Vitale to call Alabama game

[newshock1234]

Those last 5 minutes is the loudest ive heard CKA in the Marshall era

[ShockerKhan]

Price (or cost) of success? Do you want the 90's back? If so, there will be plenty of seating for the "general public", but I don't think it will be louder (due to the product on the court).

That "older crowd" of long time, loyal fans is a big reason that they say WSU travels so well.

Suggestions?

There were crowds in the 90's just as loud as last nights crowd like the Cohen win over Alabama. The point is people change and times change. With more time outs and longer time outs because of TV the flow of games is choppy at best. Add in all the promotional stuff going on and the number of people playing with their phones and the quality of the environment suffers. Just the way it is. Don't sweat it.

[Dave Stalwart]

I actually had the impression from start to finish that the crowd was good. At the beginning of the game I was happy to see the place packed completely out, even behind the band and likewise at the south end. Throughout the game I felt like the crowd wanted to get behind the team and get loud to crush Bama but the team kept stifling us. We would get a defensive stop and the crowd would stand and then we would get a turnover... Or we'd get fouled and then miss the free throws, etc.

Once it got to the true crunch time I had all but stopped believing but then the defense came, the comeback came (and the entire comeback was on hard-nosed attacking of the basket), the tie happened, the DUNK, the 1.2 and the miss. Once all of that took place, the crowd was great! We just needed anything to cheer for and they finally gave it to us.

There was nothing wrong with this crowd. It's hard for me to cheer when TKO is airballing the worst three he's ever shot or when Legendarius is leading a fast break and delivering a UPS package to the other team, or when everyone on the team is missing every free throw.

[ShockTalk]

Uh, @ShockTalk: you mentioned the decade that shall never be named, aka our college years for many on this fine forum. I could show up 15 minutes after tip and sit on the fourth or fifth row. Back then the student section was the opposite end of the arena. Seating and ticket issues are good problems to have for a program. Oh, the 90's, it was what it was, never go back!

Go Back!

My most humble apologies for mentioning....well....you know what. :dejection:

That was long past my college years, but I was at the games.

[SHOCKvalue]

I'm not an "old person", so I don't say this defensively, but....

"Old people" are the reason why our men's basketball brings in $5.6M annually in revenue (a number that bald-ass embarrasses our conference mates, as well as the vast majority of non-P5 programs).

"Old people" are the reason we are able to pay (and more importantly retain) our future HoF coach with a $2M+ salary.

"Old people" are why our seemingly outmoded baseball program recently hired a new head coach and are paying him at probably 95th percentile salary in that field.

"Old people" just yesterday made an $11.25M donation to our endowment.

[AndShock]

FWIW Marshall said they wouldn't have won the game if it wasn't for the crowd.

[shox1989]

It was a hard game for the crowd as a whole to get revved up until those last five minutes. We did finish strong, which is always good.

I was disappointed in the crowd last night until the last 5 minutes. It would have been nice if the crowd would have done a little extra effort for national TV and Dick Vitale. The guy hadn't been in Wichita since the early 80s. He may never be back. A great crowd could have left him talking about WSU and their atmosphere for years as he works other games. I think it was a missed opportunity, but at least the crowd finished strong.

[shox1989]

I'm not an "old person", so I don't say this defensively, but....

"Old people" are the reason why our men's basketball brings in $5.6M annually in revenue (a number that bald-ass embarrasses our conference mates, as well as the vast majority of non-P5 programs).

"Old people" are the reason we are able to pay (and more importantly retain) our future HoF coach with a $2M+ salary.

"Old people" are why our seemingly outmoded baseball program recently hired a new head coach and are paying him at probably 95th percentile salary in that field.

"Old people" just yesterday made an $11.25M donation to our endowment.

I will also point out that there were a lot of old people at the Iowa game and the Tulsa games in the 80s. Old people can get loud too.

[ShockTalk]

Next time you are in Koch look around. This is an aging group at Shocker games. Big Dog remembers the Tulsa games of the 80's and the legendary Iowa game.
He knows how loud for long periods of time it use to be. I attended those games and the recent FSU game. The student section is fine but they are only 10 %
of the crowd. What puts noise over the top is the general public. That is just not happening any more when the average age is over 50 years old.

There were crowds in the 90's just as loud as last nights crowd like the Cohen win over Alabama. The point is people change and times change. With more time outs and longer time outs because of TV the flow of games is choppy at best. Add in all the promotional stuff going on and the number of people playing with their phones and the quality of the environment suffers. Just the way it is. Don't sweat it.

It's cool, not sweatin' it at all.

I generally agree with your second post. Sorry if I misunderstood the first one with the "aging group" and "general public" thrust.

Not sure that people/fans change as much as the dynamics of the crowd and, as you posted, the dynamics of the presentation of the game. I would add that big time athletics costs and the "fans" that it takes to make successful things happen is a big part of the crowd dynamics.

Is the Alabama game you mention Cohen's first home game in the first year of "that which shall not be mentioned" period? If so, not exactly representative of the period.

[WuDrWu]

I don't get some of the crowd comments....I thought the crowd was great. I can't remember a game where the crowd would get into it, the other team would run 2/3+ of the shot clock and then make a sword in the heart shot. They just drained energy from the crowd time and time again. I give credit to those in attendance for keeping the faith. I was sure doubtful at times, not that I'll ever leave early.

[Shock Top]

Vitale was still real complimentary of the Shockers and Shocker Nation.

I remember this tweet I saw last night:

Matt Norlander @MattNorlander:
Vitale agreed to fly out to Wichita for a Tuesday December game against Alabama. Shockers most definitely are mainstream.

Vitale will be back, mark my words!

[1972Shocker]

"Old people" just yesterday made an $11.25M donation to our endowment.

Losing to Bama would not have been a good way to end yesterday especially with Chuck in attendance at the Chuck. Not that he would have withdrawn his commitment had we lost. Just would not have felt right.

[Kung Wu]

I felt like I was in a Catholic church I was standing and sitting so much the second half.

Synopsis of how my second half went:

10:00 left in the game ... Stand and try to lift up the boys, cuz we're getting an our butts handed to us. Sit down because Alabama doesn't know they are supposed to lose.

8:00 left in the game ... Stand up and cheer for the boys anyway. Sit down because Alabama is unphased by how loud I am yelling.

7:00 left in the game ... Stand up and try and to help get some momentum! Sit down because Alabama didn't get the memo.

6:00 left in the game ... Stand up and get a defensive stop at least! Sit down because Alabama just made a three and sucked the life juice right out of me. ARG ARG ARG

5:00 left in the game ... Stand up because that's what you do to get your team going! Sit down because Alabama ain't havin' none of it! SCREW THAT!!! CHEER ANGRY!!!

4:00 left in the game ... Stand up because this is Koch! Wait, what was that?! FVV and Baker gettin' it done?!?! STAY STANDING!!! YELL!

2:00 left in the game ... Kelly!! YESSSS!!!! STAND STAND STAND!!! YELL YELL YELL!!!

1:00 left in the game ... Kelly ties!?!! YESSSS!!!! Hug the dude behind me that I have never met before! HOLLAR HOLLAR HOLLAR!!!

0:12 left in the game ... Darius!!!!!!! BOO THE REFS FOR NOT CALLING THE MUGGING! Check my pace maker batteries! Oh I don't have a pace maker!

0:01.2 left in the game ... CHEER THE REFS for not calling it when we mug Bama's guard! He deserved it anyway!! YELL YELL YELL!!! SCREAM SCREAM!!

Timeout ... sit down and Google for a self-improvement article on my mobile on how to be a better husband ... WAIT, WHAT??!?! HELL NO!!! YELL YELL YELL AND SCREAM MY ARSE OFF!!

[1972Shocker]

Vitale was still real complimentary of the Shockers and Shocker Nation.

I remember this tweet I saw last night:

Matt Norlander @MattNorlander:
Vitale agreed to fly out to Wichita for a Tuesday December game against Alabama. Shockers most definitely are mainstream.

Vitale will be back, mark my words!

First we need to lineup a date for Jay Bilas.

[1972Shocker]

I felt like I was in a Catholic church I was standing and sitting so much the second half.

Wait a minute! No kneeling and praying for divine intervention. I could see no kneeling but I suspect there was some praying going on.