UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

[Onion Man]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Personally, I think standing in the student section is imperative. I watched the North Dakota series with the Hosers a couple of years ago, and I stood. Considering I haven't been a student in.....ummm........16 years now. Ouch!

So a guy in his thirties I presume is standing with the students? That is many flavors of lame my friend.

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

So a guy in his thirties I presume is standing with the students? That is many flavors of lame my friend.

General admission tickets, and there is only one general admission section. Happens to be where the students sit.

[ClOuD 9]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Other little time fillers that haven't made an appearance lately are chants that were more pieces of banter than anything, we used to have tons of little witty ones like "Please don't stab us *clap clap* *clap clap clap*" against Lowell, always got a quick laugh.

Also, back in '03 or '04 (think it may have been the first year we had thunderstix if that helps) against Maine shortly before the teams came out for warm ups I remember a STH climbing up on the glass near the blue line and waiving a Black Bear he had hanging on a stick over the ice, the student section went absolute ballistic - I'm sure it couldn't be too hard to find a townie willing to do something similar next year.

[unhpuckfan2001]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

So, are we giving up the cause of re-energizing the Whit already?

My only idea was shot down, but typically, nothing was offered in its place. If we are going to be taken seriously by anybody involved in admin, and get any support, we need to present a united front.

1.) How do we improve the atmosphere at the Whit?
a.) Involve the students more -- get them young, teach them traditions.
2.) How do we improve fan attendance, esp. student fan attendance, at big away games?

It doesn't appear relevant yet, but if needed, I'll tell the story of how I orginally started sitting down front, and got to know Jeff, Scott, Adam, Darci, etc . . .

So, once again, fellow UNH fans, how do we fix the problem? I have enough contacts in athletics and no problem being a liason, if we can come up with something solid. There's all kinds of time before October.

[ClOuD 9]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

So, are we giving up the cause of re-energizing the Whit already?

It was all an April Fools joke, don't you look stupid.

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

So, once again, fellow UNH fans, how do we fix the problem? I have enough contacts in athletics and no problem being a liason, if we can come up with something solid. There's all kinds of time before October.

Step one is getting more students to attend games. Are games promoted or even mentioned in TNH or on campus radio? How about moderately professional (more than a Word doc on 8 x 11, but nothing costly) signs 2 days prior to each game in dorm common areas and dining halls?

[WildKitty]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Hockey recaps more often than not get back-page coverage in TNH, at least as long as I've been noticing. Occasionally, they get pushed to the inside of the back page (aka, the second to last page).

When I was in the dorms, hockey was promoted as a social event: Floor outing to UNHvXXX, get tix.... In my two years on campus, I saw this maybe three or four times.

At other sporting events, they advertise upcoming games over the PA, much the way they advertise squeaky-ball/football/volleyball/etc at the Whit.

Posters? We've got kiosks, right? At T-Hall, Dimond Library, a newer one by the McConnell bus stop? I never looked at them much, myself, and I like to think I had average curiosity for a college student at the time. I don't know how successful posters will be, but at this point, ANYTHING is worth a try, even if we've tried it before. Remember, the population at UNH is constantly changing! What we've tried before will be new again!!!

How about sidewalk chalk?

[freak]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

So, are we giving up the cause of re-energizing the Whit already?

Well, you never replied to my message on facebook, so I figured you'd given up.

If you're not interested, just say so, and I'll move on. If you are interested, let me know and we can move forward from there.

My only idea was shot down, but typically, nothing was offered in its place.

Actually, I volunteered to contact Amber, as I've had a good working relationship with her. I just figured it would go over better in conjunction with Casey, given that it's the band bus that was the topic of discussion.

[cgoodwin]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Brainstorming here...

I've been thinking a bit more about the "plants" and it reminded me of the UNH Sixx from about 10 years ago. They were a little creepy, which is probably why they didn't last long. But, I was thinking something similar could exist again in a different way. Maybe there could be some sort of contest in the fall, perhaps at a football game, for the best fans. The prize could be guaranteed tickets to all home hockey games without having to wait in line. Or, if not a contest, maybe even auditions, like I presume they had for the Sixx. Whatever it is, they'd need to prove themselves to be energetic UNH hockey fans. The idea is that these would be people who would participate in the cheers and get the other students riled up. Oh, and they'd wear street clothes, no masks.

Just an idea.

ETA - Obviously this would require cooperation from Athletics, but I think it would be reasonable.

[Mowers10]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

So a guy in his thirties I presume is standing with the students? That is many flavors of lame my friend.

I'll hit 40 next month. I appreciate and support your right to have the opinion that what I did was lame. I don't care.

[Mowers10]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Ouch is right.. North Dakota and the Hosers.. what was the score of that one?!!

As I recall, it was really lopsided both games. Drew Stafford was all over us. I think UNH lost one game by about 4, the other one less. It's been a couple of years.

[freak]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

One idea I brought up a few years back in the "Spirit Focus Group" meetings held by the AD, was to turn Men's Hockey into a "student season ticket," not part of the regular athletic fee.

I think that part of the ambivalence towards hockey is that students know that there is little demand, and that they don't have to rush to get tickets for most games.

More importantly, they don't see the cost associated with getting their ticket, as the athletic fee is rolled into their tuition, fees, and room and board at the beginning of each semester.

So they feel they can wait until Thursday most weeks before deciding to get a ticket, and worse, it is not as important to stay the whole game. Thus, we see the exodus in the 2nd intermission as students leave for parties.

If Men's Hockey were turned into a student season ticket, it would create immediate demand, so as not to be left out for the games they DO want to see. And if the kids are having to open their own wallets to pay for it, they are more likely to use the tickets, and stay until the end.

The cost is deferred under the current set up. Have the students pay for their tickets directly as a student season ticket, and they will want to get their moneys worth.

Athletics response was that they needed the athletics fee to support the rest of the department's sports, but that showed a misunderstanding of what I meant. I don't advocate eliminating the athletic fee. Just charge a smaller mandatory athletic fee to support the other sports.

EDIT: This would, of course, assume that the AD isn't hoping that students won't pick up tickets, allowing them to effectively sell the ticket twice under the current set up.

[skyraider0609]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

More good news about Bobby Butler.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll...7/-1/FOSSPORTS

[WildKitty]

Athletic fee...

This would, of course, assume that the AD isn't hoping that students won't pick up tickets, allowing them to effectively sell the ticket twice under the current set up.

You've nailed it on the head. Why risk NOT selling all those student tickets, on the off-chance that enough students will actively buy season tickets - even specially priced! I say actively because right now, their season tickets are passively purchased through the activity fee and are held at the box office until their ID is swiped. It's like a giant, secret Will-Call service!

Okay, I'm not saying that AD is evil enough to purposely try not to promote an event with the students so they can make more money off the same ticket. I am thinking that AD is making an assumption that students don't want to come to hockey, that they are aware of their athletic fee, and that they choose to "spend" it in other events, such as football, basketball, gymnastics, etc.

The assumption that students are aware of the athletic fee and its purpose is somewhat wrong: students this age are just beginning to learn how to read bills, many of them, and some aren't reading them at all. Those who look at the bill and wonder "what's this activity fee?" often don't bother asking, assuming the University is right, why put another worry on the plate. Others who ask about it are told: that's so you can go to [insert fave sport of rep here] games/events/meets. (I wonder if AD has spoken with Business Services about how to handle such questions, if they're focusing on a specific sport to promote.) Students then think, Oh, I don't like x sport I was told about. Now more students forget about it, and some students ask about the sport they enjoy, and some students ask if the fee can be stricken from their bill (no).

I wonder if Athletics could promote games WITH the athletic fee? They do that with social/music events: This event provided by your Student Activity Fee. Or use just a small amount of the monies gathered with the fee to host a "First Hundred Students (with tix to game) In" pep rally before certain big games (White/Blue Out the Whitt comes to mind, not to mention post-season games). Then, prizes like those hats the SkyBox folks throw down, or the Gas Blimp coupons or other sponsorship deals that happen in the Whitt can get an early start, too! Get the Pep Band there a few times, or some local musicians, or just have canned music (I know how much we all love that). Make it a BIG DEAL a few times with AD cash and build it up with sponsors (of course, without letting go the reins).

Wouldn't it be great if, in a few years, a pep rally like that got too big for the field hockey field and had to start on T-Hall lawn, then parade down to the Whit in time for doors? I know, big dreams.

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

As I recall, it was really lopsided both games. Drew Stafford was all over us. I think UNH lost one game by about 4, the other one less. It's been a couple of years.

3-2 loss and 3-3 tie