And people wonder why we have trouble creating a good gameday environment at Ryan Field.
Worst Game Day Experience I've Had In a While
- Thread starter FitzFan
- Start date
And people wonder why we have trouble creating a good gameday environment at Ryan Field.
It’s not the fans fault that all the so called improvements completely flopped. I go to EVERY home game and a couple of roadies a year. It sure isn’t for the game day experience. NU has a lot of work to do here and needs to up their game. It would be nice to have some fan amenities that the representative of a superior game day experience off the field as well as on the field. To recap just what I saw:
No real energy around pre-game festivities for DJ, wildcat ally etc
Parking attendant were completely lost. Forced me where I didn’t want to go, didn’t even ask for ticket, and could barely understand his response to my question because his accent was so thick.
Sound for DJ was so bad, no one even attempted to get into it.
PA Announcer gleefully reported a sack of Thorson.
Hands up in the air was tried with basically no hands up in the air.
Concessions might actually be worse than described by folks.
Time out promotions were old and tired.
Scores for other games are near non existent.
Can we lose the call of the game when we are getting trounced?
Garbage cans were removed from West lot about 30-45 minutes from final whistle.
Yet people insist on going after the fans for not getting into it!
The post to which I initially responded was essentially “why can’t they just pipe down between snaps so we can converse with friends and concentrate on the game?” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been shouted at for standing and cheering our defense on third down.
So, yes, I will “go after” fans for those kind of things.
PS — Hands in the Air remains the worst, most forced “tradition” I’ve ever experienced and it should be banished straight to hell (right after the three-man rush).
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Granted I am not up on every third down, but can’t remember being shouted down on an important stop. It’s unfortunate the people in your section do that.
In that case, we better have a new PA guy tomorrow. Jeez. Talk about amateur hour.
It's not that the concessions stink, that the band is getting smaller (and playing a smaller role) every year, that the in game promotions are embarrassing, that the team consistently lays an egg early early in the season, or that the offense can't put up more than 7 points in a game that makes our game day atmosphere so lackluster. No, the real culprit is Fasteddiecat, who had the gall to complain on an internet message board about the D-list DJ that somehow found a way to subtract from that lackluster atmosphere. Who could've guessed that the fans really didn't want to hear an incredibly warped version of ACDC's "Hell's Bells" after a draw for no gain on 2nd and 8 in the fourth quarter of a game that we were losing by several scores?
That guy has posted like 5 times in the 10 years since he's created his account. Go ahead and antagonize him some more. Remind him that he's the reason why our game day atmosphere sucks. Maybe you'll drive him away for good.
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I hate the DJ concept, but I'm not asking for silence in-between plays. My gripe is that the athletic department has been planning to make the atmosphere at Ryan Field as "professional" as possible in an attempt to mimic the experience you'd get at a Bears game, for example. That includes boring promotions for huge corporate sponsors, loud modern music blasting away at all times, bland corporate food offerings that fail to adequately feature regional specialties, etc., etc. But I have two issues with that plan:
1) We don't have the facilities or equipment to pull that off
2) I don't think that NU fans want that corporate atmosphere when they go to a college football game
For example: Why did we hire a DJ to make noise in between plays when we have a fine, student-staffed marching band that can play University-affiliated songs? How many times do we get to hear them play during the game? Maybe once every time we score? At every other break we get to listen to DJ-commando's house remix of Gangnam Style. Instead of paying for a DJ and a new sound system every other year, why don't we invest that money into scholarships for the marching band? We have the smallest marching band in the B1G, from what I understand, but I think we could grow it if we gave students more of an incentive to join.
Another example: What are we trying to do with concessions? Our stadium is located in a region with a variety of excellent eateries and culinary traditions. Instead of paying some corporate vendor to sell rubber sausages for $7 a pop, why don't we try and get some local business to sell their cuisine? I know we've tried with Hecky's, and I'd love to see Hecky back, but there are a bunch of options that I would love to see at Ryan field (Buffalo Joes?). There's no reason I shouldn't be able to get a decent Chicago dog and/or slice of deep dish pizza at a football game outside of Chicago.
Promotions: Why do we continue to use lame, boring promotional methods? Like I mentioned in the OP, why not make the BWW sauce thing an actual race with actual incentives for the participants? Get greek life involved. Free BWW for the winning house. Idk. Why do we have mandated "call of the game" promotions that play even when we're getting crushed?
All this really comes down to the elimination of college football tradition. I feel like fans want a classic college football atmosphere when they go to a college game. That includes local food, good tailgating, the marching band, the fight song playing in between plays, the shaking of keys before kickoff (which has been drowned out by the blasting of CRAZY TRAIN!!!!!! at Ryan Field over the last few years), etc.
When I think about going to road games and what the atmosphere is like, I think of things like eating great barbeque at games in Lincoln, the dotting of the I in Columbus, and Jump Around in Madison. I don't think, "wow, that sound system was really nice. I really appreciate that CRAZY TRAIN!!!!! was so clear and crisp before kickoff!"
So no, I don't think I'm to blame for the sub-par atmosphere at NU games because I don't like the DJ and had the audacity to say so on an internet message board. I think the athletic department is taking the completely wrong approach to getting the crowd into the game and I've been trying to voice that opinion.
PS: The best way to get the crowd into the game is to score points and win games. We failed to do both on Saturday.
All this. Whomever NU hired for PR and the like that helps create the gameday experience needs to be canned.
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Lou Malnati’s would be good.
The BWW promotions have always been embarrassing. They moved out of Evanston a couple of years ago, their prizes are laughable for a major college stadium, more like something you would win at a childs birthday party.
The BWW promotions have always been embarrassing. They moved out of Evanston a couple of years ago, their prizes are laughable for a major college stadium, more like something you would win at a childs birthday party.
Do not despair,men. After we beat Akron the hot dogs will taste like ribeye, and crazy train will be the sweetest sound your ears have ever known.
Paws up!
Paws up!
The problem they are having is similar to what dooms many companies... they aren't involving the customer in their design / decision processes. They could have run many of these changes past a group of representative customers for their product and would have learned quickly that they are bad. Pathetic for a school with the top Marketing MBA program in the country.
Can anyone post an email address where the fans here can provide some feedback to the decision makers on this? Improving the game day experience (off the field) should not be this difficult.
Can anyone post an email address where the fans here can provide some feedback to the decision makers on this? Improving the game day experience (off the field) should not be this difficult.
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