Basketball Game Fans
by apoc987 on Feb 24, 2011 2:25 PM EST
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I'm a former student and now a season ticket holder and have been noticing this for the past few seasons. The fans, this year especially, have been rather poor....namely the students. It seems like we have been in a slow decline of enthusiasm but this year seems much worse. The second we lose a game everyone gets taken out of it. I don't want to use the term "fair weathered" but we're trending in that direction.
The students are quiet for 80% of the time with a few cheers when we score. The whole point of a home crowd is to have a sixth man. Someone at your back that will pull you out of those lulls. We're leaving this team to dig themselves out and then cheer them when they're riding high. We need to be helping them dig out of a scoring slump or defensive lapses. I don't care if you're angry about a mistake. Being silent at the game only exacerbates the problem
The students need to take the first step. You are right on the court, stand the whole game, wave signs and posters, start chants, and intimidate the other team. It starts with you. The old farts in the crowd get pumped up because of you. I'm not saying the non-students aren't responsible but let's face it, the students get the crowd going. Gary seemed upset with the turnout last night, and rightfully so. The Wall was maybe a third full with most of the students sitting down. The rest of the stadium seemed maybe half full. Pathetic. Even SVP called us out. SVP! Something is really wrong if we let SVP down. We're letting our team down as well. Every program goes through ups and downs. The best programs have fans that will help them through the good and bad and we are not helping them at all right now. I'm disappointed at the attending fan base and everyone needs to step up.
I'm challenging everyone, especially the students, to get LOUD! You're team needs you and you're just standing there. And please don't come in here saying you're disappointed with recruiting or how the season is going or whatever. All of that gets left at the door when you show up to the game. If you want to complain about that to your friends or on the forums fine. But when you're at Comcast Center your job is to encourage your team and help them to victory.
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+1
I was there from 2001-2005 (last season at Cole with the Natty, first 2 seasons at Comcast). The wall was always full, even during poo poo games. Not so much anymore. This was a freaking ACC game with our season on the line. The University needs to end this scan and leave crap and make students camp out for tickets again and the students need to go to games and come up with more cheers than “Lets go Maryland, Lets gooooooooo, Maryland, and f-duke.”
Agreed
The creativeness is severely lacking. See Utah State below. Seriously, they’re ridiculous.
+1 on getting rid of the lottery
Easily the worst way to give out the tickets.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
by John Stephens on Feb 25, 2011 11:26 AM EST up reply actions
+1
Nice job apoc987, thats one of the better fan related post I have read today. Nice work, in my mind 100% accurate.
See we can get along
Kidding…thanks for the reply!
+1
If Utah State, who plays Idaho and Louisiana Tech, on a regular basis can fill up their student section (for those who haven’t seen one of their many chants http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThapXbA7w10) and be loud as hell, there is NO reason we can’t. Very well said.
Utah State
They are impressive to say the least. I was floored by their fan videos. My favorite is “Winning team, losing team” and “I’m a little teapot”. Classic.
I'm guessing if you visit/post this site
then your fandom isn’t an issue. but you need to rally other students. hype it up and make it an event. host a pre-game party. talk it up in class. then when you get there make it the most fun you’ve ever had.
such fond memories of cole 96-00 and I love everytime I can get back for a game which is only 1 a year if I’m lucky. y’all crazy for not making all 8 ACC games a year.
by Ttown Funkster on Feb 24, 2011 2:41 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah I’m assuming everyone on here is at or near “super fan” status. But you students on here need to amp up your friends. I can’t really walk into a dorm going around shouting “GO TERPS!” or I may be arrested. Come up with some chants, they don’t have to be complicated. Print out a few hundred copies and pass them out. Or start a chant when it’s quiet. Or just do the “OHHHHHH!!!!” noise to confuse the opposing teams offense.
When you’re loud, the other team has trouble calling a play or hearing each other communicate. You’re severing their communication which leads to all sorts of problems. SO GET LOUD!
The problem is, the students who read this blog aren’t the problem. We’re the superfans for the most part. I try to encourage as many of my friends as I can to come, stand and be loud, but it’s not easy for a likely NIT team. (Haven’t given up hope yet)
RE: ticket policy. Scanning and leaving is a problem, but its only a reason for low attendance in early season/ non-conf. By this point there’s no reason to accumulate loyalty points because there are no more games with a chance of “selling out” the student section.
But if you are there and a big fan
get some chants going. even if it is just the players name. Dee-no! Dee-no! Dee-no! the guy was huge in the 2nd half and all we could muster up was 5 seconds of clapping.
by Ttown Funkster on Feb 24, 2011 2:42 PM EST up reply actions
If our crowd is better for BC ealier in the season
I bet we dont lose the game
by MurlandTerps on Feb 24, 2011 3:33 PM EST up reply actions
+1
Let this be a challenge to all of you spoiled, fair weather fans who don’t realize how good you’ve got it with a HOF coach, a ballsy young squad, and the best facility in the ACC. Time to put the excuses on the shelf and REPRESENT MARYLAND!!!! Do you all have it in you, if so, I expect a much better atmosphere when UVA comes to town.
Pretty sure there aren't any "spoiled, fair weather fans" on this site,
and if there are some casual fans on here, im pretty sure that calling casual fans spoiled and fair weather won’t do anything to put people in the stands
Free money taped to the seats wouldn't get
some of you apathetic current students to the game. Stop making excuses and get your friends to the games and make some noise. You are bringing shame upon our proud traditions.
by 1 proud terp on Feb 25, 2011 10:39 AM EST up reply actions
Student section
I don’t understand why we can’t fill every home game…..lack of passion. COME ON TERPS!!!!!!!!
Please see link
I have NEVER seen the wall like that. PATHETIC! The announced crowd was 15,xxx which means thousands of students decided to scan their tickets and leave! If you aren’t going to stay, don’t get a ticket. Let someone who actually wants to attend get to go! Crazy. You students better get it together.
DAMN!
Ok this link isn’t working I’ll try and post it in the original post.
Here you go
Photo I took and tweeted from press row last night. Pretty sure SVP saw this and it sent him off (unless he was at the game), since I’m a follower of his on twitter…
i guarantee you nobody scanned and left last night
not a single person. there were plenty of tickets available, so scan and leavers didn’t leave anyone hanging. nobody scans and leaves after the duke game because it is the only game that sells out. the problem is not people scanning and leaving it’s people not claiming tickets at all. only a little over half of the available student tickets for last night’s game were even claimed at all. anyone who wanted to could click a button an hour before the game and show up, but nobody did. 15,000 is a very small announced crowd. Capacity is 19,500 so it makes sense that of the 4,500 missing from capacity last night, about 1,500-1,800 of them were unclaimed student tickets.
my bad
capacity is 17,950. still leaves room for about half the students to be missing since most of the rest of the place was full.
I was sitting at the bottom of the wall this time and it seemed that about 50% of the people on the wall were non-students/non-student-guests. When there’s a ton of student tickets left they sell general admission tickets to people and tell them to sit on the wall. The also let people with reserved seats in other sections sit on the wall if they want.
OMG EVERYBODY!
Does nobody understand that the first round of midterms are this week???? Not a single person on here is allowed to complain about lack of attendance if you did not attend yourself. The reason us student can go to the games is because we pass our tests!! We know our priorities. Ever heard of priorities? If you all can’t accept the midterm ‘excuse’, I don’t see why everyone on this blog wasn’t there. “Cant afford it”, “can’t get there”, “have to work” are just excuses after all…
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 24, 2011 5:42 PM EST reply actions
Dude listen
If you dont understand or got a grasp on your midterm test by 9pm the night before it is not going to happen!!! take a 2 hours break from studying and go support your fine basketball team. And when you are a freaking teacher and have to sell your season tickets I think that is a much better damn excuse than a test.
From SVP:
“The notion that a college basketball team like Maryland would have to be great in order to earn the support of the student body is laughable. You can wait the rest of your life to be that jaded and that cynical, ok? But when you’re in college, to think that the team has to earn your support? That’s not how it works. You just support ‘em because you go to college. And you’re only there for a short period of time, so try not to suck. Try not to be so jaded and cynical, and show up eight times a year for conference games. It’s not like we’re asking you to solve cancer. Go to a basketball game. It’s freaking free. That’s all I’ve got for you on that….
Our students have become soft….
by MurlandTerps on Feb 24, 2011 5:49 PM EST up reply actions
‘Dude’, so, you sold your season tickets why? Thats no excuse. Stop wasting so much money on the useless parts of your life. I was at the game, but I 100% understand why certain people couldn’t be. Guess what; there will be more games; 1 more home game this year, plenty next. Us students have our whole lives to watch basketball, but most of us only get 1 shot at this college thing.
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 24, 2011 7:57 PM EST up reply actions
This doesn't make sense to me
If you dont understand or got a grasp on your midterm test by 9pm the night before it is not going to happen!!!
So, in that situation, the best idea is to just give up? I might be mistaken, but I think that is the complete opposite of what they try to teach at Maryland. If you are still struggling to grasp your studies that means you should dive even deeper into studying and avoid other distractions, like going to a basketball game. The primary reason for being a Maryland Terp is to excel in your field of study, not to be a great fan. It is possible to be both, like most of us here, but education is the primary goal.
when you are a freaking teacher and have to sell your season tickets I think that is a much better damn excuse than a test.
How so? Those kids are studying to get a degree so they can land on their feet in the highly competitive job market. How is being a teacher a better excuse than being a student?
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
by John Stephens on Feb 25, 2011 11:38 AM EST up reply actions
Ok
No dont give up studying.. Take a two hour break and go watch MD play then go back to studying. But if you had been preparing for Mid term the week or a couple of days before, there would be no problem.
As far as the teaching goes, being Highschool teacher and the expenses of an adult and paying off college loans, It is hard to fit season tickets into your budget. I will prolly get my tickets back in like 3 years. WHile the game for you is a free event, I understand not going to football games but not going to BBall games is uncalled for.
Utah State, VCU, GMU, JMU, C of C have more student pride than Maryland right now.
THose schools create a winning aptmosphere. You guys are soft waitress’ down at dairyqueen show more heart than you guys. If we are up by 10 you are quiet, if we are down by 7 you are quiet.
by MurlandTerps on Feb 25, 2011 1:05 PM EST up reply actions
Why is football excusable?
All of the games are free, shouldn’t we have to go to all of them? I mean, I must be a poor fan since I only go to mens basketball, football, and the occasional women’s basketball game. We have 27 teams and I barely support over 2! Why is this school pride supposed to stop at the big sports?
PS. My ‘free’ season tickets cost $20,000 a year and a passing GPA
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 25, 2011 1:10 PM EST up reply actions
Take a two hour break and go watch MD play then go back to studying
Going to a game as a student is not a two hour voyage. Just walking there can take over half an hour, unless you live on north campus. From where I lived my senior year it was about 45 minutes.
As far as studying goes, more often than not you have two or three exams in a week coupled with a paper or two. Additionally, I had a job and I was part of several student organizations. Dedicating my entire week to one exam was completely implausible. Some times I just did not have enough time and the idea, to me, of taking away precious study time to go to a game seems like a huge waste.
Not being able to afford to go to the game financially vs. academically are the same thing. Your excuse may seem better to you, because it is your situation, but to me they are the same thing and I have been in both situations.
Utah State, VCU, GMU, JMU, C of C have more student pride than Maryland right nowBecause they attend basketball games? How does studying your ass off and making Maryland one of the top 10 research universities in the country not show student pride? We must have different priorities, because I pride myself in telling people I have a Bachelors (soon to be Masters) from a premier education university. Being able to tell people my basketball program is better than theirs really has little benefit to me.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
by John Stephens on Feb 25, 2011 1:31 PM EST up reply actions
Listen Kid
I was student working two jobs to put myself through school, I was in a frat, and was dedicated to two orginazations. I still went to all the home games. While living at home in Fairfax,VA, So I had to drive to school everyday. I dont want to hear your excuses about walking and studying.
It is like voting, it is a privilidge and should not be taken for granted.
Being able to go to the games is a privildge.
I mean If you got SVP calling you out, you know something is wrong.
And IT hasnt just been the FSU game. If it was just one game I wouldnt care. But for the past 3 years it has been like this. Kids not going to the UVA, Miami, and mid major games… Just a lack of passion.
by MurlandTerps on Feb 25, 2011 1:44 PM EST up reply actions
Why do you have to try to be condescending to get your point across? I am not a “kid”.
And to be clear, all the points you are making do not involve me. I did not miss a game as an undergraduate. I am just defending that education is more important than being a basketball fan. If these students felt that studying was more important than attending the game I support their decision, because I would have done the same had I felt that way as an undergraduate. Again, I would rather be respected for being a great academic campus than a great sports campus.
I never said the free tickets were not a “privilidge”, because I agree they are. However, that does not make it a requirement for students to attend. They also give out free tickets to EVERY other sports program at the school and the attendance for the majority of those is abysmal. Where is the uproar for those teams? Did you take time out of your day to attend those games? When soccer, lacrosse, and women’s basketball were making national championship runs were you attending the games? Probably not.
Also, I do not agree that it has been this way for the past 3 years. Every game was packed last year and just about every game the year before that.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
by John Stephens on Feb 25, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i was there, i had a paper due today, i dont accept your excuse
i’ve been to games during finals week. i came early and brought books and a laptop for pregame. tim brandt (yesterday’s play-by-play guy) gave my friend an on-air shoutout in december for having her textbooks with her in the first row during finals week. last night i wrote a paper after the game and in-between classes this morning. i prioritize my schedule and i find a way to get my work done around the game. midterms are not an excuse. SUCK IT UP AND GO YOU ****** *******!!!!
Spidey, I was about to give up hope on all current students.
Thanks for getting it, and getting it done at the same time. This apathy didn’t just start last night. Football attendance has been a JOKE! Remember when J Obryant came for his visit and the student section during the football game was empty because it was too “hot”? Stop crying me a river and admit you have become complacent. Time to turn it up!
by 1 proud terp on Feb 24, 2011 6:04 PM EST up reply actions
Thats good for you
Since you had to write your paper during the day it was due, it sounds like you’re a procrastinator and not a prioritizer.
I don’t see why everyone has to be down on FELLOW TERP FANS for being responsible. Yeah, the biggest fans will put off work or not even do it to go to games. I wish I could be that care-free. The casual fans are just that: casual. They’ll come to games if they can, but aren’t concerned with records and opponents and tournaments.
Finally, if you’re so pissed about the lack of attendance, make your friends who are casual fans go. put some actual effort into bringing more fans in instead of bitching on some thread in a sports webpage (which won’t do anything, every student on this forum most likely went)
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 24, 2011 8:06 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
i do make my friends go.
i brought 17 people to the NC State game. i’ve brought more than that in the past. i get good grades if you were wondering. if someone has work/something to do and can’t be there early, that we understand and we save them a seat. but everyone is able to take 3 hours out of their night (2 for the game +1 travel time) and come to the game.
What major are you?
Because I am a bioengineering major and would not be able to do that and expect decent grades.
by secondstring on Feb 24, 2011 9:47 PM EST up reply actions
Midterms - WTF?!
I’m positive it is NOT mid-term time but just exam/quiz time; mids are next month.
You make my pee-pee maker t-t-tingle.
Depends on your definition
My professors give 3 ’Mid’terms each semester. Call it an exam, quiz, or midterm, its still worth 20-30% of my grade
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 24, 2011 7:53 PM EST up reply actions
exactly - profs call all
tests “midterms” now, but technically it is just another test.
You make my pee-pee maker t-t-tingle.
as terpnation said so eloquently..
.. in another post..
“Alright all these excuses on the Student Section are B.S.
That’s right I said it and I’m a student myself. Boom. I had 2 midterms this week and yet still made it to the game, but that’s beyond the point. The point is that no fans are in the stands solely because they gave up on the team. We aren’t as good as we were last year but we are still in the race. It’s disappointing because when the team needs their fans most (aka now) they don’t show because they think the season is lost. All these other excuses are worthless.
Don’t believe me? Let’s look at last season. Does anyone remember the game that went down on February 24th 2010?? It was a Wednesday, and tipoff was 9:00pm. Sounds quite similar to yesterdays game, except that game Vs. Clemson was packed. The wall was 100% full. Students had to go through the lottery to get a ticket to that game, while only the Duke game went to the lottery this year. Last year the students were loud and proud. The ComCASTLE was a place opposing teams hated to play because of our students. This year it seems we have little impact. So same exact time last year (midterm week) and the place was sold out. This year the wall was 1/4 full and embarrassing to be on TV. I do agree tho that the fans that were there were very good and that most of those on this site are loyal fans, but please no more excuses as to why it wasn’t filled."
thank you terpnation. I don’t know why this student body feels like they’re the only one that ever had a midterm while at maryland. duke, unc, etc students all have midterms. I bet they show up to support their team ESPECIALLY for a crucial acc game.
College
If college taught me anything its:
1. You don’t miss basketball games for midterms.
2. People stopped using condoms in high school.
3. It’s not wise to “skip” toward PG County Riot Police.
4. You don’t win friends with salad. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM6xVQwIOYQ)
Its because Gary doesnt recruit any good fans
He only brings in these 3 star local kids and lets all the good ones get away. If he’d get on the damn phone and visit some of these kids, maybe they’d get some fans in the building. Its Gary’s fault for sure
Really glad this was posted because I really had no clue things had become this bad. I remember driving over an hour each way over break to get my loyalty points and still getting screwed out of the lottery for ACC games. Then the only option I had was to sit at the ticket office in line in hopes there might be a few student tickets unclaimed after tip off. I really can’t believe that less than half of the student section was there. Pathetic
my thoughts..
The way I see it, there are two kinds of people at UMD. Those that will go to a game and those that won’t. Forget those that won’t because nothing that can be said will change it. For those that will, the games are the priority during the week. You ARE NOT A TRUE FAN if you miss an ACC game for "I have a test tomorrow." Learn to plan ahead. You know when your test will be, so study the day before the game, study on the way to the game, study before the game, study on the way home from the game. But for crying out loud if you would ever in your life go to a maryland basketball game then it is your duty as a student to get your ass to the game.
The priority of every fan should be the game. Plan around it. It isn’t that hard. I’m a Chemical Engineering major and I can pull it off. Besides, learning how to plan ahead will go 1000x farther than getting an A on any test ever will. If I can get a 4.0 while going to every game, there isn’t an excuse for anyone else. Not trying to brag, but I hate when people say they are "fans" in one sentence and give a reason for not going in the next.
In short, if you are on campus, and you have ever referred to yourself as a TERP, YOU GO TO THE GAME. NO EXCUSES. Period
by Justin Owens on Feb 24, 2011 11:09 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Homework
I always got to games 2 hours before they started at Cole to get a decent seat. They didn’t have the assigned entrance times like now. I brought my backpack and did my homework waiting for the games to start. The game is only 2 hours long so we’re not talking a huge time commitment. I was an engineering major and had tons of time to attend every game, play lots of foosball, go to dollar bud night… Time management people!
Sample Former Student Response
WOW! I triple-majored in Bio, Chem, and Electrical Engineering and I still always got to the games 3 hours before tip-off to get the best seats, even though I had 2 midterms and my graduate thesis due the next day. Want to know why? BECAUSE IM SUPERFAN/STUDENT AND IM BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU!!!
Honestly, I wasn’t going to attend the game because I had a work meeting beforehand, but I ended up deciding to get a ticket and go to the game with a friend at the last minute. So for me, I’m happy that there was an availability for me to go to the game. However, I can understand how some people couldn’t make it to the game. If we want to make sure that casual fans understand the importance of our games, why don’t we try and advertise the importance of the games instead of questioning some student’s fanhood and lambasting their own personal decisions? Advertise, don’t criticize
Now we have "advertise" the importance of an ACC game
in late Feb. when we are on the bubble and fighting for a tourney birth? Are you f-ing serious? Scott Van Pelt is right, what the hell has happened to my university.
by 1 proud terp on Feb 25, 2011 10:30 AM EST up reply actions
Uh yeah...
Because the people who care, know, and the people who don’t, don’t
People, Basketball is not the end-all-be-all.
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 25, 2011 11:13 AM EST up reply actions
Poster Child Of Current Student Apathy
…stop reading superman comics, and rally some friends to the games.
by 1 proud terp on Feb 25, 2011 11:34 AM EST up reply actions
Really?
You can’t even have a civil debate without having to stoop to insults?
I don’t care if comcast is packed or if i’m the only fan there. The rest of you are not my responsibility. But please stop attacking people because of the choices they make with their time.
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 25, 2011 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
1 proud terp
I agree 100% . Quit taking yourself so seriously and enjoy the college experience…..because after you graduate its 40yrs of hard labor!!!!
No
If I don’t graduate, its 45 years of hard labor. I’m going to college so I don’t have to be a laborer like my parents before me.
A lot of us only get 1 shot at this college thing, and we don’t want to screw it up. There will be about 2000 other MD basketball games in my lifetime, and if I, or any other student does the responsible thing and stays in to study, or hell, has some other social event that doesnt revolve around sports, so be it. This is my best shot to make it out of poverty and I’ll be damned if I am going to sit here and listen to people insulting myself and other students for not attending a SPORTING EVENT when we have more important things to do.
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 25, 2011 12:09 PM EST up reply actions
You really are the poster child for current student apathy.
It’s just a shame that you’ll probably never even realize it. And don’t give me the “best shot to make it out of poverty” crap, I didn’t exactly grow up in the best economic situation either, pal. You are so typical of the coddled generation, you think you are owed something, like our respect. Try earning it, bud! If you students spent half as much time supporting your school as you do being defensive and making excuses, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Your fellow students are soft, and there’s no getting around it, and ONLY YOU GUYS can do anything about it.
by 1 proud terp on Feb 25, 2011 12:27 PM EST up reply actions
1 proud terp
Thank you, very well put. “youth is waisted on the young”
I can't believe that you just said that
How bitter can you be?
Yup, you hit the nail on the head there. I’m coddled and think that everything should be given to me. Do you even listen to yourself? I pay for my education myself, I work hard for the grades I get, and at the end of the day, its me, myself, and I. I am appalled that you just throw out random, baseless, and quite rude statements about people YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW. You need to grow up, and learn how to have a respectful conversation with people.
As for my fellow terps who are more casual, they see sporting events as a SOCIAL event, like they’re supposed to be, not some way of life. Yeah, everybody and their uncle is trying to get a Duke ticket because its been hyped as the biggest game of the year. People will be talking about it for a week if we win. Also, theres a certain pride in getting a ticket over your friends. Some people, like myself and many of the other TT readers, are big basketball fans and try to attend every game (even the Florida Southerns), but everybody else sees it as something fun to do once in a while. Example: I like bowling and think its fun to go bowl a few frames once or twice a month, but I have no desire to go twice a week, despite how fun I think it is. Does that mean I’m not a die-hard bowler? Yeah. Should that be a problem? No.
Why people think they have to be hateful towards others about this topic is beyond me.
by kryptonianjorel on Feb 25, 2011 1:07 PM EST up reply actions
My man, you are coming off as whiny and sniveling.
No offense, honestly. Can you at least answer this question: Is there a problem with apathy among the current students at the UMD? If your answer is “Yes”, then please stop with the excuses and sob stories about you and your fellow students. As someone who studied, got great grades, graduated with 3 business degrees, and supported my teams, I know it can be done.
by 1 proud terp on Feb 25, 2011 1:58 PM EST up reply actions
Grow up???
No you see…..he is grown up. You are the college kid….start acting like one.
as fellow student
there is NO excuse for not going to a big ACC game. If you have tests learn to manage your time. I had one the next day and I did great on it.
Any student that doesn’t go to every ACC game =/= true fan
I mean
Michigan State is having an awful year and their fans havent given up.
Maybe its this generation, full of spoiled kids and when things do go their way they get an attitude. They grow up watching Lebron James complain about everything and give up when he knows his team isnt going to the championship. Unless the team has a losing record that student section should always be atleast 3/4ths full.
The sad thing to me is not only that there was poor attendance
But that students are making excuses and refuse to accept the blame for not going to the games. As one guy pointed out: We had a packed house last year on February 24th, same week as this year.
We couldnt even fill the wall all the way on Sunday when we were raising the general’s jersey. There is no excuse for that. Stop making excuses, rally up some friends, and go to the damn game (SENIOR NIGHT) against UVA. If we can’t get a full wall for senior night I’ll be even more disgusted, especially after this whole fiasco.
And please, no more excuses on this blog. Stop. These weren’t excuses 2 years ago, they aren’t excuses now. If you didn’t go to the game and stayed in your room instead, it’s because you’re not a dedicated fan. You’re a casual fan, which is fine, but don’t try to associate yourself with those who do all that they can to pump up the crowd and help out the team.
Long time reader - First Time Poster
During my tenure I saw the natty and the mediocre teams that followed. Some real highs and lows.
But while I was in College Park, the administration really went out of its way to neuter the fan base. They took away R&R part II, that stupid “act like you know” campaign was introduced, and the constant drum beat of “we are a poorly received school in the media” was omnipresent and it created this quasi walking on egg-shells environment where the students couldn’t be themselves and the games became less intimate and fun to go to.
College kids don’t react well to authority. And the same students who are packed like rats into Cornerstone or were puking on frat row are now supposed to be gentlemanly in the confines of a basketball arena? It’s very naive to think so. And now you wonder why students stopped coming out for what should be the bi-weekly campus party at Comcast? This is college hoops, not tennis.
Granted – now that I am pushing 30 and more "cultured", I can understand why the school is mortified about the whole “F*ck Duke” thing. But it’s really nothing worse then what goes on at WVU, VTech, FSU, or any other large state school….for god sakes, this is Maryland! These aren’t the kids at the supper clubs or whatever they have going on in Durham or Charlottesville.
In the end I think a compromise needs to be made. The university needs to back off and let the students be their 19-20 year old selves. But the students should realize that college basketball is more than just hating Duke and yelling profanity. It’s about feeling good about Maryland and wanting to not just beat Duke, but be better than UNC, UVA, Wake, whomever. Less Duke bashing and more supporting a team that makes you proud of your alma matter.
The school should market to the students the importance of all games and encourage more rivalries within the ACC; whatever it takes to create a better environment in the stadium. If the students are rocking, so are the ticket buyers, and the alumni. Everyone wins.
Good luck with that; it won’t be a quick fix.
by NYC Terp 05 on Feb 25, 2011 8:06 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
+1.
I hate the fact that the university is trying to censor us, but it also pisses me off to hear the kid next to me yell FUCK DUKE during Zombie Nation for every single game. If we aren’t playing Duke, then it is completely out of place. He thinks we should yell it every game because Duke is, well, Duke, but there is much more to being a Terp fan than hating Duke, and hating on Duke should not be an integral part of our game-by-game basketball traditions. Save the Duke hating for the Duke game, and worry about the opponent on the floor that night. I’m getting tired of everything being about Duke in College Park. I hate them just as much as anyone in the student section, but how does it look when we are worried about Duke every game? It comes off as pathetic.
Agreed. Saying F*** duke in non-duke games is stupid.
Especially when we can’t even beat teams like BC and VT at home. We should be loud and focused on whatever team wanders into Comcast on that particular night.
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