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With everything revolving around TV these days, I actually can see something like this happening: (heck even the rose bowl had some empty seats, especially in the second half and that was NEVER HAPPENING when I was a kid and went to every game)

With all the money out there, ESPN sends a healthy check to the local University, let's say WMU for a Tuesday night game. Maybe $10,000, $5000 to the school, $5000 to Portage Central High school, or Kalamazoo, but the high school has to get 2000 fans at the game, or something like that. Fundraiser for the high school, no cringing on national tv... a win win.

These empty seats though are flagrant fouls in the billion dollar picture

Did y oi u see the tv numbers? They dont give a **** anymore about attendance. I dont have the numbers but they were huge.

And Portage teachers are going, all the kids were out late last night and fell asleep in second period Algebra. And 75 of them didn't even come to school.

Yeah espn doesn't give a damn about attendance, and the MAC has no leverage with them to demand anything from them.

(01-03-2015 07:08 PM)Kimbosucks Wrote:  Did y oi u see the tv numbers? They dont give a **** anymore about attendance. I dont have the numbers but they were huge.

I get that but it is very poorly staged...you want to have butts in the chairs...for long term perception

I've always believed that as long as ESPN is "staging" these games, they might as well do some actual staging.

1. For all televised MAC games all fans must fill the side of the field that the cameras face before the other side can be used. The school can choose which side to fill first and the camera crew must set up accordingly. The logistics of getting the high rollers into the prime seats, and the peasants into their seats might be difficult, but remember, selling tickets and appealing to the fan base is now secondary to the TV perception.

2. Use a portion of the ESPN revenue to pay fans to fill the endzone seats and provide them with signs, fatheads, etc. Bruins idea of giving the funds to local schools to fill them is excellent.

3. Mic the stands and pipe in fan noise. Make it sound full.

4. For basketball games only sell seats up to a certain level. Keep the cameras on the full portion, and never on the empty upper levels.

5. Designate a 15 seconds of fame section, where people who want their mug on TV can act like fools and an ESPN camera and commentator will be close by to film the craziness. Give the appearance of a party atmosphere, even if 90% of the fans sit on their butts and yell at people who stand and cheer.

6. Mic up every coach, and play it back on ESPN3 the following week. In many respects coaches are actors and are putting on a show, might as well capture it and make it part of the schtick.

I saw an article somewhere about how college football games/bowl games being played without a live audience is a very good possibility because of the TV ratings.

(01-04-2015 05:48 PM)Nacho Wrote:  I saw an article somewhere about how college football games/bowl games being played without a live audience is a very good possibility because of the TV ratings.

Yeah, I could see a huge sound stage set up for football and the whole thing surrounded by a green screen with what would basically be a virtual crowd.

(01-04-2015 08:58 PM)Chipdip2 Wrote:  

(01-04-2015 05:48 PM)Nacho Wrote:  I saw an article somewhere about how college football games/bowl games being played without a live audience is a very good possibility because of the TV ratings.

Yeah, I could see a huge sound stage set up for football and the whole thing surrounded by a green screen with what would basically be a virtual crowd.

Yeah they could easily set up a partnership with EA Sports to do the sets. Actually, using fake backgrounds might be kind of cool given the kinds of crowds that show up for the Tues-Weds games in particular. And then just build a few centrally located fields for the actual play, to minimize travel distances and stuff. Its all so reasonable. Have a few hundred bleacher seats for parents and fanatics that just can't live without the real thing. Students can watch on their phones if interested.

I think you've nailed the future of MAC football.

"Let's go down on the sidelines to our virtual reporter Erinbot Andrews."

Eventually we will never have any athletes and they will just show replays of old games and call them current. No one will notice the difference. We will all be idiots at that point. Ever seen the movie Idiocracy?