Bored with Pre Game Activities

[LG281]

Since I was a student at BU I've always viewed alcohol as one of the reasons our pregames/pep-rallies aren't the same as other schools.

Correct me if I'm wrong but we're one of only a few colleges that sell booze at our event. At other schools (atleast for the younger crowds) the hours before game time usually revolve around getting as loaded as possible as quickly as possible before going into the main event.

At BU you can grab a cold one downtown. Folks get a nice buzz late in the first half instead of coming into the game all hopped up.

I'm not saying you have to get lit to get loud for the home team...it just seems to help .

Just my opinion.

[Chico]

Just a few opnions. I root for Bradley first and Illinois second, but I don't expect Illinois fans to get all excited over a Bradley game.
Sounds like a couple of teenagers who just didn't want to be there in the first place and Mom shouldn't have had them there. We have several kids in my row who have grown up going to Bradley games with their Dads and have changed 100% in the last several years and really get into the games. Guess I should have been more clear and said adult fans.
LG281, even though I'm glad BU moved their games to the Civic Center, I have to disagree with you about having to have a few brews to get into the game. I love a cool one as much as anyone, but evidently you were never at a BU game at the Fieldhouse.

[BUBrave28]

Have to agree 100% with LG here. Since alcohol is at the game, most students don't really get together until just before game time (there is no "pre-game" drinking). A group of us tried getting together regularly before games down on Farmington Rd., but we were literally the only students out early. I think if booze wasn't served at Carver we would probably have atleast 50 people packing in a bar drinking as fast as we could before we got a lift to Carver. And we would be going nuts when we got there. If students did meet up and drink together and socialize before games I think that attendance would start to go way up as it would be one of the things to do during the week, especially when it gets cold and people are sick of their little dorm or run-down off-campus house.

Also, I think that an 8pm start time would work a lot better for students. College kids are on whacked out schedules that really make no sense at all. Making a 7pm tip-off for us would be like an adult in the "real world" making it to a 4pm tip-off. It can be done, but it's not really the ideal situation. Most kids can barely get out of class, get dinner, get ready and make it to Carver on time as is. With the extra hour, the students who easily made the 7pm time would have ample time to get sloshed before games and the kids who couldn't now have a chance. Tuesday and Wednesday are nights for evening classes as well that end at 8 or 9. I missed 2 whole years of weekday bball games because of night classes. With an 8pm start, at most I would have missed the first half. Then for the youngest kids who don't have a ride to Carver and rely on bussing would have a couple more chances to get down there. My freshman year we missed the last bus a few times and ended up walking. I'd be willing to bet that you would see a gradual increase in student attendance over one year and then really noticable differences from year to year as people started to hype the games on campus.

Finally, I think the pregame stuff is important to a point. It sort of sets the tone for the game. Additionally, a visiting recruit wants to see how amped these crowds get that they might one day play infront of. We want to have a pregame intro where it sends chills down the recruits spine and they immediately fall in love with the atmosphere. For anyone that hasn't been to game it sort of gets them a sense of what its going to be like all night.

[Chico]

Evidently you were never at a game in the Fieldouse either, where no "booze" was served. Most adults, who make up the majority of the crowd, don't have to have a few beers in them to see a ball game, that's why they can easily make the 7:00 game. Plenty of time afterwards and most of them have to get up earlier than most students But to the students who do make the games, keep up the good work.

[Scouter]

Have to agree 100% with LG here. Since alcohol is at the game, most students don't really get together until just before game time (there is no "pre-game" drinking). A group of us tried getting together regularly before games down on Farmington Rd., but we were literally the only students out early. I think if booze wasn't served at Carver we would probably have atleast 50 people packing in a bar drinking as fast as we could before we got a lift to Carver. And we would be going nuts when we got there. If students did meet up and drink together and socialize before games I think that attendance would start to go way up as it would be one of the things to do during the week, especially when it gets cold and people are sick of their little dorm or run-down off-campus house.

Also, I think that an 8pm start time would work a lot better for students. College kids are on whacked out schedules that really make no sense at all. Making a 7pm tip-off for us would be like an adult in the "real world" making it to a 4pm tip-off. It can be done, but it's not really the ideal situation. Most kids can barely get out of class, get dinner, get ready and make it to Carver on time as is. With the extra hour, the students who easily made the 7pm time would have ample time to get sloshed before games and the kids who couldn't now have a chance. Tuesday and Wednesday are nights for evening classes as well that end at 8 or 9. I missed 2 whole years of weekday bball games because of night classes. With an 8pm start, at most I would have missed the first half. Then for the youngest kids who don't have a ride to Carver and rely on bussing would have a couple more chances to get down there. My freshman year we missed the last bus a few times and ended up walking. I'd be willing to bet that you would see a gradual increase in student attendance over one year and then really noticable differences from year to year as people started to hype the games on campus.

Finally, I think the pregame stuff is important to a point. It sort of sets the tone for the game. Additionally, a visiting recruit wants to see how amped these crowds get that they might one day play infront of. We want to have a pregame intro where it sends chills down the recruits spine and they immediately fall in love with the atmosphere. For anyone that hasn't been to game it sort of gets them a sense of what its going to be like all night.

You just created a catch-22. You want more games at 8 p.m. so more students could be out of class, but you want them to also go out earlier and drink?

[Beninator]

you were never at a BU game at the Fieldhouse.

Nothing against the fans who go to Carver, but the College basketball atmosphere at the Fieldhouse has never been replicated.

[Scouter]

Nothing against the fans who go to Carver, but the College basketball atmosphere at the Fieldhouse has never been replicated.

I'm too young to have gone to games at the FH, but I don't think you'll find anyone that disagrees with you. Watching the Sweet 16 game in the FH was one of the loudest experiences of my life, and there were only about 3,000 of us there.

[MacabreMob]

Very good points Mob. I was at the BU-Providence game. How anyone who considers themself a basketball fan could leave early is beyond me?
Then again, I probably answered my own question.

Yes, but these guys were guys I knew personally. They are Illini fans first and Illini fans only. They hardly ever go to a BU game.... if so, it's to hopefully see them lose. As in this case in the NIT game against Providence. And with 1 minute left in OT, they hit the stairs disappointed.

LOL!

[squirrel]

You are right that in theory a good product should sell itself. But why does Pepsi (which tastes like the aluminum can it comes in) routinely do better than Coca-Cola domestically in America, except when Coca-Cola aggressively markets its product. Since it doesn't really need to because of international sales, its domestic performance suffers. When you have a program that needs all the exposure it can get for publicity, recognition by media and recruits, etc. . .it is important.

That said, there is one section in particular I sat in before I was a season ticket holder that was awful. All they were talking about was what trip they took last week, where they were going shopping tomorrow, where they had dinner before the game, and where they were going next week, the week after that. How Flo and the kids were, the knee surgery their dog had last week. . .I made sure when I got my season tickets to not be anywhere near there.

Also, the 8 PM start time was standard in the 80's, and is more conducive to tv. However, I think that won't be something that happens until the average age of the season ticket holder becomes significantly younger.

[houstontxbrave]

That said, there is one section in particular I sat in before I was a season ticket holder that was awful. All they were talking about was what trip they took last week, where they were going shopping tomorrow, where they had dinner before the game, and where they were going next week, the week after that. How Flo and the kids were, the knee surgery their dog had last week. . .I made sure when I got my season tickets to not be anywhere near there.

But I bet if you stood up they would all make sure that they knew you did and would make a point to tell you to sit down... just incase a camera was on them so they could bring out the cell phone to make sure they could wave to everyone at home

[Beninator]

I'm too young to have gone to games at the FH, but I don't think you'll find anyone that disagrees with you. Watching the Sweet 16 game in the FH was one of the loudest experiences of my life, and there were only about 3,000 of us there.

The important thing now is not to talk about the past,which I just did , but to make things better for fans to support our team on the court. With a few exceptions, I think that BU has done a good job in this area.

[Beninator]

That said, there is one section in particular I sat in before I was a season ticket holder that was awful. All they were talking about was what trip they took last week, where they were going shopping tomorrow, where they had dinner before the game, and where they were going next week, the week after that. How Flo and the kids were, the knee surgery their dog had last week. . .I made sure when I got my season tickets to not be anywhere near there.

I think that I have had tickets in this section and it was brutal.

[Chico]

The Fieldhouse was a great place to watch a ball game, but we all know if we were still playing there we would probably be playing a home schedule worse than the schedules in the 70's.
Scouter, what Sweet 16 game did you see in the Fieldhouse with only 3000 fans?

[Scouter]

The Fieldhouse was a great place to watch a ball game, but we all know if we were still playing there we would probably be playing a home schedule worse than the schedules in the 70's.
Scouter, what Sweet 16 game did you see in the Fieldhouse with only 3000 fans?

BU vs. Memphis a couple years ago. They had three projection screens set up on the floor and let the students in to watch the game there.

[Chico]

Thanks Scouter. I couldn't figure that one out. I watched the Kansas and Memphis games in a Sports bar called Benchwarmers in Mesa. Most of the crowd was rooting for Bradley because the Braves were the underdogs. We went in with our Bradley shirts and became big hits with the crowd. After the Kansas game, we couldn't buy a drink.