Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
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Post by Boz on Feb 6, 2008 14:13:25 GMT -5
I was one of them. That is merely an illustration of how dark those times were...oh and we managed to come back from about 12 points down with under 3 minutes to play. It was also a drunk wednesday game and we were just excited to see a win. PS I managed to briefly hug Reuben's leg before being forcibly removed by security. "Fry, remember how I've been telling you to end your stories one sentence earlier. . .?" |
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kghoya
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Post by kghoya on Feb 6, 2008 14:17:16 GMT -5
wow great turnout last night...i think the team played about as well as the crowd showed up Were you there? like always...oh and ive been to 5 road games as well...im not throwing stones from a glass house |
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theexorcist
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Post by theexorcist on Feb 6, 2008 14:22:49 GMT -5
Is it possible now we are a national power again that we can swing a better deal with Verizon and/or threaten to build our own on campus arena if they don't? I mean, Verizon center has to book events, and we are a source of steady events for them now that is not easily replaced. Or are deals like this standard in the arena industry and non-negotiable? I guess what I am wondering is...is it feasible that we can swing a cut of the concessions too, or is that beyond the pale as far as these arena deals go? Short answer - no. We may be able to swing a slightly better deal, but GU has no leverage. Sixteen or so dates a year, much of the crowd composed of students who aren't allowed to drink and who don't have any money to buy Hibachi jerseys. |
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rosslynhoya
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Post by rosslynhoya on Feb 6, 2008 16:04:35 GMT -5
Caps fans gripe about their lease with Verizon as well. I think they have very similar terms.
BLUF- Abe Pollin has an arena and you don't.
1. We were a national power with a strong local fan base when the arena was under construction. What's different now? As theexorcist says, we're only ~16 dates a year. That's good for the Verizon Center, but they don't *need* us like we need to have a place to play.
2. Threatening to build an on-campus arena is the lamest threat I can imagine. That's up there with threatening your prof to give you an A or else you'll do all your homework all semester and earn it the old-fashioned way.
3. A nearly 50/50 split of the gate revenue doesn't seem that bad. What would you prefer to see? The arena is carrying the construction debt, they're covering the insurance, and they're professionally running all the game-day operations that I personally suspect would be thoroughly bolloxed by the administration.
4. The only major concern is that the current business model, like every other Hoyas-related institution in the area, seems to rest entirely on succoring the fans of the visiting team. Georgetown alumni are a captive audience that by and large will withstand any level of abuse, whereas visitors need to be courted so they'll return again for other occasions. An on-campus arena? We won't even tell the visitors how to get to campus from the Metro stop.
For the time being, the arrangement appears to be a good deal for us and a good deal for them, especially now that they seem to have mastered the art of pulling off Hoyas/Caps double-headers.
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thebin
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Post by thebin on Feb 6, 2008 17:11:25 GMT -5
Students are not allowed to drink? Even if they are 21? I know I drank for sure at MCI when I was a student, don't remember frankly if I had to sneak it or not, but I was buying beer from the stands like everyone else. I also see students with beers on tv all the time.
It may not be enough to have leverage, but 16 events a year of 13,000 people isn't peanuts. Its significant. THey make NOTHING when the place has no event- and as much stuff as they can book, 16 events is a real number. That's probably more than an entire year's worth of concerts at a place that size. And obviously, this would only theoretically work if we had the leverage of walking away because they actually believed we could build our own on campus place instead- that might be the tough part. But I disagree that 16 events at this year's average of 13K is nothing to Verizon...its substantial money for them.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think our current deal is all that bad. I don't know if it is frankly, I was just wondering if its possible that a tenant such as us could get a slice of the concessions, which are huge money makers in the live entertainment business. I don't even know if the Wizards/Caps get a slice of concessions, anyone know? Verizon would miss us if we walked....but lucky for them, Gtown can't build a 4000 seat football stadium within a decade.
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theexorcist
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Post by theexorcist on Feb 6, 2008 17:19:00 GMT -5
The wording was "students who aren't allowed to drink". I meant students under 21, who aren't allowed to do so (at least legally).
The Wizards and Caps both have around 41 home dates a year. It's not a drop in the bucket, and Verizon would miss us, but it doesn't matter that much, either. I'd assume that, during the next negotiations, we could reduce the rent increase based on bringing on a large number of people who will spend on concessions.
With that said, GU doesn't really have any other options for standoffs, unless you want to play at the Patriot Center (where you'd be third fiddle to a CAA team and Blue Man Group). Verizon has GU over a barrel and GU has little to no negotiating leverage.
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thebin
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by thebin on Feb 6, 2008 17:23:27 GMT -5
The wording was "students who aren't allowed to drink". I meant students under 21, who aren't allowed to do so (at least legally). The Wizards and Caps both have around 41 home dates a year. It's not a drop in the bucket, and Verizon would miss us, but it doesn't matter that much, either. I'd assume that, during the next negotiations, we could reduce the rent increase based on bringing on a large number of people who will spend on concessions. With that said, GU doesn't really have any other options for standoffs, unless you want to play at the Patriot Center (where you'd be third fiddle to a CAA team and Blue Man Group). Verizon has GU over a barrel and GU has little to no negotiating leverage. Like I said, this only works if we can realistically build something on campus. Wasn't thinking about Patriot Center or any other off-campus option. If you are saying an on-campus arena is pure fantasy, I'm sympathetic with you there. That would have been a much shorter objection to which I would have had no response! |
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Post by dajuan on Feb 6, 2008 17:36:02 GMT -5
Don't get me wrong. I don't think our current deal is all that bad. I don't know if it is frankly, I was just wondering if its possible that a tenant such as us could get a slice of the concessions, which are huge money makers in the live entertainment business. Are you implying that the Verizon Center pays less than $7 per Budweiser? Each chicken finger doesn't cost them $2? I assumed the VC was merely providing the fans with some much needed refreshment at little to no profit to itself. I'd be shocked to hear otherwise. |
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Feb 6, 2008 17:59:04 GMT -5
Don't get me wrong. I don't think our current deal is all that bad. I don't know if it is frankly, I was just wondering if its possible that a tenant such as us could get a slice of the concessions, which are huge money makers in the live entertainment business. Are you implying that the Verizon Center pays less than $7 per Budweiser? Each chicken finger doesn't cost them $2? I assumed the VC was merely providing the fans with some much needed refreshment at little to no profit to itself. I'd be shocked to hear otherwise. Fast, attentive service like you get at Verizon does not come cheap. |
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Post by redskins12820 on Feb 6, 2008 18:19:20 GMT -5
Speaking of beer prices. I will never again buy Verizon Center beer now that the Green Turtle bar is attached to the stadium.
Best
Invention
Ever
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Post by bahoya on Feb 7, 2008 17:17:45 GMT -5
A different perspective: I am the parent of a Senior at the college, 3 year season ticket holder, attended the BE tourney and final four. In my section, lower bowl, most of the season ticket holders are b-ball fans, not alums or students. The two guys who sit in front of us, "the brain trust", have had tickets for 20+ years. An on campus arena for G-town does not seem realistic in light of the geographic and neighborhood restrictions. Parking would be horrible. Build a new on campus state of the art practice facility and work on improving the environment and attendence at the Verizon Center. Cutting out virtually all non-alums and students would be a mistake.
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Post by bahoya on Feb 7, 2008 17:19:44 GMT -5
P.S. I worked all day on Tuesday north of Baltimore and made the game...pathetic student turnout.
P.P.S. My daughter and her friends were there!
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The Stig
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Post by The Stig on Feb 7, 2008 17:53:56 GMT -5
I seem to remember somebody here posting info about Seton Hall's deal with the Prudential Center in Newark, and it looked like they got a much better deal than we have.
The difference is that Seton Hall could use the Continental Airlines Arena as a bargaining chip. The only way we could get a better deal from the Verizon Center is if there was another DC area arena where we could play, and I don't see that happening unless Ted Leonsis gets so sick of the Caps' lease at the Phone Booth that he builds a new arena (highly unlikely).
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jgalt
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Post by jgalt on Feb 7, 2008 18:11:36 GMT -5
i thought that these kinds of thread ended when the season began. this is so boring and i have read it like three or four times before, the bottom line is that there never will be an on campus arena so who cares if it would be better or not.
i am calling for a moratorium on this type of discussion, if i can talk about ATS then i dont want to here about on campus arenas
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prhoya
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Post by prhoya on Feb 7, 2008 19:36:27 GMT -5
It's like watching TV: if you don't like the program, change the channel. In this case, go to another thread or scroll down.
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PDRHoya99
Silver Hoya (over 500 posts)
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Post by PDRHoya99 on Feb 25, 2008 16:42:05 GMT -5
Hopefully without dredging up the tone of where this thread ended up I can optimistically state that after the 17k+ that tourned out for the Cincinnati and Villanova games the Hoyas have averaged 12,797 for their fourteen home games to date. Maintaining that mark will eclipse the attendance record of 12,637 from 1990. To break the record we need to average 11,520 for the St. Johns and Louisville games. Given our midweek turnout for USF, I'm expecting that will require a Louisville sellout and more than 3000 for St. Johns. Here are the numbers to date (all pulled from Boxscore info on Yahoo or ESPN): | Opponent | Attendance | | William & Mary | 11,364 | | Michigan | 12,653 | | Fairfield | 8,764 | | Jacksonville | 8,216 | | Radford | 2,634 | | American | 10,564 | | Fordham | 7,845 | | Connecticut | 20,035 | | Notre Dame | 19,286 | | Syracuse | 20,035 | | Seton Hall | 14,528 | | South Florida | 8,316 | | Villanova | 17,575 | | Cincinnati | 17,337 | | St. Johns |  | | Louisville | | | Total | 179,152 |
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Post by HoyaSinceBirth on Feb 25, 2008 16:51:08 GMT -5
I think we'll be fine.
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guru
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Post by guru on Feb 25, 2008 16:51:58 GMT -5
Has anyone ever tried to get a bbq sandwich at the Club Level concession at halftime? I literally have never seen such laziness as that displayed by the people who "work" there. They cost the arena thousands of dollars a game.
Whew. Glad I got that off my chest.
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JimmyHoya
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Hoya fan, est. 1986
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Post by JimmyHoya on Feb 25, 2008 17:17:17 GMT -5
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Feb 25, 2008 17:25:41 GMT -5
Just think what average attendence we could reach if we had any decent OOC home games. This year the OOC average was 8,863 (9,901 excluding the McDonough game) versus 16,730 so far for Big East games. We have Memphis at home next year, right? And Duke too? Those could bring in an extra 20,000 people if they replace the Jacksonvilles and Fairfields of the schedule. ... I think its better to say that Memphis is replacing Michigan (I'm fairly certain that we will restart the Duke series in Durham). I think we'll still see mid and low majors come to the booth but we are upgrading the high major quality I've been doing a little thinking about our OOC schedule's under JT III and I've seen some trends: at least two CAA games (we will probably return the trip to Williamsburg next year and pick up another one) One to two Jesuit games (I'm sure we will travel to Fordham and pick up a replacement for Fairfield, hopefully something good like a Xavier and not a Loyala) 2-3 High Majors (Memphis, Duke, and hopefully we pick up a new Big Ten/Pac 10 school) Localish bad teams that we can put on during winter break (American, Navy, Towson) A McDonough patsy And random last second filler against teams that win their low major conferences (Oral Roberts and Jacksonville come to mind) |
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