The Slow Death of Gameday Atmosphere at CKA

[SHOCKvalue]

They do the whole crowd National Anthem because they’ve received positive feedback on such.

Supposedly...

[Shock Top]

I mean, it’s cool once in awhile. Nothing tops a rocking singer belting out a great anthem though.

(Love that Navy guy that was always at the MVC Tournament)

[InWuWeTrust]

something has to change... used to get jacked up for the games - now i'd be just as happy catching it at a sports bar or at home. maybe i'm getting older, but i'd place my money on the production value of the game. my wife and i took the road to baylor, tulsa, and okla state... all three, especially baylor and okla state had much better gameday production.

[proshox]

I agree with you. I am consistently going to road games and seeing it done better. They have somehow made home games boring. It is an amazing accomplishment ....

[Shock Top]

Don’t remember if this was posted yet or not, but saw on Facebook Zach Bush voice his opinion.

Former players even notice that there is an issue. #WakeUp

[ShockerFever]

Members of the athletic department read ShockerNet. They know we’ve whined about this for years. They don’t care what we think. I just hope they care about what former Shockers and/or the media thinks.

And I think that's what pisses me off the most. Just taking the fans/sellouts for granted, cashing in those annual checks like it's expected to them, and then just ignoring or passing off the issue like it's a leaf blowing in the wind.

I can handle the higher annual costs if everything I get in return is of higher value. The coach is of high value. The players are of high value. The program is of utmost high value. The overall game experience and being taken for granted is of low value and is starting to give me pause for the first time ever about going forward with my financial tithes/season tickets to the program every year. Here we have a Top 10 program with realistic National Championship hopes and that thought actually has crept into my head. Am I insane?

[Shox The Revenant]

Are the powers at be simply catering to the crowd? Or is the crowd victims of a crappy entertainment director? Would the crowd go for and get hyped with hip hop or dub step music? I refuse to believe the crowd are a bunch of sticks in the mud. K-State does 'Sandstorm', Wisconsin goes crazy with 'Jump Around', Maryland is nuts for 'Turbulance' but the crowd is lucky if we get 'Bonanza'. Just go onto youtube and search for these examples and you may be envious of the energy. Me....I vote 'Jump Around', heck we borrowed war from VCU, we can do the same from Wisconsin.

[Shock Top]

If the old birds complain, boo-hoo. I doubt many would take their checkbook and run. There would (likely) be people waiting to replace them.

[SHOXAAC]

I miss talent brought in for national anthem, frisbee catching dogs and quick change at halftime. On court product has risen in quality over the years, while the game production has gone the other direction.

[Topshock]

Staff Directory

FULL STAFF
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Reginald McIntyre
Director of Fan Engagement

Phone: 316-978-5558
Email: rmcintyre@goshockers.com

As the Assistant Director of Marketing, Reggie McIntyre oversees all game day operations for volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, baseball and softball. He also serves as primary contact for all media sponsorship package inquiries and development and he is responsible for the implementation of all community engagement initiatives for Wichita State Athletics.

He previously served as Director of Marketing & Special Events at the College of the Holy Cross. While with the Crusaders, McIntyre was responsible for the creation and execution of all marketing plans for the department of athletics.

Before his stint at Holy Cross, he served as an external relations associate at the University of Louisville. McIntyre was previously a graduate assistant at Louisville for two years in 2012 and 2013, spending time in external relations, development and marketing.

A native of Wilmington, N.C., he received his Bachelor’s degree from of North Carolina State University in Sport Management. He also earned a master’s degree in sport administration from the University of Louisville in 2013.

[WstateU]

I miss talent brought in for national anthem, frisbee catching dogs and quick change at halftime. On court product has risen in quality over the years, while the game production has gone the other direction.

Monkeys, more monkeys...

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[WuShock16]

And I think that's what pisses me off the most. Just taking the fans/sellouts for granted, cashing in those annual checks like it's expected to them, and then just ignoring or passing off the issue like it's a leaf blowing in the wind.

I can handle the higher annual costs if everything I get in return is of higher value. The coach is of high value. The players are of high value. The program is of utmost high value. The overall game experience and being taken for granted is of low value and is starting to give me pause for the first time ever about going forward with my financial tithes/season tickets to the program every year. Here we have a Top 10 program with realistic National Championship hopes and that thought actually has crept into my head. Am I insane?

You are not insane. You are being a thoughtful, responsible individual trying to decide the best way to allocate your resources.

Fev, I don’t think I know you, but I find you to be a crazy strong Shocker fan. If you knew me, you’d absolutely know that I too am a nutty fan. However, even I, of all people, have had some of your same thoughts. I’ll likely never actually pull the trigger and cancel my season tickets, but I have had to miss several games in recent years due to finances, scheduling, etc., and I have not died from it. I will always love Shocker Basketball, but the perspective of life has shown me that it’s not the end-all, be-all thing to me that it once might have been. That’s sad because I want it to be special. I want it to be something to share with my future son. But I am starting to think that going to 16 games a year might not need to be part of that.

If I’m thinking that in the middle of Shocker Basketball’s golden age, what will happen with the Johnny-Come-Latelys if the program ever goes back to 1990s suckage? There won’t be 7,000 of the “Marshall/Baker/VanVleet Faithful” coming to games every night in 2050 if the program ever falters. You can look several hundred meters east of CKA for proof of that.

[Singeril]

WSU, every year, sends out a notice for people to come “audition” to sing the National Anthem. People send in their information...and then the Athletic Department doesn’t respond. A couple of the most noted names in vocal classical music history are on the voice faculty at WSU...but they aren’t being asked to sing. They are also alums. We’ve had them before. Excellent response from the audience. Not sure why the Athletic Department keeps dropping the ball on this. This isn’t to take anything away from the band. I like they way they do the anthem. But, it could all be better.

[WuShock16]

My wife is a music ed grad from WSU and has sung a couple times years ago...but like you mentioned, recently has kinda been blown off in regards to singing the anthem. It’s probably not a coincidence that she doesn’t really care about the team anymore, even though the team really has nothing to do with it. In her eyes, all of WSU is all the same.

[WheatShock]

I personally like having the band play the anthem. That doesn't mean they should only have the band do it though, mix it up a little.

I would also like to see a color guard at least some of the time, invite McConnell or a local high school ROTC unit to come and present the colors. Heck if Thunder hockey can do it for nearly every game surely WSU could get one once in a while.

[AndShock]

Koch Arena just doesn’t have a buzz anymore. It used to have its own special energy that is gone. Maybe the promotions are to blame. Maybe it’s an aging fan base. Maybe the younger fans have been priced out. Maybe college sports just aren’t what they were just 10 years ago.

You would think the ones in charge would do everything in their power to harness something special that existed in Wichita, KS instead of trying to speed up its demise as fast as possible.

[shockrah]

If the administration reads Shockernet, then someone should start a poll to quantify our like or dislike of the current system for them.

[Wuchalk]

I think the lack of atmosphere can be attributed in part to cell phones. I often see several people around me looking at their phones, taking selfies, etc., and not watching the game.

[AZ Shocker]

All this news saddens me some simply because I know what you all are saying and how special of a place Koch Arena can and has been.

I tend to trust that Reginald is doing his absolute best...but the funding, financing and his boss probably handcuffs him from what he truly "wants" to do...due to finances this year. Hey...who hasn't been there before right?

It's a process. Especially considering the revenue that Wichita St. has to basically eat this year moving to the AAC. Lots of lost revenue and anteing up to get there.

Defintely let the powers that be know. Wichita St. leadership has proven it likes to trend up. Me thinks they probably already know that the game day production needs a redo. Just keep letting them know what your fandom expects.

Perhaps all Mr. McIntyer needs is a simple workaround. A little flexibility for a quick fix. Yeah...that's the ticket.

Go Shocks!!!!!