Negative overtones

[UA66]

Over the weekend, the Times Onion ran the Ettkin article on the poor attendance at the exhibition game against MaGill and the next article they run (this morning's edition) on UAlbany basketball is all about the one year contract extension for Will Brown and how it may hurt the team's performance as well as recruiting. The negative overtones in both articles has me wondering what's with the Times Onion. How about something positive for a change, i.e. the new recruits, the development of Brent Wilson, the return of Iati, the greatness of Jamar Wilson? There is so much positive to write about but they (Times Onion) seem to like the negatives.

Edited November 8, 2005 by UA66

[KingDane]

Since Siena's debut at the Division 1 level (including their embarrassing loss to D-III Albany in 1977) they've been the media sweethearts.

 

But who got to Brian Ettkin? He's relatively new to Albany and one would think he'd have arrived without of the prevasive and nauseating green and gold bias.

 

But not so. Quite likely someone higher up at the mackeral wrapper, or maybe even a higher power than that, is such Siena partisan that no one works for the paper without first swearing allegience.

[reeder]

I don't know if they have a beat writer like Siena does. I think that would help with better stories.

 

IMO, this all becomes a non issue once the season begins:

1. I expect atleast 3k at the home opener - even without great media coverage

2. A win vs. Oakland would be a great start. It'll be interesting to see if any of the local stations send a reporter to cover the games - I think they sent reporters to cover the Siena BCA games last year.

3. Siena game will be huge for media and local support - first game after a very difficult west coast trip and first in a series of winnable games. IMO, UA should spend every dollar they have promoting this game. Expect attendance to be down again, but they need to work to get people there - give away their tickets if they have to.

 

Yes, media coverage is poor and not real positive right now, but UA has control over how the coverage evolves over the season

[olddog71]

Since Siena's debut at the  Division 1 level (including their embarrassing loss to D-III Albany in 1977) they've been the media sweethearts.

 

The Times-Union's bias towards Siena predates their debut back into D-I. Since they were a nationally-ranked team in the 1950's, the media has never forgotten the former great status. It's almost a nostalgia type phenomenon.

 

The team also has media prominence because of greater attendance at their events than ours. You can almost sense a spiraling type of relationship where the media frenzy sparks the higher attendance, and vice versa.

 

It will be interesting to see how the dynamics change next season, if UAlbany enjoys the success it is expected to enjoy while the other team suffers another down year.

[UAalum72]

Mark Singelais is supposed to be the UAlbany beat writer. Whether $iena feeds Iorizzo stories but Albany doesn't feed Singelais, or he doesn't go looking for stories unless there's a negative slant, or he writes them but the editor doesn't choose to print them, the effect is the same.

 

December 3rd, remember, is $iena's home game. Let THEM spend everything promoting it, unless Albany gets a share of the gate receipts (at least for the seats sold by the RACC ticket office) and a choice of seating for our season ticket holders and students.

[olddog71]

Many posters on the Siena board were criticizing the tone of the reporter from the Schenectady Gazette last season when its team was experiencing all the negative developments.

 

It appears that the Gazette changed the reporter after all the complaints.

 

I believe Siena exerts a very large influence on the media coverage it receives in the Capital District area.

[Dane Pound]

I truly doubt there is some vast Siena media conspiracy. They've been around and are established and it's going to take some time and accomplishments to get that kind of attention locally. This year should be a really, really, good start to doing that.

 

Speaking of promotions I saw my first Albany basketball commercial of the season on TV last night. It was promoting season tickets and the home opener against Sacred Heart. It finished with a clip from last year's Siena game with Zoellner dunking over a couple of Saints. Great to see, I hope they show it over and over.

[Patch]

Terrible time for an article with some negative undertone to come out. It's a day before the National Letters of Intent can be signed and returned.

 

I hope the 06 recruits have been assured by our administration that everything is OK in Great Dane land.

 

It's amazing how Singelais has no clue.

 

There are so many positive stories that he could report on, I wonder if he really dislikes Coach Brown who seems to get along with just about everybody.

[olddog71]

I truly doubt there is some vast Siena media conspiracy. They've been around and are established and it's going to take some time and accomplishments to get that kind of attention locally. This year should be a really, really, good start to doing that.

 

I too truly doubt there is some "vast Siena media conspiracy," but I do think that newspaper editors listen a little more closely when some subscribers complain about negative publicity.

 

I pointed out Siena's inherent advantages of tradition and good attendance as reasons why it receives greater media attention.

 

On another topic which was discussed somewhat last season, I am hoping that UAlbany will put more pressure on the Siena people when it comes to negotiating a new multi-year contract. We should be in a much greater bargaining position if we win this year's game handily, as most predict will happen. (Yes, I know we have to win the game, and we need to do well next year.)

 

For one, we should be considered the home team in two of the three years of a 3-year contract. Home team status carries certain financial and media advantages. For me, a successful season means that the UAlbany athletic administration will have to negotiate two important contracts in the next 18 months.

[Big D]

To be fair, the TU gives their readers what they want. Siena is more established in the local community, and many Siena alums stay in the area and become deeply loyal to their old school. Hoop fans with no connection to either school have adopted Siena as their team, in part because of hoop tradition, and also because of lingering stereoypes of Siena as the lovable Catholic college, and UA as the big state school with downstate students who don't care about this area.

 

The bottom line is positive press, community interest, and increased attendance will be earned with success on the court. We have a very likeable, exciting team this year. Beating Siena again will help, but I think we need to get an NCAA bid before this area (and by extension the TU) really gets on the bandwagon.

[GODANESGO]

December 3rd, remember, is $iena's home game. Let THEM spend everything promoting it, unless Albany gets a share of the gate receipts (at least for the seats sold by the RACC ticket office) and a choice of seating for our season ticket holders and students.

10289[/snapback]

 

Again this year, the Department of Residential Life bought the UAlbany section floors seats from Athletics for students. They're usually free (just first come first serve sign up), but this year ResLife is contecting the University's Habitat for Humanity fundraising drive with selling these tickets. They are charging $5 per ticket for students and you must be at the Sacred Heart game on the 21st to sign up, and pay, for them. Hopefully it doesn't hurt the student turn-out for the game, as the floor seats down there are pretty cool (having been down there for the game the past two years).

[alum73]

Terrible time for an article with some negative undertone to come out. It's a day before the National Letters of Intent can be signed and returned.

 

I hope the 06 recruits have been assured by our administration that everything is OK in Great Dane land.

 

It's amazing how Singelais has no clue.

 

There are so many positive stories that he could report on, I wonder if he really dislikes Coach Brown who seems to get along with just about everybody.

10292[/snapback]

 

I think Singelais likes Brown. I think he is keeping the pressure on the AD to extend the contract, which I hope happens soon. I believe the strides made since taking over have been enough for a longer contract. I agree that it affects recruiting, but not the current ones that should be signing this month. It has and will affect who does agree to come and will be used against us, as stated in the artice, if not rectified.

[mainejeff]

F Siena.