Last XL game Thursday

[Waquoit]

Last game of the season in Hartford Thursday and the crowd will be rocking. I think it's worth pointing out that, as usual, the best crowds of the year have been in Hartford. Especially last Saturday when the team gave up before the crowd did. Remember that when you read XL bashing in the future. You'll know it comes from someone who doesn't go to games.

 

[zls44]

Last game of the season in Hartford Thursday and the crowd will be rocking. I think it's worth pointing out that, as usual, the best crowds of the year have been in Hartford. Especially last Saturday when the team gave up before the crowd did. Remember that when you read XL bashing in the future. You'll know it comes from someone who doesn't go to games.

"Hi, I'm Waq, and I love to bait people by being the only idiot on Earth who thinks the XL Morgue [which is what it usually is] is a better atmosphere than Gampel Pavilion".

 

[zls44]

And, for what its worth, having attended the Stony Brook (Gampel) and New Hampshire (XL) games, I can safely say the UNH game at the XL Center was the worst atmosphere at a UConn game in the history of the program. It was empty (except for me, of course, I'm a sucker), it was soulless, it was depressing.

 

[gibhunter]

XL is one of the worst venues in the nation.

 

[Matt (Chicago)]

While I would definitely agree that Gampel provides a better gameday atmosphere, the crowds were rocking at the XL for Cuse and Nova this year. Not really any comparison for the current season since the opponents at GP have all been duds thus far.

 

[alexd]

While I would definitely agree that Gampel provides a better gameday atmosphere, the crowds were definitely rocking at the XL for Cuse and Nova this year. Not really any comparison for the current season since the opponents at GP were all duds.

Lets see how the G-Town game goes at Gampel next week.

 

[Matt (Chicago)]

Lets see how the G-Town game goes at Gampel next week.

fair point. edited my post.

 

[babysheep]

Was nobody at Gameday last year?

 

[Matt1010]

The two are not even comparable. XL has been rowdy the past 2 games because students are really trying to step up and support the team. Ollie sent an email urging students to bring the noise. Gampel gets so much louder and it will show in the GTown game.

 

[alexd]

The two are not even comparable. XL has been rowdy the past 2 games because students are really trying to step up and support the team. Ollie sent an email urging students to bring the noise. Gampel gets so much louder and it will show in the GTown game.

So the few hundred students made all the noise at the XL?

Of course, even with similar noise, the games will appear louder at Gampel. Smaller venue, lower ceiling, not so cavernous.

The XL crowd has been excellent for these big games. As good as it's been in the past decade and I've been to every game there.

 

[BoatShow]

This year is a complete anomaly when it comes to this topic.I mean look at the caliber of teams that we played at so far...

Gample

• UVM
• Stony Brook
• Harvard
• Depaul
• USF

Hartford

• UNH
• UMD Eastern Shore
• Fordham
• Washington
• Rutgers
• Louisville
• Cuse
• Nova

So far, all of our premier conference match-ups have been at XL and our best non-conference home game (Washington.) I'd have to say that I was at the Harvard and USF games and the crowd was awesome all night vs. Harvard and the second half during USF. I guess the Cuse and LVille games were okay too ;-)

 

[Waquoit]

So the few hundred students made all the noise at the XL?

Exactly, why can't these XL bashers just admit they are wrong? Because it doesn't fit with the fictitious narrative they insist on pushing? The "suits" were just as impressive as the students.

 

[Dann]

every time i go to the xl im sure to bang a couple walls and help progess the place to falling down so uconn never has to play in it again. uconn is the only school in the world who is dumb enough to set up games and arenas/fields the way it does. uconn 2013-top 20 academics with 1975 leadership.

 

[zls44]

Exactly, why can't these XL bashers just admit they are wrong? Because it doesn't fit with the fictitious narrative they insist on pushing? The "suits" were just as impressive as the students.

Congrats to the suits showing up for two games. Really solid job by them.



Every time the suits got loud...it was because the students got it started. Arena dynamics. Every time. It took public shaming to get them to give a damn.

 

[alexd]

Congrats to the suits showing up for two games. Really solid job by them.



Every time the suits got loud...it was because the students got it started. Arena dynamics. Every time. It took public shaming to get them to give a damn.

And I'm sure Gampel really rocked for S. Brook and Vermont. Just stop.

And who exactly are "the suits". Are those the corporate seats that have different people in them every game? Are they the seats next to me that someone always sells on stub hub for nice margins? It certainly isn't our seats. Four of us. 12 rows up, center court, middle aged fans who have been going to the games for 25 years.

 

[BoatShow]

I feel like the XL has a lot more going for it, as far as pulling in fans aged 25-35 who should be extremely boisterous (beer available in the venue, literally surrounded by bars for fun before/after). However the crowds are usually just bleh. They pull more of a casual fan because of the convenience and location. If you don't really care about the game and you're just going to hang out and you work in Harftord/West Hartford/South Windsor/ whatever; you'll go to XL and most of the noise you make will be chatting about anything but basketball. I'm sure there are people who buy tickets to a game at XL and say "f the game" and never end up leaving Pour House, just like the people who pay to tailgate at the Rent and couldn't tell you what the inside of the stadium looks like.

If you make the trek to Storrs you probably care more about the game and will be more passionate.

Like I pointed out in my post a couple up, this year should in no way be used as a barometer because ALL of the high profile matchups have been in Hartford so far (except for a fringe one with Harvard.)

I'm sure Cincy will bring another good crowd in Hartford, but Gample will be rocking for G-town and PC.

Either way, crowds at both venues need to be better. Every game I've been to this year (both venues) people behind have told me to sit down for standing and cheering at big moments. What the hell is that? Same thing at the Rent. There is a culture of non-cheering going on and people are embarrassed to cheer.

Okay rant over.

 

[champs99and04]

I think the environment at Gampel is definitely better, however, the two games I've been to at the XL this year (Cuse and UL) were both loud.

 

[Giddyup5]

still wish people showed up on time or heaven forbid, early. I know its hard during the week with a 7PM start.

 

[Waquoit]

Every time the suits got loud...it was because the students got it started. Arena dynamics. Every time. It took public shaming to get them to give a damn.

You're wrong. Again. It was spontaneous. From all parts of the arena. No shaming involved. Saturday was especially impressive considering the crowd seemed to want it more than the players in the 2nd half. Were you there?

 

[kemba]

Gampel isn't a better atmosphere because the fans there are better. The fans are mostly the same. Gampel is a better atmosphere because it's a better venue. Crowd is right on top of the court, not as spacious, more students close to the court.

Comparing the crowds this year when the 4 best matchups have been at XL makes no sense. And saying that "as usual" the XL crowds are better is bullshit. XL has the advantages of fitting more people and being easier to get to for people. For those reasons it's not going anywhere. So there is no need to make up any other advantages it has.

 

[BoatShow]

I think the environment at Gampel is definitely better, however, the two games I've been to at the XL this year (Cuse and UL) were both loud.

The crowd was into games vs Top 10 teams? Say whaaaaaaaaaat

 

[Jluc]

So the crowd was rocking at the XL for cuse and nova? Who cares..if either of those games were played at gampel it would have been twice as loud. I was at the cuse game last year at gampel and the nova game this year at XL. There is honestly no comparison

 

[BoatShow]

For the Cuse game I couldn't even hear the students from my seats.

 

[zls44]

It certainly isn't our seats. Four of us. 12 rows up, center court, middle aged fans who have been going to the games for 25 years.

So the truth comes out. You don't care about the atmosphere or really think the XL is better...you just don't want to lose YOUR seats.

It's about you, isn't it? That's all it is. Same thing for Waq...you have good seats and you'll be damned if anyone is going to take them.

It's fine if that's what it is. But don't pretend it's anything other than looking out for your own self interests.

 

[zls44]

You're wrong. Again. It was spontaneous. From all parts of the arena. No shaming involved. Saturday was especially impressive considering the crowd seemed to want it more than the players in the 2nd half. Were you there?

I was in the upper deck. I saw the suits stand a few times.

It was nice to see them spend forty seconds doing something the students were doing the whole game.

I'm sure watching the energy and enthusiasm of the students had nothing to do with it. It must have just been divine intervention.