Home attendance / atmosphere

[ripemupshocks]

A "Winter Corps" that was essentially a marching band on a basketball floor has been done in other places and is very cool. It would also be a way for the music education department to re-insert at least SOME marching arts back into the curriculum. Just think, about 20 horn players and 10 percussion with some whaling tunes? Would be awesome.

I love the idea of an inside marching band performing at half time. It would be great. Marching bands perform at half time of football games, why not a smaller version for basketball games?

:good:

[WSU Shocker]

WSU had some key people in the Marketing area leave a few years ago. They have also had interns in positions of responsibility who do not have the experience that the people who left had prior to taking jobs at WSU. I believe this has lead to the decline in the game production.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

ASM, I think you're being sarcastic. But I'm not sure. So just in case; The day Wichita State University Mens Basketball becomes an NBA franchise is the day they stop getting my money.

I'm not being sarcastic. I seriously don't understand why people get all bent out of shape for something all pro sports do.

Yeah I wish the pep band would be more involved but lets face it... Our pep band sucks. I mean who plays Dudley when you're losing? Other than overall gripes about in-game production are valid.

[SubGod22]

I'm not being sarcastic. I seriously don't understand why people get all bent out of shape for something all pro sports do.

Yeah I wish the pep band would be more involved but lets face it... Our pep band sucks. I mean who plays Dudley when you're losing? Other than overall gripes about in-game production are valid.

Probably has something to do with it being basketball. Why would we compare our college basketball experience with professional football/baseball/hockey/whatever?

[Kung Wu]

I think the band is good but the direction/coordination sucks. Sorta like when you're the flight leader of a demonstration team and you drop a cigarette in your lap. Your entire flight team goes into the ground with you like a dart.

[WstateU]

I mean who plays Dudley when you're losing?

I always thought Dudley was a little bass ackwards anyway...

[Old Guy WU Fan]

Spot on. From what I've gleaned, even with some of the shortcomings we perceive, the band and pep band director do want to try and get it right. The game has just been so structured and scripted for the past 10+ years that there is hardly any organic flow to what the band plays. Back in the 80s when I played we had a handful of items (fight songs, cheers, and short rah-rah type music) that were called by hand signal and we had pretty much memorized, so they could be brought to life quickly. We played through most if not all of any timeouts. The selection of music was driven by what was happening in the game. A boost needed? Hail Wichita, Shocker Fight, or Lets Go Shocks. Keep the energy? The little "shorties" that were easy to clap to. Visiting team calls a TO and we're rolling? Low Brass (We're Gonna Beat The Hell Outa You) Cheer.

It isn't rocket science, but you do have to have a director who is a good "play caller" and that isn't always a natural skill. I would help mentor and guide any pep band director GTA, for free, for the first few games if it were so desired. But I want to be asked, it is not my position to demand that. But there would also have to be a huge change of mentality on the part of the game management staff and what they desire. Right now it seems they think NBA style is preferred, and it seems that they are either too naive or too arrogant to admit they might be wrong. College basketball should have a college atmosphere, not an NBA atmosphere.

Just my humble two cents.

The band director is only doing what he is allowed to do. The song and time it will be played during the game, is scheduled in advance. It has absolutely nothing to do with the score or crowd interface. Note that the "low brass" is only played at the end of the game. Our AD wants the advertisement/games to have priority during every time out. ADES is a joke.

[WstateU]

The band director is only doing what he is allowed to do. The song and time it will be played during the game, is scheduled in advance. It has absolutely nothing to do with the score or crowd interface. Note that the "low brass" is only played at the end of the game. Our AD wants the advertisement/games to have priority during every time out. ADES is a joke.

... and now we know

[WstateU]

THE "LOW BRASS" AT THE END OF THE GAME?

[WstateU]

'Fever' is going to blow a gasket!

[ShockTalk]

@ShockBand:, "It isn't rocket science, but you do have to have a director who is a good "play caller" and that isn't always a natural skill. I would help mentor and guide any pep band director GTA, for free, for the first few games if it were so desired."

My question is: Then why is this individual directing a pep band if he has not been taught before putting him "on stage"? What's this person learning? How to read, how to follow a script? Or, maybe, how to handle, play call, and direct (be the director) of a pep band. That would be novel.

I dislike the "scripting". It looks bad due to the timing of things and hurts the purpose of why the pep band is there in the first place.

A lot of good things for the fans and the aiding of the basketball team have been brought up here by a number of posters. To bad those that can do something about it won't read them, won't change things, and/or simply don't care due to "Show me the money!!".

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Probably has something to do with it being basketball. Why would we compare our college basketball experience with professional football/baseball/hockey/whatever?

What makes college basketball so different than any other sport? College sport that is. The baseball team doesnt have a pep band playing. Most football teams have a band and they still utilize music over the loudspeakers. Virginia Tech blasts Enter Sandman before every game. Ive ran a google search and I havent had one result come up with people complaining that "its like a NFL football game" Out of all the petty **** to complain we're going to complain about that? At least complain about a song selection

[ShockerFever]

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?

Where did I call you a name? Why do you have to make things up? Is it because I and others have struck a nerve? I guess the only name I called you was "Eric Sexton". That kinda makes my point if you thought me calling you Eric Sexton was offensive. I would be offended too.

You fail the fanbase because you and others similar to you simply don't care. It's the same thinking with the athletic department. Screw everything else associated with the game and how it is run. Who cares if the university looks like a small time high school production? As long as the floor product is doing ok, who cares? That's EXACTLY the type of mentality Sexton and the cronies want you to have. Who cares about sponsors of every statistic alive? Who cares if it makes the university look and sound like a whore house to those in attendance and watching on tv and other regional/national media present? Who cares if you or others are tortured during timeouts or at halftime? Who cares if the product on the floor is good but everything else around it and during it looks like a Mickey Mouse Production?

Your mindset is the mindset of those in charge and is exactly why multiple threads are created weekly about this very topic. And just like in this thread, your mindset is in the outer edge minority. And unfortunately, that mindset is the majority in those in charge and is why we look like a low major athletic department running a high major basketball program. Who cares, right? .. Exactly.

[im4wsu]

Where did I call you a name? Why do you have to make things up? Is it because I and others have struck a nerve? I guess the only name I called you was "Eric Sexton". That kinda makes my point if you thought me calling you Eric Sexton was offensive. I would be offended too.

You fail the fanbase because you and others similar to you simply don't care. It's the same thinking with the athletic department. Screw everything else associated with the game and how it is run. Who cares if the university looks like a small time high school production? As long as the floor product is doing ok, who cares? That's EXACTLY the type of mentality Sexton and the cronies want you to have. Who cares about sponsors of every statistic alive? Who cares if it makes the university look and sound like a whore house to those in attendance and watching on tv and other regional/national media present? Who cares if you or others are tortured during timeouts or at halftime? Who cares if the product on the floor is good but everything else around it and during it looks like a Mickey Mouse Production?

Your mindset is the mindset of those in charge and is exactly why multiple threads are created weekly about this very topic. And just like in this thread, your mindset is in the outer edge minority. And unfortunately, that mindset is the majority in those in charge and is why we look like a low major athletic department running a high major basketball program. Who cares, right? .. Exactly.

"Incredibly naive and short-sighted".

I have failed the fanbsase -- still have no clue why I'm trying to impress a fanbase or whatever you. mean -- by contributing for 32 consecutive years. Can you say that, Mister?

A friend tonight told me that the recent KU game had the cheerleaders as their halftime entertainment. Mighty KU didn't pay for any outside stuff. I do't go to a movie for the popcorn, I don't go to the ballgame for the timeout promos. I don't need to be so coddled.

You've made it pretty clear that such tthings are of paramount importance to you, but then you deny it being meaningful to you. Which is it?

Oh, never mind. You flipflop more than any politician.

Notoice no name calling or insults here. No imaginary "failing the fanbase". I guess I'll go to my grave trying to figure out what I owe to the fanbase and how I've failed it. If I have failed you, as part of the fanbase, I have certainly not failed WSU or their football or basketball or baseball teams over the last 32 years (which excludes ten-plus years of attending games with my parents before college).

[ShockerFever]

"Incredibly naive and short-sighted".

I have failed the fanbsase -- still have no clue why I'm trying to impress a fanbase or whatever you. mean -- by contributing for 32 consecutive years. Can you say that, Mister?

A friend tonight told me that the recent KU game had the cheerleaders as their halftime entertainment. Mighty KU didn't pay for any outside stuff. I do't go to a movie for the popcorn, I don't go to the ballgame for the timeout promos. I don't need to be so coddled.

You've made it pretty clear that such tthings are of paramount importance to you, but then you deny it being meaningful to you. Which is it?

Oh, never mind. You flipflop more than any politician.

Notoice no name calling or insults here. No imaginary "failing the fanbase". I guess I'll go to my grave trying to figure out what I owe to the fanbase and how I've failed it. If I have failed you, as part of the fanbase, I have certainly not failed WSU or their football or basketball or baseball teams over the last 32 years (which excludes ten-plus years of attending games with my parents before college).

Sorry, I haven't been alive for 32 years. Congrats are in order for you for being born before me.

Speaking of flip flopping, you are now trying to tie in your patronage and support of WSU for 32 years in with not caring about anything surrounding the university, which includes its image and perception, except the actual product on the basketball floor. Of course the product on the floor is of the utmost performance, but to think nothing else doesn't matter is once again.. incredibly naive and short-sighted. YEP, that's what it is. You are looking at the tiny pixel in a photograph. I and others are looking at the BIG picture.

I'm glad you went with a KU comparison, but alas, cheerleaders do perform at halftime. There is nothing wrong with that. That would be better than a lot of the other stuff we've seen this year here. KU also has had other acts at halftime, so I don't really get what your point was with that one? And please stop with the lame movie analogy. It doesn't fit unless you are short-sighted and naive. I'm gonna take a guess the movie theater business makes much more revenue in popcorn sales than they do in movie ticket sales. Again, you are FAILING basic logic and missing the basic point of the majority on here. NO ONE ON HERE COMES TO GAMES TO WATCH THE TIMEOUT ENTERTAINMENT. THEY COME FOR THE BASKETBALL LIKE YOU AND ME AND BILLY GEE. But the WHOLE product is what we are presented with and it is a crappy one. BASKETBALL PRODUCT = GOOD. PRODUCT REVOLVING AROUND AND TYING IN WITH THE BASKETBALL PRODUCT = BAD. Get it?

Your flawed logic is really hurting you here. Where did I say that your support for the university for 30 + years failed the fanbase? I did not state that. Your mindset of ignoring everything else that goes on at a WSU game besides the score on the board is what is failing the fanbase. You simply accept the status quo and don't demand a higher presentation from your athletic department. You are perfectly content with a low major basketball game production involving a high major basketball product. You are entitled to accept that thinking, but it is of backwards nature. It certainly wouldn't help grow a fanbase or make it look presentable to those who support it with large sums of money from their pockets every year or to the media and perception outside of old Wichita, Kansas.

You are content with a great basketball team and a great basketball team only. Others would rather have the entire athletic department and game management be great. That includes the basketball team. There's the difference. Eric Sexton would be proud of you.