Improve Mason home game experience discussion
- Thread starter Jack Strop
- Start date
I'm obviously 5-6 hours away so I only attend games 1 time a year or so and obviously with the pandemic I'm probably not heading down to Fairfax again. I'm crazy enough to still donate and have my seats but I always make sure as best I can that butts are in them. Unfortunately the friend that had my tickets for Saturday doesn't want to go anywhere with whats going on.
That being said, I have no idea how you resolve this problem. To me it goes back to the original problem that the program has been mired in 10+ years of mediocrity. Compounded with the current environment and various other DC area challenges (sports, museums, football, traffic etc), going to a Mason basketball game just doesn't hit the top of many folks priority lists especially now. The folks who were around from 2008-2012 have other things to worry about, and the 2012-2020 crowd doesn't know what winning is like.
However, the folks do attend are very much used to a sleepy like golf clap atmosphere and this has gone on for years. I can't remember that far back on whether it was even like that during some games when Mason was winning a lot more (I have to think it was) and the rivalry games are when the crowd really turned things up. How do you resolve this? Other than cheering and ignoring people like that, I have no idea.
The culture has to start with the program on the court. Win and defend the home court. This year Mason is 6-1 at home, that is very good. Whether that changes this week, we'll see.
Second, students. Again, this is challenging right now but clearly winning and tradition of cheering helps breed this. They are trying though and between Coach offering free pizza, the school offering free parking, thats a start. At the very least I have always thought that they need to put gold shirts on every chair. The other stuff like newspaper holding or creative chanting always takes place with a few people leading the charge and then printing it out etc. If the program starts winning my hope is some of this starts working out. English is very engaging and open, and as long as that continues, and winning starts, things should start to improve.
I look back at my grievance document that I made with @MasonFanatic and many of our ideas or suggestions have been implemented over the years, but many still aren't.
That being said, I have no idea how you resolve this problem. To me it goes back to the original problem that the program has been mired in 10+ years of mediocrity. Compounded with the current environment and various other DC area challenges (sports, museums, football, traffic etc), going to a Mason basketball game just doesn't hit the top of many folks priority lists especially now. The folks who were around from 2008-2012 have other things to worry about, and the 2012-2020 crowd doesn't know what winning is like.
However, the folks do attend are very much used to a sleepy like golf clap atmosphere and this has gone on for years. I can't remember that far back on whether it was even like that during some games when Mason was winning a lot more (I have to think it was) and the rivalry games are when the crowd really turned things up. How do you resolve this? Other than cheering and ignoring people like that, I have no idea.
The culture has to start with the program on the court. Win and defend the home court. This year Mason is 6-1 at home, that is very good. Whether that changes this week, we'll see.
Second, students. Again, this is challenging right now but clearly winning and tradition of cheering helps breed this. They are trying though and between Coach offering free pizza, the school offering free parking, thats a start. At the very least I have always thought that they need to put gold shirts on every chair. The other stuff like newspaper holding or creative chanting always takes place with a few people leading the charge and then printing it out etc. If the program starts winning my hope is some of this starts working out. English is very engaging and open, and as long as that continues, and winning starts, things should start to improve.
I look back at my grievance document that I made with @MasonFanatic and many of our ideas or suggestions have been implemented over the years, but many still aren't.
Mason32
Starter
The school is giving away a semester of free parking, at least they are trying, it's an original idea
I go to most games because I live 7 miles from campus.
My 2 cents: our fan base is not Dayton’s fanbase We’ll never be Dayton’ fanbase. And I’m ok with that because the trade off is that I live in a modern society rather than a post apocalyptic shithole landscape. If you lived in Dayton, you’d go to the games just to get out of the cold.
All the suggestions and analysis about a better game day experience is a nice exercise to conduct every once a while on the boards but it’s not complicated.
In this area ya gotta win consistently to have consistent butts in the seats. And any suggestions that we may have about improving game day experience will magically be silent once we start winning.
JUST. WIN. BABY.
My 2 cents: our fan base is not Dayton’s fanbase We’ll never be Dayton’ fanbase. And I’m ok with that because the trade off is that I live in a modern society rather than a post apocalyptic shithole landscape. If you lived in Dayton, you’d go to the games just to get out of the cold.
All the suggestions and analysis about a better game day experience is a nice exercise to conduct every once a while on the boards but it’s not complicated.
In this area ya gotta win consistently to have consistent butts in the seats. And any suggestions that we may have about improving game day experience will magically be silent once we start winning.
JUST. WIN. BABY.
Traffic. I grew up in Vienna, and in the 70's, I could get from my house to the gym in 15 minutes, park for free, and walk in without a ticket. But 50 years later, and being 50 years older, and living in Richmond, making a three hour round trip on 95, just doesn't do it for me. I seldom get to a game, though I do have tics for vcu. If I still lived in the area, yeah, I would be there lots more often, but I still love Mason and follow the team on this site, the Mason app, and on TV when we are on. (That's just my story, fwiw)
As far as students and local fans are concerned, you guys have had lots of good ideas, and I think CKE and others are doing a good job in trying to crank up interest. Still, the best cure is winning. I was at Cameron Indoor Stadium in '81? when we played Duke pretty closely. Coach K was in his first year. I bought tics at the door. Now look at Duke. You can't get a ticket without camping out. I know Mason is still largely a commuter school, and so it's not an exact comparison, but winning will cure a LOT of our attendance and atmosphere ills.
My own 0.02 worth.
Wrong thread, man!
Pablo
Hall of Famer
To significantly increase and sustain attendance and improve Mason's home game experience, I assume that "winning" means earning bids and winning in the NCAA tourney.
Just. Win. Baby.
That's how you get butts in the seats. All the other stuff is interesting, maybe fun, and maybe cool, but if you don't win and you have no tradition of winning, no one cares except us die hards who must have nothing better to do at 7pm (or 4pm on occasion) 13 - 15 times per year.
That's how you get butts in the seats. All the other stuff is interesting, maybe fun, and maybe cool, but if you don't win and you have no tradition of winning, no one cares except us die hards who must have nothing better to do at 7pm (or 4pm on occasion) 13 - 15 times per year.
I graduated in 2009. I'll be honest, I still live nearby, but I don't see the big need to go to see the team live. I can just watch the game on TV. Yeah, I'm probably jaded by the fact the team hasn't really been great and won much (aka gotten to the NCAA/NIT) much since I was there (2004-2009). so I don't really feel the need to go and cheer them on in person. Do they even have half the student stuff we had years ago? Perhaps we need to look back into the past and bring back some of the older generation stuff for the students who are there now?
Now back then when I was in college lol, I was there for just about all the home games... and I remember them being packed for the most part. I was part of the Mason Platoon (I think it was called that) for all my years there. If I remember correctly, if you paid like $20 at the start of the season to be part of it, you got to sit in the two sections right behind the basket on both sides of the court as long as you wore your shirt. The shirt you got was pretty cool, not sure who made them, and I think each year was a different one if I remember correctly -- and yes, before you ask, I still have mine lol.
I remember the newspaper thing was big (pretending you were reading the newspaper when the opponents were being introduced). Probably stupid now, but yes, it was a thing then. I remember jumping on the silver bleachers making noise during the opponents FTs. I remember the Platoon leaders would hand things out before the games to wave or use during the game.
As I said, I was there during our "prime years". I came just after our 2004 NIT run. I was there for our 2006/2008 NCAA bids and 2009 NIT bid. 2011 I was around and watched our NCAA win over 'Nova, the dunk by Morrison to seal the win as the #8 seed... then watching our clockes get cleaned by Ohio State lol.
I don't really count the CBI/CIT as really worth anything. Perhaps make it past the 2nd round of the A10 tournament for once? Also, I think there was some buzz after we beat a ranked MD on the road... then went we went into SD and promptly lost all three games there, it went from woah, Mason to meh, Mason.
Just my two cents as well
Now back then when I was in college lol, I was there for just about all the home games... and I remember them being packed for the most part. I was part of the Mason Platoon (I think it was called that) for all my years there. If I remember correctly, if you paid like $20 at the start of the season to be part of it, you got to sit in the two sections right behind the basket on both sides of the court as long as you wore your shirt. The shirt you got was pretty cool, not sure who made them, and I think each year was a different one if I remember correctly -- and yes, before you ask, I still have mine lol.
I remember the newspaper thing was big (pretending you were reading the newspaper when the opponents were being introduced). Probably stupid now, but yes, it was a thing then. I remember jumping on the silver bleachers making noise during the opponents FTs. I remember the Platoon leaders would hand things out before the games to wave or use during the game.
As I said, I was there during our "prime years". I came just after our 2004 NIT run. I was there for our 2006/2008 NCAA bids and 2009 NIT bid. 2011 I was around and watched our NCAA win over 'Nova, the dunk by Morrison to seal the win as the #8 seed... then watching our clockes get cleaned by Ohio State lol.
I don't really count the CBI/CIT as really worth anything. Perhaps make it past the 2nd round of the A10 tournament for once? Also, I think there was some buzz after we beat a ranked MD on the road... then went we went into SD and promptly lost all three games there, it went from woah, Mason to meh, Mason.
Just my two cents as well
Thanks for sharing your story. I agree the best cure is winning and continuous winning. Regardless of the types of students Mason has (up to like 7 or 8 thousand on campus if not more), there is still plenty that are involved. There was half that back in my day, and the folks who wanted to actually do things, ended up going to school clubs, games, whatever. Those who want to run home after class did that, but theres still enough who want to be active. Either way, win and the campus community will show up.
Yes, agreed Pablo. It takes a few years of sustained success, or continuous home success to really build up attendance. 2006-2011 is a perfect example of that. While it may not have been "Great" it still was lightyears above what we have now. 10 years of losing and not even sniffing the NIT or NCAAs will kill off a lot of fan interest and desire. Even if Mason won 10 or 12 in a row, I suspect there would be more buzz on campus. At the very least they are 6-1 at home now, which is a good step.
Actually now that you mention it, I do remember when i was there that the guys swim team would come a lot... a few of the guys would just wear their Mason speedos in the front row lol. Don't remember if other sports teams came... I think soccer would... never saw baseball/softball that I can remember
Quentin Daniels
Hall of Famer
I hate when I’m trying to quietly enjoy the game from my seats, on the couple of times a year I make it out, and some young whipper-snapper near me starts hollering and disrupts my viewing.
Look, I’m not saying you have to be completely quiet, nothing wrong with a well-mannered golf clap during an especially nice goal thrown from way back behind the big circle, but this yelling is too much and just plain rude. Also, you have an assigned seat for a reason, keep your but in it! It just spoils everyone else’s view when you stand up.
Look, I’m not saying you have to be completely quiet, nothing wrong with a well-mannered golf clap during an especially nice goal thrown from way back behind the big circle, but this yelling is too much and just plain rude. Also, you have an assigned seat for a reason, keep your but in it! It just spoils everyone else’s view when you stand up.
Yup I remember that too- theyd just paint their body green or whatever. There were also the guys who had the green costumes who would come to a few games.
I don't think the section has had this level of creativity in many years though.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #35
I was dumbfounded to see and hear greater "fan" response for each made basket during the halftime exhibition game than the actual game that "fans" paid to watch. AMAZING!
Very few people in my entire section clapped or even moved when a good shot was sunk. All of them clapped briefly when the horn sounded ending the game (are they glad the game was over, or happy that Mason won—I could hardly tell the difference). That was all they contributed.
The Dayton game's concluding moments were intense and our players could have used fan encouragement. Did they get any aside from what a smattering of MasonHoopsters offered? No. Why not?
I don't know how to fix the problem. Perhaps electrify the metal bleachers to cue the students to stand? I volunteer to be the one who presses that button to get butts off seats. But, then, what do you do about the rest of the fans in plastic seats?
Could we on MasonHoops buy out a section exclusively for us and scream and cheer like hell to set the example? I don't know if anyone else would even follow our lead anyway.
Didn't Mason just hire a Director of Gameday Experience, or something like that? If so, then we need to find this person and direct our energy toward him or her. This manager is going to need our help.
Edit: Ahhh, yes... Assistant Director of Fan Engagement
Very few people in my entire section clapped or even moved when a good shot was sunk. All of them clapped briefly when the horn sounded ending the game (are they glad the game was over, or happy that Mason won—I could hardly tell the difference). That was all they contributed.
The Dayton game's concluding moments were intense and our players could have used fan encouragement. Did they get any aside from what a smattering of MasonHoopsters offered? No. Why not?
I don't know how to fix the problem. Perhaps electrify the metal bleachers to cue the students to stand? I volunteer to be the one who presses that button to get butts off seats. But, then, what do you do about the rest of the fans in plastic seats?
Could we on MasonHoops buy out a section exclusively for us and scream and cheer like hell to set the example? I don't know if anyone else would even follow our lead anyway.
Didn't Mason just hire a Director of Gameday Experience, or something like that? If so, then we need to find this person and direct our energy toward him or her. This manager is going to need our help.
Edit: Ahhh, yes... Assistant Director of Fan Engagement
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I didn't realize there were that many students living on campus now. Yes, there should be more students at the games.
And one more nugget from the past...I was either a junior or a senior when they built the first dorms. Man, did I think that was cool! Especially the freshman girl from Ohio who moved into one of them. Oh, those were the days!
Student attendance hasn't really been an issue this year so far. The problem is they don't really know what to do to be an actual "section," (from what we've heard from those who go to the games in person). A rudderless ship will remain stationary...
And if history is any guide, the "quiet" side will take their cues from the "loud" side. If students stand all game and are rowdy and loud and into it, that will energize the rest of those in attendance.
You want to fix the in-game atmosphere? You've got to fix the student section. And without any knowledge about what's going on over there, I could not give you one suggestion about how to do that.
Last good crowd we had was prior to 2013 or so. On video before game show the homecoming crowd video from ODU game FEB 2010. I brought a Villanova guy to the game and he was in a state of shock of our crowd and students. Through 10 years of disaster the kids don't know how to cheer. Or start of with that stupid "I believe we can win chant" and force them up. How hard can this be. Take Doc Nix the cheerleaders and band members like 20 of them to run up the middle of the student section. They then will stand up.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #39
Only if you put the cheerleaders and Masonettes in yellow thongs while they run up the middle of the student section will you get ANYTHING to stand up.
FreeGunston12
All-American
I still say it starts with one gimic game to teach the students every year. Very simple. Have a "stand up to cancer" game for the first home game every year. During timeouts and halftime, have video of pediatric cancer patients saying, "40 minutes, no sitting", etc.
If you sit, you can be shamed into oblivion. Market it ahead of time so the old farts that don't want to stand don't come. Donate some of the ticket sales to cancer research. Two birds, one stone.
Standing fans are loud fans. Hope that game sets the tone for the season. If not, at least you've done some good.
If you sit, you can be shamed into oblivion. Market it ahead of time so the old farts that don't want to stand don't come. Donate some of the ticket sales to cancer research. Two birds, one stone.
Standing fans are loud fans. Hope that game sets the tone for the season. If not, at least you've done some good.
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GiantKiller.co
ByGeorge
Expat Hoops
Fourth Estate
Doc Nix and the Green Machine
Bill Bride - DMV Sports Shots
Patriot Brew Blog/Newsletter