Nantz on Mike and the Mad Dog

[hoya95]

Heard Jim Nantz on Mike and the Mad Dog the other day. He spoke repeatedly of his concerns that the Metrodome would be dead this weekend because it was too big and because of how poorly Georgetown, Villanova and BC travel. He said he thought it would feel like the games were being played in a CBS studio.
Sounds like a bit of a challenge to those of us who can get there to make some noise. And, at the very least, this isn't going to be a hostile arena like Dayton. Hell, it might be less hostile than a lot of our home games.

[FLHoya]

I was curious the other night about what the capacity for the Metrodome would be like for a basketball setup. Turns out the last time the Metrodome was used for a Regional Final--in 2003, it's the region Marquette came out of--the attendance for the three games averaged low 28,000. I'm assuming the way they set up the curtain/temporary stands will make it a similar capacity this weekend.

Thing was though, that particular weekend you had TWO teams from a neighboring state playing there (Wisconsin was also in Minny), plus a school that always travels very well in Kentucky. This time, we have three smaller private schools from the mid-atlantic/northeast and a state school from the south...there's NOBODY within even reasonable driving distance from their campus.

So what I suspect is not that there'll be massive patches of empty seats, but that we'll be looking at the very definition of a "neutral site". And that I'm sure if you were a GU fan and drove up there Friday or Sunday, you'd have zero problem getting tickets practically at face value.

[RDF]

hoya95 said:

Heard Jim Nantz on Mike and the Mad Dog the other day. He spoke repeatedly of his concerns that the Metrodome would be dead this weekend because it was too big and because of how poorly Georgetown, Villanova and BC travel. He said he thought it would feel like the games were being played in a CBS studio.
Sounds like a bit of a challenge to those of us who can get there to make some noise. And, at the very least, this isn't going to be a hostile arena like Dayton. Hell, it might be less hostile than a lot of our home games.

Well--maybe we should switch regions with UConn, Wichita State, and Washington--I am sure our fans would fill the MCI--refuse to call it Verizon Center--. ;D

If they are that worried about attendance-should think of that stuff before they put in rules about where you can/cannot play.

[HoyaNCCT]

Please, it's the phone booth...

[FOTP]

I saw the capacity is around 40K...Atlanta is actually 50K. Hence the low ticket prices on ebay...

[TBird41]

rdf said:

hoya95 said:

Heard Jim Nantz on Mike and the Mad Dog the other day. He spoke repeatedly of his concerns that the Metrodome would be dead this weekend because it was too big and because of how poorly Georgetown, Villanova and BC travel. He said he thought it would feel like the games were being played in a CBS studio.
Sounds like a bit of a challenge to those of us who can get there to make some noise. And, at the very least, this isn't going to be a hostile arena like Dayton. Hell, it might be less hostile than a lot of our home games.

Well--maybe we should switch regions with UConn, Wichita State, and Washington--I am sure our fans would fill the MCI--refuse to call it Verizon Center--. ;D

If they are that worried about attendance-should think of that stuff before they put in rules about where you can/cannot play.

They also could have used the Target Center, where the Timberwolves play. At least the place would be 100% full, rather then 50% full.

That probably isn't realisitic though, since the Gophers don't play at the Target Center in any capacity (the Football team plays at the Metrodome)

[FLHoya]

tbird41 said:

They also could have used the Target Center, where the Timberwolves play. At least the place would be 100% full, rather then 50% full.

That probably isn't realisitic though, since the Gophers don't play at the Target Center in any capacity (the Football team plays at the Metrodome)

I don't think it's a rule that the arena you use as your "host" venue has to be a place you play at during the year. I doubt Oakland University plays at the Palace of Auburn Hills. And I know Butler isn't playing any Horizon League games at the RCA Dome.

In another sport, I'm pretty sure the Frozen Four is at the MCI Center/Verizon Center/Phone Booth/Purple People Eater in a year or two (EDIT: Actually, 2009). And that's I believe "hosted" by the Naval Academy--which a) doesn't play at MCI; b) doesn't have a hockey team.

[Deleted]

flhoya said:

tbird41 said:

They also could have used the Target Center, where the Timberwolves play. At least the place would be 100% full, rather then 50% full.

That probably isn't realisitic though, since the Gophers don't play at the Target Center in any capacity (the Football team plays at the Metrodome)

I don't think it's a rule that the arena you use as your "host" venue has to be a place you play at during the year. I doubt Oakland University plays at the Palace of Auburn Hills. And I know Butler isn't playing any Horizon League games at the RCA Dome.

In another sport, I'm pretty sure the Frozen Four is at the MCI Center/Verizon Center/Phone Booth/Purple People Eater in a year or two (EDIT: Actually, 2009). And that's I believe "hosted" by the Naval Academy--which a) doesn't play at MCI; b) doesn't have a hockey team.

Navy doesn't have DI hockey, but they do have Club Hockey - in fact, they even play Georgetown from time to time...

[DrumsGoBang]

Metrodome can hold 50,000 for basketball. I think they are setting something up for this time to aorund half of that.
We owned Dayton even with all the OSU fans. I think we can own the Metrodome too.

[chinatownfanclub]

why don't people from minnesota just show up... i know there can't be anything better going on in the Twin Cities

[AustinHoya03]

No offense to RDF and other Twin Cities residents, but I would guess the mid-March weather in Minnesota doesn't exactly entice fans that are on the fence. Can't see the Metrodome being full of Big State U fans from far off (like Florida) any more than I can see it being full of GU fans. Now, if we were playing in Phoenix...

[FLHoya]

austinhoya03 said:

No offense to RDF and other Twin Cities residents, but I would guess the mid-March weather in Minnesota doesn't exactly entice fans that are on the fence. Can't see the Metrodome being full of Big State U fans from far off (like Florida) any more than I can see it being full of GU fans. Now, if we were playing in Phoenix...

Give it two years my man:

Regionals Thursday and Saturday, March 27 and 29, 2008
US Airways Center
Phoenix, Arizona
Host: Arizona State University

On the plus side, should we make it, next year's Regional Finals have something for Austin, DFW et. all (San Antonio), SF and all the various Cal's (San Jose), and the 70% of the GU student body from the Dirty Jerz (E. Rutherford). And St. Louis--so, uh, I guess Nelly and Murphy Lee are all excited and whatnot.

[RockawayHoya]

flhoya said:

and the 70% of the GU student body from the Dirty Jerz (E. Rutherford).

That's THE Dirty Jerz to you, bub.

And if they in fact hold it at East Rutherford, I wil rejoice all the way on the 35 minute drive from my house to CAA. With 70% of the student body.

[AustinHoya03]

Ah, I was just making a joke b/c of the Phoenix is Hawaii vs. Phoenix is Kosovo argument in another thread.

Glad there will be a regional in Texas that the Hoyas might make, but sometimes I wonder whether anyone on the selection committee has actually been to the Alamodome, which is a dump and may be the biggest waste of taxpayer money in the entire country. Of course, that's to be expected from San Antonio, the most corrupt/wasteful city in a state infamous for dirty politics. As you probably know, nobody plays in the Alamodome, so it's currently the world's largest boat show venue. Saytown actually paid the Cowboys $3M to hold spring practice there two years ago in an attempt to justify the 'Dome's continued existence, which meant there was no money left over for the S.A. symphony, which was forced to disband.

[younghoya32]

rockawayhoya said:

flhoya said:

and the 70% of the GU student body from the Dirty Jerz (E. Rutherford).

That's THE Dirty Jerz to you, bub.

And if they in fact hold it at East Rutherford, I wil rejoice all the way on the 35 minute drive from my house to CAA. With 70% of the student body.

I will be there quicker than you can say, What's that smell?

[FrazierFanatic]

Our years of playing in a half (to be generous)filled Phone Booth will have us well prepared!

[theEDGEfactor]

i mean he really isnt too far off..we havent been traveling too well but we do make some noise