MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[HopeConvert]

Yep. The low-tech silent approach worked pretty well in the Civic Center. I've been observing this closely this year and am reasonably convinced that the constant loud music (even after the ref tosses the ball for the tipoff) attenuates rather than generates crowd energy.

Hopefully DK, Logan, and NVA will all be at full strength next week. I hadn't realized until reading VanOchten's piece that Krombeen had been held out of practice prior to Wednesday's game. There's a lot that has to go right to make a deep run.

Speaking of which: it would have been nice to have Chris Ray yesterday. Adrian's defensive game plan left the 12-15 foot jumper from the middle open, and no one shoots that better than Ray does.

[sac]

A fun new thing for the students is the interlude dance, which SAAC has brought to campus this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdMsMz6k8ao

Thanks for these.  I can tell you with 100% certainty the dance is ripped off from your arch rival.

[KnightSlappy]

My guess is Hope gets Capital or Carroll in the first round.

[section7]

Please allow me to take a moment to thank the guys who do the radio broadcast of Hope games.  If their passion for Hope basketball annoys you, I'm sorry.  I for one am so grateful for the work that they do.  Having watched them for years schlep around the league, making do with whatever technology is or is not available at various venues, crawling under bleachers to make connections, literally phoning it in when a school doesn't have the necessary technology, getting home late, leaving home early, doing their research, knowing their team inside and out and doing a great job with opposing teams, I for one am impressed and thankful.  I had to miss a game a week or so ago (one of two I've missed in the past 5 seasons), and being able to listen to the broadcast made me feel like I was there.  FDF has had a similar experience while traveling for work.  So if it's not your cup of tea, fine, then don't listen.  But don't bash these hard working men.  That's just a cheap shot.  Not many of us would or could do all that they do to bring Hope basketball to those who can't attend.

CM, for one I respect your position and you have a right on a discussion board to post your viewpoint.  But remember, on a discussion board, I have a right to post mine too.
Using your own words, "miss a game a week or so, in the past 5 years", that shows your dedication to attending the games and observing these announcers attending them also.  However, it does not give you much evidence of listening (enduring) to them from both a Hope fan and a non-Hope fan's experience.
While they may well attend alot of games and carry alot of equipment, their performance is below par, dare I say below "Hope standards".  If the performance of the team was based on the announcers, Hope would be near the bottom of the league.

Just for reference, on several occasions, going back to the days of WHTC, I have personally called the radio station, during games to have someone contact RW and have him please call the player(s) by their correct names.  Marcus VanderHeide will always be Marcus VanderHeide, not Mike VanderHeide or Marcus VanderVelde.

The only portion I listen to is the post-game to get Dav's insight on the game.  However, with JK's continual interruption of him mid-answer it can be quite frustrating.

Finally, as a Hope fan, this is hard, but from a non-Hope fan's perspective, I have on several occasions cringed about their comments about other teams and their total butchery of other team's players names.  At least, we do not have to hear GC, yell "Briaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Ebels" anymore.

In today's media and internet era, I believe it is time (well past time) for an upgrade.  This doesn't mean these men and the others who have worked with them, haven't logged many miles and hours, carried equipment or obviously enjoy Hope.  It just means it is time for a change.  I would compare to many Calvin's fan view of the current situation with KVS.  I am sure he has worked very hard over his career and logged many miles and hours, carried many bags of basketball.  But, several people on this discussion board like too and should be able to express their opinion, without someone saying "don't take a cheap shot".  Especially someone who has listened to 1 or 2 broadcasts in 5 years.

I challenge you to bring you "I-Pod" or in your case maybe your "Walkman" and listen to them for an MIAA season and see if you have a different opinion.

[Hopester]

A fun new thing for the students is the interlude dance, which SAAC has brought to campus this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdMsMz6k8ao

Thanks for these.  I can tell you with 100% certainty the dance is ripped off from your arch rival.

Northern Iowa is Alma's arch rival?

[sac]

A fun new thing for the students is the interlude dance, which SAAC has brought to campus this year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdMsMz6k8ao

Thanks for these.  I can tell you with 100% certainty the dance is ripped off from your arch rival.

Northern Iowa is Alma's arch rival?

Northern Iowa believes its a rivalry as much as we do.

[sac]

Here's a list of teams within 500 miles that have qualified for the D3 tournament, in no particular order.  I would be shocked if Hope didn't host this weekend. (probably a little outraged too)


Carroll
Edgewood
North Central
Wooster
Capital
Bethany
Rose-Hulman

possible teams to gain an at large bid
Wheaton
Wittenberg
UW-Stevens Point
Ohio Wesleyan
Lake Forest


A couple other teams with wins today could get AQ's and be within 500 miles
Centre, Ky playing Trinity, Tx---Centre lost
Rose-Hulman playing Transylvania--RH won



These teams are within 500 miles but pairing them in Holland would be a long shot either due to their distance or likely high seed within the tournament.
Washington
UW-Whitewater
Westminster, Mo 
Transylvania

[KnightSlappy]

A good pod could be

Lake Forest vs. Ohio Wesleyan/Wittenberg
Carroll/Capital at Hope

[realist]

3675 is the official sellout number for DeVos, so if its listed at 4800, its a typo.

Please allow me to take a moment to thank the guys who do the radio broadcast of Hope games.  If their passion for Hope basketball annoys you, I'm sorry.  I for one am so grateful for the work that they do.  Having watched them for years schlep around the league, making do with whatever technology is or is not available at various venues, crawling under bleachers to make connections, literally phoning it in when a school doesn't have the necessary technology, getting home late, leaving home early, doing their research, knowing their team inside and out and doing a great job with opposing teams, I for one am impressed and thankful.  I had to miss a game a week or so ago (one of two I've missed in the past 5 seasons), and being able to listen to the broadcast made me feel like I was there.  FDF has had a similar experience while traveling for work.  So if it's not your cup of tea, fine, then don't listen.  But don't bash these hard working men.  That's just a cheap shot.  Not many of us would or could do all that they do to bring Hope basketball to those who can't attend.

If Hope had video this might well be a mute point.     

[ziggy]

3675 is the official sellout number for DeVos, so if its listed at 4800, its a typo.

Please allow me to take a moment to thank the guys who do the radio broadcast of Hope games.  If their passion for Hope basketball annoys you, I'm sorry.  I for one am so grateful for the work that they do.  Having watched them for years schlep around the league, making do with whatever technology is or is not available at various venues, crawling under bleachers to make connections, literally phoning it in when a school doesn't have the necessary technology, getting home late, leaving home early, doing their research, knowing their team inside and out and doing a great job with opposing teams, I for one am impressed and thankful.  I had to miss a game a week or so ago (one of two I've missed in the past 5 seasons), and being able to listen to the broadcast made me feel like I was there.  FDF has had a similar experience while traveling for work.  So if it's not your cup of tea, fine, then don't listen.  But don't bash these hard working men.  That's just a cheap shot.  Not many of us would or could do all that they do to bring Hope basketball to those who can't attend.

If Hope had video this might well be a mute point.   

The correct word is "moot". "Mute" is correct in regards to your points but the word you're looking for is "moot".

[sac]

Rose-Hulman engineers an upset of Transylvania 76-73 in OT.

I've added RH to the list.   I think Hope's first round opponent, if they have one, will be either Carroll, Capital or Rose-Hulman.

[formerd3db]

HopeConvert and Civic Minded:

Thanks for the reply, gentlemen.  I know that the official sellout capacity at DeVos is 3675, so if the "official" attendence was 3471 as you mention, it wasn't a sellout, unlike the semi-final game was on Wednesday night.  Actually, it appears the attendance listing for the title game has now been corrected on the Hope box score section, so it was obviously a typo as you mention.  Realistically, however, do you not think that even when there have been sellouts at DeVos, that the actual attendance is perhaps even more than the official capacity due to standing room? (Unless, Hope does not let in more people than that official capacity number).  I bring this up because while TR (whom I've known for many years) and his staff at our alma mater do an excellent job in the statistics aspect of its athletic programs including attendance, still sometimes no one can always get it totally right.  This past fall, our attendance at home football games was excellent and over the 3,000 mark for all the games with the exception of one game.  I personally believe that game had well more than was listed as the official attendance as I was there on the sidelines (and, yes, I count those things ), so sometimes the official attendance count can be slightly off, albeit unintentional and certainly very rarely at Hope - we all know it can and does happen anywhere at other colleges who are not perhaps as diligent or meticulous as our alma mater's staff is. 

Of course, perhaps it is much more controlled as to how many persons are physically allowed into the basketball arena i.e. only the total number of capacity tickets.  This is a little different and perhaps the entire issue non-comparable to NCAA football playoff games in that, for the latter, there is no limit, one reason being you are not going to have a sellout for one of those early round games (or for that matter, any if ever ).  I'm speculating here since I've never attended the MIAA BB Tournament, yet have attended several NCAA football playoff games and the Stagg Bowl several times.  Anyway, thanks for your previous clarification posts. 

[KnightSlappy]

Rose-Hulman engineers an upset of Transylvania 76-73 in OT.

I've added RH to the list.   I think Hope's first round opponent, if they have one, will be either Carroll, Capital or Rose-Hulman....possibly Coe if the committee goes crazy with moving teams around.   I still like Transylvania's chances at hosting despite the loss.

I believe Coe lost to Buena Vista in yesterday's title game.

[sac]

Rose-Hulman engineers an upset of Transylvania 76-73 in OT.

I've added RH to the list.   I think Hope's first round opponent, if they have one, will be either Carroll, Capital or Rose-Hulman....possibly Coe if the committee goes crazy with moving teams around.   I still like Transylvania's chances at hosting despite the loss.

I believe Coe lost to Buena Vista in yesterday's title game.

Removing Coe.    Buena Vista is outside the 500 mile range.

[AndersDY]

As a long-time band geek, I'll point out one thing that wasn't mentioned in the discussion of arena music vs. crowd noise, which is that there has not been a Hope pep band for some time now. Other than bringing in HS bands from Saugatuck or McBain, there has not been live music for Hope games in a while, I think since about the time they moved to the DeVos. If they would organize a student pep band again, that would limit the number of breaks that need to be filled with piped-in sound. In the Civic, it was certainly easier for the sound of a small band to fill the space, but I'm sure that with a strong enough group, they could make themselves heard in the more open new arena. It seems worthwhile for D1 schools to bring a pep band so I'm sure they could handle the DeVos if they organized a significant enough group.