OK...how raucous can we make XL Sunday?

[gampelcrazies]

The last thing I am worried about is the crowd.

You should. It means a lot in college sports.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Crowd has been meh all year except Creighton game and 10 minutes vs Georgetown. I don’t think anything would be different based purely on venues. @gampelcrazies make a good point about lots of freebies at XL, but I don’t see how 10k at Gampel should be louder than 16k at XL when there are also older donors and freebies at Gampel as well. I think a lot of it, especially this year, is situational. When we were down 4 today and Joey C missed that 3, the place was ready to go. If he hits that and the game stays close the rest of the way, I don’t think anyone sits back down and we aren’t having this discussion.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Crowd has been meh all year except Creighton game and 10 minutes vs Georgetown. I don’t think anything would be different based purely on venues. @gampelcrazies make a good point about lots of freebies at XL, but I don’t see how 10k at Gampel should be louder than 16k at XL when there are also older donors and freebies at Gampel as well. I think a lot of it, especially this year, is situational. When we were down 4 today and Joey C missed that 3, the place was ready to go. If he hits that and the game stays close the rest of the way, I don’t think anyone sits back down and we aren’t having this discussion.

XL/Civic Center use to bring it back in the day. I'm not anti Hartford I just think the venue and the crowds have not been good for awhile.

 

[KevFromNB]

If you seriously think switching venues will save us, boy you are gullible. I am a huge fan of Gampel only, but seriously, the fans were out of it (including myself)because there was nothing to cheer for. As said earlier, any time we had an ounce of momentum, we would either foul, give up a layup, or both. The blame needs to go on the coach first and then trickle down from there. Good shooting and highlight plays come and go, but defensive intensity, plays that take 20 seconds that lead to 1. A Sanogo post up that leads to a double team OR 2. Literally nothing, just perimeter passes and 0 switches so we have to take wild 3s to save us is why we had 0 energy. Why root for mediocrity and no effort

All so true. Definitely the worst game I've been too this season; both from a crowd and play perspective. And exactly like you said, anytime the crowd would get up, it was a whistle, awful offense and beyond awful defense. Can't blame hostile crowds for the Ls anymore. SHU will be a barometer for the rest of the season.

 

[jpeakin]

I am typically an XL supporter but today was terrible. I think we win that game at Gampel.

Because Danny would have done what differently? Between kids on break, NFL playoffs, and a holiday weekend...I get it, not an overly enthused crowd but the place was mostly sold out at least. The flow of the game was so choppy, it was ridiculous. It's hard to get hyped when the team literally couldn't do anything.

 

[John]

Crowd has been meh all year except Creighton game and 10 minutes vs Georgetown. I don’t think anything would be different based purely on venues. @gampelcrazies make a good point about lots of freebies at XL, but I don’t see how 10k at Gampel should be louder than 16k at XL when there are also older donors and freebies at Gampel as well. I think a lot of it, especially this year, is situational. When we were down 4 today and Joey C missed that 3, the place was ready to go. If he hits that and the game stays close the rest of the way, I don’t think anyone sits back down and we aren’t having this discussion.

Where does one find these free tickets? I'm paying more than ever for my XL seats, I think I missed the email from the athletic department about a free tickets option.

 

[HuskyBoi]

Honestly, crowd today was a joke. And don't give me that "the team hasn't done anything to get the crowd going" The point of a crowd is to actually will the players on in some bad moments. XL Crowds just suck, sorry

 

[gampelcrazies]

Where does one find these free tickets? I'm paying more than ever for my XL seats, I think I missed the email from the athletic department about a free tickets option.

Lot of seats are owned by companies/sponsors in Hartford (happens in Storrs too but not to the same extent).

 

[XLCenterFan]

Where does one find these free tickets? I'm paying more than ever for my XL seats, I think I missed the email from the athletic department about a free tickets option.

I’ve spent more this year on tickets than ever before too. The “freebies” are tickets that get passed off from friends, family, companies, donors, and other groups/individuals. So basically the person using the ticket is not an actual stakeholder and couldn’t name the starting five. It’s bad for winning and crowd dynamics.

 

[UConnDad]

You should. It means a lot in college sports.

Not enough to overcome that performance. If you believe it was the crowd your delusional.

 

[Marbles90]

I am an XL only season ticket holder and the crowd absolutely sucked. Not saying it would have made an iota of a difference. Just saying zero energy.

To all the people sitting in my section that come to every game and talk non stop about anything and everything EXCEPT what is happening on the court: please go to a coffee shop or a bar with the game on in the background. Thank you.

 

[05Alum]

XL/Civic Center use to bring it back in the day. I'm not anti Hartford I just think the venue and the crowds have not been good for awhile.

The Villanova game last year was the best crowd at Hartford in forever. It can have its moments, but it is few and far between. The noon tip time, on a Sunday, with a team that has lost 3 of 4, did not set it up to be a great crowd either.

 

[JT-55]

Terrible crowd. Negative energy right from the very beginning with the moans and groans after Andre missed his two free throws to start. I get that with 21 turnovers there wasn't alot to go nuts about but it was still a 4-6 point game most of the second half but felt like we were down 20 and people just wanted to be negative.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

There’s been several games this year people say “every time the crowd starts to get up the other team makes a play”….but like just cuz the other team makes a basket doesn’t mean you need to sit back down and shut up. Crowd was awful. Obviously not why we lost though

This

 

[mauconnfan]

You should. It means a lot in college sports.

You know what else means a lot in college sports. Playing good basketball for the fans to enjoy. Coaching a team that plays with enthusiasm on both ends and doesn't make turnovers every time they get pressured so the crowd quiets. Getting stops on defense after making a couple hoops in a row to make a run also means a lot.

Not on the crowd at all, it's been horrific basketball for most of the Big East schedule.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

This

Exactly. There was a point in the 2nd half where we hit a big shot, everyone stood up and got loud for a defensive stop, and we got called for a foul (I think). Then it went right to a TV time out. It was definitely before SJU were in the bonus because out of the timeout, SJU had to inbounds.

What was any different coming out of the timeout? We still had momentum and the crowd should have gotten right back up and gone nuts.

But the majority sat on their collective behinds and made little to no noise. I even think the "Make some noise" prompt was on the Jumbotron. Was embarrassing.

 

[bazzdog]

We kept waiting for something to cheer for….nothing

Great teams don’t wait
They initiate

 

[UConnDad]

I find it’s so difficult to cheer and hold my breath possession after possession but I’m getting a lot of practice. The kids throwing T shirts lacked enthusiasm too.

 

[MoeLittle66]

Terrible crowd. Negative energy right from the very beginning with the moans and groans after Andre missed his two free throws to start. I get that with 21 turnovers there wasn't alot to go nuts about but it was still a 4-6 point game most of the second half but felt like we were down 20 and people just wanted to be negative.

Wrong. Crowd tried to get it going but the team just couldn't reward them. Diarra break away and getting his dunk stuffed by rim was the prime example yesterday

 

[XLCenterFan]

Wrong. Crowd tried to get it going but the team just couldn't reward them. Diarra break away and getting his dunk stuffed by rim was the prime example yesterday

I thought the crowd was very encouraging towards him after that. The one spot we were ready to let it rip was when Joey C missed a 3 when we were down 4. SJU shut down every moment we would have gotten loud with a drawn foul or a bucket. UConn crowds react to gameplay, not the other way around. That’s how it’s always been I feel

 

[CTMike]

These crowd threads man… more over analysis, not that I’m shocked. When the team does something worth cheering, the crowd cheers. When the team doesn’t, they don’t. It’s the most basic cause and effect in the world yet people seem to insist that the crowd should cheer first THEN the team do something good. That’s not how it works.

 

[Get a Job]

These crowd threads man… more over analysis, not that I’m shocked. When the team does something worth cheering, the crowd cheers. When the team doesn’t, they don’t. It’s the most basic cause and effect in the world yet people seem to insist that the crowd should cheer first THEN the team do something good. That’s not how it works.

Then why do we say, "Let's go, Huskies!" instead of "You went, Huskies!"?

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Then why do we say, "Let's go, Huskies!" instead of "You went, Huskies!"?

How about a call-and-response cheer with one side of the building yelling, "Eons," and the other side yelling back, "Light years." After 3 rounds, close with a trio of one-syllable words, like, "Score lots more," "Take good shots," "Dunk that ball," "Build that lead," "Close this game."

Many silly simple phrases are possible.

The point is to throw off New England reserve, risk being uncool, and, "HAVE SOME FUN!"

The best phrases will emerge as keepers.

(Shoutout to "Ions" for its inspiration)

 

[August_West]

These crowd threads man… more over analysis, not that I’m shocked. When the team does something worth cheering, the crowd cheers. When the team doesn’t, they don’t. It’s the most basic cause and effect in the world yet people seem to insist that the crowd should cheer first THEN the team do something good. That’s not how it works.

You making a post on behalf of XLCenterEnthusiast?

 

[J187Money]

Same point I made on the last crowd thread. Couldn't get a run going.

No Big Red chants either. Why? Never got a run going.

If the team can't get on a run to the point where Dickie V would be yelling "Get a TO baby!!" you can't put it on the crowd.

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One of my big gripes in the game was they should have never taken Hawkins out. I believe he could have scored 40 in the first half if they just keep feeding him. The crowd would have gone bananas and IMHO the game would have been over.