The Slow Death of Gameday Atmosphere at CKA

[ShockerFever]

I read his response. It's a valid one. My point is, the athletic department listens to money. They won't change anything if they think it will negatively affect their sponsors donations. So you have to go to the source. I'm not saying to call out Sponsors for donating .. but call them out and point out that their name is tied to a promotion that is killing the atmosphere in CKA. This is NEGATIVE marketing for them at this point. Ask them to work with the Athletic department to provide a better experience. If they don't, you will take your business elsewhere.

I guarantee you that they would get more out of their marketing dollars if they just requested to use their promotion during momentum timeouts and just put a big sign on the board that said "This timeout and Shocker Sound is brought to you by ....." and just have the band keep the crowd fired up. That would leave a MUCH better taste in people's mouths than supporting something plays slow jams during critical times of the game.

You’re pinning the blame on the wrong set of people.
The WSU athletic department is killing the game day atmosphere.

[WuShock16]

I guess one other question i have is ... How are they accounting for the "extra" timeouts ... There were a lot of timeouts yesterday .. .more than normal. Every one had a promotion played. Do they just have extra promotions that are ok to not be played if there is no timeout? Get rid of those completely. If a timeout is called that isn't a media timeout ... it's probably a momentum timeout.

The problem is that "momentum timeouts" can turn into media timeouts. The first timeout called in the second half turns into a full-blown media timeout (which is what happened with the timeout after Conner's 3 that cut the lead to 1), as does any timeout called within 30 seconds of a scheduled media timeout or after said media timeout.

I meant to pay attention to the operations down in Stillwater. I really don't want to make myself sit through an 8-on-5 game at AFH, but from what I can tell, the crowd is going nuts when the TV comes back from commercial. I'm guessing they don't do kiss cams and little kids dunk contests during media timeouts, especially in the second half.

[SHOCKvalue]

Sponsors who are buying the promo ad time are purchasing a product offered to them by WSU that they consider to have the most impact per dollar. While I don’t know if calling them out for it is best practice, let’s not be naive, this isn’t some altruistic, charitable move on their part.

The more intrusive the better, in advertising, so it makes sense that a business will jump on the chance to be the most noticeable rodeo queen at the fair. In the same breath, sometimes the best approach to an attention whore is to ignore their existence in the first place.

All that to say, I wish the crowd would just scream, clap, and cheer over the promos as if they aren’t there. There’s absolutely nothing the athletic department could do about that, short of kicking everyone out of the arena for not giving proper due to their attention whore.

[Shaqness]

All the stuff about game day production and crowd quality have some truth. But the bigger problem is really the lack of ability for this team really being capable of playing lockdown defense.

This year team doesn't have the ability to actually steal the ball, so you are not seeing the "atomic bomb" turnover which beside great offensive play like hitting a 3pt or a slam is what get the crowd going. If you do have the crowd going, then WSU inability to guard one-on-one means somebody on the opposing team makes a play and the crowd momentum is shut down before it ever get started..

I agree. The cheers stop when WSU goes on defense. Hard to cheer for a team that let's opposing teams rip em apart on defense.

[Stickboy46]

You’re pinning the blame on the wrong set of people.
The WSU athletic department is killing the game day atmosphere.

Yes and no. The athletic department set up the contracts but now that they are signed they can't change them. The advertisers could..

[ShockerFever]

Yes and no. The athletic department set up the contracts but now that they are signed they can't change them. The advertisers could..

This isn’t gonna get fixed this season and the onus is not on the advertisers. This is a WSU problem.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Can we all agree that the intros this year are the most disappointing, inexcusably bad piece of production you could ever imagine for an event with 10,000+ paid ticketgoers?

I mean, lights, video, music, top 10 team... should be rocking like a concert at that time.

Instead, people are waving their cell phone flashlights (because they didn't download a silly app that, what, changes colors?)
Instead, we get a video that is boring.
Instead, we get music that is dull, too quiet, doesn't pump anyone up, and is, once again, boring.

Ugggghhh

[Stickboy46]

This isn’t gonna get fixed this season and the onus is not on the advertisers. This is a WSU problem.

I agree. Future years need help from WSU. Still think If there is a push from the advertisers it will have a better chance of succeeding

[Play Angry]

Intro video and music have been all downhill and generally disappointing since the Final Four season. I know the team supposedly has input on its selection but good lord it's been consistently as riveting as the 45 minute mark following a couple of Nyquil.

[ShockerFever]

Can we all agree that the intros this year are the most disappointing, inexcusably bad piece of production you could ever imagine for an event with 10,000+ paid ticketgoers?

I mean, lights, video, music, top 10 team... should be rocking like a concert at that time.

Instead, people are waving their cell phone flashlights (because they didn't download a silly app that, what, changes colors?)
Instead, we get a video that is boring.
Instead, we get music that is dull, too quiet, doesn't pump anyone up, and is, once again, boring.

Ugggghhh

This doesn’t happen too often but I emphatically, 100% fully agree with you.

That crap is an embarrassment beyond words. How so much FAIL could make the head desk and then get stamped for approval is beyond me.

[SHOCKvalue]

I’m guessing Intake Studios didn’t do this year’s intro like they typically do, and I would assume based on the quality it was performed in-house. If Intake did it then one could only assume they were given very little to work with, financially.

I mistakenly assumed this year’s video would be awesome, considering the program rebirth of entering the AAC, the new ability of the LED lights to be shut off, etc, but nope.

[Shaqness]

Hey, I will add that I never hear any bass. I'm not talkin fish either. All high/mid range. Never any bass. I wouldn't want that crappy EQ turned up louder anyway.

[singularies]

i agree

[ShockerPhi]

Bob Lutz has a Twitter poll on the in-game production:

Over 50% say it's not good. Go add your vote.

[ShockBand]

I was at the KU game where they lost to Tech. No timeout promos that I recall, and the pa was LOUD.

[Pigman]

no tv or ncaa money? sell your soul to every tom dick and harry that has a few bucks.
get past this year to a new tv deal and new ncaa money hopefully the production quality and "rock show" value can be there without the stupid timeout promotions!