(09-09-2015 03:37 PM)75src Wrote:  Maybe the MOB needs a band hall built right by the stadium.

I'm hoping that once the new center is built that either the old weight room or the old old weight room (training now?) PLUS perhaps the showers or at least dressing rooms could be used by them immediately, exclusively (at least during football) and with little cost. Of course, they deserve even better, but it would be a huge step up from the 70 year old gym, locker rooms and 'former' pool area.



P>S> I split the threads... if anyone wants an additional comment moved in or some of these moved back, please pm me.

(09-10-2015 06:26 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(09-10-2015 06:01 AM)KBROwl Wrote:  Yes, they're charging The MOB too. Consequently, The MOB isn't going to Austin this weekend. The only planned away game for The MOB is UNT next week.

Is this standard operating procedure? I understand that a school's band takes up seats, but sheesh, doing that just seems cheap.

Lubbock paper said it was agreed to by the four Texas B12 schools.

http://m.lubbockonline.com/filed-online/...#gsc.tab=0

(09-10-2015 02:10 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  

(09-10-2015 06:26 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(09-10-2015 06:01 AM)KBROwl Wrote:  Yes, they're charging The MOB too. Consequently, The MOB isn't going to Austin this weekend. The only planned away game for The MOB is UNT next week.

Is this standard operating procedure? I understand that a school's band takes up seats, but sheesh, doing that just seems cheap.

Lubbock paper said it was agreed to by the four Texas B12 schools.

http://m.lubbockonline.com/filed-online/...#gsc.tab=0

Quote:Robert Giovannetti, senior associate athletics director of external operations, said ... the Tech athletics department considers the Goin’ Band to be a part of its team, and wants the members to travel and be heard.

Hear, hear!! I'd hope that the same could be true (in the future, if not now) for the MOB.

(09-07-2015 05:39 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  I haven't seen any mention of the MOB's Wagner game show/script. What was it? How well was it received (by students and/or alums/general fans?

Still haven't seen a link to the script ... or a summary of the MOB's half-time show (and the reaction, if any, by the fans in attendance).

Can someone post some facts about it?

(Aside from the "I heard from a couple of friends that attended and said it was awful borderline embarrassing." from KTOWL.)

(09-10-2015 03:48 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(09-07-2015 05:39 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  I haven't seen any mention of the MOB's Wagner game show/script. What was it? How well was it received (by students and/or alums/general fans?

Still haven't seen a link to the script ... or a summary of the MOB's half-time show (and the reaction, if any, by the fans in attendance).

Can someone post some facts about it?

(Aside from the "I heard from a couple of friends that attended and said it was awful borderline embarrassing." from KTOWL.)

The show started with a joke about deciding to play surfing music instead of Wagner (the MOB was suitably attired in Hawaii shirts). The rest of it was a little hard to follow, but I believe reference was made to the incident where a recently elected college president (Brown, Jones? - I forget) resigned after objection was raised to the presence of an exotic dancer at a party celebrating his election.

I would like to add that, particularly considering how early in the school year it was, the band sounded great. Given all that they struggle with the MOB's musicianship is really amazing.

As a former MOB script coordinator, it's hard to appeal to every audience. However, one of the things I tried to tell people helping with the show writing process is to remember the audience. For the UT game during my tenure, it wasn't too difficult. Aggies going to the $EC and Rick Perry's run for president made it easy to write something that would appeal to the Longhorn masses. However, writing for a Rice crowd can be more difficult. Who is our target audience? The student section? The general Rice fan? The alumni? The opposing team's fans? You can't please everyone. I also think the fact that all of our natural rivals leaving our conference has also hampered our creative mojo. Writing a show about UH is much easier than writing a show about Directional State School. We do try hard and I do agree that there were some clunker shows during my time in MOB but those of us who were/are involved in the show writing process really do care and try and come up with good material.

(09-10-2015 05:06 PM)efs001 Wrote:  As a former MOB script coordinator, it's hard to appeal to every audience. However, one of the things I tried to tell people helping with the show writing process is to remember the audience. For the UT game during my tenure, it wasn't too difficult. Aggies going to the $EC and Rick Perry's run for president made it easy to write something that would appeal to the Longhorn masses. However, writing for a Rice crowd can be more difficult. Who is our target audience? The student section? The general Rice fan? The alumni? The opposing team's fans? You can't please everyone. I also think the fact that all of our natural rivals leaving our conference has also hampered our creative mojo. Writing a show about UH is much easier than writing a show about Directional State School. We do try hard and I do agree that there were some clunker shows during my time in MOB but those of us who were/are involved in the show writing process really do care and try and come up with good material.

For this show, there were more student-centered jabs than usual. Since this is the one game we can count on to have plenty of them in attendance, I thought it was reasonable. That is why there was an opera/surf thing, followed by McMurtry former president thing and Donald Trump talking about Rice Student issues in his trademark style.

I'd be OK with all us old-timers having to hear kid-centered jokes, if it meant that we could have a robust, passionate student section to make laugh!

More thoughts after rehearsal.
Thanks,
Chuck Throckmorton

http://texags.com/forums/6/topics/2656609

Have you heard the rumor that the MOB isn't going to Aapstin because UT wants to charge them for tickets? It's all over the Aggie message board above. May have to cut and paste into your browser to get there.

(09-10-2015 06:27 PM)ricex Wrote:  http://texags.com/forums/6/topics/2656609

Have you heard the rumor that the MOB isn't going to Aapstin because UT wants to charge them for tickets? It's all over the Aggie message board above. May have to cut and paste into your browser to get there.

It's not a rumour. Scott Van Pelt reported on ESPN last night, and confirmed by a UT beat reporter, that beginning this year, Patterson is charging visiting bands $100 per person for seats.

As a former MOB Drum Major who really enjoyed my time in the program, I've been following this thread with a lot of interest. It definitely has been a drag to see the band facilities gradually degrade from the RMC basement (vacated after one of our own trumpet players burned it down), to the Central Kitchen facility, and finally to the hodgepodge that it is now.

But, I actually don't think that has anything to do with the declining participation. Neither does our football win percentage. 99.9% of the problem is the same thing that is keeping fans from showing up at Rice Stadium - NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE TEAMS WE PLAY AGAINST AT HOME.

That's it. We went from the Southwest Conference - where every week we could count on a large and enthusiastic crowd representing (mostly) big time schools we were familiar with and had friends and family in attendance at... to the WAC where the crowds were a little smaller and farther away but the teams still relevant... to C-USA "version 1" where the crowds were a little smaller and teams a little less relevant... to our current situation. C-USA "version 2" consists of a bunch of schools that absolutely no one in Houston or the Rice student body cares about in the slightest bit. In my professional life, I've never even met anyone that has attended another current C-USA school. I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

That makes it WAY less fun for kids to participate. No one is reacting to your show. You have no emotional investment in the jokes. The opponent is in no way a "peer" institution or even familiar. In fact, given the socio-economic differences between Rice and our current conference mates, making fun of them seems almost inappropriate and uncomfortable and elitist instead of a fun and light-hearted anti-establishment message... like it was from the mid 70s through the mid 90s.

The health of Rice athletics, let alone the MOB, primarily depends on us getting into a better conference situation. (Personally, I think shooting for the Big 10 - where we could give them an AAU foothold in the great state of Texas - is the best play.) Thinking we can fix it any other way just isn't realistic.

AustinOwl96 is absolutely right. The MOB is a satirical entity. Hard to satirize schools that are completely irrelevant to the audience.

It would be like Saturday Night Live making fun of the Icelandic politics. Hard to really kill with that kind of material.

Let's face it. College football and the current conference alignment just sucks. It also affects far more than just the team on the field or court. It is really hard to garner much rabid enthusiasm for Wagner. Despite the much discussed shortcomings of a 10 team Big 12, one huge positive is the fact that the teams play every year and in many sports twice or three times a year. It is incredibly hard to work up a good sports hatred for a school you only play twice every four years. The greed factor will continue to reshape college athletics until it is really just a farm system for the various pro sports. Not sure Rice, Baylor, SMU, TCU, Tulane, UH, etc can afford the cost to compete when that happens. Makes me sick.

http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2015/9/10...ets-to-dkr

THAT OTHER TEAMS FANS ARE TRYING TO PAY FOR THEM TO GO TO THE GAME!!! SUCK ON THAT NAY SAYERS!! There is a reason the MOB has that reputation. Unfortunately the current state of things means it is very difficult to live up to those expectations. That is why efforts should be made to help and raise the MOB, not tear it down and kill it. I remember at one point how one of the university presidents (don't remember which one) called the MOB an asset to Rice. Seems like a million years ago. The MOB is one aspect about Rice I am very passionate about. If it weren't for my job schedule I would still be trying to do as much as I can to help out. I will defend the proud institution that is the MOB and would have thought that other members of the Rice family would understand what it means to members of the group and at the very least respect the effort that goes into it. There are a lot of things at Rice that not everyone does. But at the least those activities or clubs never got torn into like the MOB does here it seems.

(09-10-2015 09:52 PM)Barrett Wrote:  AustinOwl96 is absolutely right. The MOB is a satirical entity. Hard to satirize schools that are completely irrelevant to the audience.

It would be like Saturday Night Live making fun of the Icelandic politics. Hard to really kill with that kind of material.

Funny enough, that exact topic might go over well with one particular member of our faculty....

http://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/an-...niversity/

But yes, I agree with both of your assertions. Would love to see the MOB leave the Rice student drama aside, since only about 200 of the fans in attendance, aside from the MOB, understand it. But, my preferred topic, just making fun of the other school, is hard to do when we aren't playing the Vanderbilts/Northwesterns/Stanfords or UTs/A&Ms/SMUs/UHs of the world every week (or even most weeks). Pretty crappy problem and it's not the MOB's problem. At least they're out there cheering on and supporting the team, unlike the vast majority of the student body.

I think satirical, edgy bands aren't as popular as they once were (look at the controversy surrounding the Kansas State halftime show last week). I guess the large bands still have the following, especially if they have the ability to do intricate maneuvers like the Ohio State one. But in general, I'd say people's halftime interests are more geared towards their smart phones or scoreboard watching (or food consumption) than band watching.

The BOB has to compete against the loud, computer generated music from the marketing department's halfcourt device. And then they're replaced by local high school bands (or community bands) during the holidays. I'm wondering if the MOB's days are headed towards a similar fate.

As is always the case when rice is playing FB at Texas the question from my team mates during post softball beer drinking is "Will the "MOB" be coming?" And a couple of my team mates are in the Longhorn Alumni Band.

People like and recognize the MOB. It is still a signature item for folks who don't know it is a shadow MOB now. And the powers that be seem happy for it to wither away.

For readers who are on our "we really should try to save this committee " ( tiki, antarius you know who you are) this should be # 1 with a bullet. The MOB has been the face of Rice football for a long time. We are not close enough to the new face of the football bullies to let that old face die.

Agree. Reality is that to the average college FB fan, the MOB is better known as part of Rice FB than the product on the field. The MOB is famous. The legends of great SWC shows of decades ago continues to grow more than the final score of the FB game itself.

Right now the MOB is the proverbial frog in a pot of water and temperature continues to rise each year.

There are macro problems such as conference affiliation, directional schools tough to satire, longer travel distances than SWC, etc., but IMO, this is a micro issue about funding and membership. Just not enough $ for facilities, other costs, and not enough support from university to facilitate greater membership plus you have many new high-up influential new faces from the music dept to the AD to the President that were not at Rice to remember those 'good 'ol MOB days' so they don't have the same emotional connection that most here have. Although he is not directly responsible (but influential), would be a good thing to ask JK on what can be done. Although the Stanford Band is a bit different to the MOB, it is in the same zip code on its approach, non-traditional marching band, and its role in the overall part of the Stanford athletic experience. He should get it.

One could argue the micro is a function of the macro (which I'm guessing the powers that be believe) but to me the MOB reminds me of a microcosm of the athletic program a decade ago. Caught in no mans land between the shut it down and focus on academics/music school only or have the MOB greatness of decades years ago. So you have a product where a very small # of people are doing an amazing effort to keep it afloat without the tools to do it right. I do hope it recovers to what most of us old timers remember as I think the MOB is the perfect fit for Rice, its brand, personality, unconventional wisdom, etc.

One question for the MOB experts of today though. Given my assumptions (which may not be right), if you assume a) there are Brian Patterson-like members of the MOB from those decades ago that can both fund and lobby Pres, BoT, Shepherd School Politics, etc. and b) funding to have it done properly (leasing facilities, equipment, travel, etc.) is a fraction of what the athletic requirements are (six vs. eight/nine figures).....why has there not been anyone to step-up and fund externally and/or help steer the internal politics of change? If that existed, I do think it would help student engagement/attendance, Pres/BoT engagement, alumni engagement/attendance, help Rice brand outside of Rice, etc.

I would have guessed that some very rich MOB alumni exist who have those great SWC memories would want to see their MOB experience and influence on the Rice brand handed off and maintained for current and future generations....vs. slowly die off like today. Thousands of MOB alumni out there. I feel bad for the MOB leaders/members of today who are busting their tails to keep it afloat and I was not a member of it. And if I feel bad, can't imagine what a MOB alum from 60's-90's feels like watching today's product (despite the superhuman effort of a few).

(09-11-2015 04:21 AM)owl40 Wrote:  I would have guessed that some very rich MOB alumni exist who have those great SWC memories would want to see their MOB experience and influence on the Rice brand handed off and maintained for current and future generations....vs. slowly die off like today. Thousands of MOB alumni out there. I feel bad for the MOB leaders/members of today who are busting their tails to keep it afloat and I was not a member of it. And if I feel bad, can't imagine what a MOB alum from 60's-90's feels like watching today's product (despite the superhuman effort of a few).

Excellent question/point, and frankly one that I think removes this 'question' from Dr K's or even the President's area... unfortunately there doesn't really seem to be a MOB SIG.

The Pres and AD are going to tend to lead any donations towards their primary focus areas. AD to athletics, Pres to academics. The MOB is both, and neither. Not that they wouldn't support or encourage these targeted donations, but it won't be their focus. This is part of what I described as the administration 'supporting' the MOB, but not encouraging it. If some alums/the students want to do something, they will support them... but they won't get out in front of them. The primary music solicitors push money to Shep, and the primary theatre supporters push money towards theatre. The MOB is both, and neither.... but as you mention, LOTS of Rice students have been a part of it over the years.

I think alums of the MOB should get together and start talking about a (just pulling a number, but it's probably not far off) $250,000 campaign as part of the stadium renovations. With this money they will work with Dr K to secure and 'customize' a spot vacated by the football team (heck, even a locker room and a single team meeting room would be better than they have now) plus some 'off hours' access to the stadium proper (since I suspect the team will be on grass even more), and to upgrade the tools available for the MOB.... computers, video, costumes, instruments and travel... Let them keep some space at the GYM for the BOB, but let the stadium be their primary home... at least for show prep.

Build that new enthusiasm towards a $1mm (and grow from there) endowment that would generate $50,000 per year to be spent solely on MOB infrastructure. Heck, let's get some pre or post-game (and especially basketball) laser shows going. How can we be Rice and not have freaking Tubas with freaking Laser beams on their heads? Is that too much to ask? Honestly people. We KNOW the Tubas are 'ill-tempered'.

As for content, I think the comparisons to SNL, especially weekend update or the Daily show or any of those other quasi news 'satire' shows are apropos.... and chuck's 'theatre troupe that plays music' concept can work. The skit/joke/news story simply leads to a song... a story about North Korea leads to the Storm Trooper theme... a story about Kim Kardashian leads to 'Baby Got Back'... a story about a politician leads to 'If I only had a brain'. You have musicians only... actors only... and a relative few who may do both. The 'actors' can play kazoos to Louie Louie, or just lead the 'audience participation' dance motions.

Frankly, I think that'd be kinda cool in that Louie Louie is certainly something we hold close, almost like our fight song, but EVERYONE likes the song. If there were some interesting choreographed hand or arm motions that people from 5-90 could join in with during the song, (meaning something other than the pelvic thrust) not only would all of our fans participate, but likely so too might our opponents. Think Euro Footie.

The MOB is great, it just needs 50 more members. It's way too small. I know there has to be at least 400 students on campus who know how to play a musical instrument. Recruit those folks. Pump some money into the facilities

(09-10-2015 11:52 PM)austinowl73 Wrote:  The MOB has been the face of Rice football for a long time.

Silly me thinking that Rice Football was the face of Rice Football...