Attandance

[SienaTony]

$iena believes that as the (insert name here) Arena is their home, they're entitled to be the home team in the series every time. I think the only solution is for us to kick their ass a few times and build attendance to the point that we don't need them any more. Then we'd have the leverage to walk away unless we get some equity, and see if the 'aints are willing to lose the game and its attendance completely rather than share the market.

 

The new contract they signed with the arena gives them exclusive basketball rights for two days before and after any game they schedule, which means even if we wanted to play someone else there, they could force us to play it on a Tuesday or Wednesday, costing both us and the people of Albany county (the owners of the arena) revenue.

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Wow you sound so bitter 72. What’s the big deal playing in the Pepsi? It gives a smaller AE program like Albany tremendous exposure playing in Albany in front of a big crowd. And lets remember 75% of the fans at a Siena /Ualb game are Siena fans

 

And yea you’re right if Albany can win some games ( gonna be tough for Albany to win this year) and can get its attendance up double or triple what it is now, then you’ll have something to complain about, until then all I can say is “don’t get bitter…. Get better”

Edited April 12, 2006 by SienaTony

[Clickclack]

$iena believes that as the (insert name here) Arena is their home, they're entitled to be the home team in the series every time. I think the only solution is for us to kick their ass a few times and build attendance to the point that we don't need them any more. Then we'd have the leverage to walk away unless we get some equity, and see if the 'aints are willing to lose the game and its attendance completely rather than share the market.

 

The new contract they signed with the arena gives them exclusive basketball rights for two days before and after any game they schedule, which means even if we wanted to play someone else there, they could force us to play it on a Tuesday or Wednesday, costing both us and the people of Albany county (the owners of the arena) revenue.

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Last year I bought my tickets through the Pepsi arena box office. Luckily I got seats in the UA section or close enough at least. What’s the best way to ensure that I sit in the UA section for this year’s game. I don’t think I can buy tickets through UA’s box office, can I?

[olddog71]

And that is what I want: more equity.

 

There is less equity between UAlbany and Syracuse as far as game results is concerned than between UAlbany and Siena. On the basis of equity alone, we should be allowed to host a game.

 

I don't care what current contracts are today. In the future, I want more equity. I cannot think of a more inequitable long-term contract in the country than this current one.

 

UAlbany provides enough fans for the game's attendance to merit, say, a 2-1 contract.

 

Just my opinion, and I'll bet it's been discussed several times between the two AD's.

[SienaTony]

And that is what I want: more equity.

 

There is less equity between UAlbany and Syracuse as far as game results is concerned than between UAlbany and Siena. On the basis of equity alone, we should be allowed to host a game.

 

I don't care what current contracts are today. In the future, I want more equity. I cannot think of a more inequitable long-term contract in the country than this current one.

 

UAlbany provides enough fans for the game's attendance to merit, say, a 2-1 contract.

 

Just my opinion, and I'll bet it's been discussed several times between the two AD's.

14049[/snapback]

Olddog here is the problem, do you think 4000 Siena season ticket holders will give up their seats in the Pepsi? It will never happen Siena would be forced to drop the game before it happens. Albany fans have no season seats in the Pepsi and as long as the venue is big enough to accommodate Albany’s modest fan base what’s the big deal, it appears to me that some Albany fans just want to have a vendetta to remove Siena season ticket holders from their season seats, that’s all you accomplish by making Albany the home team. I belive Albany gets to keep all the revenue from tickets they sell, so its not like Albany isn't making any money off the game

 

Since the Pepsi serves as Siena’s home court no way Siena will ever ( nor should they) play a game at the Pepsi where they are not the home team. If Albany makes unrealistic demands they will be the ones canceling the series simple as that. I repeat Siena will never be the visiting team as long as the Pepsi arena is our home court. Albany gets as much or more out of the Siena/Alb game as Siena does so if Albany cancels the game by making unrealistic demands they will be cutting off their nose to spite their face.

Edited April 12, 2006 by SienaTony

[Gorvy]

And that is what I want: more equity.

 

There is less equity between UAlbany and Syracuse as far as game results is concerned than between UAlbany and Siena. On the basis of equity alone, we should be allowed to host a game.

 

I don't care what current contracts are today. In the future, I want more equity. I cannot think of a more inequitable long-term contract in the country than this current one.

 

UAlbany provides enough fans for the game's attendance to merit, say, a 2-1 contract.

 

Just my opinion, and I'll bet it's been discussed several times between the two AD's.

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Hey, if you guys don't want to play us, walk away. Personally, (and I am probably in the minority) as a Siena season ticket holder I would rather play a different team every year rather than have one of our 4 or 5 non conference home games always be UAlbany, or any other team for that matter. At least you guys get to see one more game in your home area as the away team in the series. I hope Tony is right as I would rather see the series end then have to be the away team in my home arena. I doubt you would agree to such a scenario if the situation was in reverse.

 

JG

[Clickclack]

I actually don’t mind at all having the game at the Pepsi. We still have all the seats we want at that game so it’s essentially a home game anyway. I understand some might want the game at the RACC or what ever but it’s simply not enough to accommodate the crowd. I am of the mindset that bigger the crowd the better for the local area.

[Clickclack]

Gorvy,

 

Let’s not spin this into “UA is a bunch of chickens and they are gona walk away” I hope this series continues ‘till kingdom come. The way I read your first sentence it’s like you are insinuating that we are even at all contemplating pulling out of this thing. And then we’ll have to listen to Tony get all crazy and say stupid things like “You guys are just scared” or “we was gona make you our #itches but you got scared”

[olddog71]

Tony,

 

Your responses simply show your lack of respect and fairness.

 

First of all, contracts are made to be renegotiated.

 

Second, never say "never." Conditions change. Let me give you one example. If someone had told me three years ago that UAlbany would play 3 teams in the top ten teams in the country and played them competitively WHILE Siena's best game was a team that placed out of the top 30, then I would have invited the men in white coats to come and take him/her away.

 

Third, during the old-time Albany-Siena series the regular-season games alternated between your site and our site. Yes, UAlbany's current facility would not handle the crowd that the game now generates, but there are other alternatives. In the other games between us, the Capital District Tournament, those matches alternated among the four local colleges generally participating. This scenario was a fair matchup - even though Albany and Siena usually won the game, the hosting was shared among all four teams.

 

Four, I don't think Siena should have problems getting an extra game to play at the Pepsi. My comments are not to take away any home games that Siena may want to schedule, but fair is fair, and this situation certainly is not. Even when we played great and mighty Syracuse, UAlbany got to be the host team once in those five years, and there was very little danger that UAlbany would have won one of those games back then. Your argument holds little water here on being the unrestricted host.

[SienaTony]

Tony,

 

Your responses simply show your lack of respect and fairness.

 

First of all, contracts are made to be renegotiated.

 

Second, never say "never." Conditions change. Let me give you one example. If someone had told me three years ago that UAlbany would play 3 teams in the top ten teams in the country and played them competitively WHILE Siena's best game was a team that placed out of the top 30, then I would have invited the men in white coats to come and take him/her away.

 

Third, during the old-time Albany-Siena series the regular-season games alternated between your site and our site. Yes, UAlbany's current facility would not handle the crowd that the game now generates, but there are other alternatives. In the other games between us, the Capital District Tournament, those matches alternated among the four local colleges generally participating. This scenario was a fair matchup - even though Albany and Siena usually won the game, the hosting was shared among all four teams.

 

Four, I don't think Siena should have problems getting an extra game to play at the Pepsi. My comments are not to take away any home games that Siena may want to schedule, but fair is fair, and this situation certainly is not. Even when we played great and mighty Syracuse, UAlbany got to be the host team once in those five years, and there was very little danger that UAlbany would have won one of those games back then. Your argument holds little water here on being the unrestricted host.

14054[/snapback]

 

First thing I want to clear up, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ualbany and its basketball program, I may have fun with you guys and bust some stones, but make no mistake about it, I respect Ualbany and its fans

 

Oldddog maybe you should write the Albany AD and voice your concern. If you consider Siena season ticket holders sitting in their season seats unrealistic so be it, but just be clear what you will be doing and that is canceling the series. The Pepsi is the only venue large enough to host the game, and the Pepsi is Siena’s home court. Unless one of those two facts change the only place the game can possibly occur is at the Pepsi. Hey maybe Albany fans feel they don’t need the game or perhaps they are getting tired of losing to Siena. For the life of me I can’t understand why you would want to move an exciting game like that to a 4000 seat “gym’. Olddog I can see your desire to host the game, but given Siena’s large fan base I really don’t see any alternates to the Pepsi. The RACC is simply not an option from a Siena POV

Edited April 12, 2006 by SienaTony

[steve_gersztoff]

One of the ways we could boost our attendance total is to get home status for the Siena game. Why should we continually be the away team?

 

UAlbany has hosted games before at the Pepsi (or whatever it will be called), so there's no lack of precedence there.

 

I mean in the Syracuse series, we were the host team once for the five-games played, and that was the second worse multi-year contract we have signed. Why should we be the away team six times out of six? Siena certainly is no Syracuse.

 

Having 12,000 fans at that game would certainly raise the attendance average in one fell swoop. (And maybe if we charged less than $17 per seat, it might be a sellout.) Besides, I'm tired of going to those games and being stuck in one of the corners.

 

The point about scheduling more games when students are present at the campus is another legitimate point.

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Since ST is over here bustin' chops, just gonna' point out a few things.

 

Siena's attendance figures over the last few years:

2002-03 17 125,156 7,362

2003-04 13 86,905 6,685

2004-05 13 83,723 6,440

2005-06 13 69,929 5,379

 

Detect a trend?

 

4000 season ticket holders? Pardon my skepticism and if you're right then all the more power to you and Siena, but those numbers don't allow for many walk-ups, that's all.

 

A closer examination of the numbers tells one that Siena had attendance figures higher than their average 4 times out of 13 games this year, not including the MAAC tournament loss to St. Peter's (had to mention it, sorry.) Those are games against Albany (8641), Youngstown St. (5678--fresh off the win v. UA), Marist (6397), who was good last year, and Senior Day v. Niagara (7181).

 

Thank God for the Pepsi Arena-- don't know where else Siena would put all those people. I mean, Siena has a loyal following, but those numbers and the trend in numbers over the last 4 years do not constitute a "vast fanbase," especially for a program considered the gold standard of the capital region.

 

Siena will be favored to win next year (after all, they have a huge homecourt advantage, with their vast fanbase and all.) However, what exactly constitutes a "strong favorite"? I think you need to reconsider that one.

 

I do agree that as long as the game is played at the Pepsi then Siena should be the home team, although Albany has been very well-represented at these games over the last 2 years and aUA fans, we want to make sure we are justly rewarded, that's all.

 

Also, time we give this game a name, sort of like the" cross-city shootout." I like the Capital District Clampdown, but that has too many syllables.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pepsi is the only venue in the capital district big enough to handle the crowd for any game that Siena is part of. Siena would never agree ( and rightfully so) to any local venue that could not accommodate Siena’s vast fan base. Why would you want to have a game where it couldn’t accommodate the crowd?

 

No personally I hope the game continues beyond the current contract (since Siena has won 3 of the first 4 ) and will be a strong favorite to make it 4 out of 5 next year.

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[UAalum72]

Olddog here is the problem, do you think 4000 Siena season ticket holders will give up their seats in the Pepsi?  It will never happen Siena would be forced to drop the game before it happens.  Albany fans have no season seats in the Pepsi and as long as the venue  is big enough to accommodate Albany’s modest fan base  what’s the big deal, it appears to me that some Albany fans just want to have a vendetta  to remove Siena season ticket holders from their season  seats, that’s all you accomplish by making Albany the home team.  I belive Albany gets to keep all the revenue from  tickets they sell, so its not like Albany isn't making any money off the game

 

Since the Pepsi serves as Siena’s home court no way Siena will ever ( nor should they) play a game at the Pepsi where they are not the home team.  If Albany makes unrealistic demands they will be the ones canceling the series simple as that.  I repeat Siena will never be the visiting team as long as the Pepsi arena is our home court.  Albany gets as much or more out of the Siena/Alb game as Siena does so if Albany cancels the game by making unrealistic demands  they will be cutting off their nose to spite their face.

14050[/snapback]

What we accomplish is getting decent seats for the game. Siena fans will not be giving up "their" seats; the game would not be part of the Siena season ticket package. Albany would be the home team at the Arena and Siena fans would be free to buy tickets anywhere they're available. Your parochial school would then have the opportunity to bring in UConn or some other team that would draw more fans than the "modest" Albany fan base of our "smaller" program.

 

If Albany walks because of the one-sided deal, then it's Siena cutting off its nose unless you can find another opponent that attracts 12,000 fans into the seats.

[SienaTony]

 

Since ST is over here bustin' chops, just gonna' point out a few things.

 

Siena's attendance figures over the last few years:

2002-03 17 125,156 7,362

2003-04 13 86,905 6,685

2004-05 13 83,723 6,440

2005-06 13 69,929 5,379

 

Detect a trend?

 

 

 

 

Detect a trend? What are you some sort of genius? Siena had a horrible coach, that’s what led to declining attendance, first rule you have to put a competitive team on the floor. Siena will have a competitive team this season. The think the Siena’s AD’s stated goal is to avg 7500 this season. A very challenging goal but could be reachable . Certainly is vast fan base when compared to Albany’s modest avg of 2500 fannies a game.

 

As for Siena being a strong favorite next season, why would I want to reconsider that? Albany at best will be as good as last year ( you lose 3 of your top 6 players) Zolener was 3rd team ALL AE and Jordan was your second most talented player ( and one tough SOB) And Levine ( he was my favorite Dane since he did all the little things and never complained about his role) you guys are drinking the kool aid if you don’t think their will be adjustments without those 3

 

In all likelihood Albany will not be as good, ( at best just as good no way better) and Siena will be much improved, so yea Siena will be a strong favorite in the game ( 7 to 10 point favorite IMO)

[steve_gersztoff]

 

Since ST is over here bustin' chops, just gonna' point out a few things.

 

Siena's attendance figures over the last few years:

2002-03 17 125,156 7,362

2003-04 13 86,905 6,685

2004-05 13 83,723 6,440

2005-06 13 69,929 5,379

 

Detect a trend?

 

 

 

 

Detect a trend? What are you some sort of genius? Siena had a horrible coach, that’s what led to declining attendance, first rule you have to put a competitive team on the floor. Siena will have a competitive team this season. The think the Siena’s AD’s stated goal is to avg 7500 this season. A very challenging goal but could be reachable . Certainly is vast fan base when compared to Albany’s modest avg of 2500 fannies a game.

 

As for Siena being a strong favorite next season, why would I want to reconsider that? Albany at best will be as good as last year ( you lose 3 of your top 6 players) Zolener was 3rd team ALL AE and Jordan was your second most talented player ( and one tough SOB) And Levine ( he was my favorite Dane since he did all the little things and never complained about his role) you guys are drinking the kool aid if you don’t think their will be adjustments without those 3

 

In all likelihood Albany will not be as good, ( at best just as good no way better) and Siena will be much improved, so yea Siena will be a strong favorite in the game ( 7 to 10 point favorite IMO)

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I know Siena has struggled. However, you had a pretty competitive team last year, and attendance declined by 1000. Gotta' be a genius to figure that out.

 

If you're laying 8.5, please let me know. I think a lot of people on this board, myself included, would like a piece of that.

[NYR]

The new contract they signed with the arena gives them exclusive basketball rights for two days before and after any game they schedule, which means even if we wanted to play someone else there, they could force us to play it on a Tuesday or Wednesday, costing both us and the people of Albany county (the owners of the arena) revenue.

14046[/snapback]

 

This is the most interesting statement in this thread before it started spiraling out of control. I'm curious if there is more information available on the deal. Were exclusive basketball rights part of the old deal? If they were not, this is a smart move by Siena and could be perceived as a swing at UA. Subtle but potentially very effective.

 

Who knows how any conference reshuffling could play out in the next 4-5 years. You would have to think that when this happens, one of UA’s bargaining chips would be that we have a 13,000 seat capacity arena downtown. (regardless of any contract we have or don’t have to play in it). I don’t want a Siena exclusive basketball rights clause to get in the way.

 

McElroy should take note. If I were him, I would start considering giving a little to the county when they approach UA about potential games in the arena. Talk with them now about potential games with a big name opponent. You know with the arena name change will come a new court for Siena. Get the county to paint the keys gold instead of green so we could slap a few UA and AE logos on the court and host a big name opponent or a conference championship or even better, a conference tournament without advertising Siena and the MAAC.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I was in favor of having AE championship game at the RACC but these are all things that need to be considered. I don’t see the exclusive basketball rights clause having much effect for these 4 years but we have to thing about the next contract and the contract after that.

 

With all of that said I’d like to see UA host the AE tournament in the Pepsi in the next 4 years. Not sure if that is possible but I certainly think it is something that should be considered.

 

Also for now all UA home games should be at the RACC. We still have a lot of growing to do but these are definitely issues that should not be ignored.

[bob87]

The new contract they signed with the arena gives them exclusive basketball rights for two days before and after any game they schedule, which means even if we wanted to play someone else there, they could force us to play it on a Tuesday or Wednesday, costing both us and the people of Albany county (the owners of the arena) revenue.

14046[/snapback]

 

 

If this is true , is it any surprise the county is having problems selling new naming rights to the arena.