RAC atmosphere thoughts
- Thread starter bac2therac
- Start date
Was that the game when we blew away a "better" SHU team? I remember one game when we crushed them by like 40.
This is how the RAC USED TO BE FOR BIG GAMES!
Compare this example to last night or any game the past 15? years.
If last night's game was played in the 90's this is close how it would have been:
10 years of you know what takes a toll on fans:
FH Jr Error
Rice Error
and then the EJ Error
A lot of folks don't know how to be optimistic and enthusiastic any more.
Let's stop dancing around the issue. It is not as loud because there are older fans now occupying the seats behind the player benches. It was done to generate more revenue.
Do they ever stand and scream for long periods of time? Of course not. Unfortunately, the RAC will neverbe the same.
Just take a peek at the PSU game, the fans below the benches were standing just about the entire game and the fans on the opposite side sat and clapped. Now, the sit and clap fans dominate both sides.
Do they ever stand and scream for long periods of time? Of course not. Unfortunately, the RAC will neverbe the same.
Just take a peek at the PSU game, the fans below the benches were standing just about the entire game and the fans on the opposite side sat and clapped. Now, the sit and clap fans dominate both sides.
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@RU848789 touched on it earlier...those first couple rows in the Student Section need to come back for the kids because the ones on the sides aren’t.
And the “minor league baseball” stuff was started by someone no longer with Athletics so maybe a change (or a survey or two) is warranted.
Another thing those in charge of Athletics need to remember is Basketball and Football are different when it comes to crowd interaction.
And the “minor league baseball” stuff was started by someone no longer with Athletics so maybe a change (or a survey or two) is warranted.
Another thing those in charge of Athletics need to remember is Basketball and Football are different when it comes to crowd interaction.
This . Is . Exactly. IT. ^^
People’ hearts are not into it yet. They don’t truly believe RU will win these games (and why should they based on the last 4 years of football & b-ball).
There is no feeling of “everything is on the line “.
When we have games like that , then the RAC will be insane from tip to final buzzer. You’ll get glimpses of it when the team goes on a run against a ranked opponent. Or the last few possessions of a close and entertaining game. But when the games mean something and the whole arena believes they are the difference between win and lose - then it’ll be endgaged and insane.
PSU basketball has the lamest home environment. Dead. No energy. Half empty for big games even with a team that had tourney chances last year and again this year.
I guess this dates me, but I remember back in The Barn when a visiting player was introduced everybody would yell "who's he?"
Could all the old farts who think it isn't as loud as the good old days just be losing their hearing at this point?
I remember that too - it was great. Used to have closed circuit tv in the annex for overflow crowds.
Yeah it could be because I’m too young. I’m 27 but have been going to games since I was on my dads lap as a toddler. My family has had season tickets since day one so I grew up at the RAC. I’ve been to a ton of college venues and think of them all the RAC has the most old school feel. I’ve sat through the past decade of empty gyms and when I get nights like last night or seton hall last year i remember how bad it can be. Thought last night was terrific atmosphere. Also, was just in Miami for the game. You’d HATE it!
They were seats given to various organizations and not used by the members of those organizations.
I actually thought the students were pretty good last night.
I also thought they were pretty good during last year's SH game. I was at that game with the son of a friend who is a recent SH grad. He commented that he had never been in a basketball arena as loud, and he described the atmosphere as "electric".
But I agree with Bac, if the PSU and UNLV games were 10s, and the Kent-Murphy game was a 9, then last year's SH game was a 6 and last night's game was a 4.
I agree that part of the reason for the lack of juice last night was the actual flow of the game, which made it difficult for the crowd to be in it, especially for sustained periods.
I disagree that reconfiguration of the RAC plays a significant part.
I also disagree that scoreboard music during time-outs is a reason for the lack of noise. When the RAC was really rocking, it rocked during the game, not just during timeouts. Last night the RAC wasn't rocking during the game. It is not like it was noisy during the game and the scoreboard music killed the excitement.
I think the real thing that makes the RAC quieter is that the program has been down and out for a long time. It makes it harder for long-time fans to think of yesterday's game as more meaningful than nice-to-win. But it also means you don't have a student section with experience in cheering. Traditions of cheers from 12 or 20 years ago have vanished, because there hasn't been a continuity of students to carry them on. And current students, who mostly attend only 3-4 big games per year, haven't developed new cheer traditions.
But as the program builds, and students start attending games with consistency and frequency, new cheering traditions will be established. And when we have truly meaningful games, with post-season implications, the RAC will be loud again.
I also thought they were pretty good during last year's SH game. I was at that game with the son of a friend who is a recent SH grad. He commented that he had never been in a basketball arena as loud, and he described the atmosphere as "electric".
But I agree with Bac, if the PSU and UNLV games were 10s, and the Kent-Murphy game was a 9, then last year's SH game was a 6 and last night's game was a 4.
I agree that part of the reason for the lack of juice last night was the actual flow of the game, which made it difficult for the crowd to be in it, especially for sustained periods.
I disagree that reconfiguration of the RAC plays a significant part.
I also disagree that scoreboard music during time-outs is a reason for the lack of noise. When the RAC was really rocking, it rocked during the game, not just during timeouts. Last night the RAC wasn't rocking during the game. It is not like it was noisy during the game and the scoreboard music killed the excitement.
I think the real thing that makes the RAC quieter is that the program has been down and out for a long time. It makes it harder for long-time fans to think of yesterday's game as more meaningful than nice-to-win. But it also means you don't have a student section with experience in cheering. Traditions of cheers from 12 or 20 years ago have vanished, because there hasn't been a continuity of students to carry them on. And current students, who mostly attend only 3-4 big games per year, haven't developed new cheer traditions.
But as the program builds, and students start attending games with consistency and frequency, new cheering traditions will be established. And when we have truly meaningful games, with post-season implications, the RAC will be loud again.
The pumped-in music--it is part of modern basketball, unfortunately. Was a season ticket holder in Miami for D Wade's best season, and at Orlando for a few years before then and a few years after. Miami is a far worse offender. The music is too loud, and done to hide the fact that many seats are not occupied until the 2nd quarter. They have all kinds if annoying stuff pre-game to pump people up--silly games, etc. Orlando, not so much, but bad enough. Seems the people involved don't think the game is enough to fire up the house, so they try and pump it up artificially. Dolphin games, as well. Wasn't so bad at FAU, but that is kind of further down the pecking order. All you need is a good pep band with an inordinate number of tubas and cheerleaders.
TL
TL
IMHO
- Got to give all of 110 back to the students. I need to move the student section up to where it belongs.
- also When they show the shot from the concession end of the court, behind 118, you can’t even see the top third of the student section it’s so ****ing dark! SO DUMB!!
- In my humble opinion, and I know some people you’re going to hate it, give the students the two sections behind the bench back in the next couple of years as big 10 money starts to increase
- Despite what somebody said earlier, I actually thought the crowd was on the verge of being insane, three or four times late in the second half, but are shooting just wasn’t there. It got really really loud a couple times on TV when we cut it back down to about seven points
- More “red” in the stands but still not enough!
- Got to give all of 110 back to the students. I need to move the student section up to where it belongs.
- also When they show the shot from the concession end of the court, behind 118, you can’t even see the top third of the student section it’s so ****ing dark! SO DUMB!!
- In my humble opinion, and I know some people you’re going to hate it, give the students the two sections behind the bench back in the next couple of years as big 10 money starts to increase
- Despite what somebody said earlier, I actually thought the crowd was on the verge of being insane, three or four times late in the second half, but are shooting just wasn’t there. It got really really loud a couple times on TV when we cut it back down to about seven points
- More “red” in the stands but still not enough!
So I couldn’t tell on TV but what is the band still doing that stupid clap moments before our players were taking foul shots?
Yes and no. To some extent, we built our reputation as a home crowd because the program sat in the sweet spot. The spot where fans were incredibly hungry because we'd rarely, if ever, seen real success. Every conference win was a reason to celebrate, every opportunity to take down a ranked team was a huge deal, and so it felt like every game meant everything. Other teams' fans who had actually seen their team go places would leave the RAC bewildered at the fact that "they hit one three pointer and the crowd starts screaming like they just won the national championship" as one SHU fan put it many years ago. Success spoils in that regard.
Another thing is that the RAC's golden age was prior to the football team experiencing any instances of real prominence at the national level. Basketball's quest for the NCAAs had top billing among the students and alums. Once you have a game like Louisville 11/9/2006, the whole mindset changes. I was a student at the time and it was palpable as basketball season started the following week. Granted, school spirit was running really high anyway, and the basketball team was really not expected to do much, so those items made it hard to tell, but we lost some of that excitement over more mundane accomplishments.
And as you point out, when the RAC was really rocking, we weren't so far removed from moderate success or near-success that it all seemed moot. I'm sure that affects the atmosphere now.
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The RAC was built in such a way that is no longer allowed. It might be the pitch of the seats, the angle. Not sure
There is a well known story that an arena was being built afterwards and the coach at that school wanted it to be like the RAC but was told it was no longer allowed
Someone here might remember which coach and program it was
1. The Flow of the game sucked. The amount of fouls ruined any energey we got going.
2. We have sucked for so long, many people in the building don’t know how loud it can get. Once it gets back there, it will be easier to get people to get up and loud (after experiencing the energy of a ballistic crowd).
3. Game never got real close in the second half.
4. Cell phones suck.
5. The 100 sections (generally speaking) are LAMEOs.
6. The snowflakes are afraid to offend anyone by standing. People try to avoid confrontation with the “down in front” crowd.
2. We have sucked for so long, many people in the building don’t know how loud it can get. Once it gets back there, it will be easier to get people to get up and loud (after experiencing the energy of a ballistic crowd).
3. Game never got real close in the second half.
4. Cell phones suck.
5. The 100 sections (generally speaking) are LAMEOs.
6. The snowflakes are afraid to offend anyone by standing. People try to avoid confrontation with the “down in front” crowd.
It’s a few things:
- shape
- angle of seats
- the interior roof. Ever notice when visiting fans take up the 300s, like Seton Hall fans or Syracuse fans, how incredibly loud they sound? It’s because the 300s are so close to that roof and the sound echoes off of it in a major way
this....we used to bitch about the people who sat in the cushy seats across from the bench seating behind the teams. now both sides are cushy seating. but now I can't say a word I don't go to games any more living here.
edit: plus when the seats were bench style we wanted any reason get up and stand because the seats were so uncomfortable lol
edit: plus when the seats were bench style we wanted any reason get up and stand because the seats were so uncomfortable lol
thanks..... do you remember what coach of another school was quoted as wanted to copy it, but was told that our design was no longe
allowed?
Those organizations should be banned from ever receiving tickets again. If not then shame on RU. I'm sure they're people who wanted to go to the game but couldn't because seats were given away and unused.
So basically, what you are saying is that they shouldn't do First Responders days in the future.
If they don’t actually come to the games why would you give them tickets?
it was Jay Wright....WRSU used a clip of him in one of their commercials, it wasnt that long ago they were still playing it...Jay was saying they couldnt do it because of code
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