Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: 1,700 watch EMU beat Purdue
Page: 1 of 3
BobcatCrew
General User
BC
Member Since: 5/2/2012
Post Count: 109
person
mail
BobcatCrew
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 4:56 PM
Go MAC... but that is pathetic for a 6-2 EMU team at HOME!
JSF
General User
Member Since: 1/29/2005
Location: Houston, TX
Post Count: 6,580
mail
JSF
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 6:28 PM
But they won. You're burying the lead.
Columbus_Bobcat
General User
CB
Member Since: 11/23/2012
Post Count: 413
person
mail
Columbus_Bobcat
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 6:49 PM
I actually posted on ESPN message boards about this. If Purdue came to Convo we would have a full house.
LuckySparrow
General User
Member Since: 10/16/2012
Location: IL
Post Count: 1,814
mail
LuckySparrow
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 8:27 PM
Bobcats_828 wrote:expand_more
I actually posted on ESPN message boards about this. If Purdue came to Convo we would have a full house.


I'm skeptical.

Maybe if it's a "special weekend."
catfan28
General User
C28
Member Since: 6/11/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,503
person
mail
catfan28
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 8:46 PM
If there's a quality "BCS" team in the Convo, I'd guarantee a sellout as long as students are in session. We have not had an opponent of note in Athens since maybe Wisconsin in the late 90's. Believe that one was over winter break, however.

I think our students and fans are starving for a home game with a "name" opponent. Looking back over the last 5 years or so, the best teams we've hosted in the Convo are Temple, Tulsa, Robert Morris, Oakland and Richmond.

Uhhhh, yeah 

Seriously, I'd consider forking out $1,000 if it meant we would host a team like Purdue in the Convo. I'm personally getting a bit tired of the teams we keep running out at home.
Last Edited: 12/8/2012 8:47:10 PM by catfan28
Deciduous Forest Cat
General User
DFC
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: OH
Post Count: 4,559
person
mail
Deciduous Forest Cat
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 9:01 PM
Wisconsin is a good example - we had over 9k on winter break, but we also had Virginia late season in 2003 or so... students in session and only had about 7500 or so, (even though it was very loud that day)  I think the Virginia game was competing against hockey playoffs at Bird.  As with everything, there are always outside factors that affect attendance.
Last Edited: 12/8/2012 9:02:04 PM by Deciduous Forest Cat
catfan28
General User
C28
Member Since: 6/11/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,503
person
mail
catfan28
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 9:13 PM
Good point. IMO, a key factor is also the quality of OUr team. We were 14-16 in 2002-2003 under TOS when we played Virginia. It was a very disappointing season.

In general, we also draw much larger crowds now than we did in those years. Our advertising/sales efforts are 100x better, and we have all sorts of gimmicks to get students to the games (food, scarfs, shirts, etc). Put those factors together and I'm confident a big-name team sells out. We've come a long way since the early 2000's.
TheGreenFever
General User
TGF
Member Since: 1/18/2011
Post Count: 188
person
mail
TheGreenFever
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 9:22 PM
We've come a long way since the early 2000's.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, because we got rid of TOS.  I got happy drunk that night!!
catfan28
General User
C28
Member Since: 6/11/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,503
person
mail
catfan28
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 9:29 PM
TheGreenFever wrote:expand_more
Yeah, because we got rid of TOS.  I got happy drunk that night!!


That was a good day. Still remember having to look up Bryant because I had never heard of them!
LuckySparrow
General User
Member Since: 10/16/2012
Location: IL
Post Count: 1,814
mail
LuckySparrow
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 9:32 PM
As a student, I can definitely attest to the fact that students would love seeing a big opponent come through. Especially a Big Whatever team. 
Columbus_Bobcat
General User
CB
Member Since: 11/23/2012
Post Count: 413
person
mail
Columbus_Bobcat
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 10:53 PM
LiquidDateII wrote:expand_more
As a student, I can definitely attest to the fact that students would love seeing a big opponent come through. Especially a Big Whatever team. 


As a student also, many of my dorm mates don't want to go to the games until we play Akron and Miami. Almost everyone who I talked to said we should do some renovations to the Convo and maybe lose 1,500 seats and build a press box? 

If BGSU can get MSU to come to BGSU to play, I imagine we can get WVU, Xavier, Dayton, Cincinnati, or maybe even tOSU (I can dream right?)
catfan28
General User
C28
Member Since: 6/11/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,503
person
mail
catfan28
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 10:58 PM
Bobcats_828 wrote:expand_more
If BGSU can get MSU to come to BGSU to play, I imagine we can get WVU, Xavier, Dayton, Cincinnati, or maybe even tOSU (I can dream right?)


Many will say that we can't get these sort of games. I'd argue that we're simply not trying. It might take some "2 for 1's" to make it happen, but it would be well worth it. I'm not asking for 2 or 3 of these games a year - just one...ONE - every couple of years. A game that we can all circle and look forward to, one that really rallies the local community and student support.

I realize that times have changed drastically, but up through the 90's we consistently had a Big Ten/Big East/SEC team in the Convo at least every couple of years. We now hang our hats on games like Richmond and Marshall.
JSF
General User
Member Since: 1/29/2005
Location: Houston, TX
Post Count: 6,580
mail
JSF
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:00 PM
Jim Schaus is more than happy to share his scheduling philosophy with people. I'm not trying to be flippant; I just don't want to misquote him. I'm satisfied with his thinking.
Pataskala
General User
P
Member Since: 7/8/2010
Location: At least six feet away from anybody else
Post Count: 9,465
person
mail
Pataskala
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:01 PM
Maybe we can get Illinois now.
OhioCatFan
General User
Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 15,699
mail
OhioCatFan
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:11 PM
We did have Purdue in the house, once upon a time.  I was there.  It was in December,  The crowd, I believe, was in the 11,500 range -- not a sellout, but a very good crowd.  We've had sellouts, or near sellouts, every time O$U has played in Athens. 
catfan28
General User
C28
Member Since: 6/11/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,503
person
mail
catfan28
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:13 PM
JSF wrote:expand_more
Jim Schaus is more than happy to share his scheduling philosophy with people. I'm not trying to be flippant; I just don't want to misquote him. I'm satisfied with his thinking.


I think most of us know/understand that his goal is wins. You'd have to be naive to think otherwise when looking at these schedules (football and basketball).

Nevertheless, the home schedule is immensely frustrating. We struggle to bring in new fans from southeast Ohio because many think we play "2nd rate" athletics. These sort of opponents only serve to perpetuate that line of thinking. You're not going to grow fan interest or enthusiasm with our schedule...that's what disappoints me the most. A marquee game every couple of years would go a long way in moving our programs forward.
Jerry86
General User
J86
Member Since: 12/19/2010
Post Count: 656
person
mail
Jerry86
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:27 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
We did have Purdue in the house, once upon a time.  I was there.  It was in December,  The crowd, I believe, was in the 11,500 range -- not a sellout, but a very good crowd.  We've had sellouts, or near sellouts, every time O$U has played in Athens. 


Not to mention Indiana at the Convo ... I have the program from the first home game at the Convo, Dec, 3, 1968. No, I wasn't there but I found the program in the early 70's when I was a student. Open the program and you see Jim Snyder, Vernon Alden and Bill Rohr. Ads by old time names .. Swearingen Sporting Goods, Page Chevy-Olds, Lamborn's, Dwight Rutherford Insurance, the Tavern and many more.  Larry Hunter was a 5'10", 160 pound sophmore guard on the Bobcats. Canine, Kowall, Love, McDivitt and McGee also on that team. Flashbacks? And no, I wouldn't sell the program on eBay.

Back then we played a schedule of Big 10 teams we will never play again. And we packed the place.
Last Edited: 12/8/2012 11:30:29 PM by Jerry86
Casper71
General User
C71
Member Since: 12/1/2006
Post Count: 3,237
person
mail
Casper71
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:34 PM
Dag Jerry, I lived those days.  As good as we have been throughout (most of) the years in basketball, I for the life of me can't figure out why we can't see some of the BIG teams in the Convo.  It is disappointing.  I agree, go two or even three for one and play some high profile teams while the kids are still there. Add in some alumni who would like to see a BIG name and you would get the crowd!
Pataskala
General User
P
Member Since: 7/8/2010
Location: At least six feet away from anybody else
Post Count: 9,465
person
mail
Pataskala
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:42 PM
Maybe EMU's fans thought a home game vs Purdue was a misprint on the schedule.  After all, their home schedule includes three -- count 'em, three -- below D1 schools (Rochester (MI), Madonna and Sienna Heights, which might be a HS team).  Or maybe it's because Mich was playing Ark at home and the EMU crowd was tailgating in Ann Arbor.
BillyTheCat
General User
BTC
Member Since: 10/6/2012
Post Count: 10,802
person
mail
BillyTheCat
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:43 PM
OCF, you also remember when we played in the "Men's Gym".

Our schedule is brutal, we used to bring in Xavier, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Purdue and the like. Today I get excited at Oakland! Which have you seen their non-league schedule? They literally play anyone anywhere.
Jerry86
General User
J86
Member Since: 12/19/2010
Post Count: 656
person
mail
Jerry86
mail
Posted: 12/8/2012 11:46 PM
Looking back at that program and the schedule that year:

Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern and at Milwaukee Classic (Army, Wisconsin and Marquette). Not too shabby ..........
bornacatfan
General User
Member Since: 8/3/2006
Post Count: 5,752
mail
bornacatfan
mail
Posted: 12/9/2012 12:05 AM
who was coaching Army in 71? Any players we might know?
Jerry86
General User
J86
Member Since: 12/19/2010
Post Count: 656
person
mail
Jerry86
mail
Posted: 12/9/2012 12:11 AM
bornacatfan wrote:expand_more
who was coaching Army in 71? Any players we might know?
..

Knight coaching then .. not sure of players. Coach "K" graduated already I think.
Columbus_Bobcat
General User
CB
Member Since: 11/23/2012
Post Count: 413
person
mail
Columbus_Bobcat
mail
Posted: 12/9/2012 12:13 AM
Jerry86 wrote:expand_more
Looking back at that program and the schedule that year:

Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern and at Milwaukee Classic (Army, Wisconsin and Marquette). Not too shabby ..........


I would love this schedule. I hope in future years we have one or two games against Big Ten teams in the Convo and a game or two from Xavier, Cincinnati, or Dayton.
cbus cat fan
General User
CCF
Member Since: 12/3/2011
Post Count: 1,169
person
mail
cbus cat fan
mail
Posted: 12/9/2012 12:16 AM
Honestly a couple of Butler type basketball seasons and a couple of Northern Illinois football seasons and the Convo would be sold out nearly every game the students were in session, and Peden would have to undergo an immediate expansion. It is amazing how fast the bandwagon can get going, or how quickly the wheels can fall off the wagon, if things go bad.

I remember watching then mighty DePaul and Ray Meyer lose in 2OT (or was it 3OT) in one of my first games at the Convo. The victory would help propel the Danny Nee era. I also recall we could have sold 20,000 tickets for the 1986 NIT game against Ohio State, and that was just tickets for Bobcat fans.

We have a large alumni base that lives within a 4hr drive of Athens. It could happen faster than one can imagine if we started firing on all cylinders.
Showing Messages: 1 - 25 of 56
MAC News Links



extra small (< 576px)
small (>= 576px)
medium (>= 768px)
large (>= 992px)
x-large (>= 1200px)
xx-large (>= 1400px)