MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[jeloesel]

Jim-

No comment on your photographs...You aren't sucking me into it!  At least not until February 2007!

3sdown,
Resistance is futile.  You cannot avoid your destiny.   

[3sdown]

I like the neutral site as well. I think it draws a fan base from all schools, not just a few, and I think it makes for better b'ball and is more fair to the players. Just imagine the 07 ODAC finals being hosted by #1 seed VWC vs. E&H, some 8 hours away. There would not be one E&H supported in the gym... somehow that doesn't seem fair nor appropriate for the home team to have that big of an advantage . Again, if the ODAC schools as well as the ODAC itself get together and figure out a better marketing approach, fan participation and support will increase, I think. Hell,  invite all the youth leagues around the Roanoke area, get them involved, the kids would love it and their parents would be forced to come. Community involvement is my point and that goes well past fan base from the ODAC schools.   

While you are at it, please send the invitations to the many retirement homes in the Roanoke Valley.  ****, I think the ODAC should pay for the busses to these facilities to pick up the people!  And more little kids...It isn't about a family environment...It should be a collegiate environment. 

[jeloesel]

And now 3sdown is picking on the little kids.  What's next, Republicans? 

[tigerfanalso]

Students at small schools do not follow the athletic teams very close, in fact alot of the students could care less about sports in general. Other students follow other D1 programs closer than the teams from their own schools. This does not give cause to a hugh "college environment". Witness the attendance figures at home games throughout the ODAC, how many of those in attendance are adults with their kids vs. students? From the games I see at HSC a large % of those in attendance are not students, a whole lot. The same would hold true if tourney games were held on campus of the higher seed. The students just are not that involved at the D3 level.... been that way forever and probably always will. The only exception I see in the ODAC  is at Bridgewater, during f'ball season and the typical rival games throughout the ODAC. Without alumni, their kids and other fan base support, the attendance figures would really look bad..

So busing in folks from the old person homes might that be that bad of an idea because the student bodies and level of student interests aren't large enough to pack the gym... anywhere in the ODAC.

[mybleedinghands]

the purpose of divison 3 isn't to serve the fans, it's to serve the athletes. now if you want a divison where the fan experience is emphasized a lot more then you need to go D1!

[oldVWCfan]

I attended back in the late '90s when Tim Petrillo...ok..ok i'll let it go...I'd like the games at Salem...more than on campus..now I'm in the Augustana area and the CCIW plays tournament on campus..small gym so it will be packed but the atmosphere, student oriented, is not the same - for me at least - as Salem..they got my vote.  (the Ill Wesleyan - Augustana game should be good!)

[3sdown]

Students at small schools do not follow the athletic teams very close, in fact alot of the students could care less about sports in general. Other students follow other D1 programs closer than the teams from their own schools. This does not give cause to a hugh "college environment". Witness the attendance figures at home games throughout the ODAC, how many of those in attendance are adults with their kids vs. students? From the games I see at HSC a large % of those in attendance are not students, a whole lot. The same would hold true if tourney games were held on campus of the higher seed. The students just are not that involved at the D3 level.... been that way forever and probably always will. The only exception I see in the ODAC  is at Bridgewater, during f'ball season and the typical rival games throughout the ODAC. Without alumni, their kids and other fan base support, the attendance figures would really look bad..

So busing in folks from the old person homes might that be that bad of an idea because the student bodies and level of student interests aren't large enough to pack the gym... anywhere in the ODAC.

I can't believe this is coming from a HSC Fan.  From my experience at Macon the students for NCAA games (and I can safely assume an ODAC Championship or Semifinal Game) would have to be on a waiting list...Over half the tickets in the past were reserved for Macon students, but there would be a waiting list of a hundred or more...Damn it is a sad state of affairs at HSC now as well! 

Back in the day...The students there were crazy...

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

the purpose of divison 3 isn't to serve the fans, it's to serve the athletes. now if you want a divison where the fan experience is emphasized a lot more then you need to go D1!

Well said.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

steely,

See you tonight at the NC State vs UNC game!  To give you an idea of where I'll be, here is a clip I recorded from the NC State vs Maryland game; http://www.bridgewater.edu/~mbarnhar/ncsu.AVI

GO PACK!

[3sdown]

the purpose of divison 3 isn't to serve the fans, it's to serve the athletes. now if you want a divison where the fan experience is emphasized a lot more then you need to go D1!

Well said.

In that case, I suggest locking all gyms with only the players, coaches, managers, officials, and clock/score keepers in the gym...That was occassionally Coach Nunnally's wish he expressed.

[baselinejam]

the purpose of divison 3 isn't to serve the fans, it's to serve the athletes. now if you want a divison where the fan experience is emphasized a lot more then you need to go D1!

Well said.

In that case, I suggest locking all gyms with only the players, coaches, managers, officials, and clock/score keepers in the gym...That was occassionally Coach Nunnally's wish he expressed.

For having let it go until next season - you're being very cranky.

[yellow jacket]

I have to say that as a current student at Macon, there is a lot of support for both basketball teams.  In many cases (including tournaments at R-MC) students line up 30 minutes in advance so that we can get tickets for games.  Although some regular season games are not as well attended as tournament games (and H-SC), people have to remember that athletic practices regularly occur until late, intramurals are occuring during games, study halls for sports (including our football team) occur daily.  So, it is not the students being lethargic.  Most students on most D-3 campuses are behind their sports; we are academics first and athletes second, as I have heard my coaches say many times before.  We focus on our grades, and then support our teams.  Unfortunately, it is a sad state of things, but one we can't change.

[justafan02]

Scottie, there are plenty of people out there marketing the Marlins, but bottom line is they are a small fish (no pun intended) in a big pond.  The Norfolk Tides don't draw crowds, neither do the Hampton Roads Admirals.  Old Dominion does ohhh k for a good mid major team and Christopher Newport doesn't necessarily pack the house.  Then you have Norfolk State and Hampton (who was a top ranked  IAA footbal team), who people don't know exist.

Have you seen the local news coverage here???  It is an absolute joke.  If the ODAC tourney was at the beach it would be back page news, with little to no coverage.  No one here knows that the Marlins are on a 23 game streak.  In fact, Monday they showed clips of ODU playing and threw out a "by the way the Wesleyan Marlins won the ODAC."  The tool bag of a news anchor didn't even know the college's name.

The womens DIII final four was here the last two years and no one in the community could have told you that despite numerous ads and billboards.  All these people here have better things to do a guess and support isn't what it should be.  It's sad to come to the Jane P and sit in a crowd of 400 people to watch one of the best teams in VWC history much less the country.

[baselinejam]

I know somebody out there is a Pack fan - after tonite can Sendek keep his job?

[sludge]

I guess those of you agitating for school gyms have a pretty good point.  I was actually content with nice central Salem, but I want a venue where the room fits the crowd.  I guess the fit would be better in school gyms, but ugh to playing VWC at VWC, and there is the darn travel problem and "bus legs".

If mr_divac is really not Vlade but Mr. G., and he's into playing at GC next year, that is wonderful.  I think Ben can play facing the basket if need be.  The frontline could be noticeably large and versatile.   A lot of hot air will pass under the balloon between now and then.

Another rant because maybe no one else will:  I want to give some props to the improving and emerging W&L Generals.  They lost a *lot* of close games last season, and I think they are moving in a positive direction.

One last rant:  all those tournament games were great!  Great competition and an exciting level of play.