George McDonald's challenge

[oldpinepoint]

Marvin "aint got time for dat."

Fo shizzle?

 

[CuseLegacy]

Who would you compare Syracuse to?

Both teams breaking in new coaches, appear to be going for the same type of player, are in the same basic spot in the ACC.

And out of state recruits will be able to watch their game...
Saturday, Apr. 20 — NC State (Kay Yow Spring Football Game), 1:30 p.m., ESPN3

 

[Upstate]

Jerome Smith ‏@RomeSmith45

6m​

The hay is never in the barn #RockTheDome #20k

 

[Nick44]

Haha I'm bringing about 20 guys for my bachelor party that wouldn't normally be there. Outside of Vegas, can't think of a place I would rather be! Go cuse.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

This is the first year that I actually read people discussing about it. March Madness is different. Maybe when the football team can string together a few decades of success it can draw that sort of interest.

 

[Bayside44]

Just look at midnight madness how many people that draws. The spring game is the equivalent of midnight madness. Yes last year got out of control, but just shows how much the fan support is lagging behind for the football program. Hopefully some wins can change it, but in the mean time some sort of publicity to push it could prove beneficial .

But it's not though...no dunk contests, etc with football...different type of sport where MM is a showboating excercise. It's basically an NBA All Star weekend type of event.

 

[anomander]

But it's not though...no dunk contests, etc with football...different type of sport where MM is a showboating excercise. It's basically an NBA All Star weekend type of event.

Other fan bases treat it like it is though. Just look at some of the attendance numbers for other bcs schools. It's obviously not the same event, but it's treated similarly is all I'm saying. Just look at South Carolina sending clowney out to surprise the fans. Do you think spurrier would have done that if it was a regular practice? Same with Nebraska letting the 7 year old run for a td. These schools do something extra to treat fans . Plus I'd much watch an actual football game then some of the non sense that takes place during midnight madness. IMO it should be treated as such, it has basically turned into an event with all the tv coverage

 

[Bayside44]

Other fan bases treat it like it is though. Just look at some of the attendance numbers for other bcs schools. It's obviously not the same event, but it's treated similarly is all I'm saying. Just look at South Carolina sending clowney out to surprise the fans. Do you think spurrier would have done that if it was a regular practice? Same with Nebraska letting the 7 year old run for a td. These schools do something extra to treat fans . Plus I'd much watch an actual football game then some of the non sense that takes place during midnight madness. IMO it should be treated as such, it has basically turned into an event with all the tv coverage

We're not Nebraska. And that's probably a good thing. Frankly at some of those schools they could do just about anything because their fans are so warped on college football.

 

[JDubbin]

1) include the spring game in the ticket package from the previous year. How much more can it cost to attach one more stub to the sheet?

2) include the spring game in the basketball season ticket package. Let's cross pollinate the two big programs a little bit.

3) include the spring game in the lacrosse season ticket package, and make sure there is ALWAYS a lacrosse game scheduled for after the football game. Work together folks.

4) if you don't have a ticket, you c an get. One at Wegmans. If you don't get one at wegmans, or with your season ticket package, tickets are $2 at the door. Kids 12 and under free. Any proceeds go to Save the Spotted Owl or some other charity.

5) organize a committee of Newhouse students to take on the project as a project for credit with supervision in conjunction with the Sports Management program. These are talented kids and a free resource. Let the come up with ways to publicize, promote, execute, energize, etc.

6) play an actual game. For too many years we played these abbreviated offensive series' which had little to no semblance to an actual game.

I walk away from this post thinking that I would kill for a "Save the Spotted Owl" free t-shirt handout at the spring game...

 

[anomander]

We're not Nebraska. And that's probably a good thing. Frankly at some of those schools they could do just about anything because their fans are so warped on college football.

I totally understand we're not Nebraksa, or any of the SEC schools, but we aren't so bad where they are out drawing us 40,000 to 1,000. That's just embarrassing .

 

[All4SU]

I walk away from this post thinking that I would kill for a "Save the Spotted Owl" free t-shirt handout at the spring game...

I really only put that in there for CTO.

 

[anomander]

This is the first year that I actually read people discussing about it. March Madness is different. Maybe when the football team can string together a few decades of success it can draw that sort of interest.

Unfortunately that seems to be the mindset of a majority of the people in the community

 

[anomander]

This is the first year that I actually read people discussing about it. March Madness is different. Maybe when the football team can string together a few decades of success it can draw that sort of interest.

People act like we are Rutgers or uconn or duke football or something? We have just as much or more tradition then most of the country. I was at the Dome in the 80's when it was packed. our fan base aas just as rabid as anyone . We had what 1 bad decade and everyone bails on the program? Pretty pathetic honestly.

 

[timkay99]

Have you visited their forum? I checked it out before our b-ball game v. them @ NC State last year.

It was rough... Constant state of butthurt playing the little bro of UNC/Duke card...

When we pulled a G-Town Verizon Center and took over their arena we might as well have shot their dog...

Whiniest fan forum I have seen... made the rutgers forum and boneyard look like rational boards..

Nope. I agree they are a whiny fan base (just moved down to Raleigh), but am comparing the state of football programs.

And out of state recruits will be able to watch their game...
Saturday, Apr. 20 — NC State (Kay Yow Spring Football Game), 1:30 p.m., ESPN3

If you want to discuss failures to stream the game, that is one thing (I would agree that is a failure by Syracuse on a fairly easy thing to execute). This discussion is on getting butt in the seats. The one aspect to it being streamed is that it would decrease the number of people who attend in person.

 

[OttoMets]

Just look at midnight madness how many people that draws. The spring game is the equivalent of midnight madness. Yes last year got out of control, but just shows how much the fan support is lagging behind for the football program. Hopefully some wins can change it, but in the mean time some sort of publicity to push it could prove beneficial .

They're pretty similar in terms of importance to recruits (and probably players, too), but I'd draw a pair of distinctions that put the spring game at a disadvantage.

First, Midnight Madness marks the beginning of hoops season - the real games are right around the corner. People are ready for basketball. The spring game marks the end of spring practice. The real season is not only months away, but it's on the far end of summer - football is the last thing on most people's minds. They're ready for baseball, lacrosse, and everything that comes with summer.

Second, Midnight Madness is usually on a Friday night. For your average basketball fan, that's an open spot - those who are past the bar-hopping age probably aren't doing anything else on a Friday evening in the fall. The spring game is on a Saturday afternoon in a very brief but pleasant (weather-pending, of course) season in Central New York. People have all sorts of other (outdoorsy) things to do.

(Oh god, did I just rationalize the behavior of the leaf-rakers?)

Also, regardless of season, basketball's more popular in this part of the country.

Still, the main point is a good one: the University should do more to promote the game as an event that will draw people who otherwise don't want to watch an indoor fake football exhibition in April. (I really liked the idea of including a physical spring game ticket with every other ticket package - don't make the fans seek it out; give it to them.)

 

[SUFaninNJ]

People act like we are Rutgers or uconn or duke football or something? We have just as much or more tradition then most of the country. I was at the Dome in the 80's when it was packed. our fan base aas just as rabid as anyone . We had what 1 bad decade and everyone bails on the program? Pretty pathetic honestly.

Tradition isn't the problem. SU has tradition. Just ask anyone who is still trying to get #44 unretired. But like that number, it's relevance to many is a thing of the past. Yes, the Dome was packed in the 80's. I know, I was there too. It's not like spring practice was big then and isn't now. It's never been big. SU's spring games have never been a big deal, even when SU was winning. March Madness came along in the mid-late 90's and was put into Manley and was sort of a novelty. ESPN showed up and it was fun. It took awhile but it grew from there to a point where MJ's daughter hosted the festivities last year. I don't see that happening in football. What would be the spring football game's version of a dunk contest or a 3 point shooting contest? There isn't any. I know many people who follow the basketball team and will go to an occasional game who could careless about the football team. All that being said, I still like going to the spring game, and will continue to attend when my schedule permits.

 

[TBCuse11]

Just an fyi. They wont release them until 5/3. They extended the 4/3 for those folks who forgot or were indecisive about renewing.

Sent using my Commodore 64

Thank you for the info... not sure why the box office lady couldn't have told us that when we called. Pretty bad business though. They had three months to renew.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Still, the main point is a good one: the University should do more to promote the game as an event that will draw people who otherwise don't want to watch an indoor fake football exhibition in April. (I really liked the idea of including a physical spring game ticket with every other ticket package - don't make the fans seek it out; give it to them.)

Yeah. I'm not going to lie. It seems like someone could make a name for themselves with just a little bit of initiative and cash to make things happen.

 

[CuseLegacy]

Nope. I agree they are a whiny fan base (just moved down to Raleigh), but am comparing the state of football programs.



If you want to discuss failures to stream the game, that is one thing (I would agree that is a failure by Syracuse on a fairly easy thing to execute). This discussion is on getting butt in the seats. The one aspect to it being streamed is that it would decrease the number of people who attend in person.

Well they streamed Clemsons' game and they were still able to get 30,000 out for their Spring Game.

 

[OttoMets]

Yeah. I'm not going to lie. It seems like someone could make a name for themselves with just a little bit of initiative and cash to make things happen.

I think a number of the posters on here could.

SU's still too tone-deaf. There are constraints, but improvements could be made in a lot of areas.

 

[timkay99]

Well they streamed Clemsons' game and they were still able to get 30,000 out for their Spring Game.

Syracuse isn't Clemson.

According to the best attendance figures I could find (2011 latest year avail):

Clemson was 17th in attendance with an avg of 77,000.
Syracuse averaged 40,000.

That put Syracuse ahead of Duke and Wake Forest for the ACC that year.

And by just eyeballing the home attendance for last years games, Syracuse was over 40,000 just twice in 5 games.

 

[billsin01]

They're pretty similar in terms of importance to recruits (and probably players, too), but I'd draw a pair of distinctions that put the spring game at a disadvantage.

First, Midnight Madness marks the beginning of hoops season - the real games are right around the corner. People are ready for basketball. The spring game marks the end of spring practice. The real season is not only months away, but it's on the far end of summer - football is the last thing on most people's minds. They're ready for baseball, lacrosse, and everything that comes with summer.

Second, Midnight Madness is usually on a Friday night. For your average basketball fan, that's an open spot - those who are past the bar-hopping age probably aren't doing anything else on a Friday evening in the fall. The spring game is on a Saturday afternoon in a very brief but pleasant (weather-pending, of course) season in Central New York. People have all sorts of other (outdoorsy) things to do.

(Oh god, did I just rationalize the behavior of the leaf-rakers?)

Also, regardless of season, basketball's more popular in this part of the country.

Still, the main point is a good one: the University should do more to promote the game as an event that will draw people who otherwise don't want to watch an indoor fake football exhibition in April. (I really liked the idea of including a physical spring game ticket with every other ticket package - don't make the fans seek it out; give it to them.)

This ^^

And, while I'm late to the party on this whole argument, I'll add a couple thoughts:

-- It's never going to be a huge event and 20K is probably a pipedream in almost any scenario due to all the reasons people mentioned.

HOWEVA (should be read in your best Stephen A Smith voice)

-- The university puts the absolute minimum amount of effort into making this any sort of an event. You can talk about how there's expense and effort involved in simply staging a spring game but what program doesn't do that? It's generally a really poor effort.

-- I don't want to hear IPF as an excuse for pinching pennies anywhere. As I've said before, if you want to play with the big boys you've got to spend with them on most things as well. I got hammered for suggesting I would have been fine with the university deciding to de-emphasize football and move the hoops team to the Catholic 7, but my point was simply that to compete at a high level, this program is going to have to spend like it's never spent before -- coaching salaries (they are only going up from here), travel costs, constant facilities upgrades (IPF isn't some sort of end game on that spending), etc. More TV money in is great, but it also simply means more money will be going out as well. The university can try to be smart with money, but investing heavily in football is now a way of life.

-- That said, there are efforts that wouldn't necessarily break the bank that would probably at least put more people in the seats -- working with local youth sports and youth recreation groups; reaching out to various communities to see if there is any interest in chartering buses to bring whole groups; tying it in with some sort of general spring-time festival with the city of syracuse. I don't know, there are a ton of avenues to, simply put, try to make this feel more like an event and a celebration of the end (or near end) of the long, miserable, sloppy, freezing late-winter months.

-- What was that other thing I was thinking of ... oh yeah ... wait for it ... how about some info on the team during the course of spring practice? I'm not asking for game plans or even open practices, per se, but how about getting some info about position battles and individual improvements and feeding a few stories to the writers in the past couple weeks? I've said this before -- and by the way, I think this coaching staff will engage much more than the previous staff -- but I'll say it again: you can't tell a community to ignore a team for however long it takes you to conduct 14 practices and then say, "Hey don't forget about our spring game!!!"

-- Game format -- let's be honest, the spring game does little to nothing in terms of providing any real insight into the team itself. I covered three UMD spring games and the offensive and defensive stars of each game did absolutely nothing in their careers (akil patterson had 3 sacks one year and walkon Andrew Smith was the MVP two years in a row at LB). So how about adopting a fan friendly format and simply making it a fun competition? Enjoy it instead of worrying about hiding all your secrets or whatever else prevails upon coaches to encourage the most boring game possible.

 

[FAL]

you can't tell a community to ignore a team for however long it takes you to conduct 14 practices and then say, "Hey don't forget about our spring game!!!"​

​

^^^THIS!^^^

 

[Doctor44]

FYI:

http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...spring-game-attendance-2013-kentucky-nebraska

 

[anomander]

This ^^

And, while I'm late to the party on this whole argument, I'll add a couple thoughts:

-- It's never going to be a huge event and 20K is probably a pipedream in almost any scenario due to all the reasons people mentioned.

HOWEVA (should be read in your best Stephen A Smith voice)

-- The university puts the absolute minimum amount of effort into making this any sort of an event. You can talk about how there's expense and effort involved in simply staging a spring game but what program doesn't do that? It's generally a really poor effort.

-- I don't want to hear IPF as an excuse for pinching pennies anywhere. As I've said before, if you want to play with the big boys you've got to spend with them on most things as well. I got hammered for suggesting I would have been fine with the university deciding to de-emphasize football and move the hoops team to the Catholic 7, but my point was simply that to compete at a high level, this program is going to have to spend like it's never spent before -- coaching salaries (they are only going up from here), travel costs, constant facilities upgrades (IPF isn't some sort of end game on that spending), etc. More TV money in is great, but it also simply means more money will be going out as well. The university can try to be smart with money, but investing heavily in football is now a way of life.

-- That said, there are efforts that wouldn't necessarily break the bank that would probably at least put more people in the seats -- working with local youth sports and youth recreation groups; reaching out to various communities to see if there is any interest in chartering buses to bring whole groups; tying it in with some sort of general spring-time festival with the city of syracuse. I don't know, there are a ton of avenues to, simply put, try to make this feel more like an event and a celebration of the end (or near end) of the long, miserable, sloppy, freezing late-winter months.

-- What was that other thing I was thinking of ... oh yeah ... wait for it ... how about some info on the team during the course of spring practice? I'm not asking for game plans or even open practices, per se, but how about getting some info about position battles and individual improvements and feeding a few stories to the writers in the past couple weeks? I've said this before -- and by the way, I think this coaching staff will engage much more than the previous staff -- but I'll say it again: you can't tell a community to ignore a team for however long it takes you to conduct 14 practices and then say, "Hey don't forget about our spring game!!!"

-- Game format -- let's be honest, the spring game does little to nothing in terms of providing any real insight into the team itself. I covered three UMD spring games and the offensive and defensive stars of each game did absolutely nothing in their careers (akil patterson had 3 sacks one year and walkon Andrew Smith was the MVP two years in a row at LB). So how about adopting a fan friendly format and simply making it a fun competition? Enjoy it instead of worrying about hiding all your secrets or whatever else prevails upon coaches to encourage the most boring game possible.

i like this.

in response to the bold, how about give away 11,000 tickets to local Elementary students like Kentucky did? Do anything to help reconnect the community, especially the younger group since all they have known about this program has been losing minus the last year. By giving to youngsters at least your not guaranteed any stabbings (holding breathe), and you are at least trying to create some bond with the team. Have free autograph signing after the game. It's not that hard