Welcome Kim English

[mkaufman1]

During the coaches show English asks Washington for time at orientation to teach the kids how to be fans next season. Personally I like the idea, whatever you can do to get them to show up, stand up, be loud.

I defer to those who were there last night like @MasonFanatic and @gmubrian for the most part but from what it sounds like, everyone’s on the same page with the student section.

The orientation idea sounds great. They just really need a group to lead. It’s sad that they basically have to start at 0, but that’s where we are at.

Of course this is Mason, so expect a study or a 3 year process to get a group name, leader etc.

 

[GMU79]

What has the world come to when you have to teach teenagers how to be a fan?
"Back in my day" all four of us fans disrupted things so much opposing coaches almost had us thrown out several times.

 

[GSII]

Some history on the Cam Crazies

CAMERON CRAZIES DUKE FANS SHOWER FOES WITH LITTLE MERCY

Some say the Cameron Crazies' finest hour was the first Duke-Carolina basketball game of the 1984 season, known in campus legend as ``The Good Game.'

greensboro.com

 

[mkaufman1]

What has the world come to when you have to teach teenagers how to be a fan?
"Back in my day" all four of us fans disrupted things so much opposing coaches almost had us thrown out several times.

12 years of losing and mediocrity will kill off just about any continuity.

 

[GMU79]

12 years of losing and mediocrity will kill off just about any continuity.

Well, yes, there is that. Sad.
Hopefully this effort will pump things back up.

 

[jessej]

I defer to those who were there last night like @MasonFanatic and @gmubrian for the most part but from what it sounds like, everyone’s on the same page with the student section.

The orientation idea sounds great. They just really need a group to lead. It’s sad that they basically have to start at 0, but that’s where we are at.

Of course this is Mason, so expect a study or a 3 year process to get a group name, leader etc.

There needs to be a core unit that shows up to every game

especially when classes are out of session and the Ticket office is selling GA tix in student section
call them something like The English Army or English 101 or Remedial English Class

get them tshirts and send them pizza and water/soda at halftime

 

[GMUgemini]

12 years of losing and mediocrity will kill off just about any continuity.

This is true, but it certainly didn’t help that the university took over and then killed the Platoon only to rebrand it the “g-force”.

we should take a lesson from soccer culture and just let the fans/students create their own supporter groups (the expectation from the ultras—like the Barra’s in South America—is you stand and cheer for all 90 minutes without stopping). Would love an official alumni supporter group they sell tickets to opposite the students behind the band (say a $1000 donation per group so they can buy discounted blocks of tickets). Get both sides of the arena rocking…the rest of the arena will follow the diehards).

 

[GMU1983]

During the coaches show English asks Washington for time at orientation to teach the kids how to be fans next season. Personally I like the idea, whatever you can do to get them to show up, stand up, be loud.

I have been saying this for years.....

 

[GMU1983]

Like I said we need a cheer person to teach and hold up signs and then coordinate it with Doc Nix. I let Andy Ruge know this a couple times and he blew me off...

 

[EXpatriot13]

This is true, but it certainly didn’t help that the university took over and then killed the Platoon only to rebrand it the “g-force”.

This. It seemed so random and unnecessary, with zero strategy behind it.

 

[mkaufman1]

I have no ideas of specifics, but my guess is whoever came up with the rebranding never was around long enough to see it through. Then the whole thing just died because nobody was in charge of student engagement or some sort of fan group. A pandemic crowd limitation probably didn’t help matters in the middle of it.

I’m not 100% this is the truth but it’s probably close.

My best suggestion is to get your ideas down, and you can relay them to me or directly to athletics.

Honestly it’s on them to get this corrected but ideas are always good to share.

 

[GMUSSTN]

Out of the many reasons I joined the Pep Band my freshman year, getting paid $30/game was one of the big ones. It was technically a "paying gig." After Doc came in they stopped paying us but for a while they did it to make sure we had a full band. And look at me now...for essentially like $600 net over the course of my college career I am now posting on a message board about a team that is 12 years removed from even being allowed to think about the NCAA tournament.

Not saying we need to shell out a crisp $20 to get kids to show up but incentives that go beyond door giveaways would be good. Free food from whatever they have in the JC now, free coffee somewhere, free gram of weed from the local dispensary, free tattoo, whatever. The team on the court certainly isn't going to fill the stands but we can at least get a decent sized crowd if you offer them something.

 

[gmubrian]

I defer to those who were there last night like @MasonFanatic and @gmubrian for the most part but from what it sounds like, everyone’s on the same page with the student section.

The orientation idea sounds great. They just really need a group to lead. It’s sad that they basically have to start at 0, but that’s where we are at.

Of course this is Mason, so expect a study or a 3 year process to get a group name, leader etc.

Everyone in the room of the Coach's show seemed to be for the idea. I know I'll be bringing it up to everyone that I come into contact with, especially Doc W. I suggest others do so as well.

This is just one of the many things that CKE brings to the table. He works practically 24x7 on our program, and it includes all the little things that feed into making the program better. Another example is showing the replay of foul calls. They hadn't been showing those as it is a "recommendation" from the A10. CKE asked if it was an actual rule. The answer was no, so now we get to see those replays.

This is one of the many reasons why I hope, and still believe, he will be successful in the wins column because he is putting in the effort to make this program into everything that we fans want it to be.

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

I don't have a problem with any of these ideas, but at the end of the day, only winning will see these things come to full fruition. It doesn't matter what fanbase you're talking about anymore, if you don't win the numbers go down. Don't want to sound like a d-bag, but CKE's only focus at this point should be fixing the product on the court.

 

[Patriotsince81]

Allow beer in the student section for those of age and we'll see some improvement/increases in crowd participation. Alcohol, the cause of and solution to all of our problems. Ushers need to be trained to not try to stop cheering/yelling etc. Elder patrons need to be told, as part of their season ticket plan, that they are attending a sporting event, not an opera, classical concert, or movie. If they want quiet they should consider other options. Make it clear that creating a loud, foe unfriendly atmosphere is the desire.

If I ever get to be so old that the noise bothers me I'll stay home and watch on TV.

 

[thebiasedannouncer]

Allow beer in the student section for those of age and we'll see some improvement/increases in crowd participation. Alcohol, the cause of and solution to all of our problems. Ushers need to be trained to not try to stop cheering/yelling etc. Elder patrons need to be told, as part of their season ticket plan, that they are attending a sporting event, not an opera, concert, or movie. If they want quiet they should consider other options. Make it clear that creating a loud, foe unfriendly atmosphere is the desire.

If I ever get to be so old that the noise bothers me I'll stay home and watch on TV.

I have definitely felt like that the GC (general crowd) has gotten better since the addition of beer from my one non beer season. in 19-20 to this season and last. Let the students get the beer, give us wristbands that only allow us two or something and it costs 6 dollars or something for students. And move them behind the visitors bench.

 

[HoopsAdmin]

From the personal archives:

 

[psyclone]

I have definitely felt like that the GC (general crowd) has gotten better since the addition of beer from my one non beer season. in 19-20 to this season and last. Let the students get the beer, give us wristbands that only allow us two or something and it costs 6 dollars or something for students. And move them behind the visitors bench.

Hey, that's in the same section as my season tickets! Let them sit next to the Green Machine where they can (semi) face the visitor's bench.d

 

[Five Two]

From the personal archives:
View attachment 1652

Interesting because years later, didnt some guys sitting behind the basket wearing long coats, remove those coats during a free throw only to be wearing speedos?

 

[Verdad]

Interesting because years later, didnt some guys sitting behind the basket wearing long coats, remove those coats during a free throw only to be wearing speedos?

Swimming team used to do that with some regularity.