Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXVI: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Tolerate The BTHC
I hate to jump on this bandwagon, but I definitely have felt this more and more. As a student, the amount of football that gets shoved down my throat is insane. "Don't forget to set your alarm tomorrow! FOOTBALL TICKETS go on sale!!!!!! (Also men's hockey tickets are available.) ARE YOU EXCITED TO GET TO CAMP RANDALL STADIUM?!?"
The football tickets would sell out anyway, but I'd rather the fans who care be more likely to get tickets. I missed out my freshman year, and it cost me extra to get in. Meanwhile, idiots in the back of sections J, K, and L watch the 2nd and 3rd quarter and waste their money and their spot. Hockey and basketball tickets don't sell out anymore, yet it's still FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL. They have nothing to gain from that. How about showing students the WCHA Tournament Championship highlights? I try to spread links around, but that's just me. Go to the Wisconsin Badgers facebook page right now. It's all stuff about the ASU game. Volleyball played three matches this past weekend! More popular sports will be talked about more, but when it's in the athletic department's control, they can promote the other sports. Not doing that is mind-blowingly stupid.
Once you get down to #25, as you said, you get basketball. They've been so involved with student basketball tickets (rewards systems, splitting the packages in 2011-12, stuff like that) because the Grateful Red are a tepid, thin bunch. I understand they need to do this, but they still end up creating buzz among casual fans. Why can't they do it with hockey? Maybe it's because being shown Ben Brust's three-point shot against Michigan or Sam Dekker screaming after a slam-dunk says more than a couple pictures of Mark Zengerle. I wrote an email and I included it in my gameday survey they sent me - show something more than a generic picture of a hockey player at the football game. I hope I see something else when I'm at Camp Randall for that game against Purdue. (I'll arrive very early and leave after the fifth quarter, unlike the aforementioned yahoos.) I've gotten tons of emails reminding me to buy my basketball tickets. "Wake up early!" You don't have to, but at least they're trying to make it so you have to. (I already bought mine today in the priority window.) Honestly, selling hockey tickets on the same day as football tickets may not be the best decision. Stagger it by a day.
Other sports experiences could be so much better, but they have to be promoted by fans. I can't go to each freshman entering UW and tell him or her about what makes Wisconsin hockey games so special. They need to go. They're taking their fans for granted, except football fans, which doesn't line up with ticket sales.
I'll applaud Alvarez politely, more-so if it's specific to one of his old football teams (so I'm applauding the former head coach, not AD), but I won't deify him like most fans.
I encourage other Badger fans to send my comments to the athletic department. If you copy-paste, frame it so that they don't think it's one person spamming them, but multiple people in agreement - so strongly so that they bothered to write in.
Edit: I will add some positive stuff after class.
Edit2: I feel like I should give some credit. At the very least, Alvarez has talked about his "23 varsity sports" before. Also, I must acknowledge that this isn't just Alvarez, but I have a hard time seeing how there wouldn't be a connection between our complaints and Barry Alvarez specifically. This past summer, at least they've shown a little sign of life when it comes to hockey. The young alumni tickets are different. They started a CreaseCreatures twitter account, which I like, but how on Earth does the UWBadgers account not link to it?!? The above rant still applies, but these little steps seem to indicate that there is more to come.
I hate to jump on this bandwagon, but I definitely have felt this more and more. As a student, the amount of football that gets shoved down my throat is insane. "Don't forget to set your alarm tomorrow! FOOTBALL TICKETS go on sale!!!!!! (Also men's hockey tickets are available.) ARE YOU EXCITED TO GET TO CAMP RANDALL STADIUM?!?"
The football tickets would sell out anyway, but I'd rather the fans who care be more likely to get tickets. I missed out my freshman year, and it cost me extra to get in. Meanwhile, idiots in the back of sections J, K, and L watch the 2nd and 3rd quarter and waste their money and their spot. Hockey and basketball tickets don't sell out anymore, yet it's still FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL. They have nothing to gain from that. How about showing students the WCHA Tournament Championship highlights? I try to spread links around, but that's just me. Go to the Wisconsin Badgers facebook page right now. It's all stuff about the ASU game. Volleyball played three matches this past weekend! More popular sports will be talked about more, but when it's in the athletic department's control, they can promote the other sports. Not doing that is mind-blowingly stupid.
Once you get down to #25, as you said, you get basketball. They've been so involved with student basketball tickets (rewards systems, splitting the packages in 2011-12, stuff like that) because the Grateful Red are a tepid, thin bunch. I understand they need to do this, but they still end up creating buzz among casual fans. Why can't they do it with hockey? Maybe it's because being shown Ben Brust's three-point shot against Michigan or Sam Dekker screaming after a slam-dunk says more than a couple pictures of Mark Zengerle. I wrote an email and I included it in my gameday survey they sent me - show something more than a generic picture of a hockey player at the football game. I hope I see something else when I'm at Camp Randall for that game against Purdue. (I'll arrive very early and leave after the fifth quarter, unlike the aforementioned yahoos.) I've gotten tons of emails reminding me to buy my basketball tickets. "Wake up early!" You don't have to, but at least they're trying to make it so you have to. (I already bought mine today in the priority window.) Honestly, selling hockey tickets on the same day as football tickets may not be the best decision. Stagger it by a day.
Other sports experiences could be so much better, but they have to be promoted by fans. I can't go to each freshman entering UW and tell him or her about what makes Wisconsin hockey games so special. They need to go. They're taking their fans for granted, except football fans, which doesn't line up with ticket sales.
I'll applaud Alvarez politely, more-so if it's specific to one of his old football teams (so I'm applauding the former head coach, not AD), but I won't deify him like most fans.
I encourage other Badger fans to send my comments to the athletic department. If you copy-paste, frame it so that they don't think it's one person spamming them, but multiple people in agreement - so strongly so that they bothered to write in.
Edit: I will add some positive stuff after class.
Edit2: I feel like I should give some credit. At the very least, Alvarez has talked about his "23 varsity sports" before. Also, I must acknowledge that this isn't just Alvarez, but I have a hard time seeing how there wouldn't be a connection between our complaints and Barry Alvarez specifically. This past summer, at least they've shown a little sign of life when it comes to hockey. The young alumni tickets are different. They started a CreaseCreatures twitter account, which I like, but how on Earth does the UWBadgers account not link to it?!? The above rant still applies, but these little steps seem to indicate that there is more to come.
Last edited:
