Fellow Rockets:

This has been a really fun year for Rockets football.

The drives home from Minnesota and Kansas were long and quiet. Not so the last few weeks thank goodness.

While we wait for the MCB, how about some ideas on how to sustain "THE BUZZ" that we seem to have going now?

I've really been impressed with the growing student support (male and female). The BG game had the atmosphere that we need to have for every home game no matter who we play. The "older" crowd feeds off of the students. We need students to pack the Glass Bowl. There were a lot of students at the MACC last night. I thought we did pretty darn good as a Toledo crowd. That's great!!! Let's start to carry this momentum over to basketball and Savage Hall.

I think this board in particular has been very useful in letting everyone getting to know each other. It's always fun to go to a game and see who some of the posters are (NewMex Rocket, Glassbowl9, barr_b2, TJRocket.....................). We're getting a lot of synergy going between alumni, students, and UT fans. I've met a lot of new friends this year. FredJay called us a "Band of Brothers" in one of his early articles. I really feel that we have become a "Band of Brothers" in many ways this year, and we need to keep increasing our numbers.

How do we keep that momentum going into next season? How do we draw more students, more alumni, and more casual fans into the Rocket fold? How do we make the Glass Bowl the place to be on a Saturday night? Savage Hall? What are some new "traditions" that we'd like to see?

Lets throw out some ideas and suggestions. Here's one of my thoughts:

Those that know me know I love noisemakers. How do we make the Glass Bowl the most hostile environment that it could possibly be for the opposing team? Have the Rocket Rattles been effective? If so, how do we get everyone "programmed" to always bring "their" rattle with them for every game. I'm convinced that we could have 80 year old alumni shaking their "Rocket Rattles" along side an 18 year old freshman shaking theirs. Strength in Numbers. These things become traditions that bring us together as Rockets, and help make us unique to other programs.

Should these "traditions" be passed on during Freashman orientation e.g., introduced by the Blue Crew -- "Hello new Rockets, we have a tradition here at UT where we bring our 'Rocket Rattles' to EVERY GAME'. (Demonstrate what a "Rocket Rattle' is-- a 20 oz empty plastic pop bottle filled with 5 pennies) Bring two, one for yourself, and one for someone else -- EVERY GAME."

The band and their "choo choo train" beat during kickoffs is another emerging "tradition" that I really like. It is neat to see the thunderstix/foam fingers doing the "Rocket Chop".

We need some similar ideas for basketball at Savage Hall.

Again, I think this board is a great forum to bring young and old Rockets together. Let's keep THE BUZZ going through basketball season and during the long drought between March and August.

GO ROCKETS!!!

It would be great to have a little program at orientation. I think that would be a fantastic way to help draw more students to the game.
Go Rockets!

I also hope that this buzz stays around not only for next year, but for years to come! For basketball a good way to get the place rocking is to convince your friends and family to go the games. If you are a fellow student grab your friends and make them come they will thank you later. Also if you are a student come to the Launch Pad next to the band in the student section and help make some serious noise!

Go Rockets

This is a good starting point for what is happening around the country to attract students and carry on traditions.

<a href='http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/sioncampus/09/15/best_weekends0916/' target='_blank'>Top Stadium Experiences</a>