menu
Logo
99+
Bobcat Attack Menu
Logo
99+
Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: The Post: Time running out for SaulBall
Page: 2 of 4
mail
person
Kevin Finnegan
2/21/2019 4:32 PM
GoCats105 wrote:expand_more
This thread, and the lines of questioning are enlightening re: the donations and money lost. Between the admissions of changes in ticket buying in this thread alone, plus what I know of from people I know, I'm seeing at minimum $11,000 and maybe up to $15,000 in revenue lost with 5-8 different families/alumni who are/were season ticket holders that have left altogether, or changed their buying choices. Compile that across the whole of the fanbase, and it could be a huge impact.
And that's only taking into account the tickets.
And, most of what is mentioned here are residual costs. They're not one-time costs if they don't come back. Money that was coming annually is now subtracted from the ledgers.
mail
person
DJCooperBurnerAccount
2/21/2019 4:34 PM
GoCats105 wrote:expand_more
This thread, and the lines of questioning are enlightening re: the donations and money lost. Between the admissions of changes in ticket buying in this thread alone, plus what I know of from people I know, I'm seeing at minimum $11,000 and maybe up to $15,000 in revenue lost with 5-8 different families/alumni who are/were season ticket holders that have left altogether, or changed their buying choices. Compile that across the whole of the fanbase, and it could be a huge impact.
And that's only taking into account the tickets.
Let's revamp the whole athletic department that handles basketball... the delivery system this year is awful. Also, my season ticket renewal emails went to my spam box (GMAIL knew this would be a bad season) so I ended up renewing a day late. They basically treated my like a second rate citizen because I missed the cut off. The GA instead of assigned seats kind of upset me too, but that's a me problem. I think the whole ticket office is screwy...
mail
OU_Country
2/21/2019 5:32 PM
DJCooperBurnerAccount wrote:expand_more
This thread, and the lines of questioning are enlightening re: the donations and money lost. Between the admissions of changes in ticket buying in this thread alone, plus what I know of from people I know, I'm seeing at minimum $11,000 and maybe up to $15,000 in revenue lost with 5-8 different families/alumni who are/were season ticket holders that have left altogether, or changed their buying choices. Compile that across the whole of the fanbase, and it could be a huge impact.
And that's only taking into account the tickets.
Let's revamp the whole athletic department that handles basketball... the delivery system this year is awful. Also, my season ticket renewal emails went to my spam box (GMAIL knew this would be a bad season) so I ended up renewing a day late. They basically treated my like a second rate citizen because I missed the cut off. The GA instead of assigned seats kind of upset me too, but that's a me problem. I think the whole ticket office is screwy...
The GA vs assigned seat deal, in my own opinion, is not a YOU problem, or a ME problem, because it pissed me off too. What they did is essentially treat hundreds of long time season ticket holders, albeit, not high rolling ones, the same as they're treating the walk up, day of game crowd from Marshall when they come to town. And THAT, is 110% B.S. And I'm not talking about a Bachelor's of Science.

As several of us said around this time a year ago, the whole operation needs to audit how they do things. And that folks, starts at the top with the CEO making the decision to do so.
mail
OhioCatFan
2/21/2019 5:35 PM
DJCooperBurnerAccount wrote:expand_more
. . . I think the whole ticket office is screwy...
I think that's the nicest description of the Ohio Ticket Office I've heard in a long time.

I have many stories to tell about them over the last few years, but one from last football season is typical. It used to be that when you ordered tickets to out-of-town games several months ahead of time that they would send you the physical tickets in the mail. This year at UC, I had to pick my tickets up at the Will Call window. It was a completely unnecessary hassle. They should have either sent me a physical ticket, as they used to do, or an electronic ticket. Why put your fans through the hassle of the Will Call window? Is a little thing, but it's this kind of lack of attention to detail and general laziness that makes the OHIO fan experience in recent years less than it could have been.

OK . . . cue up BTC's comment about the need for shuttles to all away games for senile citizens . . .
mail
person
BillyTheCat
2/21/2019 5:45 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
. . . I think the whole ticket office is screwy...
I think that's the nicest description of the Ohio Ticket Office I've heard in a long time.

I have many stories to tell about them over the last few years, but one from last football season is typical. It used to be that when you ordered tickets to out-of-town games several months ahead of time that they would send you the physical tickets in the mail. This year at UC, I had to pick my tickets up at the Will Call window. It was a completely unnecessary hassle. They should have either sent me a physical ticket, as they used to do, or an electronic ticket. Why put your fans through the hassle of the Will Call window? Is a little thing, but it's this kind of lack of attention to detail and general laziness that makes the OHIO fan experience in recent years less than it could have been.

OK . . . cue up BTC's comment about the need for shuttles to all away games for senile citizens . . .
I bet you never asked if that was a UC issue and policy or just something that OHIO's people decided to do for a 1 game only trial. Because, believe this or not but when you are the visiting team, you are at the mercy of their policies. WOW!!!! Shocking revelation, I know!
mail
OhioCatFan
2/21/2019 5:53 PM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
. . . I think the whole ticket office is screwy...
I think that's the nicest description of the Ohio Ticket Office I've heard in a long time.

I have many stories to tell about them over the last few years, but one from last football season is typical. It used to be that when you ordered tickets to out-of-town games several months ahead of time that they would send you the physical tickets in the mail. This year at UC, I had to pick my tickets up at the Will Call window. It was a completely unnecessary hassle. They should have either sent me a physical ticket, as they used to do, or an electronic ticket. Why put your fans through the hassle of the Will Call window? Is a little thing, but it's this kind of lack of attention to detail and general laziness that makes the OHIO fan experience in recent years less than it could have been.

OK . . . cue up BTC's comment about the need for shuttles to all away games for senile citizens . . .
I bet you never asked if that was a UC issue and policy or just something that OHIO's people decided to do for a 1 game only trial. Because, believe this or not but when you are the visiting team, you are at the mercy of their policies. WOW!!!! Shocking revelation, I know!
Actually, they pulled the same trick for the Virginia game, but since it was moved to a different venue, I didn't have the glorious opportunity to experience the Will Call window in Charlottesville.
mail
person
BillyTheCat
2/21/2019 5:57 PM
Again, you are assuming, yet you have no clue what the other school is giving them to work with. From the outside you've got a great view, only problem is you fail to understand how the parts on the other side of the wall actually work.
mail
OhioCatFan
2/21/2019 6:18 PM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Again, you are assuming, yet you have no clue what the other school is giving them to work with. From the outside you've got a great view, only problem is you fail to understand how the parts on the other side of the wall actually work.
It's certainly a pattern, and fits right in with their other crappy customer service in the last few years. In the past, I've been mailed tickets to games at UK, Penn State, Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio A&M, Marshall, etc. Last year, the Will Call business started with an away game . . . so that's three in a row. It's called inductive logic, which is not as good as deductive logic, but often leads to correct conclusions.
mail
person
BillyTheCat
2/21/2019 6:19 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
Again, you are assuming, yet you have no clue what the other school is giving them to work with. From the outside you've got a great view, only problem is you fail to understand how the parts on the other side of the wall actually work.
It's certainly a pattern, and fits right in with their other crappy customer service in the last few years. In the past, I've been mailed tickets to games at UK, Penn State, Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio A&M, Marshall, etc. Last year, the Will Call business started with an away game . . . so that's three in a row. It's called inductive logic, which is not as good as deductive logic, but often leads to correct conclusions.
So the fact that the last three are all run the same way that could in no way mean that things are done differently than when we played at OSU a decade ago, or PSU 7 years ago.
mail
OhioCatFan
2/21/2019 6:21 PM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Again, you are assuming, yet you have no clue what the other school is giving them to work with. From the outside you've got a great view, only problem is you fail to understand how the parts on the other side of the wall actually work.
It's certainly a pattern, and fits right in with their other crappy customer service in the last few years. In the past, I've been mailed tickets to games at UK, Penn State, Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio A&M, Marshall, etc. Last year, the Will Call business started with an away game . . . so that's three in a row. It's called inductive logic, which is not as good as deductive logic, but often leads to correct conclusions.
So the fact that the last three are all run the same way that could in no way mean that things are done differently than when we played at OSU a decade ago, or PSU 7 years ago.
The Minnesota game was not that long ago, nor the last Marshall game . . .
mail
person
BillyTheCat
2/21/2019 6:23 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
Again, you are assuming, yet you have no clue what the other school is giving them to work with. From the outside you've got a great view, only problem is you fail to understand how the parts on the other side of the wall actually work.
It's certainly a pattern, and fits right in with their other crappy customer service in the last few years. In the past, I've been mailed tickets to games at UK, Penn State, Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio A&M, Marshall, etc. Last year, the Will Call business started with an away game . . . so that's three in a row. It's called inductive logic, which is not as good as deductive logic, but often leads to correct conclusions.
So the fact that the last three are all run the same way that could in no way mean that things are done differently than when we played at OSU a decade ago, or PSU 7 years ago.
The Minnesota game was not that long ago, nor the last Marshall game . . .
If I was you I'd just quit going to games. I mean next thing you know you'll complain about the ticket being on your flip phone and not getting a paper ticket.
mail
OhioCatFan
2/21/2019 6:46 PM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Again, you are assuming, yet you have no clue what the other school is giving them to work with. From the outside you've got a great view, only problem is you fail to understand how the parts on the other side of the wall actually work.
It's certainly a pattern, and fits right in with their other crappy customer service in the last few years. In the past, I've been mailed tickets to games at UK, Penn State, Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio A&M, Marshall, etc. Last year, the Will Call business started with an away game . . . so that's three in a row. It's called inductive logic, which is not as good as deductive logic, but often leads to correct conclusions.
So the fact that the last three are all run the same way that could in no way mean that things are done differently than when we played at OSU a decade ago, or PSU 7 years ago.
The Minnesota game was not that long ago, nor the last Marshall game . . .
If I was you I'd just quit going to games. I mean next thing you know you'll complain about the ticket being on your flip phone and not getting a paper ticket.
Boy, what an ignorant comment. You apparently don't know much about me, do you? I'm always on the bleeding edge of technology. I'll bet I was probably one of the first five people on BA to have a cell phone, one of the first to have an iPhone. My daughter's friends voted me the "nerdiest dad," the guy that came in second place does research on slime molds! ;-)
mail
person
BillyTheCat
2/21/2019 6:52 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
Again, you are assuming, yet you have no clue what the other school is giving them to work with. From the outside you've got a great view, only problem is you fail to understand how the parts on the other side of the wall actually work.
It's certainly a pattern, and fits right in with their other crappy customer service in the last few years. In the past, I've been mailed tickets to games at UK, Penn State, Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio A&M, Marshall, etc. Last year, the Will Call business started with an away game . . . so that's three in a row. It's called inductive logic, which is not as good as deductive logic, but often leads to correct conclusions.
So the fact that the last three are all run the same way that could in no way mean that things are done differently than when we played at OSU a decade ago, or PSU 7 years ago.
The Minnesota game was not that long ago, nor the last Marshall game . . .
If I was you I'd just quit going to games. I mean next thing you know you'll complain about the ticket being on your flip phone and not getting a paper ticket.
Boy, what an ignorant comment. You apparently don't know much about me, do you? I'm always on the bleeding edge of technology. I'll bet I was probably one of the first five people on BA to have a cell phone, one of the first to have an iPhone. My daughter's friends voted me the "nerdiest dad," the guy that came in second place does research on slime molds! ;-)
Why am I picturing you driving a 57 T-Bird thorough the streets of Vegas, talking on a car phone before car phones to your office, like Dan Tanna. You know its all in fun ;-)

In an effort of full disclosure, my VCR still flashes 12:00
Last Edited: 2/21/2019 6:54:04 PM by BillyTheCat
mail
person
Deciduous Forest Cat
2/21/2019 7:50 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
. . . I think the whole ticket office is screwy...
I think that's the nicest description of the Ohio Ticket Office I've heard in a long time.

I have many stories to tell about them over the last few years, but one from last football season is typical. It used to be that when you ordered tickets to out-of-town games several months ahead of time that they would send you the physical tickets in the mail. This year at UC, I had to pick my tickets up at the Will Call window. It was a completely unnecessary hassle. They should have either sent me a physical ticket, as they used to do, or an electronic ticket. Why put your fans through the hassle of the Will Call window? Is a little thing, but it's this kind of lack of attention to detail and general laziness that makes the OHIO fan experience in recent years less than it could have been.

OK . . . cue up BTC's comment about the need for shuttles to all away games for senile citizens . . .
Life is so hard.
mail
person
Maddog13
2/21/2019 8:38 PM
The Post does not have to worry about selling papers, and so they have more leeway when it comes to telling it like it is. Arkley is a good reporter, but he is in the position of having to avoid any controversy that might impact the bottom line of the Messenger. The sad fact about modern day journalism is that it is less about the truth than generating profits.

It also seems that the Ohio Athletic department has sought television dollars over local fan support in the hope that increased national attention will fuel excitement about the team at home; unfortunately, this appears to have come at the cost of alienating long time local fans, which is not good. It has also backfired since the current product on the court is simply not very good.

It will be interesting to see what direction the program goes with a new President and, perhaps, new priorities in place. After all, education is a business too, and so someone is going to be evaluating whether the investment in the basketball program is bringing dollars and cents back to the University. This leaves one wondering what the metric is when it comes to defining success.
mail
person
GroverBall
2/21/2019 9:57 PM
Same writer (Pete Nakos) has this piece in the same issue:

http://projects.thepostathens.com/SpecialProjects/basketb...

Including this comment from Ben's father:

Speaking candidly over the phone Wednesday, Dean said that sending Ben to Ohio was the best fit for the 20-year-old to grow from being a boy to a man. In the Vander Plas family, basketball isn’t a game of wins or losses, it’s an opportunity to mature.

“We trust coach Phillips. I realize that for you covering a team or people who are in administration that it’s about wins and losses,” he said. “Basketball for the Vander Plas’ family has always been part of the maturation process.

“I can say with no reservations, we trust coach Phillips and his staff in bringing about our son from being a boy to a man. They have our full support at our house. He has a job to do, and we’re going to trust him to do it.”
mail
person
bobcat695
2/21/2019 11:19 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
What would it take to bring you back? A new AD? An exciting basketball hire? Just curious.
I was blindly loyal for decades. Never missed a game. Traveled all over for road games. I let my tickets go and haven't really regretted it at all. I no longer feel compelled to drive to Athens to watch the awful home schedule that we are subjected to. The non-conference schedule and conference performance aren't worth my time any more. Parking got moved further away, ingress/egress sucks, student section has ghosted campus, etc.

I don't have any animosity towards OU, nor do I feel like they owe me something. I'm just being honest about the direction of my future ticket buying and OBC financial support.

I have turned from die-hard to very casual. I doubt I'll ever come back at the level I was because once I stepped back, I realized it's not that important to me. I am not entertained by the product and don't feel a connection to the program any longer. My kids won't attend OU, so it's unlikely I ever will be more than an occasional single game ticket buyer. Football is heading that direction for me, too.
mail
person
Buckeye to Bobcat
2/21/2019 11:45 PM
And everyone thought I was delusional when I mentioned these finances that were playing out. Thank you ou_country for following along what I've been saying all along that this problem is deeper than just #SaulBaul. I said it last year when the times got rough that the sales and marketing dept. were gonna get Saul canned. Well, here we are at least the 550K needing to buy out Saul and we're short on it because of bad hires across the board.
mail
person
cc-cat
2/21/2019 11:51 PM
just so we are all clear. the buyout from the end of the season to May 15 is about $70,000.

tough times for saul. but hey. this kid writes well. he’s getting s good education.
mail
OhioCatFan
2/22/2019 12:12 AM
bobcat695 wrote:expand_more
What would it take to bring you back? A new AD? An exciting basketball hire? Just curious.
I was blindly loyal for decades. Never missed a game. Traveled all over for road games. I let my tickets go and haven't really regretted it at all. I no longer feel compelled to drive to Athens to watch the awful home schedule that we are subjected to. The non-conference schedule and conference performance aren't worth my time any more. Parking got moved further away, ingress/egress sucks, student section has ghosted campus, etc.

I don't have any animosity towards OU, nor do I feel like they owe me something. I'm just being honest about the direction of my future ticket buying and OBC financial support.

I have turned from die-hard to very casual. I doubt I'll ever come back at the level I was because once I stepped back, I realized it's not that important to me. I am not entertained by the product and don't feel a connection to the program any longer. My kids won't attend OU, so it's unlikely I ever will be more than an occasional single game ticket buyer. Football is heading that direction for me, too.
Thanks for the honest response. I find it sad, but I understand. It appears that even a great hire and a 26 victory season wouldn't bring you back as a fan. I hope that your situation is the exception rather than the rule for all the empty seats around me that just a few years ago were full.
mail
GraffZ06
2/22/2019 12:12 AM
Yeah I don't know why people keep talking about coming up with money for a buyout for Saul.

His contract is expiring. No need for a buyout - just don't renew it and relieve him of his duties after the season. The fact that it runs until May 15 just means they have to continue paying the remaining portion of whatever is left of his final year, at $550k, until that date. That's money that was already scheduled for him. Not paying that portion would be like SHORTING his final years salary.

So no, no extra money is required. Just finish paying his final year.
mail
person
bobcat2nc
2/22/2019 12:31 AM
OU_Country wrote:expand_more
[QUOTE=OU_Country] This thread, and the lines of questioning are enlightening re: the donations and money lost. Between the admissions of changes in ticket buying in this thread alone, plus what I know of from people I know, I'm seeing at minimum $11,000 and maybe up to $15,000 in revenue lost with 5-8 different families/alumni who are/were season ticket holders that have left altogether, or changed their buying choices. Compile that across the whole of the fanbase, and it could be a huge impact.
And that's only taking into account the tickets.
Sort of - my methodology was to estimate the costs of tickets plus OBC required donation from here: http://ohiobobcats.com/tickets/mbb-tickets-18-19

I'm not accounting for things like concessions bought, or the potential for parking money. And I'm only guessing based off those who have spoken up in this thread, myself, and about 3 families I know personally that have reduced their spending significantly.

Still, this is eye opening”

We nixed OBC and FB tickets last year. Everything this year. Regular attendance since 1998 and OBC since its inception. Not that it matters but just couldn’t justify, in my head, the small cost of ESPN + to watch Bobcat Basketball.
mail
person
SBH
2/22/2019 4:37 AM
bobcat695 wrote:expand_more
What would it take to bring you back? A new AD? An exciting basketball hire? Just curious.
I was blindly loyal for decades. Never missed a game. Traveled all over for road games. I let my tickets go and haven't really regretted it at all. I no longer feel compelled to drive to Athens to watch the awful home schedule that we are subjected to. The non-conference schedule and conference performance aren't worth my time any more. Parking got moved further away, ingress/egress sucks, student section has ghosted campus, etc.

I don't have any animosity towards OU, nor do I feel like they owe me something. I'm just being honest about the direction of my future ticket buying and OBC financial support.

I have turned from die-hard to very casual. I doubt I'll ever come back at the level I was because once I stepped back, I realized it's not that important to me. I am not entertained by the product and don't feel a connection to the program any longer. My kids won't attend OU, so it's unlikely I ever will be more than an occasional single game ticket buyer. Football is heading that direction for me, too.
Begs the question, why are you here?
mail
person
Bobcat1998
2/22/2019 6:27 AM
Bobcat Love wrote:expand_more
Something is definitely up with Arkley.

I have always had a really good relationship with Jason, and even though my personal interactions with him have been limited, I always really liked being around him.

Yesterday he blocked me on twiter for something I would consider VERY benign. When the Pitino suggestion came up, he seemed to take it very personally and met the idea with nothing short of anger and disdain. He compared it to trying to hire Belichek in football and accused me of wanting Schaus fired (neither of which is true or paralell to the Pitino idea).

Maybe the Pitino idea has merit, maybe the Pitino idea is batshit crazy - either way, it's just that - an idea steeped in opinion. I know my style rubs people the wrong way, but there is something that isn't sitting right with me about the events of the last 48 hours.

We lose by 40 to Buffalo. Speculation about Saul's replacement heats up. Arkley gets completely triggered and angry about benign questions and comments.

Someone let me know what I'm missing here. Again, I like Jason and have never said one bad word about him, his reporting, his opinions, or anything else. This is definitely a new one to me, and frankly it stings me a bit. We've spoken very cordially the past 7 or 8 years, and this one is really out of left field.

So, since I can't DM him - Jason, I'm sorry for whatever it is I said that pissed you off. If it was something you interpreted as personal, let me know and I'll explain it or dive deeper to give you my side of the story. You know where to find me.

-LOVE
I have stopped even looking at Arkleys tweets and find myself watching what Pete Nakos says. The Post is a student newspaper at one of the most prestigious journalism schools in the nation. They are being realistic without being mean spirited. Arkley has turned into a Saul and Bobcat apologist who is in outright denial. This team does quit on a nightly basis for long and short stretches. To read Arkley we are just one good night from winning it all.
mail
person
ShoreCat
2/22/2019 7:49 AM
After digesting the variety of posts on this topic, some thoughts from Lake Erie.

Reading the comments on this board, the passion for OU Athletics is still there and that's a good thing. Some of the comments on all of these threads have been more heated and personal in nature than usual, which again, I attribute to the nature of this topic and our desire for a great team and program. However, reading how some of you have dramatically scaled back in your purchases of late, is that passion waning? And when does it become outright apathy? If the athletic department leadership isn't watching that, then they have their heads in the sand. Once apathy sets in from long-term contributors, the program is really in trouble.

I normally make the trip from Cleveland twice a year for football and twice a year for basketball and it's easier because of a good friend who lives in Logan and is a season ticket holder. This year for basketball he told me not to bother coming down. The product on the court wasn't worth it and he wasn't going to all of the games.

If long-time devoted ticket holders are changing their attendance patterns (with no new ones to take their place), wow...

And I too have been really disappointed about Arkley's coverage.
Showing Messages: 26 - 50 of 76
reply
vertical_align_top
vertical_align_center
vertical_align_bottom
add_comment
chevron_backward
chevron_forward
MAC News Links



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