After a Four year absence my game day observations

[RuBird]

1. Parking much much easier. Also my wife and I loved the little things like the footbridge instead of always walking thru the muck and ice
2. Loved the "new" scoreboards. Intro played on the Center scoreboard rocked. Also loved seeing the stats on all the scoreboards (probably not the best day to see them
3. Man it seemed like we were flat all game minus a few early Williams 3s
4. Did not see the same passion from Gettys and Freeman as I have seen from them (on TV)
5. Thought some very questionable officiating. Not sure how many times I saw a Penn State player charging toward the basket with their arm out like a fullback trying to cross the goal line?
6. Best part of the day...... got my chicken fingers and fries.

Will be back again for the Nebraska game.

 

[ColonelRutgers]

One thing that hasn't changed is the traditional promotional fails. 2017 Calendar? Got voucher to pick up sometime after January 23. Hilarious.

 

[RuBird]

Thought they had calendars on the way out

 

[RUBand]

Music is a little loud (during time outs), just a bit. Do we have the announcer from professional wrestling?

 

[megadrone]

Music is a little loud (during time outs), just a bit. Do we have the announcer from professional wrestling?

The environment since the end of the Pernetti era (or maybe Julie's first year) feels more like minor league baseball and less like college hoops. Kill the DJ and promos and let the band play. IMHO only, of course.

 

[SirScarlet]

One thing that hasn't changed is the traditional promotional fails. 2017 Calendar? Got voucher to pick up sometime after January 23. Hilarious.

Look I'm not the board police and if it comes across that way I apologize. But here we have a guy (OP) who hasnt been back in 4 years who clearly had a good experience.

And this is your response to his post?

I guess some things haven't changed in addition to the failed promotions ;)

 

[RuBird]

Regarding the music and promos, I saw nothing wrong with the Tshirt tossing. It did get some in the crowd excited/on their feet. With that said I am a traditionalist and would have loved to hear more of the band. One of my fondest memories when I was at RU was in 1984. My high school band teacher told me my high school was going to play for an RU game. He wanted me there to join them. Broke out my trumpet after putting it away for a year. Had the best time playing along side my friends, while being proud to play in front of my college team. Only disappointment going to RU was I started as a Pharmacy major. The marching band kept "recruiting" me but I could not set aside the time for it.

Looking forward to the Nebraska game!

 

[RocktheRac]

Band has gone way like the dodo bird ever since the new scoreboard was installed.

 

[bac2therac]

Band has gone way like the dodo bird ever since the new scoreboard was installed.

this....the whole college atmosphere thing is gone, thats what made the RAC or any other college game so special. Now you do not get much organic cheers and you have ridiculous inappropriate "Cam" stuff shoved down our throats like the stupid Simba cam and the kiss cam and selfie cam and the karoake sing along cam..wtf is all that. Also notice how they have to pipe in some sort of music or sound virtually every stoppage before an inbound..good lord things have changed and not for the good....ADD society has taken over and instead of letting the RAC be organic they have just forced a bunch of noise to clutter our head and put the kabosh on any RU cheers or fan involvement

 

[RUJMM78]

The strategy at the RAC in recent years could be to take fan focus away from the poor results/shooting and instead on give aways and other feel good moments.I know this seems a strange reaction but its been a long time since a winning season and decades since a NCAA bid.

 

[G- RUnit]

Do miss the pep band which was always so much better than the marching band. As others have said, does seem a bit too professional or Bridgewater Patriots.

New scoreboards are nice and girl at halftime was very cool. The dogs with frisbee was well done. Chair guy was good too.

 

[e5fdny]

The strategy at the RAC in recent years could be to take fan focus away from the poor results/shooting and instead on give aways and other feel good moments.I know this seems a strange reaction but its been a long time since a winning season and decades since a NCAA bid.

What he said.

Pretty easy to figure out why they went that way....because just like the previously mentioned minor league baseball comparisons already in the thread, the product on the court/field alone is not enough to get you to come back. And until recently not even to get you in the door to begin with.

 

[Joey Bacala]

The environment since the end of the Pernetti era (or maybe Julie's first year) feels more like minor league baseball and less like college hoops. Kill the DJ and promos and let the band play. IMHO only, of course.

This ^^ X100. Let the f'in band play. Don't need the "selfie cam" or even worse the "Simba Lion King Cam" - r u f'in kidding me!?!?!?!? Band + Dance Team, these kids bust their asses and the amount of time they put in earns them the right to do it. And those band kids are not music majors in vast majority of the cases - they are there because they love playing music. LET THEM PLAY!!! R U listening Hobbs!?!?

 

[bac2therac]

the Simba cam is a new low

 

[Groz]

While I don't think our Simba cam is great, there is nothing wrong with trying to show some of the youngest kids in the arena.

Anyone that went to the Minnesota Football game this year, experienced one of the most touching experiences when they played the "Circle of Life" from the Lion King during one of the timeouts while showing many very young kids and their parents and grandparents on the video screen. It almost wanted to make me cry watching that. Truly was emotional. People all around me felt the same way.

Best of Luck,
Groz

 

[RUskoolie]

For those of you wondering why hoops feels like minor league baseball it's because Pernetti hired a guy from the Lakewood Blueclaws to be in charge of marketing. That was 4 years ago.

 

[playorbplayd]

The environment since the end of the Pernetti era (or maybe Julie's first year) feels more like minor league baseball and less like college hoops. Kill the DJ and promos and let the band play. IMHO only, of course.

DJ's are the way to go these days, assuming most of the changes are catered to students and the younger portion of the crowd...need them to be engaged for the place to be consistently crazy.

 

[bac2therac]

to me it seems the cams are timed to be played no matter what...what happens when he have games like in the Waters years....do they take a backseat to fans cheers..we end up deflating atmosphere to run promotions...I just think the genie is out of the bottle and its going to be like a minor league game no matter what and why bother having the band there they have really been neutered to just a few plays and the cheerleaders/dance team rolls seem reduced

 

[ColonelRutgers]

There were no students there. Conceivably, students are the ones who would be expected to lead cheers/chants. Without any students there and with more families attending games with kids during holidays I think you see more piped in music and gimmicks to keep casual fans engaged. I hope anyway.

 

[Joey Bacala]

While I don't think our Simba cam is great, there is nothing wrong with trying to show some of the youngest kids in the arena.

Anyone that went to the Minnesota Football game this year, experienced one of the most touching experiences when they played the "Circle of Life" from the Lion King during one of the timeouts while showing many very young kids and their parents and grandparents on the video screen. It almost wanted to make me cry watching that. Truly was emotional. People all around me felt the same way.

Best of Luck,
Groz

Seriously?!?!? Because that's why I go to a sporting event.

 

[Groz]

Joey,

Yes, sometimes it is good to have some emotions at the movies, broadway theater and even at sporting events. Sorry you don't agree.

If, in the last few years you only went to see Rutgers play basketball(if that is what we called it and I go to every game), you might as well have put a gun to your head if you think that has been good entertainment.

Best of Luck,
Groz