Daily Campus Column: Please, stop shaming students for not going to games.

[whaler11]

You can see attendance softening everywhere.

With so much competition for people’s time there has become a more binary situtation.

Either something is wildly popular or it’s not popular at all. If it’s not a big enough event to rise above the background noise you can compete with there is just little awareness.

I’ve been to everything under the sun. From World Series, NFC Championships, Final Fours, NHL playoffs, NBA playoffs to the America East Tournament, Roller Hockey International, the D3 College World Series and everything in between.

The pace of the games in person bores me to tears. It’s why I hate replay with the intensity of 10k suns. When they reviewed 2 oob calls within 2 seconds last night that took forever I wanted to smash my TV like the Hulk.

At Rentschler I forget half the time what they are even reviewing.

Throw in bad teams, mediocre to bad facilities, high prices and a major drop in the attractiveness of opponents and I’m starting to wonder why I or anyone else goes.

Even if UConn can’t fix the teams overnight they could overhaul the game presentation. Jock Jams was awesome in 1997 - I think it’s time to retire the exact same game experience we’ve had for as long as I can remember. And fire John Tuite into the sun - yesterday if possible.

I don’t blame the next generations for not finding sitting through UConn and USF a compelling way to spend their time. They have millions of options that didn’t exist when I was in school in the early 90’s.

Of course UConn’s response is spending their limited marketing money on billboards. It makes me want to poke my eyes out.

 

[BlueMAB]

1) how many of you people telling people to put their phones down are posting from your phone?
2) if you don't want to criticize the kids for not going to the games, fine. Just don't also argue that all games should be at Gampel because of the students.

The bottom line is the team sucks, and the conference is unappealing to the casual fan. So if we aren't winning, people don't want to go whether it's Gampel, Hartford, or Bridgeport.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Hence the better education less school spirit.

How do you explain Duke fans?
I have to disagree with your theory.
Worse education may equal greater partying and tomfoolery, but better education does not equal less school spirit.
My floor in the Jungle way back when was sloppy drunk 50% of the time and not one person on the floor went to games of any kind.

 

[MadDogRevival]

You can see attendance softening everywhere.

We are currently in the most rapidly changing culture that the world has ever known. I think your point sums up the transition.

The Internet has taken over everything. Why even go out anymore? Maybe to scarf down some cruddy food at a cruddy chain restaurant that uses the same Martian seasoning packet on both beef and broccoli?

The Internet immersion started with the teens, then spread down to pre-teens and crept up through older folks. In another 20 years, only some Amish and some centenarians won't be under it.

It's the way the world has gone. Sports will continue to contract.

UConn should consider getting out of big time sports all together, and focus on education. And no, I'm not a believer that UConn, in today's world, with today's trajectory, has any chance at all of becoming a football power, thereby creating a symbiosis whereby sports begets education begets sports. UConn is never going to be Michigan or Ohio State or some water down version thereof.

I know that's not a popular opinion, but I personally peaked on UConn sports round about the Edsall Fiesta bowl, was still riding high in 2014, but have recently gone off a cliff because the whole thing is behind us. All of it.
I'm about 50. Many of us who have posted on this board for 10 years or more were at UConn or started following around when JC was launching the program for the first 10 years. The golden years. The fuel ran out, the rocket went off course, momentum netted one more great result, and now we're lost in space. Danger Will Robinson. Danger.

UConn sports changed just as the world was changing.

It's over. Most people on this board are hard core fans, and so it's hard to see it. It's like a relationship that was great. The one in your early 20s, when you were ripped and she was hot and the world was always sunny and bedroom life was top shelf and you didn't worry about mortgages and fed rates. Then one day you wake up and it changed and you can't get it back. Ever. And you have all these great memories and you can't hold back the sadness and you keep trying to find ways to rationalize how you can get it back. But you can't.
It's over.

 

[CL82]

We are currently in the most rapidly changing culture that the world has ever known. I think your point sums up the transition.

The Internet has taken over everything. Why even go out anymore? Maybe to scarf down some cruddy food at a cruddy chain restaurant that uses the same Martian seasoning packet on both beef and broccoli?

The Internet immersion started with the teens, then spread down to pre-teens and crept up through older folks. In another 20 years, only some Amish and some centenarians won't be under it.

It's the way the world has gone. Sports will continue to contract.

UConn should consider getting out of big time sports all together, and focus on education. And no, I'm not a believer that UConn, in today's world, with today's trajectory, has any chance at all of becoming a football power, thereby creating a symbiosis whereby sports begets education begets sports. UConn is never going to be Michigan or Ohio State or some water down version thereof.

I know that's not a popular opinion, but I personally peaked on UConn sports round about the Edsall Fiesta bowl, was still riding high in 2014, but have recently gone off a cliff because the whole thing is behind us. All of it.
I'm about 50. Many of us who have posted on this board for 10 years or more were at UConn or started following around when JC was launching the program for the first 10 years. The golden years. The fuel ran out, the rocket went off course, momentum netted one more great result, and now we're lost in space. Danger Will Robinson. Danger.

UConn sports changed just as the world was changing.

It's over. Most people on this board are hard core fans, and so it's hard to see it. It's like a relationship that was great. The one in your early 20s, when you were ripped and she was hot and the world was always sunny and bedroom life was top shelf and you didn't worry about mortgages and fed rates. Then one day you wake up and it changed and you can't get it back. Ever. And you have all these great memories and you can't hold back the sadness and you keep trying to find ways to rationalize how you can get it back. But you can't.
It's over.

Quality rant.

 

[Robertelamin]

Did your dog just get hit by a car? Jeez.

 

[UC313]

Did your dog just get hit by a car? Jeez.

Seriously.

 

[UCweCONN]

In my day, student section was full 20 minutes prior to most games— even at the Rent. Students had to urge the rest of the spectators to get into the game. They were knowledgeable and cared. Remember “Stand up Gampel” chants?

I’d like to say this isn’t a UConn problem but it seems pretty bad here. I was talking to a friend who teaches high school and he says the attitude towards sports with this generation is weird. It’s not cool to care about sports and the athletes are not considered popular at all.

Video gamers are the athletes of today.

 

[glastonbury50]

Are you sure "the kids" are filling the stadiums up??

This is a picture of a highly-ranked Cincinnati team at home against Temple in January. Check out the stands behind the player. Winning doesn't cure it all. People would rather watch on tv than go to games nowadays. That's just the reality of the new age today. It has nothing to do with an old man argument...

The women have no problem selling out...

 

[UC1995]

With Athletic fees being paid by students as high as they are, they deserve a better product on the court. They should demand better since their fees are amounting to wasted money.... just like Connecticut’s political leadership.

Glad I was there during the hey Dey because I would be going crazy if I was there now with this team!

 

[Edward Sargent]

Getting into UConn now is getting closer and closer to impossible. Unless you're a top student in your class in CT you aren't getting in. Hence the better education less school spirit.

Huh? Tell that to Duke, BC, Yale, NYU ( well maybe you have a case with the Violets) but school Spirit and better education are not linked

 

[HuskyHawk]

Missed this yesterday:

They should be ashamed. We filled the crappy field house to watch some not so great teams. Have a little pride. Experience college...which involves collegiality. It’s a disgrace. I think I’ll try to get my daughter to a Big Ten school (maybe not MSU)

 

[whaler11]

Horrible article.

I didn’t read it at first because of this post.

Just went back and read. Totally disagree.

If someone wants to tell me their time has value and it’s better spent elsewhere who is anyone to disagree.

The people on here who complain about crowds and never go to games are 10000000000000x worse.

 

[Fishy]

I will shame the students whenever I feel like it.

It’s my god-given right as an alum.

 

[joober jones]

These kids are more fragile than a faberge egg under an elephant's foot.

 

[joober jones]

Nah, a solid old man argument would be something like "You'll miss a lot of life if you stop to send pictures of your forehead to your friends every 8 seconds, now get off my lawn."

Snapchat is the Eric Devendorf of mobile apps.

 

[joober jones]

You can see attendance softening everywhere.


Even if UConn can’t fix the teams overnight they could overhaul the game presentation. Jock Jams was awesome in 1997 - I think it’s time to retire the exact same game experience we’ve had for as long as I can remember.

We need to scrap Jock Jams for Pickup Truck. Or Arby's commercials.

 

[Austin316]

UConn games should be free for students...

Oh and gampel should sell beer. I love beer.

 

[Towney007]

It's an all over problem. It's def. not exclusive to UConn.

I got razzed a bit the other day - but the UMass tailgate for their football is legit. Really legit, actually (yeah, I actually enjoy it more than UConn) - but they can't give away tickets to those games. Literally they can't get the kids from the lot *into* the stadium. Of all the people there - a quarter of them actually go inside to watch the game. The rest of them just venture back to their houses, etc. It's legitimately the zillion dollar question there - how to get them to literally just put a beer down and walk into the stadium and stay - even if it's for the first half. They don't even charge students anymore.

And you go to other schools? The same thing is happening. College football has completely oversaturated itself. You can watch any game at home. Or on the internet legally or illegally. There's just no incentive to go. No reason a cash strapped college kid would or should go. I mean they're spending a zillion on their education alone, it's not like there's loads of spending money left over for $30 football tickets to watch them get pounded into splinters by East Carolina.

I think the DRIVING issue with UConn hoops is that the team is just terrible. It's not fun to watch, the opponents have no real historical or emotional connection with fans, the team's bad... And on top of it they're married to the conference not because of their own program, but because of the football team. And even at that, there's just no one worth caring about. It's just a heartless conference altogether. Tickets are WILDLY overpriced and no one has interest in going to see the games as-is, never mind getting up for a 'rivalry' with Tulane.

We're basically in the spot we're in for the football team's sake.

 

[champs99and04]

It was a bad article but only because she was taught by bad readers. It's one of those debates where you can picture what everybody is saying before they say it. It isn't an epidemic that is unique to a particular generation.

I'll ask Stephanie this: what are you upset about? Are you upset that other people are upset that you're not doing what they want you to? If the answer is yes, consider why that might be. Perhaps their enjoyment in something is contingent on other people enjoying it too. Maybe these snarky twitter trolls actually feel like they need you? And maybe your acknowledging them means that you actually need them too?

Don't tell me the story, tell me why it's a story. This can be something meaningful or it can be a story I've already read 1,000 times. It depends what direction you want to take it in.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

It's over. Most people on this board are hard core fans, and so it's hard to see it. It's like a relationship that was great. The one in your early 20s, when you were ripped and she was hot and the world was always sunny and bedroom life was top shelf and you didn't worry about mortgages and fed rates. Then one day you wake up and it changed and you can't get it back. Ever. And you have all these great memories and you can't hold back the sadness and you keep trying to find ways to rationalize how you can get it back. But you can't.
It's over.

In garage. In car. Turning key. Starting engine. Deep breath. Deeeeep breaths. Heavy eyelids. Feeling sleeeepy now. Sleep. Sweet sleep. Oooooooohh I’m coming home baby, coming home.

 

[champs99and04]

I didn’t read it at first because of this post.

Just went back and read. Totally disagree.

If someone wants to tell me their time has value and it’s better spent elsewhere who is anyone to disagree.

The people on here who complain about crowds and never go to games are 10000000000000x worse.

Has anybody ever said otherwise though? I mean, I think the fact that you were able to sum the article up in one sentences is exactly where it falls short. It's regurgitating a popular sentiment rather than exploring it. You could give me this article and I could give you the counter to it or you could give me the counter and I could give you this one. We all get that people make decisions with their time. There is something that makes this different than the writer does not get to the underlying reasons.

 

[UConn Do It4]

Wait, people enjoy that music?

Not his new album. It sounds just like our team plays. Shit

 

[CL82]

If someone wants to tell me their time has value and it’s better spent elsewhere who is anyone to disagree.

Agreed, but that column was a little petulant and self-obsessed for my taste.

 

[whaler11]

Has anybody ever said otherwise though? I mean, I think the fact that you were able to sum the article up in one sentences is exactly where it falls short. It's regurgitating a popular sentiment rather than exploring it. You could give me this article and I could give you the counter to it or you could give me the counter and I could give you this one. We all get that people make decisions with their time. There is something that makes this different than the writer does not get to the underlying reasons.

In this very thread a bunch of people have said otherwise. There are hundreds of threads on the Boneyard where posters kill the students.

Just because in 1977 someone liked going to the Field House to watch UConn play Maine doesn't mean a student in 2018 needs to go watch South Florida attempt to play something that resembles basketball.

I've been to 8 games and have pretty much seen every other minute of the season on TV. The games are boring and a complete waste of time. If I was 24 and single instead of 42 and married I'd barely remember to check the scores.

I watch out of habit. If you aren't old enough to feel compelled to watch for that reason why would you?

 

[krinklecut]

IMO The students at UConn are very different today than they were even 7-8 years ago. Much more studious, less outgoing, less party-centric and seem to have less school spirit. Just based on my time there and the cultural shift from 2010-2014

Sad that it continued. I felt it my senior year in 2011. Thought it was just because I was getting older.

 

[boog204]

IMO The students at UConn are very different today than they were even 7-8 years ago. Much more studious, less outgoing, less party-centric and seem to have less school spirit. Just based on my time there and the cultural shift from 2010-2014

And I'd argue that shift began in the early 2000s. I was there from 99-2003. When I first got there, UConn was easy to get into, a lot of the campus was still old and dumpy, and it was absolutely a party school. Most fun I've ever had in my life. When the men won, things started to change. The smart kids started coming in and campus life changed. More rules and regulations; different expectations, etc. There's no way I could get into UConn today. I think the students are still "into" basketball, but these are kids who grew up with them winning 4 titles in 15 years; not watching the rising but underachieving teams of the 90s or our relative mediocrity in the 80s and before.

 

[BRG 1]

The trend recently in college athletics is on campus arenas with adjacent access to large number of students = full arenas.
UConn is different in that many diehards are 40+ alumni/fans who live 1+ hour away who might drive to Hartford but not the extra 1/2 hour to Storrs, especially on a Wednesday when one might leave for work the next day to fight traffic at 7AM.
Students, who might check out a game after dinner in the past might not leave the apartment smoking weed, studying etc. UConn, and for that matter Central in 20 years have gotten hard to get into. The smart kids, who used to go private but can't afford it or they are being prudent now study to to keep their scholarship.
Supposed they grew up hearing their parents or attending games with them against Gtown, BC, PC, Syracuse and Pitt aren't going to get fired up about East Carolina and USF.
When I went to PC 20 years ago about 800 or so PC students would attend hockey games at Schneider on Friday and Saturday nights, then go out drinking afterwards, all in walking distance. This is in an aging arena with mediocre teams, yet in an elite conference. Now with a recent Narional Championship, refurbished arena, current National ranking, still attendance by students is wanting.
Another thing to consider: the Patriots were pretty awful in the 70's and 80's with an occasional playoff appearance. (Rod Rust 1-15, anyone?) My grandmother, who is 92, only remembers anyone talking about the Yankees in Western Massachusetts growing up, now it is all Red Sox and Patriots, even in Connecticut.

 

[Danzz]

IMO The students at UConn are very different today than they were even 7-8 years ago. Much more studious, less outgoing, less party-centric and seem to have less school spirit. Just based on my time there and the cultural shift from 2010-2014

For one thing they are better students than 7-8 years ago. The high cost of tuition at private schools has resulted in more applications from students with higher SAT scores.
UConn and other state universities were backup schools for decent students in the past. This is no longer the case. It isn't cheap to go to UConn but it is still a bargain compared to private schools.

 

[Hankster]

Solid old man argument. If cell phones were as ubiquitous when you were growing up, I'm sure the same phenomenon would have occurred. Somehow other teams don't seem to be having the same problems filling the stands with kids willing to put their cell phones down for a few hours.

Did you watch the Tulsa-Tulane game last night? If it wasn't for the crickets there would have been no noise at all.