(08-04-2017 08:20 AM)prosec34 Wrote:  Well, I certainly don't recall a "new fight song" at football games the past two years. It sounded like the old one to me.

I seem to recall the Tennessee Waltz always being played at ETSU games well before when UT does it, which is at the end of the game. It's a more poignant song for the end, but I can understand not wanting to copy how UT does it. I'd prefer we drop it and find another traditional, more mountain-type song and make it our own.

I too prefer higher-up seats, but I don't figure the players will obscure the current seating much at all since the stands are built up a great deal. Surely our architects had that in mind and aren't descendants of those horrible planners who stuck the Dome seats right on the sideline.

The waltz has been a part of the ETSU pregame football tradition for decades. In the dome, a portion of the band took the field and played the first verse of the waltz. The remainder of the band members emerged from under the overhang/walkway took the field and joined the band to blast the stands/fans with the chorus. It was quite moving. From then it moved to national anthem, fight song, etc.

Traditions bind the alumni to the institution and ETSU is almost void of traditions, let's not see another one go by the wayside.

The new band chief wrote the new (additional) fight song, and they've had the PA announcer announce it during the pregame band performance, every home game since football returned, right before they play it.

An alum and friend of Dr. Joe Moore named Scott Lambert from Bristol wrote the new song. Dr. Moore is also from Bristol and is director of the Marching Bucs. Mr. Lambert is a retired band instructor and was once considered for the directorship himself.

I'd like to see someone compose a new alma mater so we wouldn't be resigned to use "High Above Cayuga's Waters" - the alma mater for Cornell University (and about a thousand high schools in the US!).

(08-04-2017 05:39 AM)Efan Wrote:  

(08-03-2017 05:56 PM)Spector Wrote:  

(08-03-2017 04:18 PM)Buccaneerlover Wrote:  All that factors in along with interactive things, something for everyone. A family oriented experience but also one that allows people to have fun. It needs to be drilled into the heads of the meter maids that their job isn't to go around and be the drink police. Don't hassle the patrons who are coming, because they'll get pissed off and not come back. Inside the stadium, concession and bathroom access is going to have to be good, and if there's a line, they need to pop a TV or two in the crapper so you don't miss anything while you're waiting.
Also, if you choose the right games at Neyland Stadium, you never sit in the uppers unless you're just being cheap.

You make some great points. These are the kinds of things top notch FBS programs do. I don't know if there are any teams in the SoCon that provide the amenities you spoke of (sure would be great) but we can't compare SEC venues to SoCon venues.

One thing I would like to know/see is what the university has in store for the game day experience. By that I mean - items leading up to kickoff, and throughout the game. Some teams have something similar to the Buc Walk. Most fire cannons, or shoot off fireworks or blow horns every time the home team scores. Some have great music before the game to get the crowd involved. But lord - I have to tell you - that Tennessee Waltz you all play before the game has got to go!!! You talk about a number that pulls the air out and makes you wanna take a nap...
Suggestion 1: Get rid of the Waltz!
Suggestion 2: Find something (visual/audio) for scoring on O and D.
Suggestion 3: Revamp the Buc Walk. Get rid the the projected path - its way too long and as such, it will look bare. Heck, load them in buses at the dome and drop them off in the student section/street close to the stadium. Nothing worse than a team walk with not enough people to line the street. As it sits now, It would take more than 20k people to line the current path.
Suggestion 4: Did I say lose the waltz?

The waltz is at the end of games, when everyone is leaving. I've never heard it at the beginning. You're probably right about the Buc Walk but we'll see. And yes, we definitely need some scoring A/V. With a video board, they should get a corporate sponsor to sponsor the Roadrunner run, Ford pass, (or touchdown/FG) or something.

I actually like that we have a fight song for a change. It's been a good way to try and build traditions where we had none.

The Waltz is definitely played Before the game. They play it before the National Anthem while the team is in the locker-room and just getting ready to take the field. I would not have made the suggestion if it were played at the end of the game…

My mea culpa is offered. It's before at FB games, after at BB games... I stand corrected.

My player/son would like to see a better game day atmosphere from us. He said that he and his teammates would actually rather play away because there was more life in those games from the other fans. Thats on US... if some of yall creative minds could come up with some cool things to do, throw them out there and maybe we can get it going since all the rest of us are probably out of eligibility. The stadium will help, but not if its like a funeral in there. WE need to crank it up a few degrees so they can feed off of it. Lets make this a difficult place to play. Great ideas welcome.....

Pretty sure most of that had to do with playing in a high school stadium with a pathetic video board and sound system, with fans sitting a mile away from the field. All of that will be fixed with the new stadium. Just need the students to show up.

The waltz is the second piece that is played during the pregame show, right after the original fight song. The new "fight song" that everyone is referring to is called Buccaneer March, which is another school song to play during games. Every major school in the county that has any tradition in football/marching band/whatever, has multiple school songs, now ETSU does too. The waltz is not played at the end of games at basketball, used to be, but isn't anymore.

(08-04-2017 05:56 PM)Buckyball Wrote:  My mea culpa is offered. It's before at FB games, after at BB games... I stand corrected.

Me too. Funny how you think things are a certain way and then in unbelief when you find out they're not. My bad.

I know so many folks who have bought tickets for the first time this year. I know for sure that the first game will be electric. Tell your son to get ready.

(08-04-2017 07:23 PM)BucWild Wrote:  The waltz is the second piece that is played during the pregame show, right after the original fight song. The new "fight song" that everyone is referring to is called Buccaneer March, which is another school song to play during games. Every major school in the county that has any tradition in football/marching band/whatever, has multiple school songs, now ETSU does too. The waltz is not played at the end of games at basketball, used to be, but isn't anymore.

Didn't they change from the Waltz at the end of basketball games to the Alma Mater? Another tradition bit the dust.

(08-04-2017 08:50 PM)BucDoctor Wrote:  

(08-04-2017 07:23 PM)BucWild Wrote:  The waltz is the second piece that is played during the pregame show, right after the original fight song. The new "fight song" that everyone is referring to is called Buccaneer March, which is another school song to play during games. Every major school in the county that has any tradition in football/marching band/whatever, has multiple school songs, now ETSU does too. The waltz is not played at the end of games at basketball, used to be, but isn't anymore.

Didn't they change from the Waltz at the end of basketball games to the Alma Mater? Another tradition bit the dust.

Yes, that was at the request of the cheerleaders and dance team.

(08-04-2017 04:19 PM)seagrove10 Wrote:  The new band chief wrote the new (additional) fight song, and they've had the PA announcer announce it during the pregame band performance, every home game since football returned, right before they play it.

An alum and friend of Dr. Joe Moore named Scott Lambert from Bristol wrote the new song. Dr. Moore is also from Bristol and is director of the Marching Bucs. Mr. Lambert is a retired band instructor and was once considered for the directorship himself.

I'd like to see someone compose a new alma mater so we wouldn't be resigned to use "High Above Cayuga's Waters" - the alma mater for Cornell University (and about a thousand high schools in the US!).

Interesting Mr. Lambert had a hand in it. He was my band teacher at John Battle for years. Very innovative guy, bit of an a-hole to deal with, but he'd take a 80-100 kids and make them sound like 200, with incredible field shows to go with it.

Cowbells. Let's ring cowbells.

I attended the Orange Bowl a couple seasons ago when Miss State was there, and they were cool as heck carrying their cowbells in.

I agree with the cowbells. When my son was being recruited by Miss St we made 3 trips down there and when one person starts it and they all join in, it is super loud. The problem would be getting everybody on board and then as Miss St would announce, to "ring respectfully". I guess the NCAA dictates when it's ok to use artificial noise makers.

I also like the chant that Florida St has. Matt was invited there too, and believe me hearing it on tv is noting like in that stadium. Again, coming up with something similar (no copy cats), would be awesome. I dont think the NCAA can dictate that.

The SEC actually has a rule against artificial noisemakers, but they have given Miss. State an exception given their tradition as long as the cowbells aren't in use during the actual game play.

(08-06-2017 09:04 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  The SEC actually has a rule against artificial noisemakers, but they have given Miss. State an exception given their tradition as long as the cowbells aren't in use during the actual game play.

The rule is actually very specific of when they can and can't use them, and only applies to conference home games. OOC games, they raise hell in there.
Just be loud. I watched the Ga. Southern game that Bob Plummer posted on Facebook last night to the alumni groups and even a half full mini dome was miserably loud when it needed to be.

(08-04-2017 06:19 PM)bucdad Wrote:  My player/son would like to see a better game day atmosphere from us. He said that he and his teammates would actually rather play away because there was more life in those games from the other fans. Thats on US... if some of yall creative minds could come up with some cool things to do, throw them out there and maybe we can get it going since all the rest of us are probably out of eligibility. The stadium will help, but not if its like a funeral in there. WE need to crank it up a few degrees so they can feed off of it. Lets make this a difficult place to play. Great ideas welcome.....

I would be lying if I said there wasn't some truth to that; it just doesn't have that same feel that basketball has...yet. It is going to take some time for people to be invested in the program and for them to feel at home. In fact, this will be the first year the fans will actually be at home.

More than anything it is going to take winning to build up that enthusiasm. You can't just create new cheers and fake it, it is going to take wins for people to get excited. The students also need to show up as lots of times the atmosphere starts with them. They need to be knocking on dorm rooms to get them out if they have to.

At the Battle of Bristol last year, every first down for Va Tech, the little co-eds sitting behind us would chime in unison, "H-O-K-I-E-S Hokies!!!" Annoying as heck.

Which is what we need. Since we're Buccaneers, we need something pirate related. Some ideas from piratetreasurenow.com:

"All hand holy!" - comparable to all hands on deck
"Thar she blows!" - Whale sighting
"Shiver me timbers!" - comparable to "Holy Crap!"
"Arrrr - feed the fish!" - will soon die

Couple that with selling a bunch of hook hands or something.

I agree that student participation is key. Here are my thoughts:
1) If we compare basketball to football- not including the section where the band sits, there are something like 500 seats in the lower level of the student section at freedom hall (the section that is somewhat regularly occupied). The football stadium has dedicated something like 1,500 seats to students. So if the same amount of students show up for a football game as they do a basketball game on a good night, the football stadium's student section is only about a third full. The best bet for student participation is Thursday night games, but that would hurt attendance by other segments of the fan base.

2. Getting the same level of participation for football that basketball gets is a tall order IMO. Despite the best efforts of the administration, students aren't excited about football in large numbers. Most of them don't care about athletics and are still resentful for its return. And the ones who do like athletics think that the football team sucks (their words, on several occasions).

3. I do give the administration credit for trying to create as much support for football as possible, including going around to dorms, highlighting it at new student orientations, etc. Its just a difficult challenge with this student body.

4. I feel that it is much more difficult to create a good atmosphere at a football game compared to basketball. For basketball, we can do wonders with lighting, the pep band, the men responsible for promos and getting everyone clapping before the game, etc. Those things don't translate to football.

5. We have to win. If basketball had won 32% of its games over the past two years, student participation would not be good for that either. I believe that 32% win percentage is a fair record (lost 2 games we shouldn't have the first year, won 2 games we shouldn't have the 2nd year), but the average student isn't paying enough attention to look at it that way and see the big picture.

(08-07-2017 06:53 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  I agree that student participation is key. Here are my thoughts:
1) If we compare basketball to football- not including the section where the band sits, there are something like 500 seats in the lower level of the student section at freedom hall (the section that is somewhat regularly occupied). The football stadium has dedicated something like 1,500 seats to students. So if the same amount of students show up for a football game as they do a basketball game on a good night, the football stadium's student section is only about a third full. The best bet for student participation is Thursday night games, but that would hurt attendance by other segments of the fan base.

2. Getting the same level of participation for football that basketball gets is a tall order IMO. Despite the best efforts of the administration, students aren't excited about football in large numbers. Most of them don't care about athletics and are still resentful for its return. And the ones who do like athletics think that the football team sucks (their words, on several occasions).

3. I do give the administration credit for trying to create as much support for football as possible, including going around to dorms, highlighting it at new student orientations, etc. Its just a difficult challenge with this student body.

4. I feel that it is much more difficult to create a good atmosphere at a football game compared to basketball. For basketball, we can do wonders with lighting, the pep band, the men responsible for promos and getting everyone clapping before the game, etc. Those things don't translate to football.

5. We have to win. If basketball had won 32% of its games over the past two years, student participation would not be good for that either. I believe that 32% win percentage is a fair record (lost 2 games we shouldn't have the first year, won 2 games we shouldn't have the 2nd year), but the average student isn't paying enough attention to look at it that way and see the big picture.

They need to win to legitimize the team in the eyes of the students. I think we can do well this year, and that would go a loooong way in the eyes of the students. Many are disillusioned into thinking this is not worth their time, but when they enjoy themselves in a great atmosphere, a lot of that starts to fade. Winning is the biggest and hardest piece we still have to add to the mix. The other stuff is 10x better than the previous version of ETSU football.

I know people who would have never dreamed of buying tickets to an ETSU football game that now have high level or even premium seats. It's heading in the right direction, but the biggest job is yet to be done.

(08-07-2017 06:53 PM)etsubuc Wrote:  Most of them don't care about athletics and are still resentful for its return. And the ones who do like athletics think that the football team sucks (their words, on several occasions).

I don't agree with this. If you said indifferent instead of resentful, then i would agree. Don't take the few negative comments you see on Facebook or elsewhere as indicative of the student body. Most of the students want the team to do good and are happy when they do well but it will take sustained success for them to get more invested. If this team wins the students and this area will come out in big numbers, they always do. This area loves a winner.