Could not agree more. Also, the whole "Caputo returning to Fairfax" won't do anything as 90% of our fans (and 100% of the students) have no clue who the guy is. I will never forget when we played Hofstra (with Charles Jenkins) back in 2010-2011. I was sitting next to Liz Larranaga and she said on multiple occasions, "I can't believe we can't get this place half full when we are playing for 1st place and against a future NBA player, Jim is going to be pissed." Also remember when we played UMASS back in 2014 and they were top 20 in the country...we had 4k show up. Or the same year when we played St. Louis who was top 20 (and undefeated in the A10) and we had about 4k for that game as well. Low attendance for games like that takes a toll on players (and coaches) as they expect big and loud crowds for those games. They can deal with the low attendance for the Fordham's of the world but not when we are playing top 25 teams or teams that have studs.
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Could not agree more. Also, the whole "Caputo returning to Fairfax" won't do anything as 90% of our fans (and 100% of the students) have no clue who the guy is. I will never forget when we played Hofstra (with Charles Jenkins) back in 2010-2011. I was sitting next to Liz Larranaga and she said on multiple occasions, "I can't believe we can't get this place half full when we are playing for 1st place and against a future NBA player, Jim is going to be pissed." Also remember when we played UMASS back in 2014 and they were top 20 in the country...we had 4k show up. Or the same year when we played St. Louis who was top 20 (and undefeated in the A10) and we had about 4k for that game as well. Low attendance for games like that takes a toll on players (and coaches) as they expect big and loud crowds for those games. They can deal with the low attendance for the Fordham's of the world but not when we are playing top 25 teams or teams that have studs.
It’s been talked about ad nauseam, but when you have an NBA team and Maryland/Georgetown in your backyard, it’s tough to compete with all that. The Daytons, SLU, vcu’s of the world don’t have all that to compete with… they are the biggest basketball draw in their areas.
I want to get to that 6,000-7,000 range, and that will only happen with winning.
I want to get to that 6,000-7,000 range, and that will only happen with winning.
Winning and aggressive marketing and a game day experience worth going to.
In the past, the second two things were largely ignored by the AD. Hopefully they won’t make the same mistake once we have a winning product to sell to the community again.
We can go in circles on this topic and its June (almost July) so there isn't much else to debate.
I think the 2010-2011 is a perfect example of what many folks with realistic expectations have when it comes to attendance. To your point, that game in 2011 against Hofstra was early in February on a Wednesday night (we don't have to go into the 100000 reasons attendance suffers on a Wednesday) and Mason was on a 7 game winning streak. I'm interested, you're interested but many folks are still just meh.
Now I would argue that probably also solidified Mason as a legit NCAA contender because not only did Mason wipe the floor with Hofstra winning by 19, but that carried them into a big matchup the following Saturday at home against ODU for homecoming. So now not only are you on a winning streak as a program and gaining national attention, but you are playing a known rival at home and its homecoming. Boom. They wiped the floor with ODU, the following week was wiping the floor at home against JMU and now the entire community is actually paying attention with the program continuing to play amazing basketball. Fairfax traffic was in shambles when Mason played Northeastern by the end of the month because you had 8000 people trying to get to EBA in the middle of February.
Bottom line is that winning consistently at home brings attention and usually it isn't until January or February when games really have meaning and you get the casual fan.
I am not saying Mason will get another 5k because Caputo is coming, but in general a matchup with GW and a few folks knowing who Caputo is, might draw a few more folks. Maybe I am wrong.
...to the next deadhorse topic!
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When are going to get football?...to the next deadhorse topic!
I accept my lifetime ban........When are going to get football?
Here is an old thread on that topic.
We can go in circles on this topic and its June (almost July) so there isn't much else to debate.
I think the 2010-2011 is a perfect example of what many folks with realistic expectations have when it comes to attendance. To your point, that game in 2011 against Hofstra was early in February on a Wednesday night (we don't have to go into the 100000 reasons attendance suffers on a Wednesday) and Mason was on a 7 game winning streak. I'm interested, you're interested but many folks are still just meh.
Now I would argue that probably also solidified Mason as a legit NCAA contender because not only did Mason wipe the floor with Hofstra winning by 19, but that carried them into a big matchup the following Saturday at home against ODU for homecoming. So now not only are you on a winning streak as a program and gaining national attention, but you are playing a known rival at home and its homecoming. Boom. They wiped the floor with ODU, the following week was wiping the floor at home against JMU and now the entire community is actually paying attention with the program continuing to play amazing basketball. Fairfax traffic was in shambles when Mason played Northeastern because you had 8000 people trying to get to EBA in the middle of February.
Bottom line is that winning consistently at home brings attention and usually it isn't until January or February when games really have meaning and you get the casual fan.
I am not saying Mason will get another 5k because Caputo is coming, but in general a matchup with GW and a few folks knowing who Caputo is, might draw a few more folks. Maybe I am wrong.
...to the next deadhorse topic!
Don't disagree with anything you are saying. I will tell you though as an Alumni Athlete who is still very close to some of the former basketball players, attendance mattered to them. It mattered to Coach L back then and it matters to CKE today. The AD needs to find ways to bring in more students and needs to find ways to bring in more local fans. Obviously winning can cure some of that but it isn't going to cure everything. I think if we could get some big name programs to come to EBA it could go a long way because the average fan or student doesn't know how good a Dayton or Davidson is. But they hear the name Georgetown or Penn State and immediately think they are good.
No problem, we're on the same page. I get it matters, it matters to me and many other folks. Unfortunately marquee names don't really come to EBA. Penn State was a nice get, UVA was a nice get in 2012, but other than that its the usual conference games and a few local rivalry games mixed in like GW, Richmond vcu. Unfortunately most of the games against the local "rival" teams haven't been played with a lot on the line. I have to think that if Mason and GW were good at the same time, that would be a really fun game.
I sat beside John Paxson on press row that game. He was there to scout Jenkins. I gave him my best pitch on Cam Long. He did not take my advice.
Now i'm not saying that the AD lies about attendance numbers, but I attended every single home game that season and there were easily double the normal number in attendance. A good number were Dayton fans, but based on personal observation there were alot more people and the arena was much louder than any other game I can remember that year.
Yep, I saw one game. vcu. Ugh.
In the misery loves company category, I was at the losses against @JMU, Washington, Nevada, SDSU, ODU, @Kansas, @GW, St. Loius, @La Salle, @Richomd, vcu, Fordham, @vcu, @Davidson, UMass and finally Fordham in the tourney.
So, don't feel too bad for yourselves. ;-)
With that track record you should have been yelling, "Beat me, whip me, make me right bad checks." Still fan of the year in my book for all of your travels.
Not only did you watch the team lose at Lasalle, you ate the worlds worst popcorn lol.
Completely agree. You would think a lot of schools would want to be in front of their NVA alumni or DC area alumni. VT is probably is gunshy with any "local rival" after they played a "neutral" game at the Richmond Coliseum against vcu and got walloped.
UVA has been more open to in-state games, but like with anything there has to be value add. Hopefully one day we can get either program to play Mason.
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I suspect, from the point of view of potential P5/higher level opponents, we are currently in a sort of no touch zone. Being a middle of the pack A10 team (to date) doesn't help their resume if they win and if they lose, we are potentially a bad looking loss. The view us as all risk no reward. When we climb to the top of the A10, I hope that changes.
Attendance problem solved - we got Queens coming to EBA Nov 26th. Even w/o Freddie Mercury, we should be able to sell out with them.
If winning is assured late, hope Doc Nix has enough sense to break out "We Are The Champions."
Unfortunately it makes more sense for Tech to play a neutral site in DC against a team like Penn State or West Virginia.
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