The idea was a success!

[Beninator]

I also feel that home games against Top 25 teams are of importance.

Very much agree.

Anyone can also state that winning brings out larger crowds. That is rather simplistic. What is currently required is an out-of-the-box solution for student participation. The game at the RC was a start. Jim Molinari's record during his first two years wasn't exactly stellar. Before Molinari, we had a sub .500 record for three years. Yet the Molinarmy concept was a nice approach to reach out to the students.

[real fan]

I sat next to a young fan who was under 6 years old and although he had been to a few Bradley games - he noticed a tremendous difference last night and was awestruck - and wants to go to more like that!

The SEMO game was very good as far as the crowd noise , still no comparison to the old Fieldhouse games against Louisville or the Carver Arena games against Mich.St. and Illinois St. ,it seemed better because of how quiet Carver has been this season, keep winning and more people will show and it will get louder.

[mrcoachdude]

What do you mean? I think pretty much over the history of Bradley basketball the excitement level, attendance, student involvement etc. has pretty much trended with the level of play on the court and how much winning has been done.

To me it's kinda tough to argue that. Is there evidence to suggest otherwise?

Of course, to be fair, its been over 10 years since Bradley has played a meaningful home game after Jan. 15 so maybe people have forgotten whats its like to go to an MVC game in February that mattered.

Hopefully that changes soon.

All I am saying is that people came to a packed Field House when Bradley was not winning...when your winning, its easier, but that place was packed as far back as I can remember..which was only in the late 60's...I guess one could look up attendance and records then...but all I am saying is its not just a matter of winning...there are other factors...I am not saying I disagree totally, winning is huge..but disagree with you need to look no further comennt and take a swipe at the last regime...

[Bravesfan]

The few students who left weren't the only ones to leave early. It has also become common for non student fans to leave Carver early, often with the outcome of the game still in doubt. This vaunted Bradley fan base is in danger of becoming a myth. These are not the same fans who parked on side streets and walked blocks through cold, snow, and ice to sit on hard bleachers in a hot and cramped FH - without beer - and actually cheered. We all need to step up.

Yeah, we're starting to act like LA Dodgers fans. They arrive in the fourth inning and leave in the seventh inning!

Seriously though, most fans stay the whole game. Unfortunately this involves no more than 5 or 10% of the "fans" that obviously have no desire to be there in the first place. I say to them, fine. Give up your tickets for people who want to be there! We don't need these people at the games, as they contribute nothing to willing the team to win.

And at the risk of some thinking I'm only picking on Bradley fans, this goes for any other sports team anywhere in the world. There's always a certain amount of any team's fanbase that go to a game to see others or be seen. Unfortunately, if the first hand accounts were correct, there were a fair amount of people who did this the other night, though some could have been walking around the new facilities too. Hopefully there weren't too many who pulled this.

[Bravesfan]

My meaning was that many people may think/suspect/believe that a ticket would be hard to come by. Myself, I am not a season ticket holder, I usually buy a few game tickets based on my schedule. I would be worried about ticket availability, IF more games would be played up there during a season. I understand that this season there is the regular number of games downtown.

Right. I think we agree on this. I'm just thinking one game a year over at the Renaissance Center would be kind of cool. It gives us a taste of what it would be like to have a loud on campus facility filled with lots of students. But as I said above. The CC has been in the past and can be loud if the fans would just learn how to stand up and cheer once in a while! Not every fan is guility of this, and probably the majority are into the games. But winning on a consistent basis will help too.

[Bravesfan]

The quality of basketball on the court has changed along with how much winning has been done recently at Bradley. Look no further than that.

I see your point, but why do we have to wait for our team to start winning more before the fans get into the game more. We have to be more proactive as a fan base. That means trying to will the team to win when they are down. That will payoff with more wins than maybe people expect us to have.

I mean, isn't that what a fanbase is supposed to do?

[Bravesfan]

What do you mean? I think pretty much over the history of Bradley basketball the excitement level, attendance, student involvement etc. has pretty much trended with the level of play on the court and how much winning has been done.

To me it's kinda tough to argue that. Is there evidence to suggest otherwise?

Of course, to be fair, its been over 10 years since Bradley has played a meaningful home game after Jan. 15 so maybe people have forgotten whats its like to go to an MVC game in February that mattered.

Hopefully that changes soon.

Oh please! Let's not start this debate again! All those "meaningless" home games in 2006 and 2007, and even the game against nationally ranked UNI two years ago were anything but meaningless! We haven't won the conference in over ten years, true. But those "meaningless" home games in 2006 would not have gotten us into the NCAA Tournament had we lost them. And we were still sniffing the tournament in 2007 even though we had to settle for the NIT. So I don't accept this as an excuse as to why fans don't get into the game more than they did since about 4 or 5 years ago.

Btw, even last year after we broke the long losing streak, I watched some games were the fans sounded like they were definitely into the game. So maybe things aren't as bad as some are making it out to be. The thousand or so people that showed up for the Creighton game sounded louder than during some games where we had a full house.

[Chico]

I see your point, but why do we have to wait for our team to start winning more before the fans get into the game more. We have to be more proactive as a fan base. That means trying to will the team to win when they are down. That will payoff with more wins than maybe people expect us to have.

I mean, isn't that what a fanbase is supposed to do?

As I said earlier, watch what happens during timeouts. Commercials, announcements most of which are meaningless, goofy promotions, etc. Ok, you can start cheering again. Oops sorry, the games about ready to begin again. Every fan doesn't get up and go crazy but their tickets are paid for and if it wasn't for the loyal fan base Bradley has had for years the new gym would be too big and Div 2 or lower here we come. You youngsters will get older some day and hope you are just as loyal.

[Bravesfan]

I don't want to get into it again. However, after Jan. 15 or so in the last 11 years Bradley hasn't played a home game with any type of conference championship implications on the line. You can try and cherry pick games all you want and nitpick the issue.

And that also gets off the point of the conversation.

Winning leads to excitement which leads to big crowds which leads to student involvement, etc.

I just don't see how this issue is hard to grasp or understand.

Yeah, but Bradley has a new coach. You would think that would get at least X number of additional students out to the games just to at least see what type of system he is putting into place. Yes, we may have some bumps along the way this year, but this when a young team and new coach needs the most support. That is when they are trying to get over the hump and start winning with more consistency.

[Bravesfan]

I think they pander as much as they can. Cheap seats, free transportation to the games, etc. They gotta want to go. In the Fieldhouse during timeouts there wasn't constant commercials on the scoreboard or goofy promotions or constant mean nothing chatter by the PA guy. Watch what happens tomorrow night during the timeouts before the band is allowed to play and when the Braves are on a run and ND calls a timeout. You have to be allowed to show excitement and it's hard to do right now.

That's a great point Chico! Stop with the blindfolded person spinning around a bat and watching him stagger down the floor. Or enough of the scoreboard animated peanut races where someone in section 110 wins a pizza! And enough of the Kiss Cam too! Alright it's cute, but it's getting old. Leave this stuff for the pro teams, and even there they should do this stuff sparingly. It should be all band all the time, or some cheers led by the student section. Keep the fans minds on the game, especially if Bradley is on a run. These things would help greatly in getting the fans into the game.

Oh, one more thing. If you want to get the fans into the game, stop showing the noise meter on the scoreboard during timeouts! Do that during the game! I see this during pro games all the time as well. What good is making noise during a timeout?! I mean use some common sense here. It's not that diffcult. We are not some obscure minor league team out in South Dakota! A few tweaks on how to get the fans into the game is all that's needed here, short of winning of course.

[Bravesfan]

As I said earlier, watch what happens during timeouts. Commercials, announcements most of which are meaningless, goofy promotions, etc. Ok, you can start cheering again. Oops sorry, the games about ready to begin again. Every fan doesn't get up and go crazy but their tickets are paid for and if it wasn't for the loyal fan base Bradley has had for years the new gym would be too big and Div 2 or lower here we come. You youngsters will get older some day and hope you are just as loyal.

Agreed 100%. See my above post.

[real fan]

All I am saying is that people came to a packed Field House when Bradley was not winning...when your winning, its easier, but that place was packed as far back as I can remember..which was only in the late 60's...I guess one could look up attendance and records then...but all I am saying is its not just a matter of winning...there are other factors...I am not saying I disagree totally, winning is huge..but disagree with you need to look no further comennt and take a swipe at the last regime...

I started going regularly in 1969, the fieldhouse was packed and some of those teams finished 500, of course the competition back then was better as we always played someone in the top 10, trouble is that the younger generation does not attend games like we use to so you need to win in order to get the bandwagon type fans at your event which more then likely is about 20 to 25 % of your fans.

[mrcoachdude]

I started going regularly in 1969, the fieldhouse was packed and some of those teams finished 500, of course the competition back then was better as we always played someone in the top 10, trouble is that the younger generation does not attend games like we use to so you need to win in order to get the bandwagon type fans at your event which more then likely is about 20 to 25 % of your fans.

yep

[Chico]

Have to disagree about our strength of schedule in the 70's. Not too many non MVC top 10 teams were on our schedule, and if they were, not too many played in the Fieldhouse. Our non-conference home schedules were usually very weak. But we still packed the place.

[Canton BU fan]

Not a big turnout by the students last night.