thebin
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Post by thebin on Sept 15, 2010 11:49:50 GMT -5
You want gameday atmosphere? Just NEVER going to happen without a stadium. Not in college. Doesn't have to be a big stadium- but it has to be at least a very good high school stadium. I've been saying this (with many others) for 15 years now, and its no secret, but there's no getting around that fact. There is no physical manifestation that the program is permanent or truly collegiate. Hell, you should be able to accomplish that with some very basic concrete bleachers for a couple of million dollars. (The renta bleachers will never suffice.) I've always wanted more than that for Gtown, but at this point it seems like the alternative to games at the current MSF is closer to no games at all than games at a real stadium.
You want another way to create gameday atmosphere? Tailgating and by that I mean one thing and one thing only- beer that students can freely drink. I know there are myriad legal implications there, but it's as much a part of college gameday as football itself. Have areas where people (who can prove legal age) are free to drink beers at reasonable prices. Shut it off 10 minutes before kickoff. If junior and seniors who are legal age have a tradition of being able to drink beer on campus at 10Am on Sats, believe you me they will take to it. If they are there, the frosh and sophs will make their way to the games too.
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rosslynhoya
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Post by rosslynhoya on Sept 15, 2010 12:41:17 GMT -5
You want another way to create gameday atmosphere? Tailgating and by that I mean one thing and one thing only- beer that students can freely drink. I know there are myriad legal implications there, but it's as much a part of college gameday as football itself. Have areas where people (who can prove legal age) are free to drink beers at reasonable prices. Shut it off 10 minutes before kickoff. If junior and seniors who are legal age have a tradition of being able to drink beer on campus at 10Am on Sats, believe you me they will take to it. If they are there, the frosh and sophs will make their way to the games too. It's sad that it's as simple as this.
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DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Sept 15, 2010 12:55:39 GMT -5
You want gameday atmosphere? Just NEVER going to happen without a stadium. Not in college. Doesn't have to be a big stadium- but it has to be at least a very good high school stadium. I've been saying this (with many others) for 15 years now, and its no secret, but there's no getting around that fact. There is no physical manifestation that the program is permanent or truly collegiate. Hell, you should be able to accomplish that with some very basic concrete bleachers for a couple of million dollars. (The renta bleachers will never suffice.) I've always wanted more than that for Gtown, but at this point it seems like the alternative to games at the current MSF is closer to no games at all than games at a real stadium. Yes, that's a big part. Friday marks the five year anniversary of the non-opening of the Multi Sport facility, and I'll have a blog post on what that has meant in the intervening years. You want another way to create gameday atmosphere? Tailgating and by that I mean one thing and one thing only- beer that students can freely drink. I know there are myriad legal implications there, but it's as much a part of college gameday as football itself. Have areas where people (who can prove legal age) are free to drink beers at reasonable prices. Shut it off 10 minutes before kickoff. If junior and seniors who are legal age have a tradition of being able to drink beer on campus at 10Am on Sats, believe you me they will take to it. If they are there, the frosh and sophs will make their way to the games too. Having been at Georgetown when everyone >18 could drink and tailgating was not a problem in New South Parking Lot, it still didn't help; people just went back to their dorms. This speaks to the fact that if the game is not an event, people will ignore it (much as they have ignored women's sports for most of the last 40 years at GU because few offer compelling reasons to attend). But it's like Thomas Nast's old cartoon of the "Tweed Ring"--everyone at GU is pointing at the person his right to make it happen. ---Students point at Athletics, who respond it's their job to manage the game, not the pre-game. ---Athletics then points to the Alumni Association, who say it's Development that has the money to financially support these events. ---Development then points to the Administration, who say their job is fundraising, not event planners. ---Administration then points to students, saying that if students want events, they need to organize it.
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RBHoya
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Post by RBHoya on Sept 15, 2010 13:09:25 GMT -5
You want another way to create gameday atmosphere? Tailgating and by that I mean one thing and one thing only- beer that students can freely drink. I know there are myriad legal implications there, but it's as much a part of college gameday as football itself. Have areas where people (who can prove legal age) are free to drink beers at reasonable prices. Shut it off 10 minutes before kickoff. If junior and seniors who are legal age have a tradition of being able to drink beer on campus at 10Am on Sats, believe you me they will take to it. If they are there, the frosh and sophs will make their way to the games too. This is sort of the "quick and dirty" solution. There is a 100% chance it would work, and it wouldn't be too difficult to pull off. Something along the lines of homecoming, only without the "all you can eat/drink" aspect, you'd have to pay for each food item/drink. Personally I don't drink at sporting events but most people in their 20s do or want to. No matter how you feel about it personally there is no arguing that alcohol is a huge part of football culture. A significant percentage of the college kids that fill stadiums around the country every Saturday aren't necessarily huge FOOTBALL fans, appreciating the finer points of the spread option or a cover 2 defense. But they enjoy the experience, the passion, the school spirit, and the party atmosphere which is largely a consequence of the tailgate/pregame experience. At the FCS level, selling the experience over the football is even MORE important. We northeastern kids (majority of GU student body I'd guess) grew up on our Giants/Jets/Pats/Eagles, and while some of us may appreciate football at any level, most view FCS football as third rate (NFL is 1st, FBS is 2nd) and so most are not going to spend a precious free day soberly watching "3rd rate football". There are just too many alternatives. But if you can successfully make a day out at the ball game an experience, you'd pull a lot more students, both gender, from all sorts of backgrounds. Of course we pushed hard for this when I was there, and had some grand visions for pre-game tailgates, but repeatedly ran into brick walls when trying to get permission. It was always my impression that the powers that be at Georgetown would prefer the crowds as they are, sober, than big crowds with some risk of underage drinking. Unfortunate.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Sept 15, 2010 13:12:23 GMT -5
On the tailgate angle, it is really distressing if you think about it too much. Consider how freely opposing fans seemingly are allowed to tailgate and compare to opportunities afforded to GU students.
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FLHoya
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Post by FLHoya on Sept 15, 2010 17:40:18 GMT -5
On the tailgate angle, it is really distressing if you think about it too much. Consider how freely opposing fans seemingly are allowed to tailgate and compare to opportunities afforded to GU students. This has always bothered me...a few times a year you'll see a big group of the opponent's fans having a tailgate, usually over by the tennis courts.(*) It's not like The Grove at Ole Miss or anything, don't get me wrong. But it's annoying that there doesn't seem to be any problem when, say, Holy Cross fans do it. Heck, one year an opponent rented out the top floor of the cafeteria to have a pre-game event. That had to be annoying to, ya know, GU students who actually use the only cafeteria on campus. Though it does make we wonder--do those opposing fans actually go through GU to get permission to set up shop in the McD parking lot by the tennis courts? Or do they just show up and do it? If I had to guess, I'd probably say the latter...and I can't recall these groups ever being harassed by DOPS. Which makes me wonder--why doesn't some enterprising group of students/alums just show up one day and do it? I have noted in the past much smaller groups of GU-affiliated people who park their cars in the back of the McD parking lot (around where the beer trucks are during the Homecoming tailgate), and they don't seem to be bothered. Given GU's very small demographic of football fans, I doubt something like this would get big enough that DOPS would care or the administration would notice. Of course, this speaks to the well-discussed problem here about GU football not being an "event". If it's hard enough to get students to stay for a full game, it's even harder to wake them up at 10 or 11am on a Saturday to tailgate before a game (even the bulk of the Homecoming crowd is late arriving, which is why I show up right when it starts and there are no lines for beer). Plus, the MSF setup discourages "committing" to the football experience. If you have a 70,000 seat enclosed football stadium on the edge or off your campus, with all the fans traveling to the game by car and parking in grass lots and backyards, that helps create the tailgate atmosphere. We have a 2,500 seat non-enclosed temporary stadium in the middle of campus with an underground parking garage (although I have seen people tailgating in there, which I found strange). There are multiple dorms (Harbin, SWQ, Village C) where you can watch a game w/o leaving your room. At a big school, the scenario is you wake up early, drive your car (you're probably allowed to have one) somewhere to tailgate, or use your own or your frat's backyard. Heck, if you go to a place like Ole Miss or basically anywhere in the SEC, tailgating is a profession. You spend several hours eating and drinking with alums and friends who've been doing this for decades. Then you go into a 70,000 seat stadium with student tickets you probably scored in a semi-competitive process, and may have paid some token amount for, and you sit with thousands of your classmates. At GU, the scenario is you wake up at 12:30pm, maybe roll down to Leo's for brunch, during which you pass near the FB stadium and realize "oh yeah, there's football today". If you're one of the 1% of students in recent years who might give a crap, you consider checking it out. After breakfast. If it doesn't interfere with a FBS team you like that's on TV at noon. There's no pre-game stuff to miss anyway, so you can head over to the stadium right at kickoff. Or during the second quarter, whatever. Maybe you just walk by and check the scoreboard (IF it's working that day)--you can see it from anywhere since the MSF has no walls. If GU's losing 28-0 already, it's back to the apt/library. If you do want to attend, you flash your GOCard to the DOPS officer/McD employee at the gate, if they're even paying attention, and probably nobody's even watching the gate after kickoff. You paid $0.00 to attend this game, and it's walking distance from your dorm, so if the team is getting blown out (likely over the past few years), you can just split at any time, and it's not like you lost any money on the ticket or you're facing a long walk.(*) (* This works both ways--my roommate and I went to the first PL game GU won at Harbin Field against Bucknell. GU was getting beat by a lot at one point, so we went back to Village A. I was watching CFB on ESPN and saw GU was back within like 2 points, so we went back and saw the ending.) I mention all of that to emphasize three things that always hurt GU football: (1) No buzz (most people don't know there's FB on a Sat until they pass the stadium on the way to breakfast) (2) No event (who would get out of bed for GU fball? and wouldn't you just drink on your Vil A patio?) (3) No results (can't keep people in the stadium) For the first time in years, we've made a dent in (1). It's a distinct possibility we could dent (3) although I wonder where the tipping point is where W's = students and young alums consistently showing up, and whether if say we lose to Holy Cross to go to 2-2 everyone just gives up and it's back to normal. (2) is the hardest, because we're fighting uphill against years of apathy, a lack of space, and an administration who might not like it. But even here, we're lucky of course, because how often is Homecoming the opening game (which ALWAYS attracts the most students b/c they don't know any better), AND being played with GU having a winning record (not in 11 years). This is easily the best opportunity we'll have in a decade to make the connection with fans. So it'll be interesting.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Sept 15, 2010 17:51:48 GMT -5
Information about the Holy Cross tailgate: Holy Cross v Georgetown
September 25, 2010 at 2:00 PM Tailgate at 11:00 AM
Please join the Holy Cross Club of the Capital Region before the game (11:00am) for a tailgate located near the stadium (information about the exact location will be provided soon). Look for the Holy Cross Crusader Flag! Burgers and Hot Dogs with all the fixings as well as plates, cups, utensil, etc. will be provided by the Club. Beverages are BYOB and we ask that everyone brings a side or dessert to share! *******
You know what would be funny...GU students should go to this and schmooze politely. Throw in a couple of bucks that you would throw into any tailgate. Force DPS to take a stand, if at all. Tailgate equality or no tailgates.
You may want to bring your own utensils, since they are only providing utensil.
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Sept 15, 2010 19:03:41 GMT -5
won't the students be at the Georgetown Homecoming tailgate?
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Sept 15, 2010 19:05:47 GMT -5
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Sept 15, 2010 19:39:36 GMT -5
It makes no sense that the school allows other schools to tail gate but not students. In the past I think there have been gridiron club tailgates in mcdonough, but the school should set up a tailgate the way they did at Georgetown day this year, charge ten bucks card at the gate, and provide beer in a fenced in area and kick everyone out 5 minutes before kick off.
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thebin
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Post by thebin on Sept 16, 2010 7:29:29 GMT -5
Usually before our third game I make a big deal about us having played two games and the Ivy in week 3 playing their first and what a huge advantage that is- and then we get killed anyway. I'd be tempted to say maybe this year- but then I read Yale scrimmaged Union (a very good diii team traditionally) and they had to call it off in the 3rd because it was such a beating. I really hope I'm wrong, but I see a nasty loss being very possible Sat- I just hope that doesn't fully snuff out the buzz.
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Post by TrueHoyaBlue on Sept 16, 2010 8:15:59 GMT -5
How about enlisting the folks who do have the space and ability to host.
I'm thinking if there are some willing juniors or seniors on the Village A Rooftop -- kegs and eggs starting with the Wagner game, starting at 10:00 a.m. and shutting down 15 minutes before kickoff, leading the crowd down to the game with a rendition of the fight song.
Too much to ask?
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Sept 16, 2010 9:18:46 GMT -5
I mean the first time we played yale at home it was their first game of the season and we almost pulled off the upset then. Now that we're actually somewhat good, who knows? Time to dream big!
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Sept 16, 2010 11:19:14 GMT -5
How about enlisting the folks who do have the space and ability to host. I'm thinking if there are some willing juniors or seniors on the Village A Rooftop -- kegs and eggs starting with the Wagner game, starting at 10:00 a.m. and shutting down 15 minutes before kickoff, leading the crowd down to the game with a rendition of the fight song. Too much to ask? For that early such a tailgate would technically not allowed but has been tolerated in the past for small groups that don't spill out onto the patios. There is no easy way to manufacture a tailgating culture outside of administrative approval (and I've been on the planning end of many not very successful efforts). But thebin and others are absolutely correct imo that making a "homecoming tailgate-lite" experience in the McDonough lot before games would dramatically improve the Georgetown Football experience. Due to work related conflicts I cannot attend either the Holy Cross game or any of the pregame related festivities so I really hope that when I have time to attend a game there is a momentum of enthusiasm still alive.
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Post by HometownHoya on Sept 16, 2010 12:35:24 GMT -5
Part of the problem are the "box seats" that me and my friends referred to Freshman year. If you live in Harbin, Village C, or SW Quad...you don't even need to leave your room/lounge/floor to watch the game from the window. If there was an event to make us go down to the game, we would, but otherwise, we watched from the comfort of our own floor. We are also pretty big fans of football.
As someone said earlier, what they did for Georgetown Day was PERFECT! If the administration would just set up a tailgate, have a roped off area for legal drinkers, allow underage students around (no drinking though), and maybe even something during halftime or post-game, I believe a lot more students would show up.
Look at Homecoming, students don't even care that it is Homecoming, they just come for the cheap drinking. Also, I believe that the Yates parking lot/Observatory garden would be a MUCH better Tailgate spot. From McDonough you can't even see MSF and you know the saying: "Out of sight, out of mind". If people were drinking, watching the teams warm up, conscious of the team running out to the field from the locker rooms, and needed to walk by the field to leave they would be much more likely to stop at the game then if they could walk straight through SW quad without even SEEING the players on the field.
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