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Post by centercourt400s on Dec 5, 2018 10:18:18 GMT -5
This is an absolutely pointless discussion because it is never going to happen. Capital One Arena is not going to spend the $$ to somehow "drape" the THOUSANDS of seats in the 400 section. Are they going to build giant fitted tarps and then send crews through before each Hoyas game to wrestle them in place over all 33 sections, only to have to take them off again immediately thereafter? Are they going to create and install huge automatic curtains that magically descend from the rafters, just so your perceived "optics" might improve slightly? No and no. This is never ever ever going to happen. They could lock the doors to the 400s but how would that help? For Richmond and Liberty that would have meant maybe 20 extra fans in the lower bowl... which doesn't change anything. For a good Big East game it could mean that a few hundred people who might have attended just don't show up at all. And you still would have a whole empty section. Again, how does that help?
What helps is winning. I've been attending games in the 400 section for 12+ seasons now and I've seen it full at times and I've been the only inhabitant at times. The difference is when a game means something to a larger group, either because the opponent is interesting to them or the Hoyas success is driving attendance.
"Draping" is a pipe dream. Worry about real issues instead.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Dec 5, 2018 10:43:32 GMT -5
This is an absolutely pointless discussion because it is never going to happen. Capital One Arena is not going to spend the $$ to somehow "drape" the THOUSANDS of seats in the 400 section. Are they going to build giant fitted tarps and then send crews through before each Hoyas game to wrestle them in place over all 33 sections, only to have to take them off again immediately thereafter? Are they going to create and install huge automatic curtains that magically descend from the rafters, just so your perceived "optics" might improve slightly? No and no. This is never ever ever going to happen. They could lock the doors to the 400s but how would that help? For Richmond and Liberty that would have meant maybe 20 extra fans in the lower bowl... which doesn't change anything. For a good Big East game it could mean that a few hundred people who might have attended just don't show up at all. And you still would have a whole empty section. Again, how does that help? What helps is winning. I've been attending games in the 400 section for 12+ seasons now and I've seen it full at times and I've been the only inhabitant at times. The difference is when a game means something to a larger group, either because the opponent is interesting to them or the Hoyas success is driving attendance. "Draping" is a pipe dream. Worry about real issues instead. If you look in the rafters I think they already have the end zone drape in place. I think that is what those are. It's not really a pipe dream at all but a reality of modern sports attendees. If people are worried about site lines, they are going to stay home and watch on their 80 inch 4K TV with beer that doesn't cost $10+ per. People are there for an experience.
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hoyasaxa2003
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Post by hoyasaxa2003 on Dec 5, 2018 10:52:32 GMT -5
This is an absolutely pointless discussion because it is never going to happen. Capital One Arena is not going to spend the $$ to somehow "drape" the THOUSANDS of seats in the 400 section. Are they going to build giant fitted tarps and then send crews through before each Hoyas game to wrestle them in place over all 33 sections, only to have to take them off again immediately thereafter? Are they going to create and install huge automatic curtains that magically descend from the rafters, just so your perceived "optics" might improve slightly? No and no. This is never ever ever going to happen. They could lock the doors to the 400s but how would that help? For Richmond and Liberty that would have meant maybe 20 extra fans in the lower bowl... which doesn't change anything. For a good Big East game it could mean that a few hundred people who might have attended just don't show up at all. And you still would have a whole empty section. Again, how does that help? What helps is winning. I've been attending games in the 400 section for 12+ seasons now and I've seen it full at times and I've been the only inhabitant at times. The difference is when a game means something to a larger group, either because the opponent is interesting to them or the Hoyas success is driving attendance. "Draping" is a pipe dream. Worry about real issues instead. The Prudential Center does it for Seton Hall games. I've been to the last several Georgetown games there, and it's always draped. It cannot possibly be as difficult to do as you describe above, though Prudential is newer, so maybe it was built to accommodate that. Because the Prudential Center isn't lit horribly like Capital One, you really don't even notice the draping.
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FLHoya
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Post by FLHoya on Dec 5, 2018 10:58:46 GMT -5
Capital One Arena is not going to spend the $$ to somehow "drape" the THOUSANDS of seats in the 400 section. Are they going to build giant fitted tarps and then send crews through before each Hoyas game to wrestle them in place over all 33 sections, only to have to take them off again immediately thereafter? I have to admit I chuckled at someone thinking that in this era of Hoya basketball at Cap One Arena, we might be reluctant to spend money on or deploy tarps. Shoot, I can only keep one eye on the court these days because I have to be vigilant, lest the staff tarp over my body during a game. Are they going to create and install huge automatic curtains that magically descend from the rafters, just so your perceived "optics" might improve slightly? I wish I cared more about debating the underlying chicken-egg issues of the attendance thing these days, but I'm too old and worn down. That said, I am extremely here for interior design matters. So for the record: yes, they would use curtains. Not huge automatic ones--goodness no, that's like B1G $$$ stuff--we're an analog, gravity-does-the-job outfit here. They used curtains back in the day when Esherick roamed the sidelines and when your pre-game dining options were New Big Wong or smuggling Wisey's onto the schoolbus to the game.
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drquigley
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Post by drquigley on Dec 5, 2018 11:14:23 GMT -5
I think you're discounting the upgrade from the purple seats to the black seats. I don't even want to go back to purple era Wizards. For the bleachers behind the basket, that was likely because the Capitals have games on Sunday and Tuesday this week. This has happened multiple times in the past when the stadium has a short turn around between different events, or when the stadium is short staffed (like when there is a major snow storm). Are you a season ticket holder? There is already an exchange program where you can trade tickets for games you can't attend for other games in the season. That opens up seats for the University to fill by either selling them or giving them away, but it requires action from the season ticket holder which might be hard to ensure. You're pretty quick to dismiss ticket prices and sight lines. If I was center court in the 400's I might consider behind the basket in the 100's to be a downgrade. As it is, I pay much more for my season tickets than many of my friends because I prefer to sit in the section I've been in since 2005, and moving to the corner doesn't seem worth the downgrade in view. I'm honestly not really sure what problem you're trying to solve for. Are you trying to increase attendance? Are you trying to consolidate fans for optics purposes? Or are you just complaining because you miss 2007? LC, the problem is the lack of a home court advantage #1. Optics is #2. As far as 2007, our increase in attendance largely has to do with opposing fans filling spaces. That's not a win for me to have a bunch of Uconn, Cuse, WVU, MD and V. Tech fans in the building (going way back of course). That is frequently when we see significant increases in attendance. Frankly it is downright embarrassing when the opposing team makes a run and it gets loud. If you went to our last Duke home game, there were about 7K Duke fans in the place. Winning will up the attendance for sure, but our home game experience has never been great. That also is why I think we lose some recruits. By lowering capacity you are creating the environment for a better home court advantage when we start winning and drawing more fans. Site lines be damned. The worst thing that happens is that those in the 400's have to pay up for good site lines in the lower bowl or sit in the end zones. That is a bad argument for keeping capacity double what we need it. I do understand the handicap accessible issue as they can't pay up but at current attendance levels we could probably open up a few suits for those folks unless I am underestimating the size of the wheelchair accessible audience at most games. I think you could also bring them down to the floor to sit front row in the end zones. I'm not holding my breath waiting for Cap One to make affordable wheelchair accessible seats available in the 100 section. Having sat in Section 401 for at least the last 10 years I can attest to the fact that the only time that section fills up is when we are playing a big time, alumni heavy opponent. Syracuse, UCONN, Louisville, W. Va., Duke, etc fill up the section. As noted elsewhere Creighton, Butler, Xavier are poor attendance substitutes. Also, let's not forget that 10,000 attendance still makes Cap One look empty but would fill up most on campus arenas. I think we can expect that kind of attendance if we improve enough to compete for the BE title especially against Nova, St. Johns, Seton Hall and Providence. Also, let's be careful about what we wish for. If we had an 8,000- 10,000 on campus arena - plus a good team - tickets will be hard to come by and cost a lot more than they do now.
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mchoya
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Post by mchoya on Dec 5, 2018 13:14:37 GMT -5
Here’s a thought that may be relevant once we’re consistently a high-ranked team again (it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?).
What are the odds we relocate our home schedule to the ESA/St. E’s facility, outside of three major games, in years that the NCAAs are held at the Capital One Arena, in order to preserve that as an option for location in rounds that it is hosting (a la Nova in any years the Wachovia/Wells Fargo Center is a host?).
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SSHoya
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Post by SSHoya on Dec 5, 2018 13:28:40 GMT -5
Here’s a thought that may be relevant once we’re consistently a high-ranked team again (it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?). What are the odds we relocate our home schedule to the ESA/St. E’s facility, outside of three major games, in years that the NCAAs are held at the Capital One Arena, in order to preserve that as an option for location in rounds that it is hosting (a la Nova in any years the Wachovia/Wells Fargo Center is a host?). Don't quite understand what you're proposing. Capacity at ESA only 4200. Are you saying only OOC games not Big East?
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Post by centercourt400s on Dec 5, 2018 13:34:30 GMT -5
This is an absolutely pointless discussion because it is never going to happen. Capital One Arena is not going to spend the $$ to somehow "drape" the THOUSANDS of seats in the 400 section. Are they going to build giant fitted tarps and then send crews through before each Hoyas game to wrestle them in place over all 33 sections, only to have to take them off again immediately thereafter? Are they going to create and install huge automatic curtains that magically descend from the rafters, just so your perceived "optics" might improve slightly? No and no. This is never ever ever going to happen. They could lock the doors to the 400s but how would that help? For Richmond and Liberty that would have meant maybe 20 extra fans in the lower bowl... which doesn't change anything. For a good Big East game it could mean that a few hundred people who might have attended just don't show up at all. And you still would have a whole empty section. Again, how does that help? What helps is winning. I've been attending games in the 400 section for 12+ seasons now and I've seen it full at times and I've been the only inhabitant at times. The difference is when a game means something to a larger group, either because the opponent is interesting to them or the Hoyas success is driving attendance. "Draping" is a pipe dream. Worry about real issues instead. If you look in the rafters I think they already have the end zone drape in place. I think that is what those are. It's not really a pipe dream at all but a reality of modern sports attendees. If people are worried about site lines, they are going to stay home and watch on their 80 inch 4K TV with beer that doesn't cost $10+ per. People are there for an experience. Pretty sure those fabrics hanging in the rafters now are for some sort of sound control. And yes, I attend for the experience and I don't want to sit in an end zone or a corner seat with crappy sightlines nor do I want to pay hundreds of extra dollars to keep my sightlines. If anything we should be encouraging more people to attend and sit in the 400 section rather than thinking of ways to actively discourage them.
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mchoya
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Post by mchoya on Dec 5, 2018 13:38:09 GMT -5
Here’s a thought that may be relevant once we’re consistently a high-ranked team again (it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?). What are the odds we relocate our home schedule to the ESA/St. E’s facility, outside of three major games, in years that the NCAAs are held at the Capital One Arena, in order to preserve that as an option for location in rounds that it is hosting (a la Nova in any years the Wachovia/Wells Fargo Center is a host?). Don't quite understand what you're proposing. Capacity at ESA only 4200. Are you saying only OOC games not Big East? I forgot about the attendance minimum. D’oh.
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DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Dec 5, 2018 13:38:21 GMT -5
A good discussion here. A few thoughts.
Georgetown cannot be "relegated" to St. Elizabeth's, nor should it be. Its contract defines its place. What is to be gained by playing in a forgettable 4,111 seat facility that is smaller than the Smith Center, smaller than Bender Arena, half the size of EagleBank Arena (nee Patriot Center), even smaller than what McDonough Gymnasium once was? Try selling the ambiance of Congress Heights to a comfortable Georgetown fan base well accustomed to Penn Quarter; explain to students why walking past the liquor stores and weathered apartments along Alabama Avenue are worth their investment on a Monday evening.
Georgetown plays all its games at Capitol One Arena for many reasons: yes, Monumental Sports drives a hard bargain (i.e., all or nothing), but it is a bargain Georgetown committed to a generation ago with Abe Pollin and still does. Way back when, in an interview I had with John Thompson with the HOYA, the coach said it thusly, "I didn't want to go to the Capital Centre, but I didn't think we had a choice." Put another way, if you're going to be the flagship of this conference, you carry the flag.
Tarping the 400's doesn't solve the problem. The 400's aren't filled with people either, because neither are the lower seats; obviously, you can't move people into seats sold (and unused) by others. A fan base is not solely built on wins and losses, it can't be. It must be built on loyalty and continuity. There are many symptoms (opponents, time and date, gameday presentation, etc.), but attendance is a function of our collective interest. We as a community, a campus, and a city, do not give Georgetown basketball the support and priority we once did, plain and simple. Jessie Govan can't fix that, and neither can Patrick Ewing. Only we can. And we haven't.
We have 7,000 undergraduates and sometimes less than 300 show up for a game. We graduate 4,000 alumni across nine schools each May, how many would even (or do) give $10 in support to the Hoya Hoop Club to support the program? There are 40,000 alumni within one hour of Gallery Place, and how many see fit to buy tickets? We collectively diminish schools like Creighton and Marquette for attendance numbers long since past in Georgetown lore, with the excuse that there must mot be much to do there. Washington is seven times the size of Omaha and we still cannot meet half the attendance that they do, when in some cases all it takes to do so is an off-peak Metro fare and a heavily discounted ticket.
The building isn't the problem.
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SDHoya
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Post by SDHoya on Dec 5, 2018 13:58:24 GMT -5
If we want to make sure than NO ONE shows up to our games, we should definitely play them in South East.
I think most of us agree that the ideal would be a 7,000-9,000 on campus arena, but we also know that will never happen. Perhaps more seating could be added to McD to bring it up to 4,000 or so which would make it a more palatable spot for OOC games, but even that may be a fantasy.
For the foreseeable future, the only real option is to make the MCI/Verizon/Cap1 Center a more livable home for the Hoyas. The reality is that with the exception of a relatively small handful of programs (almost all of which are large public schools in towns with no major pro sports), a 20,000 seat arena is far too big. While the Chinatown location is less than ideal for the students, it is perfect for bringing in the community due to its very central location--but the community support is not coming back until there is a quality product being offered. I see a few things that can/need to be done for that to happen:
1. First and most importantly, they need to start winning---regular season and March. Without this, nothing else will really matter.
2. The 400 level should not be sold--and if possible covered--for all but the biggest games. I know some have noted that there are some good sight lines from the 400s and you can get cheap seats up there. But I have seen 100s level seats being sold for under 10 on stubhub, so at this point price should not be a big concern. This is not simply about how it looks on TV (although I do believe that matters)--what it really is about is atmosphere. If you take 8000 fans (which as of late would be quite the accomplishment) and scatter them around Cap1, it appears empty and sounds quiet. You take those same 8000 and confine them mainly to the 100s, and now you have fans close in, feeding off of each other--and more importantly--feeding their energy to the home team. And here is the other thing--atmosphere matters to casual fans. A casual fan goes to a game with 4000 people spread out in a giant arena, and good chance they leave unimpressed and don't return. That same casual fan goes to a more intimate and electric experience, there is a good chance that fan wants to return.
3. More needs to be done to get students to the games. I'm sure Hoya Blue or whoever the student support group is these days is doing their darndest--but it ain't working at the moment. I also recognize that as with the community support, students probably won't come back in droves until the team demonstrates that it is back to prominence. But in college arenas, student sections drive the atmosphere and energy--so more needs to be done. A good student section will also help bring back some of the casual fans who aren't all that excited about watching basketball in a church.
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Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on Dec 5, 2018 14:06:16 GMT -5
Most students won’t attend games no matter how good the team. You can attract those students on the fence, area alums and locals by being good. Need to be top-10 quality to generate buzz.
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drquigley
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Post by drquigley on Dec 5, 2018 14:12:42 GMT -5
A good discussion here. A few thoughts. Georgetown cannot be "relegated" to St. Elizabeth's, nor should it be. Its contract defines its place. What is to be gained by playing in a forgettable 4,111 seat facility that is smaller than the Smith Center, smaller than Bender Arena, half the size of EagleBank Arena (nee Patriot Center), even smaller than what McDonough Gymnasium once was? Try selling the ambiance of Congress Heights to a comfortable Georgetown fan base well accustomed to Penn Quarter; explain to students why walking past the liquor stores and weathered apartments along Alabama Avenue are worth their investment on a Monday evening. Georgetown plays all its games at Capitol One Arena for many reasons: yes, Monumental Sports drives a hard bargain (i.e., all or nothing), but it is a bargain Georgetown committed to a generation ago with Abe Pollin and still does. Way back when, in an interview I had with John Thompson with the HOYA, the coach said it thusly, "I didn't want to go to the Capital Centre, but I didn't think we had a choice." Put another way, if you're going to be the flagship of this conference, you carry the flag. Tarping the 400's doesn't solve the problem. The 400's aren't filled with people either, because neither are the lower seats; obviously, you can't move people into seats sold (and unused) by others. A fan base is not solely built on wins and losses, it can't be. It must be built on loyalty and continuity. There are many symptoms (opponents, time and date, gameday presentation, etc.), but attendance is a function of our collective interest. We as a community, a campus, and a city, do not give Georgetown basketball the support and priority we once did, plain and simple. Jessie Govan can't fix that, and neither can Patrick Ewing. Only we can. And we haven't. We have 7,000 undergraduates and sometimes less than 300 show up for a game. We graduate 4,000 alumni across nine schools each May, how many would even (or do) give $10 in support to the Hoya Hoop Club to support the program? There are 40,000 alumni within one hour of Gallery Place, and how many see fit to buy tickets? We collectively diminish schools like Creighton and Marquette for attendance numbers long since past in Georgetown lore, with the excuse that there must mot be much to do there. Washington is seven times the size of Omaha and we still cannot meet half the attendance that they do, when in some cases all it takes to do so is an off-peak Metro fare and a heavily discounted ticket. The building isn't the problem. Excellent summary. I would give the students some slack though. In the old days it was a 10 minute walk from the east campus to the gym. If you were a serious student (some were) you could attend a game and be back in the dorm or library in less than 3 hours. Unless the University is providing transportation to the games I imagine a weeknight game today involves spending an entire evening away from the books. I'd cut the students less sick for weekend games since I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon, when I was a student, than a Hoya game and drinks afterwards somewhere in Penn Quarter. As for alumni living in the D.C. area I have less tolerance. If you care at all about the basketball program - and have some disposable income - I can't imagine why you wouldn't have a season ticket. But like I said, even attendance of around 8,000 looks puny in the Cap One arena. I agree that a good yardstick will be the opening BE game against St Johns. We have reason to complain if the student section isn't full and attendance doesn't exceed 10,000. I'm guessing however that a competitive team this year with Macinjo highlights lighting up social media will get us to around 10,000 average attendance at BE games.
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Post by ColumbiaHeightsHoya on Dec 5, 2018 15:02:31 GMT -5
LC, the problem is the lack of a home court advantage #1. Optics is #2. As far as 2007, our increase in attendance largely has to do with opposing fans filling spaces. That's not a win for me to have a bunch of Uconn, Cuse, WVU, MD and V. Tech fans in the building (going way back of course). That is frequently when we see significant increases in attendance. Frankly it is downright embarrassing when the opposing team makes a run and it gets loud. If you went to our last Duke home game, there were about 7K Duke fans in the place. Winning will up the attendance for sure, but our home game experience has never been great. That also is why I think we lose some recruits. By lowering capacity you are creating the environment for a better home court advantage when we start winning and drawing more fans. Site lines be damned. The worst thing that happens is that those in the 400's have to pay up for good site lines in the lower bowl or sit in the end zones. That is a bad argument for keeping capacity double what we need it. I do understand the handicap accessible issue as they can't pay up but at current attendance levels we could probably open up a few suits for those folks unless I am underestimating the size of the wheelchair accessible audience at most games. I think you could also bring them down to the floor to sit front row in the end zones. I'm not holding my breath waiting for Cap One to make affordable wheelchair accessible seats available in the 100 section. Having sat in Section 401 for at least the last 10 years I can attest to the fact that the only time that section fills up is when we are playing a big time, alumni heavy opponent. Syracuse, UCONN, Louisville, W. Va., Duke, etc fill up the section. As noted elsewhere Creighton, Butler, Xavier are poor attendance substitutes. Also, let's not forget that 10,000 attendance still makes Cap One look empty but would fill up most on campus arenas. I think we can expect that kind of attendance if we improve enough to compete for the BE title especially against Nova, St. Johns, Seton Hall and Providence. Also, let's be careful about what we wish for. If we had an 8,000- 10,000 on campus arena - plus a good team - tickets will be hard to come by and cost a lot more than they do now. If tickets were hard to come by and there was less supply, I think we would all take that trade off because it would likely mean a winning team. We gotta Redskins this bad boy and drop down capacity. Drawing down the lights in the arena is an easy step. I also never talked tarps but I am talking dropping the curtains down from the rafters so it feels tight. I still yearn for the days of Obama eating out of Biden's popcorn.
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Post by FromTheBeginning on Dec 5, 2018 15:38:38 GMT -5
Just look at the OOC home schedule - SMU is the FEATURED game and the only game against anything but low major opponents. And SMU is barely more than a mid major. Butts in the seats is what it is all about. Let's play the local teams that will bring fans into the building (AU / GW / ODU / GM) - who cares if they make noise - at least they will be there. And if it has to be home & home (except AU) - so be it. At least we won't be paying guarantee money to teams with 250+ rankings and travel expense for the team. Let's try and get home & homes going with Maryland and Virginia. How much more attractive would the schedule be with one of them coming in every year. Screen off the 400's to improve the atmosphere for all except a few games. But we need to IMPROVE THE SCHEDULE!!
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Dec 5, 2018 17:54:08 GMT -5
I agree that a good yardstick will be the opening BE game against St Johns. We have reason to complain if the student section isn't full and attendance doesn't exceed 10,000. I'm guessing however that a competitive team this year with Macinjo highlights lighting up social media will get us to around 10,000 average attendance at BE games. Students will be on semester break for the SJU home game.
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HoyasAreHungry
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Post by HoyasAreHungry on Dec 5, 2018 23:16:31 GMT -5
If we want to make sure than NO ONE shows up to our games, we should definitely play them in South East. I think most of us agree that the ideal would be a 7,000-9,000 on campus arena, but we also know that will never happen. Perhaps more seating could be added to McD to bring it up to 4,000 or so which would make it a more palatable spot for OOC games, but even that may be a fantasy. For the foreseeable future, the only real option is to make the MCI/Verizon/Cap1 Center a more livable home for the Hoyas. The reality is that with the exception of a relatively small handful of programs (almost all of which are large public schools in towns with no major pro sports), a 20,000 seat arena is far too big. While the Chinatown location is less than ideal for the students, it is perfect for bringing in the community due to its very central location--but the community support is not coming back until there is a quality product being offered. I see a few things that can/need to be done for that to happen: 1. First and most importantly, they need to start winning---regular season and March. Without this, nothing else will really matter. 2. The 400 level should not be sold--and if possible covered--for all but the biggest games. I know some have noted that there are some good sight lines from the 400s and you can get cheap seats up there. But I have seen 100s level seats being sold for under 10 on stubhub, so at this point price should not be a big concern. This is not simply about how it looks on TV (although I do believe that matters)--what it really is about is atmosphere. If you take 8000 fans (which as of late would be quite the accomplishment) and scatter them around Cap1, it appears empty and sounds quiet. You take those same 8000 and confine them mainly to the 100s, and now you have fans close in, feeding off of each other--and more importantly--feeding their energy to the home team. And here is the other thing--atmosphere matters to casual fans. A casual fan goes to a game with 4000 people spread out in a giant arena, and good chance they leave unimpressed and don't return. That same casual fan goes to a more intimate and electric experience, there is a good chance that fan wants to return. 3. More needs to be done to get students to the games. I'm sure Hoya Blue or whoever the student support group is these days is doing their darndest--but it ain't working at the moment. I also recognize that as with the community support, students probably won't come back in droves until the team demonstrates that it is back to prominence. But in college arenas, student sections drive the atmosphere and energy--so more needs to be done. A good student section will also help bring back some of the casual fans who aren't all that excited about watching basketball in a church. This is exactly what I meant. It's about concentrating the people that do show up and creating a better experience. This is a no brainer to me. If you prefer being higher up, the 200's are even better site lines than the 400's. Again, ticket costs shouldn't be an issue with them firesaling them all these days. Better OOC opponents, better game day experience, etc. All of these are factors. Some are easily fixed (concentrating the fans), some are going to take some time (top 20 program consistently). Let's start with what we can control.
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Post by TrueHoyaBlue on Dec 6, 2018 11:45:34 GMT -5
Even without sinking the floor, McDonough could probably add 500 or so seats pretty easily, by knocking down the north (interior) wall and converting what used to be the 1/2-size practice gym for Men's basketball back into stands behind the north basket.
It would require some cost and effort to ensure that convocation, commencement, etc. weren't impacted, but taking McD from 2,200 capacity up closer to 3,000 would at least make the argument for hosting more on-campus games a little stronger. And along with re-opening the west balcony seats on a regular basis, it's probably the most cost-effective option.
Once the Cooper Field renovation is done, with a capacity of 4,000, there hopefully shouldn't be too much pushback from expanding seating in McDonough to a larger number that's still below that size. (Although it might mean any weeknight games would need to be on the later side to avoid rush-hour complications).
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DFW HOYA
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Post by DFW HOYA on Dec 6, 2018 11:59:45 GMT -5
Even without sinking the floor, McDonough could probably add 500 or so seats pretty easily, by knocking down the north (interior) wall and converting what used to be the 1/2-size practice gym for Men's basketball back into stands behind the north basket. It would require some cost and effort to ensure that convocation, commencement, etc. weren't impacted, but taking McD from 2,200 capacity up closer to 3,000 would at least make the argument for hosting more on-campus games a little stronger. And along with re-opening the west balcony seats on a regular basis, it's probably the most cost-effective option. Once the Cooper Field renovation is done, with a capacity of 4,000, there hopefully shouldn't be too much pushback from expanding seating in McDonough to a larger number that's still below that size. (Although it might mean any weeknight games would need to be on the later side to avoid rush-hour complications). It's entirely doable but Georgetown often lacks the will. And for those that weren't around, the average attendance at McDonough Gymnasium in its last full year of service (1980-81) was 4,197 per game.
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hoyas315
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,095
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Post by hoyas315 on Dec 6, 2018 12:14:36 GMT -5
Article from April 28, 2000 www.thehoya.com/mcdonough-gym-to-be-renovated/“Georgetown University Athletic Director Joseph Lang recently announced renovation plans that would transform 2,200-seat McDonough Gymnasium into a 5,500-seat arena. This renovation would most likely allow the men’s basketball team to play at least some of its Big East games on campus instead of downtown at MCI Center, which seats just over 20,000.” “Once the current building projects, additions and adjustments are made to the Hilltop, the McDonough renovations will rise to the forefront. The long-term renovation plans stipulate that the court will be rotated about 90 degrees and the seats will rise towards each end which currently honors the program’s various accomplishments and greatest players.” Unbelievable that this STILL hasn’t been done,despite all the well known obstacles.
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