Referral Program

[wizard1]

I notice that in the new "Referral Program" one of the "opportunities" offered was to attend a BU practice for 1 hour. This has to be a joke!! In years gone by, practices were generally open to fans and this really helped create more interest in the BB program.
Now practices are closed and secretive---BU is missing a great PR move and Geno should at least open up some of his practices like Versace, Stowell, and Molinari did.

[tornado]

I notice that in the new "Referral Program" one of the "opportunities" offered was to attend a BU practice for 1 hour. This has to be a joke!! In years gone by, practices were generally open to fans and this really helped create more interest in the BB program.
Now practices are closed and secretive---BU is missing a great PR move and Geno should at least open up some of his practices like Versace, Stowell, and Molinari did.

one of the practices is relatively open

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=208581660

[wizard1]

Referral Program

For $125 a "Limited" number of fans get to attend a lunch and a closed practice. That's ridiculous. Another dumb move by our "Keystone Kops" athletic administration. Why not have open practices for Braves Club fans or at least a number of open practices. This would enable fans to feel much closer to the team and help create much stronger interest and loyalty.
Instead, BU greed takes over while interest and game attendance continues to drop.

[tornado]

wiz - if you ONLY talk basketball, attendance is down 30-40% over a couple years ago
This is undeniable - we were drawing nearly 10K thru 2008 - then a lot of changes - and within a couple years we're drawing little over (and maybe with empty seats not even) 6K
Revenue is down - not up as claimed by uninformed, and now gobs of really negative publicity nationally that cannot help but shine a negative light on BU when we're trying to compete nationally recruiting-wise...
But if you add in our performance in other sports and odd events like the better coaches we have walking away with years left on their contracts just to take lesser jobs, public talk and even newspaper articles about blow-ups and threats to fire the coaches, players leaving and our best recruits backing out (Remy, Tucker) & forced revisions among the assistants a head coach has under him - it drags BU down even further in prestige & reputation...
Gotta win, get this stuff behind us, & get back to the NCAA to get the seats filled...

[wizard1]

Referral Program

t---You & I are on the same page. I certainly agree that winning cures a lot of ills and we must get the BB program on a winning track.
However, I also feel the progress of the program back to a place where we all want to be will require a number of ingredients. Winning is at the top of the list but---There are also other things that need to change and be done by our "Keystone Kops" athletic administration.
Maximum emphasis must be placed on creating fan interest and this includes ALL fans, not just those with deep pockets. The little guy who was always so loyal to BU is leaving us and IMO feels left out. For example, look at how our preseason functions have been screwed up---The Red & White scrimmage, the Itoo hall preseason event that so many fans loved, Open Practices, bus trips to road games (Where does this stand now that Ken Goldin has retired?).
Now, almost everything BU does is directed at $$$ without regard to the average fan. People want to feel CLOSE to the BB program and BU is doing very little to foster this.
Somehow, I hope the Athletic Director and his Administration is reading these posts instead of ignoring them. In terms of getting anything done in this area, the Braves Club is impotent. What we really need is a SMALL Athletic Counsel consisting of a cross section of fans that can advise the Ath. Dept. and is tough enough to raise H-ll in the local media when needed.

[Chico]

Wizard, glad you mentioned Ken Goldin. I made many a trip that Ken arranged. Particularly the last minute charter flights to New York for the NIT in 1982, Salt Lake City(Ogden), Atlanta, etc. IMO Ken belongs in the Bradley Hall of Fame.

[wily coyote]

wiz - if you ONLY talk basketball, attendance is down 30-40% over a couple years ago
This is undeniable - we were drawing nearly 10K thru 2008 - then a lot of changes - and within a couple years we're drawing little over (and maybe with empty seats not even) 6K
Revenue is down - not up as claimed by uninformed, and now gobs of really negative publicity nationally that cannot help but shine a negative light on BU when we're trying to compete nationally recruiting-wise...
But if you add in our performance in other sports and odd events like the better coaches we have walking away with years left on their contracts just to take lesser jobs, public talk and even newspaper articles about blow-ups and threats to fire the coaches, players leaving and our best recruits backing out (Remy, Tucker) & forced revisions among the assistants a head coach has under him - it drags BU down even further in prestige & reputation...
Gotta win, get this stuff behind us, & get back to the NCAA to get the seats filled...

T some of your spew is correct but I think your going overboard with "our best recruits backing out" statement. To say Remy backed out is pushing an agenda to what you'd like it to be. Remy left because of a coaching change so he says and that happens at just about every school that has a coaching change. If the truth was known, he probably was as happy that JL was released as a vast majority of our fans. That way he could get the opportunity to go to a BCS school. Only Remy knows for sure. Saying Tucker backed out is just plain crazy and I'm betting you know why he isn't here and probably couldn't be here for TWO YEARS and I'm betting you know what I mean.

[wily coyote]

Wizard, glad you mentioned Ken Goldin. I made many a trip that Ken arranged. Particularly the last minute charter flights to New York for the NIT in 1982, Salt Lake City(Ogden), Atlanta, etc. IMO Ken belongs in the Bradley Hall of Fame.

Chico I agree Ken Goldin should be in the BU HOF.

[tornado]

story about the referral program - http://www.pjstar.com/bradleyhoops/x...added-benefits
...sort of a finder's fee