Wow the Allstate Arena is dreadful....

[Max_Power]

So I have been to a few games at Allstate now. It's awful. No wonder DePaul entered a death spiral.

On top of all the problems the team faces this year, the biggest might end up being the fact that they will not have one true home game all year. Nebraska fans were able to make their presence known given the dearth of wildcat fans in attendance. Since I had to endure ILL-INI at the Illinois game where Illinois fans outnumbered NU fans, I can only imagine what some of the upcoming games will be like.

Last night was particularly painful as the limited crowd wanted to get behind the Cats but was heartbroken by one open missed jumper after another.

 

[Fitz51]

Agree. I have only gone to one game this year, but have been to the Allstate Arena more times than I want to remember for many events, and man, does it suck.

Really tough to play peak when you don't have a real home court advantage of any sort.

 

[Kelly_32]

It's up to the fan base to create a home court advantage. Northwestern's fan base is embarrassing.

 

[Fitz51]

It's up to the fan base to create a home court advantage. Northwestern's fan base is embarrassing.

It is hard enough for our small fanbase to get an advantage in Evanston, let alone Rosemont. That trip is a beast, especially in traffic.

 

[Wildcatfootball12]

It's up to the fan base to create a home court advantage. Northwestern's fan base is embarrassing.

Were you there last night? We tried on multiple occassions, hard to cheer for a team that misses so many open looks, gives up open dunks in key situations and generally plays unsinprired.

No team had the God given right to be cheered for, and certainly not this team.

This was my last game at All State

 

[willycat]

It's up to the fan base to create a home court advantage. Northwestern's fan base is embarrassing.

exactly right. Please, please let's not blame the arena. How many times has visiting fans almost taken over at the older, larger W-R? To many and it's because NU's "fans" either don't care or they sell there tickets to the enemy.

 

[NJCat]

exactly right. Please, please let's not blame the arena. How many times has visiting fans almost taken over at the older, larger W-R? To many and it's because NU's "fans" either don't care or they sell there tickets to the enemy.

Good move to reduce capacity and squeeze out the visiting fans, eh WiIly?

 

[Sec.112]

I wish I could argue with you, Kelly, but I can't.

It sooooooo aggressively needs to be addressed long term. And it's not as simple as getting the fan base louder. It's changing the demographic. It's building student loyalty that can evolve over time. It's building the population and getting them involved/attending. It's investing in the future.

And before anyone says it, I don't think winning simply solves those problems. It will in the near term.

Unfortunately, it's pretty obvious Phillips is only concerned with satisfying the base.

 

[willycat]

Good move to reduce capacity and squeeze out the visiting fans, eh WiIly?

Do you really think lowering the capacity at the new, smaller gym will keep visiting fans out? The "rich" ST holders will still sell to get richer. Sort of like those who will gain in the new tax giveaway. You would probably have to lower the seating capacity to three or four thousand to insure a purple crowd.

 

[willycat]

I wish I could argue with you, Kelly, but I can't.

It sooooooo aggressively needs to be addressed long term. And it's not as simple as getting the fan base louder. It's changing the demographic. It's building student loyalty that can evolve over time. It's building the population and getting them involved/attending. It's investing in the future.

And before anyone says it, I don't think winning simply solves those problems. It will in the near term.

Unfortunately, it's pretty obvious Phillips is only concerned with satisfying the base.

Exactly the NU administration is obviously not trying to increase it's fan base. First they are reducing the capacity of the new W-R gym and there is speculation that they are also considering reducing seats in a re-do of Ryan Football Field.

 

[Max_Power]

It's up to the fan base to create a home court advantage. Northwestern's fan base is embarrassing.

I wish I could argue with you, Kelly, but I can't.

It sooooooo aggressively needs to be addressed long term. And it's not as simple as getting the fan base louder. It's changing the demographic. It's building student loyalty that can evolve over time. It's building the population and getting them involved/attending. It's investing in the future.

And before anyone says it, I don't think winning simply solves those problems. It will in the near term.

Unfortunately, it's pretty obvious Phillips is only concerned with satisfying the base.

I think one problem at WR was the issue that tickets were so cheap it was a scalpers bonanza topped off by the fact that a ticket broker had signage all over the arena. We sat in Section 112, Row I, Seats 9 and 10. Also had two in H. The Row I seats were arguable the best two seats in WR with one on either side of half court. Every big game I sat next to opposing fans and this was true even when NU athletic department took over the seats in front of us and the coaches families started sitting a few rows behind us. I think the new pricing will curtail the scalper season ticket holder since the opportunity to profit will be reduced significantly but we will see.

 

[TheC]

Are students going to the games? This may not mean anything, but when games were in WR, the tv cameras were always showing shots of the crazy student section after big plays or coming back from commercial, etc.... Now, I have not seen every minute of every home game this year, but I can't remember any shots of a "student section" on our televised home games. They show little kids or older fans, but not the students. Is it because there is no student section at Allstate?

 

[Medill '03]

Are students going to the games? This may not mean anything, but when games were in WR, the tv cameras were always showing shots of the crazy student section after big plays or coming back from commercial, etc.... Now, I have not seen every minute of every home game this year, but I can't remember any shots of a "student section" on our televised home games. They show little kids or older fans, but not the students. Is it because there is no student section at Allstate?

I saw a couple shots at the Creighton game. Classes don't begin until January 8.

 

[Max_Power]

Are students going to the games? This may not mean anything, but when games were in WR, the tv cameras were always showing shots of the crazy student section after big plays or coming back from commercial, etc.... Now, I have not seen every minute of every home game this year, but I can't remember any shots of a "student section" on our televised home games. They show little kids or older fans, but not the students. Is it because there is no student section at Allstate?

Yes, students have come but in limited numbers. I think the disappointing start will take its toll. Its hard to motivate for a game plus and hour or more travel time on the front end and back end for any student on a week night. There were people in the student section last night but it was limited and most weren't students.

 

[hdhntr1]

exactly right. Please, please let's not blame the arena. How many times has visiting fans almost taken over at the older, larger W-R? To many and it's because NU's "fans" either don't care or they sell there tickets to the enemy.

It has to do with ours being a small fan base based on limited number of alums in Chicago area coupled with our past history and lackluster performance to start this year. Throw in 45 minute drive from campus and it is going to look like this

 

[Fitz51]

Good move to reduce capacity and squeeze out the visiting fans, eh WiIly?

Boom, roasted.

 

[EagerFan]

A big part of what is bad for us at Allstate, imho, is that the student seating goes out instead of up - floor seating rather than vertical. That seriously lessens any impact they can have on the game even when they show up in full force.

 

[ubercat]

A big part of what is bad for us at Allstate, imho, is that the student seating goes out instead of up - floor seating rather than vertical. That seriously lessens any impact they can have on the game even when they show up in full force.

Agreed. And the lower bowl of the arena has the same low slope all the way around, making it easy for geezers like me to navigate the aisles, but diluting the effect of the fans' presence.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Exactly the NU administration is obviously not trying to increase it's fan base. First they are reducing the capacity of the new W-R gym and there is speculation that they are also considering reducing seats in a re-do of Ryan Football Field.

Boy, I sure hope they do. Give me a real seat for my fat arse and one where I actually know who has the seats next to me after 8 years.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

So I have been to a few games at Allstate now. It's awful. No wonder DePaul entered a death spiral.

On top of all the problems the team faces this year, the biggest might end up being the fact that they will not have one true home game all year. Nebraska fans were able to make their presence known given the dearth of wildcat fans in attendance. Since I had to endure ILL-INI at the Illinois game where Illinois fans outnumbered NU fans, I can only imagine what some of the upcoming games will be like.

Last night was particularly painful as the limited crowd wanted to get behind the Cats but was heartbroken by one open missed jumper after another.

Nebraska fans. I don’t think I saw more than a couple hundred tops. The NU fans sat on there hands because the team played putrid.

 

[lunker35]

Were you there last night? We tried on multiple occassions, hard to cheer for a team that misses so many open looks, gives up open dunks in key situations and generally plays unsinprired.

No team had the God given right to be cheered for, and certainly not this team.

This was my last game at All State

I literally threw my tickets on Stubhub after last night. I can't take it anymore there. Last night it took 10 minutes to get into the stadium due to the incompetence of the staff. I was frozen and walked into an empty stadium. It's bad enough our product is terrible, but I downright hate Allstate and can't do another game there.

 

[haywood jahblowme]

So I have been to a few games at Allstate now. It's awful. No wonder DePaul entered a death spiral.

On top of all the problems the team faces this year, the biggest might end up being the fact that they will not have one true home game all year. Nebraska fans were able to make their presence known given the dearth of wildcat fans in attendance. Since I had to endure ILL-INI at the Illinois game where Illinois fans outnumbered NU fans, I can only imagine what some of the upcoming games will be like.

Last night was particularly painful as the limited crowd wanted to get behind the Cats but was heartbroken by one open missed jumper after another.

this was a perfect year for a NU team to be a #10 - #20 ranked team and play great basketball. if they did fans would show up. the team is a dud and the seniors BMac, Lindsey, and Skelly look awful. no one wants to watch, and based on the Nebraska game the NU players don't even want to watch

 

[Pete Purple]

Do you really think lowering the capacity at the new, smaller gym will keep visiting fans out? The "rich" ST holders will still sell to get richer. Sort of like those who will gain in the new tax giveaway. You would probably have to lower the seating capacity to three or four thousand to insure a purple crowd.

You can’t keep some folks from selling, but I think they are unlikely to get richer. At least not the $1500 donation seats.

 

[Pete Purple]

I literally threw my tickets on Stubhub after last night. I can't take it anymore there. Last night it took 10 minutes to get into the stadium due to the incompetence of the staff. I was frozen and walked into an empty stadium. It's bad enough our product is terrible, but I downright hate Allstate and can't do another game there.

I have to agree, but I will show up because these kids deserve it, and I hope they will turn things around. I hate the AA, but it’s where the games are being played.

 

[Fitz51]

I have to agree, but I will show up because these kids deserve it, and I hope they will turn things around. I hate the AA, but it’s where the games are being played.

I've gone to one game, would have been to at least 2-3 more had they been playing in Evanston, and would have been to at least 2-3 more at Allstate had we not been way underachieving.

If that makes me a bad fan (I'm not saying that you're saying it does, just quoting your post because it talked about attending), then I am a bad fan. Conversely, I have gone to every home football game since 2001, no matter the circumstances.

 

[backdoorpass]

Conversely, I have gone to every home football game since 2001, no matter the circumstances.

Nice. I can appreciate this. When I was still living in Chicago, a girlfriend who I had started seeing in the springtime was shocked and upset when I explained to her that I intended to go to every Northwestern basketball home game (including the exhibitions) from the beginning of November through the end of the season in March. But of course! She knew I was a season ticket holder after all. I thought this went without saying. Needless to say, she did not understand or appreciate my devotion to NU Hoops. (I think that this conversation happened on the eve of the Fast Break Club Dinner at the end of October.)

 

[Fitz51]

Nice. I can appreciate this. When I was still living in Chicago, a girlfriend who I had started seeing in the springtime was shocked and upset when I explained to her that I intended to go to every Northwestern basketball home game (including the exhibitions) from the beginning of November through the end of the season in March. But of course! She knew I was a season ticket holder after all. I thought this went without saying. Needless to say, she did not understand or appreciate my devotion to NU Hoops. (I think that this conversation happened on the eve of the Fast Break Club Dinner at the end of October.)

I dated a girl for a couple of months and things were going ok, but then she got upset with me when I wanted to watch NU’s Bowl game that year at a bar with NU fans instead of going to brunch with her friends (and asking if they had a tv they could put the game on). I both went to watch the game, and broke up with her the following day.

 

[IdahoAlum]

Gotta have your priorities...

 

[NURoseBowl]

I dated a girl for a couple of months and things were going ok, but then she got upset with me when I wanted to watch NU’s Bowl game that year at a bar with NU fans instead of going to brunch with her friends (and asking if they had a tv they could put the game on). I both went to watch the game, and broke up with her the following day.

Sounds like a win-win, Fitz.

 

[Fitz51]

Sounds like a win-win, Fitz.

It was the Ticket City Bowl, so only one win.

 

[ashley0623]

Good news: no restroom lines.
Bad news: restrooms are filthy with hairballs on the floor.

 

[NJCat]

Good news: no restroom lines.
Bad news: restrooms are filthy with hairballs on the floor.

TMI

 

[Jonny2TheP]

It's up to the fan base to create a home court advantage. Northwestern's fan base is embarrassing.

The NU fanbase is rarely impressive and will never be large. This is what this is. However, as someone who has been a fan of this program (football and basketball) my entire life, this is also a fan base that will surprise you and throw a lot of support behind a good product when it’s there.

Maybe the fan support is low this year. Maybe it is a little embarrassing to some who aren’t used to it. But the product is also lousy. This team hasn’t had much since day one this season. And while I love them, the way they’ve played this entire year, especially a veteran team, is a lot more embarrassing than anything the fans have done. Losing to GT and getting absolutely destroyed by TT and OK happened far far away from Evanston.

 

[backdoorpass]

This team hasn’t had much since day one this season. And while I love them, the way they’ve played this entire year, especially a veteran team, is a lot more embarrassing than anything the fans have done. Losing to GT and getting absolutely destroyed by TT and OK happened far far away from Evanston.

I am still hopeful about this year's squad finally putting the pieces together and going on a run in the B1G season... But you are absolutely right.

Our highest profile win is a home OT victory over Illinois (kenpom 89, 0-3 B1G).
Our next highest profile win is a 2-point home victory over DePaul (kenpom 108, 0-3 Big East)

With 15 B1G games to go, we only have 2 games against teams lower rated than Illinois (Rutgers and Indiana)--and both games are on the road.

(I remember reading fairly recently on this board that our schedule provides easy road to 12 B1G wins, so maybe there is nothing to worry about.)

 

[Figrating]

In searching for answers why this team isn't more competitive, the commute to Allstate is first on the list.

 

[hdhntr1]

Do you really think lowering the capacity at the new, smaller gym will keep visiting fans out? The "rich" ST holders will still sell to get richer. Sort of like those who will gain in the new tax giveaway. You would probably have to lower the seating capacity to three or four thousand to insure a purple crowd.

If you think the average ST holder is going to get richer by selling a couple tickets, you're dreaming.

 

[Max_Power]

In searching for answers why this team isn't more competitive, the commute to Allstate is first on the list.

Willing to bet visiting teams fly in and stay at O'Hare meaning NU trip is probably 50 minutes or so to the "Home" arena while the visitors likely travel 5 or 10 minutes tops to get there on game day. Sigh.

 

[ubercat]

If you think the average ST holder is going to get richer by selling a couple tickets, you're dreaming.

Never underestimate the venality of (some) ST holders.

 

[NUCat320]

Willing to bet visiting teams fly in and stay at O'Hare meaning NU trip is probably 50 minutes or so to the "Home" arena while the visitors likely travel 5 or 10 minutes tops to get there on game day. Sigh.

NU stays at a hotel before all "home" games.

 

[willycat]

NU stays at a hotel before all "home" games.

I was wondering the same thing, since the football team always stays in a local hotel before home games.