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Post by Big D on Feb 14, 2015 14:44:38 GMT -5
Regardless of whether or not sufficient word is being sent out to WSU students, our athletic department is rife with incompetence. It’s rank amateurism to the core. To think otherwise is either exhibiting blind loyalty or blind stupidity. It has nothing to do with the current product being put on the Nutter Center floor, but everything to do with the Nutter Center "experience". Neither the AD nor the SID has any business being anywhere near a Division 1 Men’s Basketball program. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a sad, sad situation. Ralph’s gotta be rolling over in his grave. You have no idea what you are talking about especially with your Ralph Underhill comment. I am fortunate enough to say that Ralph Underhill was a friend of mine. He was a fan of Bob Grant until the day he passed away. The athletic department is far from perfect but Bob Grant is a solid AD.
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Post by jfarrell04 on Feb 14, 2015 15:05:46 GMT -5
Having attended over 90% of all WSU men’s home basketball games since 1980, I actually do have some idea of what I’m talking about. I was also fortunate enough to have been acquainted with Ralph Underhill. The Ralph I knew would not stand for the incompetence currently on display as it relates to the Men’s basketball program and the entire Nutter Center experience as it relates to treatment of the fans....It's second-class and Mr. Underhill surely wasn't.
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Post by Big D on Feb 14, 2015 15:20:51 GMT -5
What exactly has he accomplished that makes him a solid AD? 1. He was in charge for the fundraising and building of: Setzer Pavilion/Mills Morgan Center, Rinzler Student Sports Complex additions (new turf soccer, concession stands and team rooms), baseball field remodel (artificial turf, lighting additions, and new press box), added lighting to the softball fields, and added the football field and turf for intramural sports. All of those projects were completed while the Miami valley has been in the largest depression in the last 50 years. 2. He hired Brad Brownell and his replacement Billy Donlon, Rob Cooper (baseball) and his replacement Greg Lovelady, and Mike Bradbury (women's basketball). I believe all of them have been named HL coach of the year in their respective sports. 3. He has maintained Wright State's athletic budget at or above 10 million dollars a year even though Wright State has cut it funding to athletics every year for the past 8 years. That is impressive fundraising for a mid-major AD when the local economy has been going through a major depression.
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Post by Big D on Feb 14, 2015 15:24:02 GMT -5
Having attended over 90% of all WSU men’s home basketball games since 1980, I actually do have some idea of what I’m talking about. I was also fortunate enough to have been acquainted with Ralph Underhill. The Ralph I knew would not stand for the incompetence currently on display as it relates to the Men’s basketball program and the entire Nutter Center experience as it relates to treatment of the fans....It's second-class and Mr. Underhill surely wasn't. What "Nutter Center experience" are you talking about because the problems that most people complain about are the same problems people have been complaining about since the Nutter Center opened when Ralph was the coach here.
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Post by jfarrell04 on Feb 14, 2015 16:52:24 GMT -5
Parking was way easier - we never used to have the lots closest to the arena half-full; Access to the building was easier - for some reason Gate 6, which we've been entering for every game the past two years, was locked and unmanned for the UIC game? No explanation was forthcoming when I asked about why it was locked and unmanned. Several other times random gates are either opened or closed; Concessions - I know for a fact that several more concession stands and several concessionaires used to be available; Ease of access for students/availability of student tickets (this has been discussed ad nauseam in several threads, but there's no denying that it used to be easier for 1) students to obtain tickets, and 2) students to enter the building). Given time, I'm sure I can come up with several other "problems" that people routinely experience at WSU games. I've never once heard a first-time attendee to the Nutter Center (for a Men's BB game) praise the experience, but I've heard many, many first-timers complain about the experience.
That being said, it's really not so much the disgruntled fan that is the problem, rather it's the apathetic fan that causes concern for the near future. We've got a semi-regular "crowd" that sits up in the "cheap seats" at the Nutter and it's become apparent that the "regular Joe" (like me) is losing interest. There are so many times in so many games where it just seemed like the atmosphere was ready to "explode"...I'll/we'll get up to yell, scream, cheer whatever and I look around and see maybe 20 people in the entire building on their feet. It's like a morgue in their sometimes. I'm not sure what the announced attendance was for the UIC game, but it sure seemed to me that 40-50% of the crowd had left by the time the 2nd half started. The lady in front of me was filing her nails at tipoff...I thought maybe she was a "townie" from a 1980s game at the Arena across town!
I realize its easy to identify problems, but that many of the problems are not easily fixed. However, it seems to me that not only are they not being fixed, they're not even being addressed. It's as if many folks just bury their heads in the sand and are afraid to speak out...almost as if we're afraid of attaining success. IMO, the problem starts at the top.
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Post by rock70 on Feb 14, 2015 17:08:20 GMT -5
I literally haven't posted for a long time but this post got to me. I have sat in meetings with Bob Grant and I can tell you that myself and the other folks in that meet all came away saying that Bob Grant is in over his head. Some of you that support him and know him personally might have a different opinion but please don't think you have the corner marketed that he is a solid AD. We may disagree but I was in that room twice with some pretty intellegent folks that felt otherwise.
On another note please stop telling folks that have negative comments to go away...........not that long ago Raiderroundball was the same way and folks found another avenue to access WSU info. Papa Raider started this site so that ALL ARE WELCOME and ALL POINTS OF VIEW are welcome. Cyber bullying will only hurt this site and eventually they all will go away and you'll be stuck with just like minded folks just like Raiderroundball.
My rant is over........sorry
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Post by Big D on Feb 14, 2015 17:22:12 GMT -5
Parking was way easier - we never used to have the lots closest to the arena half-full; Access to the building was easier - for some reason Gate 6, which we've been entering for every game the past two years, was locked and unmanned for the UIC game? No explanation was forthcoming when I asked about why it was locked and unmanned. Several other times random gates are either opened or closed; Concessions - I know for a fact that several more concession stands and several concessionaires used to be available; Ease of access for students/availability of student tickets (this has been discussed ad nauseam in several threads, but there's no denying that it used to be easier for 1) students to obtain tickets, and 2) students to enter the building). Given time, I'm sure I can come up with several other "problems" that people routinely experience at WSU games. I've never once heard a first-time attendee to the Nutter Center (for a Men's BB game) praise the experience, but I've heard many, many first-timers complain about the experience. That being said, it's really not so much the disgruntled fan that is the problem, rather it's the apathetic fan that causes concern for the near future. We've got a semi-regular "crowd" that sits up in the "cheap seats" at the Nutter and it's become apparent that the "regular Joe" (like me) is losing interest. There are so many times in so many games where it just seemed like the atmosphere was ready to "explode"...I'll/we'll get up to yell, scream, cheer whatever and I look around and see maybe 20 people in the entire building on their feet. It's like a morgue in their sometimes. I'm not sure what the announced attendance was for the UIC game, but it sure seemed to me that 40-50% of the crowd had left by the time the 2nd half started. The lady in front of me was filing her nails at tipoff...I thought maybe she was a "townie" from a 1980s game at the Arena across town! I realize its easy to identify problems, but that many of the problems are not easily fixed. However, it seems to me that not only are they not being fixed, they're not even being addressed. It's as if many folks just bury their heads in the sand and are afraid to speak out...almost as if we're afraid of attaining success. IMO, the problem starts at the top. As I posted above, Grant has done a good job keeping our revenue up to support all of athletics even though Wright State has cut funding and the economy has been down. Part of that has been catering to our season ticket holders. Season ticket holders have complained about parking for years. The way the lots are set up make no sense. That was the design of our previous AD, not Grant. He is making the best use of what he has. The closer lots are reserved for season ticket holders now. Season ticket sales have gone up 3 years in a row now so I believe they are happy with that decision. Regardless, parking has always sucked at the Nutter Center back to the days when Ralph was here. I already stated in the first page of this thread why student ticket distribution changed. We don't give out tickets to students in advance because we were giving out 1000s of tickets that were never used or not being used by students. Students would pick up tickets and not show up to games to use them or they would give them away to non-students which was costing us revenue. The decision was made to try to bring in as many paying fans as we can. In regard to your whole disgruntled fan vs apathetic fan paragraph--I don't quite understand what that has to do with the competence of our athletic department. We are having a horrible year due to multiple players being hurt. Fans are apathetic because we aren't a good team. That has nothing to do with your comments about the entire Nutter Center experience as it relates to treatment of the fans. What would you realistically like our athletic department to do to distract you from the fact that we are down to 7 scholarship players?
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Post by hhgreen on Feb 14, 2015 19:41:28 GMT -5
There is enough parking at the front lots for all the season ticket holders and and non-season ticket holders.
Were season ticket holders being forced to park in the back lot next to the pond? I bet that didn't happen many times other than a Butler game a few years ago.
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Post by keithfromxenia on Feb 14, 2015 19:50:04 GMT -5
Bob Grant lost me as a leader when he argued with me on the Schlemmer show that we just have to play a couple of div iii teams each year to save money.
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Post by Big D on Feb 14, 2015 19:50:21 GMT -5
There is enough parking at the front lots for all the season ticket holders and and non-season ticket holders. Were season ticket holders being forced to park in the back lot next to the pond? I bet that didn't happen many times other than a Butler game a few years ago. It was happening enough to inact the change. Season ticket holders are going to get priority over casual fans and they should.
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Feb 14, 2015 19:56:31 GMT -5
Bob Grant lost me as a leader when he argued with me on the Schlemmer show that we just have to play a couple of div iii teams each year to save money. If that is all it took then I guess you wouldn't be happy following 3/4 of the college basketball programs in the US because almost all mid-majors and low majors play D2 and D3 schools. Unfortunately it is part of college basketball nowadays.
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Post by Willie on Feb 14, 2015 19:59:45 GMT -5
There is enough parking at the front lots for all the season ticket holders and and non-season ticket holders. Actually, there isn't. That is why the change took place and it has helped increase our season ticket sales the last few years.
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Post by hhgreen on Feb 14, 2015 20:04:23 GMT -5
How many season ticket holders are they now?
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Post by Jazzfan on Feb 14, 2015 20:05:56 GMT -5
How many season ticket holders are they now? I believe the number is just under 3000. I don't know if that includes the corporate ticket sales or not.
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Post by mrose on Feb 14, 2015 20:14:20 GMT -5
Parking was way easier - we never used to have the lots closest to the arena half-full; Access to the building was easier - for some reason Gate 6, which we've been entering for every game the past two years, was locked and unmanned for the UIC game? No explanation was forthcoming when I asked about why it was locked and unmanned. Several other times random gates are either opened or closed; Concessions - I know for a fact that several more concession stands and several concessionaires used to be available; Ease of access for students/availability of student tickets (this has been discussed ad nauseam in several threads, but there's no denying that it used to be easier for 1) students to obtain tickets, and 2) students to enter the building). Given time, I'm sure I can come up with several other "problems" that people routinely experience at WSU games. I've never once heard a first-time attendee to the Nutter Center (for a Men's BB game) praise the experience, but I've heard many, many first-timers complain about the experience. That being said, it's really not so much the disgruntled fan that is the problem, rather it's the apathetic fan that causes concern for the near future. We've got a semi-regular "crowd" that sits up in the "cheap seats" at the Nutter and it's become apparent that the "regular Joe" (like me) is losing interest. There are so many times in so many games where it just seemed like the atmosphere was ready to "explode"...I'll/we'll get up to yell, scream, cheer whatever and I look around and see maybe 20 people in the entire building on their feet. It's like a morgue in their sometimes. I'm not sure what the announced attendance was for the UIC game, but it sure seemed to me that 40-50% of the crowd had left by the time the 2nd half started. The lady in front of me was filing her nails at tipoff...I thought maybe she was a "townie" from a 1980s game at the Arena across town! I realize its easy to identify problems, but that many of the problems are not easily fixed. However, it seems to me that not only are they not being fixed, they're not even being addressed. It's as if many folks just bury their heads in the sand and are afraid to speak out...almost as if we're afraid of attaining success. IMO, the problem starts at the top. As I posted above, Grant has done a good job keeping our revenue up to support all of athletics even though Wright State has cut funding and the economy has been down. Part of that has been catering to our season ticket holders. Season ticket holders have complained about parking for years. The way the lots are set up make no sense. That was the design of our previous AD, not Grant. He is making the best use of what he has. The closer lots are reserved for season ticket holders now. Season ticket sales have gone up 3 years in a row now so I believe they are happy with that decision. Regardless, parking has always sucked at the Nutter Center back to the days when Ralph was here. I already stated in the first page of this thread why student ticket distribution changed. We don't give out tickets to students in advance because we were giving out 1000s of tickets that were never used or not being used by students. Students would pick up tickets and not show up to games to use them or they would give them away to non-students which was costing us revenue. The decision was made to try to bring in as many paying fans as we can. In regard to your whole disgruntled fan vs apathetic fan paragraph--I don't quite understand what that has to do with the competence of our athletic department. We are having a horrible year due to multiple players being hurt. Fans are apathetic because we aren't a good team. That has nothing to do with your comments about the entire Nutter Center experience as it relates to treatment of the fans. What would you realistically like our athletic department to do to distract you from the fact that we are down to 7 scholarship players? I know of a team with only 6 scholarship players and a walk-on. They're tied for 1st in their league and a projected 7 - 9 seed in the NCAA. A good start would be having our A.D. get a coach like theirs.
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