(11-03-2013 07:12 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  Interesting that the same athletic department that used many of these points to create a women's basketball experience second to very few hasn't responded with the same kind of effort in football. Many fans LEFT after the women's game today and didn't stay for the men.

I wonder did "they" do that or did Coach Cullop? Basketball is a more intimate environment than football and I suppose it was easier but things like the fan tunnel are original and it does show fans come for environment as much as game. Even not participating, those things are fun to watch others do. Still don't recall them making much effort to get the crowd into alma mater, fight song, chants other than "UT." It's important to make fans not just of the team, but of the university IMO.

(11-03-2013 07:55 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(11-03-2013 07:12 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  Interesting that the same athletic department that used many of these points to create a women's basketball experience second to very few hasn't responded with the same kind of effort in football. Many fans LEFT after the women's game today and didn't stay for the men.

I wonder did "they" do that or did Coach Cullop? Basketball is a more intimate environment than football and I suppose it was easier but things like the fan tunnel are original and it does show fans come for environment as much as game. Even not participating, those things are fun to watch others do. Still don't recall them making much effort to get the crowd into alma mater, fight song, chants other than "UT." It's important to make fans not just of the team, but of the university IMO.

They do the TOL-EDO chant, the crowd doesn't sit until UT scores, fan tunnel, flags for our foreign players (I know that's a fan driven thing but it's pretty cool) and the Alma Mater after games with the team+ the whole thing with the girls hanging out after the game, inviting fans down into the locker room for pregame, etc. Much of this can be attributed to Cullop but she's part of the athletic department and they can certainly take cues from her for other sports. I agree it's easier in hoops but there is much that could be done in football.

(11-03-2013 08:11 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(11-03-2013 07:55 PM)eastisbest Wrote:  

(11-03-2013 07:12 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  Interesting that the same athletic department that used many of these points to create a women's basketball experience second to very few hasn't responded with the same kind of effort in football. Many fans LEFT after the women's game today and didn't stay for the men.

I wonder did "they" do that or did Coach Cullop? Basketball is a more intimate environment than football and I suppose it was easier but things like the fan tunnel are original and it does show fans come for environment as much as game. Even not participating, those things are fun to watch others do. Still don't recall them making much effort to get the crowd into alma mater, fight song, chants other than "UT." It's important to make fans not just of the team, but of the university IMO.

They do the TOL-EDO chant, the crowd doesn't sit until UT scores, fan tunnel, flags for our foreign players (I know that's a fan driven thing but it's pretty cool) and the Alma Mater after games with the team+ the whole thing with the girls hanging out after the game, inviting fans down into the locker room for pregame, etc. Much of this can be attributed to Cullop but she's part of the athletic department and they can certainly take cues from her for other sports. I agree it's easier in hoops but there is much that could be done in football.

I think most really good traditions start in a fan base. The flag thing is really cool.

The chants I mentioned. A football crowd is spread out and many never attended the University. Distributing a cheer crowd throughout the stands, while the words are on the video and the announcer sings, would get that going I think. TOL-EDO is great but doesn't use the stadium volume as well as moving it around the stadium, letter at a time. It would be an impressive effect, with a full stadium.

That platform or whatever they're going to put on Larimer has a lot of potential.

I like the idea about doing something about 30 minutes before the game to get people to head into the stadium. This year WMU started blasting a fog horn (like from a ship) 20 minutes before kickoff to get people to start heading into the stadium. We need to do something like that.

They should have a video played on the video board of some of the football or basketball players, or even cheerleaders, singing the fight song while the band plays it, with the words on the bottom of the screen. That will draw attention to it and (hopefully) get people to learn the words and clap along with it. Maybe do the same thing with the TOL-EDO chant. They did it with basketball a couple years ago, but the basketball players on the video were way off beat when doing it.

I've noticed that, during the 3rd qtr of football games, the lady cheerleaders go up to the suites/club seats to do cheers. Spread them out. Have them go down the aisles in the stands to do cheers. The cheerleaders are pretty ineffective when in front of the student section.

Also, I wish they would stop doing the wave at basketball games. It's so embarrassing. Doing a wave with 3-4k people, and not even a full lower bowl, looks so amateurish.

(11-03-2013 09:12 AM)Boca Rocket Wrote:  Attendance is down for college and the NFL. Interest is up. The problem is basically the costs(time/Financial) and the availibility on HD TV. To get attendance up you have to make it an experience
that far exceeds the convience of a high tech screen and sound system. The ability to put more $$$ in people's pockets would also go a long way to help remedy this.

I think a live game is far more enjoyable. I don't care for football on tv.

I think what everyone has said is true. The Ball State loss really took the remaining wind out of the sails after the Florida and Missouri losses (both of which were excusable as they were SEC teams). With that said, I was actually surprised with how many people were there considering what everyone else said about the season and the weather.

I'd be much more conderned about the product on the field. If we have to convince fans with a bunch of gimmics just to show up we have a problem. The Fan Plan has been great, those upper deck seats have been more full the past few seasons than ever. Instead of give tickets away, the fan plan was genius to fill the seats and get a little revenue rolling in.

Scroll way back up, schedule and weather have killed this season attendance wise. Not having a home game until half way through the season sucked, Losing to BSU early sucked, end loading the schedule with a bunch of night games for television sucks, the weather has sucked this season. The best weather day of the season was our bye week.

When we beat Buffalo, I think we'll be suprised with turnout for NIU.

(11-04-2013 11:39 AM)emanoh Wrote:  I'd be much more conderned about the product on the field. If we have to convince fans with a bunch of gimmics just to show up we have a problem. The Fan Plan has been great, those upper deck seats have been more full the past few seasons than ever. Instead of give tickets away, the fan plan was genius to fill the seats and get a little revenue rolling in.

Scroll way back up, schedule and weather have killed this season attendance wise. Not having a home game until half way through the season sucked, Losing to BSU early sucked, end loading the schedule with a bunch of night games for television sucks, the weather has sucked this season. The best weather day of the season was our bye week.

When we beat Buffalo, I think we'll be suprised with turnout for NIU.

Totally agree with your take, except I would also add I that think the NIU attendance will also depend a lot on whether or not NIU beats Ball State the previous week thus likely making this the 4 straight year that the winner of the NIU/UT game goes to the MACC game.

(11-04-2013 11:39 AM)emanoh Wrote:  I'd be much more conderned about the product on the field. If we have to convince fans with a bunch of gimmics just to show up we have a problem. The Fan Plan has been great, those upper deck seats have been more full the past few seasons than ever. Instead of give tickets away, the fan plan was genius to fill the seats and get a little revenue rolling in.

Scroll way back up, schedule and weather have killed this season attendance wise. Not having a home game until half way through the season sucked, Losing to BSU early sucked, end loading the schedule with a bunch of night games for television sucks, the weather has sucked this season. The best weather day of the season was our bye week.

When we beat Buffalo, I think we'll be suprised with turnout for NIU.

Agreed for the most part. They could do a few things, like have the band come up into the stands, maybe some better quality food in the concession, maybe some kids games, or an indoor apparel shop. I don't see most fans taking time to learn the alma matta song. All of the videos and music they play, mostly go unnoticed due to the awful sound system. It sounds like John Cusak is standing outside of the stadium holding a boom box up in the air. Sometimes it doesn't carry to the other side of the stadium at all. But overall yeah, if we had next year's schedule this year, it would be better. Start with New Hampshire, then Missourri, and they Balls State and BGSU at home.

a new thing I kinda liking is the drum line performance during the 3rd/4th quarter change timeout......

now if they could get rid of the Dave White student singing.......

Have one point of disagreement with C4P...It was the winnable game (not excusable) at Mizzou... this year had very little margin for error to separate a really good year from a not so good year...and the BSU loss is very much to blame as well.
A lot of folks to have the idea that we need to be in the MAC title race or they are going to sit back and watch OSUcks, UofM, ND and not get too excited about UT. I know we are technically in the race but we are at the mercy of NIU winning the BSU game.
Folks are tired of the MAC. A lot of folks don't care about the same old stuff (EMU,WMU,CMU, etc.). The atmosphere in the stands is OK with me. The product on the field is what matters. I don't see this changing.
As for the comparison with the WBB game, folks are right. The Igniters have a lot to do with the atmosphere and traditions that have developed. Keep in mind, if one looks at the WBB crowd and goes back to the season ticket holders who came over from the old field house days, many of them have become the foundation for the WBB success. They got tired of all the MBB issues over the years and have gravitated to the WBB program. It has everything they want...afternoon events, reasonable ticket prices, a team who appreciates the fan support, winning bball, grateful coach and staff, great game atmosphere (tunnel is impressive), easy group of kids and coaches to root for and embrace. Not sure how one gets that going for mens hoops and FB but that is the recipe that you follow if it is me.

Yes, correct above. If BSU beats NIU, we're sunk and so is our attendace at the NIU game. Sucks to not be in control of one's destiny. I'll still be there, but the casual fan will not. We'll still go bowling, but it's not the same. Funny on the Boom Box Cusak analogy, you're right and for some reason its the same year after year. 90% of the on field promotions I could care less about, but I know they have to pay the bills.

I usually eat elsewhere, so food issues isn't a big thing for me, just make sure the coco is hot at the end of the season. Dave White can bite it, and I don't care how many miles away is the opposing team's campus. At the end of the day I want to see good, clean, fundamentally sound, action packed football. I want to see Gradkowski's making plays, Lance Moore's diving for touchdowns, Tait's, Taylors and Flus's running over people and Ward's making bone crushing tackles. I like to hear us competing for top level kids and if we stay the course, we'll be MAC champs. A good product on the field will keep me renewing my tickets. I questioned signing the check for basketball the past few years, but I knew Coach K was building something. Have all the gimmicky promotions or band duels you want, Just give me championship calliber football.

My I say....

I like that Dave White sponsers the Rockets, but hearing the students Butcher the theme song kills my ears!!!!!!!!!

Why aren't Jeep, Libbey Glass, and Owening Corning (pink panther) sponsers of UT athletics???? After all, Toledo graduates and their families built those into international companies.

(11-02-2013 02:06 PM)T-Town Wrote:  

(11-02-2013 11:02 AM)RangerRocket Wrote:  About 10 cars and 2 tailgates. Pretty sad at the moment...

Just my opinion but I think that this may be symptomatic of a larger fan malaise surrounding Rocket football this season. If you look at the activity of the most recent dozen or so threads on this board you will find posts on women's volleyball, soccer, basketball, cross country, men's basketball but the only one concerning the EMU game is Tom's insightful analysis that was posted Thursday and at present has zero responses. Even the MAC tread about opponents scores is so far MIA for this week.

There does not seem to be all that much excitement or enthusiasm about Rocket football this year as compared to recent years and I don't know exactly why that is. Maybe it is the losses at Missouri and at Ball State which were games that could have been won. Maybe with the senior laden skill positions on offense, expectations were too high. Even the dramatic finish at BG seems to be discounted as heroics that should not have been necessary as the Rockets should have never let them back into the game. The Rockets have certainly been dealt a bum hand with respect to scheduling home games this year and the fates have conspired against them to insure minimum attendances at all the games so far this year. Maybe is is just me, but still, I am surprised that there is not more interest in the games than I sense there is this year.

PS: On a personal note, the wife has another commitment this afternoon so while we will be at the game, we will not be tailgating today.

I was at the Florida game... I was stoked and ready to crush Fl. I think the opportunity was there... i think we had the best chance ever to win that game... what i saw was a team that had undergone a change i wasn't expecting. I was trying to see if Dan Simmeral was coaching or calling the plays... and so, the wind flew out of the sails... then, we lose to Ball St? I basically just figured another losing season again... we have turned things around a bit... but, the true guide will be with Northern Ill... If we could have beat Fl or Mizzou... there would have been a much higher enthusiams..

I'd be all about a singing competition if it was, say, the Rocket Fight Song, instead of some stupid paid advertisement that the promotions dept. usually screws up via technical difficulties anyway. That and the kiss cam is the perfect time to act like you're not paying attention and check scores from around the country, especially when we don't even have the ballroom blitz scoreboard anymore. But I'd rather knit a scarf before giving the slightest bit of attention to these promotions.

We have two home games left and I'm still seeing advertisements around town for the football fan plan. Did they even sell out with these? I know last season they sold out before the season began. All we had on that schedule really was Cincinnati. I think that's all that really needs to be said on what fans think of the annual MAC slate.

(11-05-2013 03:53 AM)therockets046 Wrote:  I'd be all about a singing competition if it was, say, the Rocket Fight Song, instead of some stupid paid advertisement that the promotions dept. usually screws up via technical difficulties anyway. That and the kiss cam is the perfect time to act like you're not paying attention and check scores from around the country, especially when we don't even have the ballroom blitz scoreboard anymore. But I'd rather knit a scarf before giving the slightest bit of attention to these promotions.

We have two home games left and I'm still seeing advertisements around town for the football fan plan. Did they even sell out with these? I know last season they sold out before the season began. All we had on that schedule really was Cincinnati. I think that's all that really needs to be said on what fans think of the annual MAC slate.

Having half of the home games scheduled in November (with the second home game not until October) probably didn't help sell many fan plans to the casual "fan" who is just looking for some entertainment opportunities.

In 2001, the Rocket had losses @BSU/@BGSUX and needed a late season win over BSU by NIU to make it to the MACC. For those that hadn't noticed, the Rockets are no longer a dink and dunk Offense, but a power running team. This is great because it pulls the other team's LB'ers up closer and helps to open up the passing game. Also a much improved defense. So anybody that hasn't seen changes in the product on the field it's there. I think UT is capable of beating the majority of Big 10 programs and ND this year. Running over BG(the MAC's #1 Defense)when they were jamming the box was a real eye opener. Especially with Flu getting only 3 carries. I'm tired of whiney fan excuses. This is a good Rocket team and Coach is in the driverseat focusing on the big picture.

Most nfl guys on a UT team ever. I mean freshman to be nfl players down the line also. Seriously the depth is not that of a MAC school. It sucks we have had injuries but we have the ability to respond well, unlike a team like OU last season who fell apart.

(11-05-2013 01:03 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  Most nfl guys on a UT team ever. I mean freshman to be nfl players down the line also. Seriously the depth is not that of a MAC school. It sucks we have had injuries but we have the ability to respond well, unlike a team like OU last season who fell apart.

Certainly a lot of talent out there but IMO while this is a good team, it is not a great team. Good teams beat opponents that they are supposed to beat while great teams not only do that, they also win a lot more games than they lose against tougher opponents that they are capable of defeating.

With the prospects of a bowl game and even an outside chance at the MACC on the table there is still a lot of football left and this could end up being a very successful season much in the same way as the 2005 season was.

(11-05-2013 03:20 PM)T-Town Wrote:  

(11-05-2013 01:03 PM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  Most nfl guys on a UT team ever. I mean freshman to be nfl players down the line also. Seriously the depth is not that of a MAC school. It sucks we have had injuries but we have the ability to respond well, unlike a team like OU last season who fell apart.

Certainly a lot of talent out there but IMO while this is a good team, it is not a great team. Good teams beat opponents that they are supposed to beat while great teams not only do that, they also win a lot more games than they lose against tougher opponents that they are capable of defeating.

With the prospects of a bowl game and even an outside chance at the MACC on the table there is still a lot of football left and this could end up being a very successful season much in the same way as the 2005 season was.

A loss to NIU on Senior night and no MACC in 2005. Had a decent Bowl game showing and finished just outside of the Top 25. Still greater opportunities open to this team. NIU beating BSU in DeKalb isn't so far fetched. Rockets have lost to NIU by a total of 10 points the past 2 seasons. NIU's defense is worse and UT's is alot better than it was.