"We may have split the season series with GMU this year, but after being at the game today I was reminded of one area we dominate: home arena and game atmosphere.
I even brought my daughter today who gained massive appreciation for the Smith Center today.
Here are some of my observations:
1) Eagle Bank Arena is a dump and very dark, while the Smith Center is nice, light, and inviting.
2) even when attendance is bad, the smith center doesn’t feel as empty and depressing as EBA.
3) There is no character at all to the non-description area where EBA seats: The Smith Center is in one of the best locations for any arena in America.
4) The “Masonettes” pale in comparison to the First Ladies. If you haven’t appreciate how hard the First Ladies work, how much energy, and how much quality they being, a road game at George Mason will cure that quickly.
5) Their band, for all its plaudits, is annoying. They have a singer on most songs accompanying the marching band. The singers weren’t very good - the band is good, but the singers bring it down 3 notches.
6) there was no student section, at least not thst I could tell. Even when we only have 100 there, the concentration of students front and center in seats that are right on top of the court give our games an energy that the soulless EBA doesn’t have.
7) At halftime, I saw a massive line - probably 30 people long, or more. When I followed it to see what it was, it was people line up for Dippin Dots. Dippin Dots?!? The worst treat known to man. The ice cream of the future? Yeah, if the future is a miserable place with no ice cream.
8) popcorn costs $9 there. At The Smith Center it’s now FREE. Not sure if that’s even been mentioned on this board, but huge kudos to whoever decided to add free popcorn this year.
9) The chairs at EBA are not terribly comfortable. Smith Center Sears (at least the blue seats) are pretty nice.
10) Generally, Eagles Bank Arena has no character at all all - it’s just a big, dark, soul-sucking generic arena. The Smith Center is just a warm, awesome place to see a game. Can’t wait until we are good again and start getting packed houses once more.
At any rate, I’m proud to be a Colonial, and thankful that dump isn’t my home arena."