Kirk Wessler on the decision to play a game at Renaissance Coliseum

[Da Coach]

The curtained off area off the concourse behine section 1 is still there, but I was under the impression it was not used by the Braves Club this past season. Does anyone know for sure.

[lefty]

IMO, the lexus room was not successful and is not a good solution to a Braves Club room, IMO.

Somehow, the AD need to get this problem handled with the CC.

I never did like the name of that room.

[Chico]

Sounds eerily similar to the approach the Athletic Department has taken in the past. We need new ideas that are far more inclusive!

What else can they do if the kids know their is a game and where it is being played.

[amckillip]

What else can they do if the kids know their is a game and where it is being played.

That's like saying what more can a company do to market their product othen than tell people the price and stores available.

[AZ BU Fan]

...Course, I also believe in UFO's, although not necessarily alien beings, ...

at what point will we be satisfied that everyone on the planet now has a camera in their hands 24 hours a day, there's virtually no such place left in the world that's truly "remote" enough for anything to happen that won't get seen by many and photographed, and the science of it such as electronic recording and documentation, radar, forensics, etc...at some point would finally pick up the convincing evidence....plus all the researchers and TV shows that look constantly for evidence and find nothing but erroneous data and hoaxes....and yet -- we have even less convincing stuff now of the legends of UFO's, Bigfoot, and Nessie -- than we had in 1947!!
These things don't exist

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Somehow I just knew I couldn't slip this by T.....

For those interested in a different opinion of the reality of UFO's, defined as unidentified objects flying in earth airspace, (absent the emotional arguements of where they come from or the possibility of alien life), you might enjoy reading:

"UFO's: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go On The Record" by Leslie Keane, an NPR reporter, and a UFO skeptic - until she actually researched the subject world wide.

$8.99 in paperback, $12.99 Kindle version...

As scientists/physicists investigate additional dimensions, alternate universes, and the possibility of time travel (see "Through The Wormhole" TV Series), one should never say never.....

Now back to the debate of BU at the RC for regular season
games..........something more unbelievable than UFO's!!

[tornado]

IMO, the BU Athletic Dept. ( MC, et al) is wrong in their decision.

First of all, the students will not turn out as expected. Students will come when we have a winner and something other than a last place MVC team with a 9 year record of mediocrity.

All this will do is piss off a number of loyal fans. Our AD still does not understand(or accept) that BUs traditional. year-in,year-out fan base is the city of Peoria.

Recent moves by the BU Ath. Dept seem to indicate a high priority for fund raising even at the expense of ordinary fans, imo.

Emphasis is on major $$ giving societies. Priority access to tickets at RC can only be had thru a larger donation.

Social events seem to be geared toward big donors rather than less costly events that turnout large numbers of fans.

The Braves Club Room at Carver is simply a curtained off section that offers free popcorn. The Ath. Dept seem to have no interest at all in upgrading or improving this.

Bradley Basketball used to be fun---Now it is less so,IMO.

glad to see you have come over from the dark side, Wiz -


-- oh and anyone selling their testimony about UFO's for $$ is as believable as one who sells his testimony in court

[Bobby Parker]

The Lexus Room was reintroduced to Braves Club members last season. In addition, Braves Club members were given access to membership only lines at all arena concessions stands during halftime for improved halftime service. To my knowledge, the Braves Club board and administration have received positive reviews for this added service, but I will certainly check with them to make sure this was viewed as a positive.

In response to social events being geared toward big donors, hopefully you will have the opportunity to attend the free Bradley Braves Community Nights events in Pekin, Dunlap and Washington next month.

As for priority tickets to Renaissance Coliseum, yes, the largest donors get first crack at seats, but I think you will find there are lots of great seats available to all fans at all giving levels at reasonable prices. Large donations do provide perks, but I believe Bradley is committed to making its events available to all its fans.

Please feel free to communicate directly with a staff member in the future. All of our email addresses and phone numbers are available online through the Staff Directory on BradleyBraves.com. We would love to address your concerns on a personal level.

[Beninator]

What else can they do if the kids know their is a game and where it is being played.

That's like saying what more can a company do to market their product othen than tell people the price and stores available.

I feel so strongly about this as it is about the college experience that students should have the opportunity to partake. As has been said numerous times here, the students also represent the future fan base. The team is and should be more than a community team. I have said this before, but when I transferred to Bradley, I was amazed that outside of a few notices here and there, a person would never know on campus that it was game day. And this was in the 1980's when the Hawk was here!!! What else can the do is the question out there... Well for starters, the Athletic Department can reach out to the students and make this game an EVENT! and I mean reaching out to the students in a way that would interest them... It won't happen overnight... It has been a while since I was a student, so I don't know what exactly interests students anymore, but I can tell you that everyone likes a party and a good time and I am convinced that can be done even given the restrictions that were not in place during my day as a BU student! IMO, we have seen a nice community outreach from the department by having Geno tour different locations around the area.... We need to be equally if not more creative with the students.

[Chico]

That's like saying what more can a company do to market their product othen than tell people the price and stores available.

Poor comparison IMO. Companies market their product because of the competition. What basketball competition does Bradley have? If a student WANTS to go to the games they know when and where it is. Not saying it doesn't help to have a coach or a player talk to them about the team etc., but if they want to go they will. Show some school pride and support your fellow students that' all I'm saying.

[SFP]

Poor comparison IMO. Companies market their product because of the competition. What basketball competition does Bradley have? If a student WANTS to go to the games they know when and where it is. Not saying it doesn't help to have a coach or a player talk to them about the team etc., but if they want to go they will. Show some school pride and support your fellow students that' all I'm saying.

OK I agree with you to some degree Chico because I barely missed a game when I was there but we are not talking about the same generation. There is a huge generational gap and it is hard to understand but the kids today feel like their game boy is truly a competitive product to actually watching a live game. You know and I know that the community aspect and cheering on your team is a very entertaining thing to do but this generation for some reason does not and they need a bit of prodding. Unfortunately we will need their involvement at some point in time in the future to maintain the same level of fans in the future.

[Chico]

OK I agree with you to some degree Chico because I barely missed a game when I was there but we are not talking about the same generation. There is a huge generational gap and it is hard to understand but the kids today feel like their game boy is truly a competitive product to actually watching a live game. You know and I know that the community aspect and cheering on your team is a very entertaining thing to do but this generation for some reason does not and they need a bit of prodding. Unfortunately we will need their involvement at some point in time in the future to maintain the same level of fans in the future.

Sorry, but I disagree. The ones that are basketball fans should go to the games. I don't expect the ones who aren't basketball fans to support the program. Don't blame them, that's not their bag. Someone could talk to me all day about going to an opera and I still wouldn't go.

[AZ BU Fan]

-- oh and anyone selling their testimony about UFO's for $$ is as believable as one who sells his testimony in court

Seeing as you opened the door counselor, Keane isn't selling "her testimony" to convert people. She is writing about her many interviews of gov leaders, military leaders, and commercial aviators from around the world, you know, a bunch of real crackpots.

She also recounts the US Gov/Military documents she has studied via the US FOI act, and the documents released freely to the public by gov's from around the world. No opinions, just documents...

What is interesting is the difference in opinion/openness on the subject of UFO's by major governments/militaries around the world vs the US.

The US is the only major country in the World where the Gov, Military, and Mass Media denies UFO's and then ridicules/marginalizes anyone who suggests there may be objects in the world's air space that defy our knowledge of physics and can not be identified as of human origin...



Now, back to BU playing in the RC!

[SFP]

Sorry, but I disagree. The ones that are basketball fans should go to the games. I don't expect the ones who aren't basketball fans to support the program. Don't blame them, that's not their bag. Someone could talk to me all day about going to an opera and I still wouldn't go.

You make a good point! There are new events around video games where teams play each other. Some game players make a pretty good chunk of change. Perhaps BU needs to look into developing a team.

[amckillip]

Poor comparison IMO. Companies market their product because of the competition. What basketball competition does Bradley have? If a student WANTS to go to the games they know when and where it is. Not saying it doesn't help to have a coach or a player talk to them about the team etc., but if they want to go they will. Show some school pride and support your fellow students that' all I'm saying.

See, this is a fallacy. SeaDoo doesn't compete against other watercraft manufacturers, they compete against Chevy Corvette's and vacations to Cancun - If they only view their competition as other watercraft manufacturers, why advertise at all? Because they realize it's bigger than that, they aren't competing for market share in wave runners, they are competing for the discretionary dollar. Bradley Basketball's competition isn't another basketball game, it's heading to the bars, or grabbing a movie, or hanging out with your buddies watching a movie. Bradley isn't competing against other live sports, they are competing for student's free time.

[Monmouth_Bradley_Fan]

See, this is a fallacy. SeaDoo doesn't compete against other watercraft manufacturers, they compete against Chevy Corvette's and vacations to Cancun - If they only view their competition as other watercraft manufacturers, why advertise at all? Because they realize it's bigger than that, they aren't competing for market share in wave runners, they are competing for the discretionary dollar. Bradley Basketball's competition isn't another basketball game, it's heading to the bars, or grabbing a movie, or hanging out with your buddies watching a movie. Bradley isn't competing against other live sports, they are competing for student's free time.

NAILED IT.
Students like to see bad movies about as much as they like to watch bad teams play basketball. Win games, gain fans...lose games? Lose fans. If Bradley wins the MVC, I'd bet that Carver is nearly sold out if not sold out for the start of the next season, ATLEAST the conference part of the season. 1 winning team can get alot of momentum rolling in a positive way. The same way a bottom of the pack team can send momentum the other way.... Just take a look at the Cleveland Cavaliers O_O. The dollar and time that Bradley is trying to receive from the student is in competition with every other form of entertainment, or time consumption activity out there. Make Bradley Basketball a more exciting and fun type of entertainment, then start seeing the seats fill.