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Post by PantherU on Mar 20, 2022 20:49:00 GMT -6
George Koonce, Rick Costello, Andy Geiger, Amanda Braun, the wheel turns and we still have a university that is apathetic towards the program we all love.
None of us can directly help winning, that's Coach Lundy's job. So let's focus elsewhere. How do we attack the basketball program's biggest villain, apathy on its own campus and in its own community?
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Post by chipanthers45 on Mar 20, 2022 21:34:31 GMT -6
George Koonce, Rick Costello, Andy Geiger, Amanda Braun, the wheel turns and we still have a university that is apathetic towards the program we all love. None of us can directly help winning, that's Coach Lundy's job. So let's focus elsewhere. How do we attack the basketball program's biggest villain, apathy on its own campus and in its own community? Get Mone to care and see the importance of the program or get a chancellor who does. That to me is the biggest hurdle. |
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Post by Cactus Panther on Mar 20, 2022 21:46:59 GMT -6
It should begin at the campus level. After all, this is COLLEGE basketball.
Start with the students. Make it a place to be, a party. Employ section leaders to encourage positive student interaction at games in a cohesive manner (sort of like you were back in the day Jimmy, but multiples of you). Practice this by having non-game day events. Employ a talented professional DJ, sound mixer or whatever it is called these days to play popular energetic music that flows well before and within the games. Pump up the music and make the arena shake. Put more emphasis on theme nights so students can dress up like it's Halloween several times. Make sure the game production is a cohesive effort in conjunction with the cheer squad, dance team, PA announcer, in-game host, the person responsible for playing commercials on the scoreboard, etc. Treat the students like big donors. Seat them at courtside directly across from the Panther bench and/or midcourt. Because seating capacity is large, limit the number of "special' courtside student sections to create more demand than supply and then gradually expand as necessary. Give the student section an identity and make them feel that they are part of the show (Klotsche Krazies still works for me). Feature them on TV, a lot! Make sure the students have transportation to and from the arena.
Yes, I am stealing a page from the GCU Havocs. I see it every game and it is amazing. They had to start somewhere too. I hope all of you on here have a chance to experience an atmosphere like it to help understand it is more than just a game, it is the place to be.
Some of my suggestions may be impractical at first, but things like a good DJ mixer and relocating students should not cost very much or be that difficult to do. Start with some of these types of ideas and build from there.
When the students show up in relatively large numbers and show that they are having fun, the alumni and general fan base will have a significantly more positive experience and be more likely to come back.
And of course, the administration needs to be convinced to send the band, cheerleaders and dance team to EVERY game.
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Post by reginaldkdwight on Mar 21, 2022 7:56:45 GMT -6
Lets get some family friendly promos. Dollar pizza night was my idea while at a game, get some promos that people will come to the game for then make sure the on court action is entertaining and people will keep going. As for getting students at the games. Always going to be tricky at Milwaukee where a large segment of the student body will cheer for Badgers or MU over Milwaukee. Hopefully Lundy can change that.
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Post by Cactus Panther on Mar 21, 2022 9:10:18 GMT -6
Of course, my suggestion about student involvement requires competitive games with a reasonable expectation going into each game being a win. Like Jimmy stated, that is up to Lundy. Trying that in the Baldwin era would have been a huge backfire. But once we are at that point and start bringing in the students like at the Eastern Kentucky game this year, be ready to Pounce on the opportunity (pun intended).
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Mar 21, 2022 9:27:22 GMT -6
I don't think the Ian Pizza stand wants to do $1 pizza night.
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Post by reginaldkdwight on Mar 21, 2022 10:11:59 GMT -6
I don't think the Ian Pizza stand wants to do $1 pizza night. I dont give a sh*t what they want, need the university to tell them heres the deal DG is gonna pay you for pizza. and hes gonna give us 12 t shirts to toss in the crowd. Plus its not about makign money for them its about making people come to the came and have your pizza and selling more of it later on. |
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Post by Cactus Panther on Mar 21, 2022 10:28:18 GMT -6
As for getting students at the games. Always going to be tricky at Milwaukee where a large segment of the student body will cheer for Badgers or MU over Milwaukee. Hopefully Lundy can change that. Yes, that has always irked me. That mentality needs to change. Lundy will have to help change some of it, but he cannot carry the entire burden. The section leaders (the cool kids that are a combination of true leaders and wanna-be mascots) can help with that. Stick to the plan. The students wearing black and gold, satin jackets on satin jacket night when playing Green Bay, painted cat faces and chests on Pounce Pride night, or whatever clothing the theme calls for, gets the first x rows in the student mid-court section. Only they get the frequent closeup TV exposure. Only they get the nice prizes. The zanier the better. A little edgy is OK, but student leaders would have to help keep that in line too. The kids in Badger red can be included in the primo sections, but they will sit up higher and will be having only half the fun. Some of them may be converted and want to join the exclusive students once they buy in later on. Didn't the Bucks successfully do something like this before they got good? The Brewers did this years ago with the Bucket Brigade. Enough with the self defeatist attitude! That, above all, is the biggest obstacle to positive change. If we think it is too tricky for it to happen, it surely won't. I am an analytical person. I am far from being a creative person. There is a lot more creativity out there than I am capable of. If I can come up with some of these ideas, all of which need to be vetted for feasibility, we and others can collectively come up with tons more. |
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Post by Pounce Needs Pals on Mar 21, 2022 10:52:46 GMT -6
I don't think the Ian Pizza stand wants to do $1 pizza night. I dont give a sh*t what they want, need the university to tell them heres the deal DG is gonna pay you for pizza. and hes gonna give us 12 t shirts to toss in the crowd. Plus its not about makign money for them its about making people come to the came and have your pizza and selling more of it later on. Well, the UWM doesn't run the arena. So, any food stand will just be laughing at them. |
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Post by reginaldkdwight on Mar 21, 2022 11:07:51 GMT -6
I dont give a sh*t what they want, need the university to tell them heres the deal DG is gonna pay you for pizza. and hes gonna give us 12 t shirts to toss in the crowd. Plus its not about makign money for them its about making people come to the came and have your pizza and selling more of it later on. Well, the UWM doesn't run the arena. So, any food stand will just be laughing at them. Maybe Ians should focus on making a decent pie, but its more the idea of something for the fans. |
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Post by ghostofdylan on Mar 21, 2022 11:40:40 GMT -6
As for getting students at the games. Always going to be tricky at Milwaukee where a large segment of the student body will cheer for Badgers or MU over Milwaukee. Hopefully Lundy can change that. Yes, that has always irked me. That mentality needs to change. Lundy will have to help change some of it, but he cannot carry the entire burden. 1,000% agree! Don't expect Bart to carry the burden all by himself. He needs OUR help. |
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Post by Cactus Panther on Mar 21, 2022 21:17:51 GMT -6
It has now been 24 hours since this thread was started. This should be one of the two most active threads along with the Bart Lundy one.
However, we have only come up with my idea to organize and invigorate the student section which I admit will take A LOT of diligence, and $1 pizza night. That's all we've got guys? Come on! Are we just going to sit on our fat butts waiting to see what Lundy and the athletic department does on it's own, and then second guess every move we don't like? Given the lack of constructive participation on this thread, we as a group on this message board appear nearly as apathetic as anyone else.
Adam Schemm has expressed interest in hearing our ideas. It is time to put our thinking caps on and start listing them.
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Post by skrapheap on Mar 21, 2022 22:58:11 GMT -6
George Koonce, Rick Costello, Andy Geiger, Amanda Braun, the wheel turns and we still have a university that is apathetic towards the program we all love. None of us can directly help winning, that's Coach Lundy's job. So let's focus elsewhere. How do we attack the basketball program's biggest villain, apathy on its own campus and in its own community? Get Mone to care and see the importance of the program or get a chancellor who does. That to me is the biggest hurdle. I have no idea whether or not Chancellor Mone is a sports fan. I don't think he has the luxury of paying as much attention to the success of the men's basketball program as the denizens of this board appear to prefer. I believe that his attention the entire time he has been Chancellor has largely been directed at UWM's survival in an environment when the legislature has repeatedly and massively cut UWM's budget while freezing tuition and cutting back on state support. Under those conditions his focus is understandable and correct. If you want to replace him with a sports fan, you'd better make sure his successor is capable of leading in the current environment along with boosting sports. |
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Post by DunneDeal on Mar 22, 2022 10:17:01 GMT -6
You need to have the In-Game Host work with a select group of student section "leaders"
We tried to do this and had a little success, those students would be the foot solders, you space out the selection of them, 1-2 from each dorm complex, so they can go to the cafe during meals with flyers and hype the game.
Have Pounce out to walk around with them.
Be on campus on game days in the Union, outside the biggest lecture halls. Organize some common chants, and use them for all sports, keep it simple. Cheer sheets for people that want them. Be original or copy something another school does and make it happen. We tried, we had the arms up for FT's and the link up and sway before tip off.
When Bruce was here, we did a chant at the end of games to recognize coaches work, and we did it for Jeter and players, chant the name they give a wave and you cheer.
It can be simple things.
For the Coach:
He has to be biggest cheerleader. Show up to Volleyball and Soccer games. Get on the local radio and TV shows. Get people talking about Panther Basketball. Reach out to the local youth programs, high schools and AAU, get them in for camps, or go to their practice and talk up college hoops.
Walk around campus with players and mascot. Make yourself known to the kids on campus. Maybe Patherfest, show up, do a hype up or intro for a band. Get other coaches (volleyball, soccer, ect) to help out.
For the local fans
We need to show support for Coach. Amanda is not going anywhere this year so lets lean into this hire with the fire of rebuild and succeed. Talk up the team, get some friends that dont normally go an hype up a guys night, or family night and bring the kids. Shoot, I'll be there this season with a newborn, cant get them hyped up soon enough.
Post on your social media the positives of Panther basketball.
The Apathy is because this program went into the TANK. I will fully admit, I gave up 2 years ago. I got engaged, I didn't want to waste money on my season tickets anymore, especially to see losing basketball. I used to show up for game 1 Hour before to make sure I got front row of the student section, I bought season tickets soon as I graduated, but the lack of coaching, just didnt inspire me to spend a few hundred on tickets, and another 30-40 bucks a game when I went (parking/food/ect). Make it worth my while to go.
Overall WIN.
We win, and the apathy goes away.
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Post by PantherU on Mar 22, 2022 15:48:51 GMT -6
We dealt with apathy when Jeter was coach. Hell, there was apathy from a lot of times when Pearl was coach.
How do we put 2,500 students on the north baseline at every single basketball game?
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