opposite the team benches. I don't think that the seats should be available if nobody shows up becasue someone spent big bucks for them. However it is pitiful that someone spends big bucks for the seats and never show up.