CCM doesn't come out in force since Father Peter went to JMU.... they should do an international student life since the school already gave them the nicest residence and their own dining hall. Cabrera should have Edwards make a night all about them and fill the seats that way!!
Gameday Experience
- Thread starter GSII
- Start date
CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY
Hall of Famer
Cabrera kicked my noble fraternity off campus.
Fat chicks are the key. With TKE gone nobody is making love to fat chicks.
And with the fat chicks angry, it is often too dangerous to risk attending basketball games. Attendance suffers, as do concession sales.
Fat chicks are the key. With TKE gone nobody is making love to fat chicks.
And with the fat chicks angry, it is often too dangerous to risk attending basketball games. Attendance suffers, as do concession sales.
Sounds like the plot to the never filmed "Revenge of the Nerds V – The Omega Mu Files".
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I used to work with the OCM and others in the AD doing outreach and handing out fliers. When I say "worked with", what I really mean is that I had to do all the work but had to get their approval for everything...
I had pitched a rough idea that we should have some sort of campus parade to the games. Could have used the mean green to lead it. Go around campus, especially the dorms, playing drums and terminate at the arena before the game to bring attention to the games. Everyone seemed to like it but nothing ever went anywhere. Oh, well...
Winning will help, but there also needs to be better marketing or the gains made during the up times will vanish quickly when we have a mediocre season or two. See the handling of our post final four as a history lesson to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
They need to create a party like atmosphere before and during the games and the students will come.
I had pitched a rough idea that we should have some sort of campus parade to the games. Could have used the mean green to lead it. Go around campus, especially the dorms, playing drums and terminate at the arena before the game to bring attention to the games. Everyone seemed to like it but nothing ever went anywhere. Oh, well...
Winning will help, but there also needs to be better marketing or the gains made during the up times will vanish quickly when we have a mediocre season or two. See the handling of our post final four as a history lesson to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
They need to create a party like atmosphere before and during the games and the students will come.
The Seattle Sounders supporters do a mile long march to the stadium before every home game and it really does seem to amp up the crowd.
DC United supporter's group La Barra Brava do a drum parade into their section from the parking lot. It's pretty amazing to watch.
You don't even have to march through all the dorms and all around campus, just get them to congregate in front of the Johnson Center (meet at the clock, say) and march to EBA from there -- drums, flags, whistles, face painting, chants, etc.
DC United supporter's group La Barra Brava do a drum parade into their section from the parking lot. It's pretty amazing to watch.
You don't even have to march through all the dorms and all around campus, just get them to congregate in front of the Johnson Center (meet at the clock, say) and march to EBA from there -- drums, flags, whistles, face painting, chants, etc.
MasonGrad01
Specialist
This times a thousand , not sure why most alumni don't understand. But then again most people on here aren't alumni and are just trolls
Student Government does do something like this for the home opener every year.
I agree that every game would be better, and more of a memorable tradition.
Pablo
Hall of Famer
Dave PaulsenVerified account@PaulsenDave 15h15 hours ago
Great video highlighting connection of team and campus community. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155378334927223&id=625637222…
Great video highlighting connection of team and campus community. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155378334927223&id=625637222…
Very cool, thanks for sharing.
Seems like Ángel and Coach Dave are jonesing for greater campus support of men's bball. At the very least they are trying to put in a good word to the Mason community. Perhaps someone should direct them to this thread. I'm sure they're looking for ideas for improvements to campus support.
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Just returned from 3 days in Phoenix. If we want to feel a little better, UNC had so few students at the games that they brought in Arizona State students and put them in white shirts to pose as UNC fans. They did the same on Saturday for Oregon, filling their section with kids from Grand Canyon University. Gonzaga had a packed student section and South Carolina had one only about half full, but didn't add any bodies to fill it out.
If people here actually care about improving things, maybe they should be willing to contact Cabrera, Edwards, and Paulsen themselves, instead of expecting them to find a message board thread and then whining when they don't...
Vurbel
Hall of Famer
I get your point. Let me play devil's advocate for a minute. Arizona isn't exactly across campus for UNC or Oregon students. Also, college students don't have tons of expendable income to go. They also have classes. I think the percentage of the student section filled at their home arenas is a better comparison. For us, what is the percentage of filled seats at other A10 schools vs. the percentage at ours.
So, you are saying that the people who cheer for the team, donate to the program and/or attend the games should feel the responsibility to reach out to the guys that are paid handsomely to care about and appropriately steward the program. That those guys, if they are so busy they can't read it themselves, that they don't have the foresight to have some lower level employee spend 10 mins a day reading the boards and present any ideas that are suggested.
So, it is the fans fault that we don't have some of these ideas implemented. Got it.
I don't think thats what Masonfanatic is saying at all. What he is saying is that taking the time to write an email with a few sentences of ideas or making a phone call might be more productive than expecting AD staff to sift through a message board. Not saying that the answers will be great, but at least its a 1 to 1 communication.
I get your situation and why you won't do that, but for others, I think that is how many of us have gotten some answers, including Masonfanatic. Just expecting them to have someone read ideas and relay it isn't really productive in my opinion, but we may have to agree to disagree. I have heard that the boards aren't read that much but I really don't know.
Even better, if Mason fans want their ideas considered and implemented then perhaps they should ask Ángel, Brad, and Coach P if the fans can help manage the situation. Have the fans and other stakeholders form a volunteer task force, present ideas to the trio, ask for their official blessings, and then execute the ideas. I'm 100% certain each of them would say, "Right on! Let's see what you can do." Sounds simple, right?
It is simple if you don't already have a full time job and a family. It is simple if you have the leadership skills to develop such a task force. It is simple if you know how to organize and motivate other stakeholders to climb on board with the effort. It is simple if you know the other key stakeholders (i.e. Doc Nix, cheerleader coach, dance squad coach, Patriot Platoon leaders, PA announcer, etc.), get them all in a room together, and coordinate their preparation efforts and gameday routines.
This would be full-time job. You'd be unpaid and then have to hear about fans posting on an online chat room that the entire game experience sucks and that we need new and better ideas!
Oh, yeah... REAL simple! Ok, I'll start us off in the right direction. PM me if you're interested to volunteer to get the bandwagon rolling.
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I know I stretched the (assumed) intent of his post. There was still a little bit of "blaming the victim" style turn around in his post, with the if they "actually care" bit. At no point should the fans feel it is there responsibility to have to contact the AD to improve the program. They should feel welcome to, but shouldn't have to.
My post wasn't about whether they do or don't read the boards, it was that they SHOULD read them. This is the best site for some of the most dedicated Mason fans to discuss Mason basketball. If they don't monitor this site in some way, then they are being negligent.
On the question of if they do actually read the boards, I suspect they are being monitored in some manner. Some on here question why I post my rants on here and the timing, well, when my direct contacts to the AD seem to go ignored, after posts on here, the issues seem to get some attention. It has happened multiple times. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.
No problem with the stretch at all- totally fine. It's my own opinion that if a fan has ideas, they should take a few minutes to share them one to one.
I understand where you're coming from in terms of whether these should be read. There's a lot of passion here and good ideas, but to that point it takes time to sift through to get to the good points as with any message board. To me if I want an answer it's easy to just give a call or send an email. I just don't think the message board should be monitored too much for ideas. Maybe a little, but mostly secondary. It could be seen as negligent- but it's merely my opinion.
Maybe they could have someone call or email some donors for feedback once in a while. That to me would be a bit more conclusive. At least they've sent out surveys in recent years.
You are obviously in a different boat in terms of correspondence considering your experience but others I feel should try if they haven't. And after all it's a nice direct way to connect to the program. Merely my opinion however.
No, that is not what I'm saying at all. I was calling out the trolls who complain but never do anything about it, because I think some people here just like to complain for complaining's sake. I don't put you in that category. You say you've tried to reach out, and I believe you because I've met you in the past and I know you genuinely care about Mason basketball. I've also detected a strategic approach in your rants on here.
But in case there's any confusion:
- We're stuck with the athletic department we have. As fans, we can either complain on anonymous message boards, or we can do something to help them see what we perceive as blind spots. If they rebuff you like what happened to Brian, then fine, but at least make the effort.
- If I really care about fixing a situation, ultimately it doesn't matter who is at fault for a communication breakdown, and so I don't let that stop me. Instead, I reach out to that person anyway. (Again, Brian, this isn't aimed at you, you seem to have made more than adequate attempts to do this.)
- When I have contacted folks at Mason in the past, sometimes I have learned why they didn't do x or y that had seemed obvious to me. There could be circumstances you're not aware of. You can't get that sort of feedback unless you make direct contact, and so you're left to wonder why it doesn't happen.
- This has nothing to do with whether the boards are read or not. I assume people in the AD office read at least some of what's posted here. However, feedback from a real person with a name and a face is going to be taken more seriously than feedback from a nameless, faceless internet poster. It also has the added benefit of putting someone on the spot to respond, unlike a message board, which can be ignored.
- Everyone I have dealt with in the Mason AD (with the exception of a certain former head coach) has taken me seriously when I have offered feedback and constructive criticism.
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