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Post by msfshoya on Feb 1, 2011 13:34:00 GMT -5
I'm a Section 107 young alum/season ticket guy, and have a bit of a different take on this. I'm not sure if it's characteristic of much of the student body, but many of the students right near me during the "bad" games (Pitt, WVU) turned on the team, openly booed, etc. They only seem interested in cheering when good things are happening (this applied at last night's Louisville game, too). To me, that is a whole other can of worms and is really troubling. I encouraged a good number of them to never come back when they left the Pitt game with about 10 min on the clock in the second half. I really do hope that the students near me during those games were outliers. Please tell me that's true.
Also, for whatever reason, it seems hard for the Young Alum sections on our side to start cheers. It only happens occasionally.
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Post by zurihoya on Feb 1, 2011 14:34:28 GMT -5
Fix it Jon
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theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
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Post by theexorcist on Feb 1, 2011 14:42:30 GMT -5
I'm a Section 107 young alum/season ticket guy, and have a bit of a different take on this. I'm not sure if it's characteristic of much of the student body, but many of the students right near me during the "bad" games (Pitt, WVU) turned on the team, openly booed, etc. They only seem interested in cheering when good things are happening (this applied at last night's Louisville game, too). To me, that is a whole other can of worms and is really troubling. I encouraged a good number of them to never come back when they left the Pitt game with about 10 min on the clock in the second half. I really do hope that the students near me during those games were outliers. Please tell me that's true. Also, for whatever reason, it seems hard for the Young Alum sections on our side to start cheers. It only happens occasionally. 107, Row T. Part of the problem is that half of the stands aren't occupied, and there are a few game tickets that get sold to opposing fans every time. I was on travel and couldn't make the WVU game, but Pitt was really, really bad and painful and seems to me to be an outlier in itself. At some point, a team with top ten hopes getting thoroughly annihilated - I think it was 55-33 at one point - and unable to make a free throw in the first half was spirit-crushing. I almost left with ten minutes left, and I perenially stay until the end. I'll also say that I remember III's first year, when the students were only under one backboard (YAs were on the other). The students there were psychotic lunatics in the best way, but there were only so many of them. There are now more fans, and it's more of a social thing to do with your friends, but I don't want to go back to having fewer fans if doing so means questioning their commitment to Sparkle Motion.
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Post by RockawayHoya on Feb 1, 2011 14:52:43 GMT -5
I'm a Section 107 young alum/season ticket guy, and have a bit of a different take on this. I'm not sure if it's characteristic of much of the student body, but many of the students right near me during the "bad" games (Pitt, WVU) turned on the team, openly booed, etc. They only seem interested in cheering when good things are happening (this applied at last night's Louisville game, too). To me, that is a whole other can of worms and is really troubling. I encouraged a good number of them to never come back when they left the Pitt game with about 10 min on the clock in the second half. I really do hope that the students near me during those games were outliers. Please tell me that's true. Also, for whatever reason, it seems hard for the Young Alum sections on our side to start cheers. It only happens occasionally. 107, Row T. Part of the problem is that half of the stands aren't occupied, and there are a few game tickets that get sold to opposing fans every time. I was on travel and couldn't make the WVU game, but Pitt was really, really bad and painful and seems to me to be an outlier in itself. At some point, a team with top ten hopes getting thoroughly annihilated - I think it was 55-33 at one point - and unable to make a free throw in the first half was spirit-crushing. I almost left with ten minutes left, and I perenially stay until the end. I'll also say that I remember III's first year, when the students were only under one backboard (YAs were on the other). The students there were psychotic lunatics in the best way, but there were only so many of them. There are now more fans, and it's more of a social thing to do with your friends, but I don't want to go back to having fewer fans if doing so means questioning their commitment to Sparkle Motion. Count me as one of those psychotic lunatics . You had to be one if you were coming off that '03-'04 season and were still willing to come to games. I'm in 118, and I honestly thought there were times last night when the opposite side student section was louder than the students on my side. Not sure if you guys in 107 agree with this, but I thought the students in 117/116 were extremely lackadaisical last night, and often times wouldn't start cheering until 118 had begun the cheer for them.
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theexorcist
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,506
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Post by theexorcist on Feb 1, 2011 15:06:20 GMT -5
The comments from msfshoya seems to hold true - YA seats would start cheers, students would follow. Even when we didn't, students would start cheers on their own (the timing would sync up with the YAs starting the cheer about half the time). When they did cheer, they were plenty loud.
This may be that when you're part of the large group of students, you kind of depend on the cheerleaders to start things and may be more reticent to do it on your own. Students got very loud at the end - there was one HOYA / SAXA where the noise was amazing - so the students seemed to do fine by my standards.
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Post by HometownHoya on Feb 1, 2011 16:14:04 GMT -5
I know this is crazy and brought up at least 2 times a year BUT...what if we gave the students a sideline...not the whole thing but maybe 8 rows back. Most Hoya fans wouldn't willingly have their season seats behind the students, so that would all pretty much be away team area . Additionally, we could probably get rid of 200 student seats (or more depending on the game). Doubt its ever gonna happen though...plus we would be relying on "older" fans to do our FT defense
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rosslynhoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,595
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Post by rosslynhoya on Feb 1, 2011 16:50:00 GMT -5
I know this is crazy and brought up at least 2 times a year BUT...what if we gave the students a sideline...not the whole thing but maybe 8 rows back. Most Hoya fans wouldn't willingly have their season seats behind the students, so that would all pretty much be away team area . Additionally, we could probably get rid of 200 student seats (or more depending on the game). Doubt its ever gonna happen though...plus we would be relying on "older" fans to do our FT defense I would have thought that last night would silence that debate for ever. If the students aren't going to cheer, it doesn't matter where you put them so put them behind the baskets. They shouldn't need premium seats to be enticed to cheer. The current undergrads are SOFT.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Feb 1, 2011 16:51:34 GMT -5
The current students are NOT MEN. Put bankers behind one basket and leave the other side empty.
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Post by HometownHoya on Feb 1, 2011 16:53:43 GMT -5
Meh, i'd say the temporary seat students are decent and those are the ones we should put on the sidelines...the rest can be in the 400s...show up early, be passionate or bring your binoculars
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hoyatables
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 2,603
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Post by hoyatables on Feb 1, 2011 17:35:26 GMT -5
What a difference a few years makes in one's perspective . . .
I'm sick of the attacks on the lower bowl for being a "wine and cheese" crowd and not standing up enough or cheering loudly enough. You know what? We all showed our support by paying a couple thousand bucks (increasing to a few or many thousand as you get closer to the court) to support the team. And many/most further show their support by showing up for the game. And damned if there aren't plenty of people -- a certain HT legend in Sec 121, for starters -- who repeatedly do stand up and cheer and yell at the opposing coach and goad the refs. If I'm a little tired and want to sit down for a few trips up and down the court, why can't I do that?
And if you ask me, all of the current students (and immediate past classes) are spoiled. Try being wild and crazy in 1999. The regular student fan base consisted of the band, the cheerkids, about three dozen students, half a dozen charter members of Hoya Blue, and the original duo known as the Media Sluts. ;D
Now I'm going to shake my fist at the sky and watch some Matlock.
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Post by williambraskyiii on Feb 1, 2011 18:00:03 GMT -5
What a difference a few years makes in one's perspective . . . I'm sick of the attacks on the lower bowl for being a "wine and cheese" crowd and not standing up enough or cheering loudly enough. You know what? We all showed our support by paying a couple thousand bucks (increasing to a few or many thousand as you get closer to the court) to support the team. And many/most further show their support by showing up for the game. And damned if there aren't plenty of people -- a certain HT legend in Sec 121, for starters -- who repeatedly do stand up and cheer and yell at the opposing coach and goad the refs. If I'm a little tired and want to sit down for a few trips up and down the court, why can't I do that? And if you ask me, all of the current students (and immediate past classes) are spoiled. Try being wild and crazy in 1999. The regular student fan base consisted of the band, the cheerkids, about three dozen students, half a dozen charter members of Hoya Blue, and the original duo known as the Media Sluts. ;D Now I'm going to shake my fist at the sky and watch some Matlock. seconded.
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Post by Coast2CoastHoya on Feb 1, 2011 18:46:52 GMT -5
What a difference a few years makes in one's perspective . . . I'm sick of the attacks on the lower bowl for being a "wine and cheese" crowd and not standing up enough or cheering loudly enough. You know what? We all showed our support by paying a couple thousand bucks (increasing to a few or many thousand as you get closer to the court) to support the team. And many/most further show their support by showing up for the game. And damned if there aren't plenty of people -- a certain HT legend in Sec 121, for starters -- who repeatedly do stand up and cheer and yell at the opposing coach and goad the refs. If I'm a little tired and want to sit down for a few trips up and down the court, why can't I do that? And if you ask me, all of the current students (and immediate past classes) are spoiled. Try being wild and crazy in 1999. The regular student fan base consisted of the band, the cheerkids, about three dozen students, half a dozen charter members of Hoya Blue, and the original duo known as the Media Sluts. ;D Now I'm going to shake my fist at the sky and watch some Matlock. seconded. THIRDED. And for the love of Burton, student fans, DON'T SPEED UP THE D-FENSE CHEERS SO FAST! But I will also say -- despite how many members of the alum sections bring it every game, many more don't. C'mon folks, if you can stand up and cheer when they're passing out burritos and free t-shirts, you can stand and cheer for the Hoyas when they need it, too!
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FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Proud Member of Generation Burton
Posts: 4,544
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Post by FLHoya on Feb 1, 2011 18:49:57 GMT -5
Gettin' it out of the way:
WHOLE 'NOTHER LEVEL
carry on.
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Post by jerseyhoya34 on Feb 1, 2011 19:18:09 GMT -5
Down in front!
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Post by jrb on Feb 1, 2011 23:39:08 GMT -5
As a current student who has missed only a couple of games in his four years (apparently Memphis isn't a valid reason to reschedule a final), I wanted to take an opportunity to address some of the comments on here. Hoya Blue still puts out cheer sheets, with several hundred going to each side. They are not on every seat, but many copies are spread throughout the row all the way up through the student secton. Additionally, with the graduation of our beloved male cheerleader, from where I sit it has been all students starting the cheers. The non-band side started cheers and made noise. In my four years at Georgetown there have never been "yell leaders", but I don't think that this is the root of the cheering problems. My freshman year we had to line up at least a couple of hours before every game if we wanted to sit in the lower bowl. The past few years it has been a surprise if the lower bowl gets filled at all, let alone before tipoff. I don't know what has caused the lack of support, but you are right that many students would rather gripe than cheer. I think the Villanova game clearly showed that the passionate students can show up and cheer. 150 students got up by 6am on a Saturday (unheard of for a college student) and actually yelled and cheered to drown out an entire stadium of home fans. Unfortunately, this passion cannot seem to penetrate the apathy of many student fans. I don't write this to escape blame or just to offer up an excuse, but rather to work for an answer. I have been extremely fortunate to enjoy four great years of Hoya Basketball rather than some of the darker days which have been mentioned here, but I ask that we apply the years of Hoya basketball experience possessed by the many supporters of HoyaTalk. It currently feels like an accomplishment just getting students out to the games, but I agree that this is not enough, and I welcome any and all construtive suggestions.
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Post by HometownHoya on Feb 2, 2011 3:22:28 GMT -5
As a current student who has missed only a couple of games in his four years (apparently Memphis isn't a valid reason to reschedule a final), I wanted to take an opportunity to address some of the comments on here. Hoya Blue still puts out cheer sheets, with several hundred going to each side. They are not on every seat, but many copies are spread throughout the row all the way up through the student secton. Additionally, with the graduation of our beloved male cheerleader, from where I sit it has been all students starting the cheers. The non-band side started cheers and made noise. In my four years at Georgetown there have never been "yell leaders", but I don't think that this is the root of the cheering problems. My freshman year we had to line up at least a couple of hours before every game if we wanted to sit in the lower bowl. The past few years it has been a surprise if the lower bowl gets filled at all, let alone before tipoff. I don't know what has caused the lack of support, but you are right that many students would rather gripe than cheer. I think the Villanova game clearly showed that the passionate students can show up and cheer. 150 students got up by 6am on a Saturday (unheard of for a college student) and actually yelled and cheered to drown out an entire stadium of home fans. Unfortunately, this passion cannot seem to penetrate the apathy of many student fans. I don't write this to escape blame or just to offer up an excuse, but rather to work for an answer. I have been extremely fortunate to enjoy four great years of Hoya Basketball rather than some of the darker days which have been mentioned here, but I ask that we apply the years of Hoya basketball experience possessed by the many supporters of HoyaTalk. It currently feels like an accomplishment just getting students out to the games, but I agree that this is not enough, and I welcome any and all construtive suggestions. Honestly, apathy was a huge problem for us too. Get someone (or a few) right up next to them yelling in their ears being excited...it actually works pretty well Keep up the passion though! No season like SR season!
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Post by bigelephant on Feb 2, 2011 8:31:18 GMT -5
Saw the DVR of Louisville yesterday and on TV it seemed the students were cheering and roaring almost the entire game - non stop!
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Post by LizziebethHoya on Feb 2, 2011 10:26:30 GMT -5
Hoya Blue (as always) is doing a great job. I wasn't at the Nova game but I could sure hear you guys on TV.
I think we're just discussing here how we get those students who are, what I like to refer to as, "social fans" - the ones who come to the games to hang out with their friends and cheer when they feel like - more involved
Its a struggle year after year, but I guess those of us at Verizon just expected those "social fans" to be more fired up and cheering for the L'Ville game
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Feb 2, 2011 11:11:54 GMT -5
yeah as a young alumni I figured I'd be able to just join in cheers, I didn't think I'd still have to be starting them.
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lurkerhoya
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
Posts: 1,182
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Post by lurkerhoya on Feb 2, 2011 11:20:12 GMT -5
Might be time to go to the points system for students. I bet we'd see a bump a little bit for the lesser games if people knew they're tickets to the games they want to go were dependent on it. Maybe also add a Student Guest Ticket (since people tend to want an extra ticket or two to big games) with eligibility determined on the points so that if you know you want a ticket for a friend to Syracuse, you'd know to be going to games in January in order to get it. Simple, cheap, worth a shot?
The specifics we could use are similar to what I see at UVA, student tickets are given a priority for admission by zone (so the diehards always get the best seats). Do the same thing with the real prize being lower bowl seats to bigger games since obviously some students dont care about sitting 30 rows back for Providence.
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