Post by PantherLou on Feb 24, 2004 8:42:03 GMT -6
HackPanther said:
I don't know how people can be so down about having 4,752 at a 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon game when there's a Marquette game going on across the street.Perspective people. You don't get 9,000 people on a regular basis to happen overnight. Let's face it (and I have to as well since I have been a critic of the marketing efforts). UWM is going up against several entertainment options in the city, even more than just sports. In other cities with mid-major teams like Carbondale, Green Bay, Dayton, Omaha and Spokane, they don't have as much of a problem with this.
The alumni base UWM has in town is misleading. Sure there are tens of thousands of alumni in the area. But ask yourself this, do they even give a sh*t about basketball? If they don't, why would they bother coming to a game? And if they do like basketball, some likely wouldn't come because they probably didn't go to games when they were in school ... thus having no "connection" with the program, even though they went to UWM.
Plus look at the venue. If this game was played at Klotsche, 4,752 fans would pack the place ... and everyone on here would love it. Since it's played at the Cell, 4,752 doesn't even halfway fill it.
It's going to take time. Be patient. I can remember games at the Cell in 1995 when "Freeway" would yell "What?" at a bad call and it would echo throughout the building. I'm talking 300-400 fans, people ... at the Cell!
What I wouldn't give to have the atmosphere UWM has now when I was in school. Don't get spoiled and enjoy the progress that's being made. You can look back in later years and say you were the start of something good.
If you honestly thought there would be 8,000-9,000 routinely, I have a bridge I want to sell you.
This is a great post. Keep the faith people. Getting more people into this program is going to have to be a grass roots effort. That means it starts with us. Tell your friends, tell your co-workers, and get people to the games.