Home attendance / atmosphere

[Kung Wu]

I have been a season ticket holder since 1978 and have watched the crowds evolve at Levitt/Koch. As the SASO donation requirement continued to rise the number of rabid stand up and scream you quts out fans has continued to dwindle. Four close friends who were/are no longer season ticket holders were loud, intense and diehard fans. They are still the same way when we get together to watch a road game and we are all screaming at the TV and jumping up for high fives. That use to be a typical Levitt arena fan. They have been replaced by more calm groups of younger fans and familes that spend as much time texting as watching the game. Add to that large number of older folks who are satisfied to sit calmly and watch the game and the atmosphere takes a big hit. Like it or not that also tends to infulence more people around them to act the same. I actually had a lady sitting in front of me ask me to quit whisteling so loud because it was annoying her. She was with an elderly lady and a young girl who appeared to be 4-5 years of age. They were there to sit quietly and enjoy the game while the little girl played with mom's phone. I am sure that the Athletic department is grateful to every fan that passes through the door and wants a wholesome family atmosphere. It's just not going to be as electric as it has been in the past and I don't see that changing. Next time you are at a game watch how many people really get into the clapping for defense to start the game. Ya they all stand up but many don't even clap and alot just clap like they are at the theater. It just a chore that Don Hall forces them to participate in. I am not complaining about the people that are passively watching the game, I commend them for being there to support WSU. I just lament the fact that Koch is not the same place as Henry Levitt used to be. Unfortunately I am not sure it will ever be again.

Longest paragraph of the year!

[ShockerFever]

If I wasn't so concerned with getting charged with assault, I would have gladly turned around and broke the kid's jaw. When we started going into that slump with the refs help, he started chanting "NIT!" *clap clap clap-clap-clap*

He got a lot of nasty stares throughout the game...

I'm glad she had enough time in her busy agricultural life to buy a ticket to a Wichita State game, come and watch it, all for the purpose of entertaining herself. Probably lonely and unemployed.

If I had saw the twirp, she still would be trying to pull her leg out of her ***.

[ShockerFever]

A LOT of really good points have been made in this thread.

The point about the economy is a fair one. With the WSU AD still continuing to raise SASO contributions and ticket prices, it won't be too long before they outprice the fringes. They don't need the money. They are perfectly FINE cash wise. Even with Marshall's much deserved raise, we are FINE financially.

The crowd has been pathetic at times, including last night. Maybe we are getting spoiled now. We are 18-3 and ranked in the Top 30 in the country and our crowd acts like it's a high school game. Maybe we like to take the underdog role better and it's just "more fun" to upset teams than to be the top dog. Well, that's not the way a major program works. The crowd needs to get into it more. I agree the blowouts don't help, but come on. Act like you give a damn about the team you love..

The student section is terrible. No organized chanting. No freakishly loud noise. Just you're typical "let's go Shockers" chant, your moving your hands around at opponent free throws. I hardly hear many boos now from the student section. How sad that we can't even get that thing 3/4 full during an NCAA Tournament season. Back in the mid-2000's, our student section WAS a student section. Now, it's pretty weak. Sad.

The absolute 100% most important aspect that a lot of posters honed in on and I TOTALLY agree with is the in-game production and promotions. That is a DIRECT reflection of the highest level of the Athletic Department. It is EMBARRASSING. It's D-League and it just isn't getting better. A total freefall since the previous Athletic Director was in charge. That is where a lot of pride has been thrown down the door. Nobody cares and nobody continues to care. It's status quo. Sexton doesn't give a rat's ***. He apparently is satisfied with the product. It's a total embarrassment and ABSOLUTE waste of a high-level fanbase and basketball program that's experiencing very successful years on the court. And during that time of utmost success, the time to captivate the audience and tie everything together, we drop a big fat freaking TURD. Absolutely TERRIBLE. And yet, we continue to discuss it weekly because nothing is changing.

It's sometimes a sad, sad day...

[im4wsu]

The absolute 100% most important aspect that a lot of posters honed in on and I TOTALLY agree with is the in-game production and promotions. That is a DIRECT reflection of the highest level of the Athletic Department. It is EMBARRASSING. It's D-League and it just isn't getting better. A total freefall since the previous Athletic Director was in charge. That is where a lot of pride has been thrown down the door. Nobody cares and nobody continues to care. It's status quo. Sexton doesn't give a rat's ***. He apparently is satisfied with the product. It's a total embarrassment and ABSOLUTE waste of a high-level fanbase and basketball program that's experiencing very successful years on the court. And during that time of utmost success, the time to captivate the audience and tie everything together, we drop a big fat freaking TURD. Absolutely TERRIBLE. And yet, we continue to discuss it weekly because nothing is changing.

Anybody who buys a ticket to a game for the "production" or half-time entertainment has misspent their money. That's like going to the movies to buy an overpriced soda. Who cares what is going on at halftime? If that's your thing, stay home and watch Dancing with the Stars.

[Ta Town Shocker]

It baffles me as to why more students aren't attending. I park next to the Fairmount Towers parking lot and it is completely full so I know there are plenty of students capable of attending. WSU games are highly entertaining and there isn't a whole lot else to do around campus. I know WSU has a lot of nontraditional students but you think they could fill the 2 sections allotted to them.

I also find it a bit strange that our attendance was better in 07-08 and 08-09 when the team was rebuilding. Now that we are playing at an extremely high level one would think there would be more fans attending. I definitely don't think the games being broadcast in Ultra Low Definition on Cox 22 keep people from coming. I don't have a radio in my car but does WSU run radio ads or have the coaches on the local morning shows to help increase interest? I think it would be great to give some of the unsold tickets to local high school students. I moved into town from out of state and still remember my first couple of WSU games I attended while in high school. It was also a part of my decision to choose WSU.

To our credit Mark Adams talked very highly of our crowd throughout the second half of the game last night on FSNMidwest.

[ShockerFever]

Anybody who buys a ticket to a game for the "production" or half-time entertainment has misspent their money. That's like going to the movies to buy an overpriced soda. Who cares what is going on at halftime? If that's your thing, stay home and watch Dancing with the Stars.

You're incredibly naive and a bit short-sighted if you think I or anyone with a season ticket attends games for the production or entertainment. However, it is a part of the game and is a reflection of the program. Several ESPN/FSN production crews come in from of out of town. They will notice it. It's embarrassing. Not to mention that any fringe fans or first-time Shocker fans who come in see that product, they may think their money is not worth a high school level production. That shunts a growing fanbase.

If you don't for a second think that the GAME production is not an important aspect in the experience and reflection of the program and athletic department as a whole, then maybe you should go support a middling school, I dunno, like a Northern Colorado or something like that. If you don't for one minute think the advertisement of 3-point shots, dunks, assists, steals, and technical fouls is not a good display of a college basketball game, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think displaying the wrong opponents mascot for our super duper video board is not important, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think erratic music and song choices played during odd points of the game to keep the crowd "into it" is not important, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think the Mickey Mouse games that provide a quick 2 minute break from the action is not embarrassing, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think it was perfectly normal to hear a 5-person "choir" entertain the crowd with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and O Little Town of Bethlehem and wasn't the least bit embarrassed, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think the product displayed DURING a WSU BASKETBALL GAME, in its entire production is PERFECTLY FINE, then may God have mercy on your soul.

Of course, then again, with posters like these, maybe it's why this aspect of the program has hit the tanker. Nobody cares. You are now right on par with Eric Sexton. Congrats.

[proshox]

You're incredibly naive and a bit short-sighted if you think I or anyone with a season ticket attends games for the production or entertainment. However, it is a part of the game and is a reflection of the program. Several ESPN/FSN production crews come in from of out of town. They will notice it. It's embarrassing. Not to mention that any fringe fans or first-time Shocker fans who come in see that product, they may think their money is not worth a high school level production. That shunts a growing fanbase.

If you don't for a second think that the GAME production is not an important aspect in the experience and reflection of the program and athletic department as a whole, then maybe you should go support a middling school, I dunno, like a Northern Colorado or something like that. If you don't for one minute think the advertisement of 3-point shots, dunks, assists, steals, and technical fouls is not a good display of a college basketball game, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think displaying the wrong opponents mascot for our super duper video board is not important, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think erratic music and song choices played during odd points of the game to keep the crowd "into it" is not important, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think the Mickey Mouse games that provide a quick 2 minute break from the action is not embarrassing, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think it was perfectly normal to hear a 5-person "choir" entertain the crowd with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and O Little Town of Bethlehem and wasn't the least bit embarrassed, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think the product displayed DURING a WSU BASKETBALL GAME, in its entire production is PERFECTLY FINE, then may God have mercy on your soul.

Of course, then again, with posters like these, maybe it's why this aspect of the program has hit the tanker. Nobody cares. You are now right on par with Eric Sexton. Congrats.

Holy Hell Batman! This is the single best negative take I have ever read on Shockernet. Game production has been a joke all year and my wife (not a WSU grad) has been hanging these embarrassments on me every single game. The spectrum of game fails is long and distinguished - From Batwu, to the entirely life sucking intro video featuring CGM mis-pronouncing words, to the $%&*@*G whoring out of every single play a Shocker STUDENT Athlete makes, to the terrible timing of band vs. promotions.............

A coworker compared KOCH vs. AFH and he said the main difference was sustained fan enthusiasm. I know the continual buzz used to exist with smaller crowds in the 90s. I can't help but think that it has been a long slow slide into the abyss. I hope it doesn't completely crash out like Tulsa did in the last decade....

[ISASO]

We miss you Jim Schaus.

[shocker1]

[QUOTE=Shocker85;291613]I am shocked, appalled and annoyed by the atmosphere at Shocker basketball games this year.

1) The students (mostly) have become spectators instead of being involved in the games.




The student section has fallen off recently; and i for one feel that it is directly related to non students in the "student section." 48 hours before the game they start selling student tickets to the public.The non students in the "student section" are far from "involved" in the game.

[shox1989]

[QUOTE=shocker1;291807]

I am shocked, appalled and annoyed by the atmosphere at Shocker basketball games this year.

1) The students (mostly) have become spectators instead of being involved in the games.

The student section has fallen off recently; and i for one feel that it is directly related to non students in the "student section." 48 hours before the game they start selling student tickets to the public.The non students in the "student section" are far from "involved" in the game.

There wouldn't be ANY non-students in the student section, if the students actually used all of their 1000 tickets.

They only sell the leftover tickets to the public. Unfortunately this year there have been plenty of left over tickets. Even the CU game had GA tickets that went on sale to the public (fortunately the public snapped them up or the CU game would not have been sold out).

That is part of the problem this year, not enough students actually attending the games.

Although as has been pointed out by other posters there are lots of other problems too.

[im4wsu]

You're incredibly naive and a bit short-sighted if you think I or anyone with a season ticket attends games for the production or entertainment. However, it is a part of the game and is a reflection of the program. Several ESPN/FSN production crews come in from of out of town. They will notice it. It's embarrassing. Not to mention that any fringe fans or first-time Shocker fans who come in see that product, they may think their money is not worth a high school level production. That shunts a growing fanbase.

If you don't for a second think that the GAME production is not an important aspect in the experience and reflection of the program and athletic department as a whole, then maybe you should go support a middling school, I dunno, like a Northern Colorado or something like that. If you don't for one minute think the advertisement of 3-point shots, dunks, assists, steals, and technical fouls is not a good display of a college basketball game, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think displaying the wrong opponents mascot for our super duper video board is not important, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think erratic music and song choices played during odd points of the game to keep the crowd "into it" is not important, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think the Mickey Mouse games that provide a quick 2 minute break from the action is not embarrassing, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think it was perfectly normal to hear a 5-person "choir" entertain the crowd with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and O Little Town of Bethlehem and wasn't the least bit embarrassed, then you have failed the fanbase. If you think the product displayed DURING a WSU BASKETBALL GAME, in its entire production is PERFECTLY FINE, then may God have mercy on your soul.

Of course, then again, with posters like these, maybe it's why this aspect of the program has hit the tanker. Nobody cares. You are now right on par with Eric Sexton. Congrats.

Call me names and berate me all you want, but I go to games for the basketball. I'd rather see cheerleaders leading cheers during breaks than frisbee-chasing dogs. If I wanted to see a variety show, I'd watch reruns of Ed Sullivan. If I want basketball, I go to a basketball game.

I understand that there was better entertainment before, but so what? The basketball is better now.

So,please cool your insurlts and take a deep breath. The Shockers know that AT LEAST SOME of us like basketball for what it is.

By the way, I'm not there to not "fail the fanbase," I'm there to support the Shockers. What does "fail the fanbase" even mean? How much are you willing to pay for a ticket to watch the fanbase, anyway?

[WstateU]

Holy Hell Batman! This is the single best negative take I have ever read on Shockernet. Game production has been a joke all year and my wife (not a WSU grad) has been hanging these embarrassments on me every single game. The spectrum of game fails is long and distinguished - From Batwu, to the entirely life sucking intro video featuring CGM mis-pronouncing words, to the $%&*@*G whoring out of every single play a Shocker STUDENT Athlete makes, to the terrible timing of band vs. promotions.............

A coworker compared KOCH vs. AFH and he said the main difference was sustained fan enthusiasm. I know the continual buzz used to exist with smaller crowds in the 90s. I can't help but think that it has been a long slow slide into the abyss. I hope it doesn't completely crash out like Tulsa did in the last decade....

I’m assuming ‘mantra’ is the word you’re referring to in the intro?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mantra

Now we’re splitting hairs.



No, I’m not thrilled with the marketing department and will express my concerns to the powers that be at the appropriate time. Like others, I have sat in disbelief and embarrassment on a few occasions.

[tw805]

Disclaimer: I have been to one KU game in my life, so I don't know if this is a representative event. But the time I went, they played musical freaking chairs at halftime, then had a Simon says contest. Like it was a preschool. So this may be a more universal problem than you think.

[owenc]

Disclaimer: I have been to one KU game in my life, so I don't know if this is a representative event. But the time I went, they played musical freaking chairs at halftime, then had a Simon says contest. Like it was a preschool. So this may be a more universal problem than you think.

Most of the time they have a commercial act as half time entertainment (all but 2-3 games a year). However, the above sounds like might be more fun. Other than when they have the Marching Cobras I generally can do without the act. Oh, and maybe that Chinese chick on the unicycle. That is the shizz.

[Kung Wu]

Most of the time they have a commercial act as half time entertainment (all but 2-3 games a year). However, the above sounds like might be more fun. Other than when they have the Marching Cobras I generally can do without the act. Oh, and maybe that Chinese chick on the unicycle. That is the shizz.

Yeah I wish we brought the Cobras down here! I saw them up in KC several times.

And the Chinese chick on the unicycle flipping bowls is awesome!