Lake Superior State @ UAA Seawolves All Tricks No Treats for the Lakers Oct 31st-Nov

[Suze]

Re: Lake Superior State @ UAA Seawolves All Tricks No Treats for the Lakers Oct 31st-

While the volleyball team might've had the largest crowd ever it still was worse than the Sully. Similar seating arrangement, nobody up top, then "1,200" scattered in the lower bowl. Volleyball's largest crowd still looked emptier than our smallest crowd of "around 1,900". Basketball is going to be the same, while the men drive more people the women's team plays better and is more enjoyable. Men's basketball I think is going to top out at "3,000" for the Shootout, while the women will probably garner "2,000". And those are just the largest crowds, the average of people going during the season will bee a lot smaller, MBB ~1,750, WBB ~1,250, VB ~900. Hockey will probably bee around 2,500.

While I know in the long run a new sports complex was the right decision, it's still pretty sad to see a sparse crowd. At least in the WFSC it was pretty packed......not soo much on the far side of the WFSC. Something is obviously happening, a disconnect from fans to the sports/university, you can't say the economy anymore (the prices aren't that bad, though for students to bring guests has risen from $5 to $10 for games at the Alaska Airlines Center).

UAA (probably again) needs to do a study in why their attendance numbers have continued to fall (perhaps only hockey?). All of the teams (Hockey, MBB, WBB, VB) are all very solid, they all had winning seasons last year. MBB, WBB, and VB have probably a decade straight of winning season, and postseason berths. For a town of nearly 300,000 it seems asinine that you can't get 5,000 to see a hockey game (that is only 1.66% of the whole town's population. Or 4,000 to see a Men's Basketball game against a Division I team (1.33% of Anchorage), or at the very least 2,000 (0.66% of Anchorage's population) to see some ahem handsome women play volleyball in short shorts (I love you M......in case the off chance my girlfriend is reading this).

I'm gonna branch off of D's old rants about all the lower 48 people moving up here, the forever changing military population, etc. And continue the rant I started about seeing a game on your tv. While I cannot always make it to every hockey game, I do my absolute best to attend every hockey game I can. Sometimes life gets in the way, family problems, school, the mountains of homework that seemingly do the hankey pankey and leave the child support for me last minute, getting sick. But being the hardcore fan I do this, what can you say for the fair-weather fans?

The answer just may lie in broadcasting games. Now take into account all that D has ever mentioned, and include watching a hockey game, basketball game for free in your home. Sounds nice no? There are some nights here in Anchorage where I wonder, do I really wanna drive to the Sully, park for free next to the Black Angus Inn, walk down a slip and slide hill full of ice covered with a fine layer of fresh snow, sit in a cold arena, watch the game through some diiiirty *** glass, pay $5 for chicken strips and $3 for french fries that I swear are coated in lard and cooked in a microwave, pay $5 for a mocha when the smallest soda is $6, take a **** in the smelliest bathroom ever, then walk up the ice hill, and drive home? Or do I wanna just sit at home in my boxers, crack open a good beer and watch our Seawolves for free on the tube!?

Well my answer is go to the game, and no not just because I do not have GCI. It's yes, because I fell in love with the sport and this team. While the Seawolves might not always treat the best (in terms of winning) they have me coming back. Can you say this for the fair-weather fan? The answer is becoming no. This is not just happening here in Anchorage, all the major leagues and their teams are losing fans to the broadcast of games. While their primary issue is cost (I've seen that it can cost up to $1,500 for a family of four to go to a NBA basketball game, and don't forget the New York Bankees $600 or more center-front row tickets), the point is their experiencing it too. The experience of watching the game at home is getting better and better, while the prices of actually going to the game increase every year.

Their needs to be something added to the experience at the game, something you can't have sitting on your couch. The million dollar question is what? Or how many whats? Just off the top of my head for UAA Hockey, more parking right next to the Sully, better food (I can deal with the prices going up if the food/drink was actually good!), better bathrooms that don't smell forever of **** and bad tacos, a warmer more welcoming inside the Sully (winters are depressing enough, the last thing I wanna see when I go to a hockey game is 30 year old stains on plain concrete everywhere, don't forget the "yellow" seats), while I never liked the idea of cheerleaders at a hockey game hell at least they would distract me from the dingy interior of the Sully (again babe, sorry, I love you!).

Whew, I feel better getting that off my chest, maybee now I can continue studying physics for my midterm Tuesday instead of distracting myself! (But it was about UAA Hockey, soo it's important and stuff right!?) Anyways, sorry for the long read. Go Seawolves! And, let's continue this season at full blast!

Thanks for the rant. For years I have said the games should not be on TV. Sure, they are tape delayed, but they are still on the same day. Make them unavailable to the local area. This is what the Aces did for their playoffs. If the games were not sold out, they were blacked out for the local area. But even the Aces, as winning a team as they are, have problems filling the Sully.

I think some of the issues you mentioned will be corrected with the upgrades to the arena, which will start this next summer. There should be new seating in the lower bowl, new glass, new paint, etc. We already have the new scoreboard. It's still an outdated 80's building, but these upgrades should help a lot. Still wish we had box seats and a nice place for Kurt and David to sit.

Also, part of the problem is that the Cobb administration (rest his soul, no disrespect meant), really cheapened the value of the product by giving away SO MANY free tickets. I was the recipient of many of those, and always brought friends along, but in the long run this was not a good idea. When Derek Donald was hired to get butts in the seats, this was one of his major complaints, but it continued to happen. It was a slippery slope, and now most of those free tickets have been cut off. Really, for many people, if they couldn't get in free they wouldn't go. It may take some time to correct this mentality. The $30 sea pups club (or whatever it's called) for kids is a great idea. I hope that catches on.

They say that winning is the cure-all, but the hockey team won most of their home games last season ... the crowds were better than they have been this year. I was hoping such a good year would translate into more season tickets being sold. I think people are waiting to see that last season wasn't a fluke, then maybe they will start renewing their tickets. It's great to see more of the hockey alumni at the games, some of them had turned their backs on UAA hockey over differences with Cobb (I know this because I have spoken directly to them), and now they are coming back. That's a good sign.

I was encouraged when I watched Kurt interview Scott Allen's dad. He is so happy with the changes in UAA hockey over the last year, and couldn't say enough good about the program. That's the kind of PR the club needs, the word spreads fast - good or bad, about programs. I do believe things are turning around, and that Thomas has the team on the right track. Each of us that comes to the games should really make an effort to bring others with us, that is the key to getting butts in the seats for now, and if they enjoy it enough maybe they will become loyal fans. It won't happen overnight.

[Wolfman]

Re: Lake Superior State @ UAA Seawolves All Tricks No Treats for the Lakers Oct 31st-

I know someone who works for the Sullivan Arena (SMG?) and she said the upgrades will start this next summer. We never have good crowds on Halloween night. Ever.

Suze, do you happen to know what color the lower bowl seats will be? Hopefully not yellow!!!

[Suze]

Re: Lake Superior State @ UAA Seawolves All Tricks No Treats for the Lakers Oct 31st-

Suze, do you happen to know what color the lower bowl seats will be? Hopefully not yellow!!!

I have no clue. I asked the gal who works for SMG and she didn't know either. I know that UAA wants them dark. Hope you are feeling better Wolfman.

[Wolfman]

Re: Lake Superior State @ UAA Seawolves All Tricks No Treats for the Lakers Oct 31st-

I have no clue. I asked the gal who works for SMG and she didn't know either. I know that UAA wants them dark. Hope you are feeling better Wolfman.

Thank you very much Suze. You have no idea how this just hit me....I was taken good care of though and my boss has been wonderful about me recovering. So, I am very thankful for the prayers.

[uaafanblog]

Re: Lake Superior State @ UAA Seawolves All Tricks No Treats for the Lakers Oct 31st-

Here's what I've learned over the years about attendance. The "casual" fan (or what I prefer to call the "Least Common Denomitaor) basically does an internal cost/benefit assessment before deciding to spend money to go to a sporting event. They internalize the chances that the local team will win or lose the game. They don't want to spend their money if they aren't going to get the payoff of a W. This is why the Anchorage LCDs aren't going to come to Seawolves games anytime soon. The boys could go on a real nice run at some point during the season but that won't bring the LCDs to the rink; maybe a few. But overwhelmingly they aren't risking their precious dough unless and until the Seawolves are an ESTABLISHED winner. They'll not only have to win lots of games this year but will have to extend deep into next season before the LCDs see a favorable enough equation to spend their 20 bucks.

Nothing else much matters. You aren't going to attract them.