What a dissapointment

[Ruler]

3 days before the start of the biggest season in school history and very few posters talking about the upcoming season. Scholarship football on a limited basis is here, remember. Probably the most talented team in history and zippo.

 

This is why the stadium will probably never be, no one seems intrested. I can live with University Field being renovated if you can.

 

Other schools like Lehigh have blogs and tailgating etc. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!

[UA66]

You're absolutely right, Ruler. I was thinking the same thing, but just like everyone else I didn't get off square one until now. Part of the problem is that many of us quickly got spoiled by the success of other programs. The recent mediocrity of the football team's record (not the effort) has made it difficult to start jumping up and down about the upcoming season. Nevertheless, I plan to attend at least all of the home games. I did see part of one practice.

 

Here's what I think. The schedule will preclude a great season. We are, as usual, stepping up beyond our talent level. Wins at Lehigh, Delaware and probably Cornell are still out of our reach. I don't think those games will be big blowouts as were the UMass And Maine games last year. The reason is our defense. The D looked great in the practice that I saw. The offense, on the other hand, looked weak and a little disorganized (I still don't like the no-huddle offense). So early in the season, we'll struggle on offense until the O gets it together. I just hope it doesn't take as long as last year. The defense will keep games closer than expected but they will still be losses.

 

I predict 7-4 at best.

[B9j2j6s]

UA66 I agree that we may have been spoiled by other teams success and that we look pasted the football team because of the down year.

 

But also I think many of the posters after the Labor Day weekend will really jump on board with the first home game of the season. In my opinion the Leigh game is nothing more then a preseason game, if we win it would be great for the program, and would really jump start interest in the football team. Now next week I will bet on a large crowd, last year we had over 6k and we have the chance to do well against Fordham. Lets not forget we destroyed them 41-0 on there field. Lets see how it goes, if we do well I think we can start building a good following, and if we have the season we all expect to have we can expect an overall attendance around 4k, with Homecoming usually around 5-6k and the opening day game around 6-7k. I think if this happens then the administration will probably have proof that building a stadium is probable and that people will go. This should make it easier for the administration to lobby support for a stadium from law makers and alumni. Again I think a lot rests on the first game, remember how much attendance jumped at basketball games after we destroyed BU at the BPG? I think the same thing is possible for the football team.

Edited August 30, 2006 by B9j2j6s

[UAlbany09]

if you build it (the stadium) they will come

[mainejeff]

Every team from New England in the A-10 (including Hofstra) have a hard time getting their fan bases excited and turning out for football. The combo of disintertest in college football and the I-AA label is an uphill battle in the Northeast. Be patient......keep winning, find a full scholarship home and get a new facility moving and you'll see increased interest in your program.

[UAlbany09]

lets get rid of football and replace it with Hockey. We should just accept that college football is a southern thing, and that college hockey is a northeastern thing. Take the money for the football stadium and build a new 7-8k seat arena that can be used for Hockey and Basketball. I'm sure the Hockey East will take us with open arms. We'd also have some great instant rivalries with Union and RPI. Albany will be the new official Hockey Town.

[megowen70]

We should just accept that college football is a southern thing,

 

I'm not sure that ND, Michigan, MSU, Wisconsin, Ohio State..... would agree with that! And then there's USC, Stanford, Arizona....

 

Having been a college football fan since childhood...saw Ernie Davis play during Syracuse's last championship season in 1959...there is a great divide between watching football at the top level...like the schools you think of in the south, and the one's mentioned above. D1 and scholarships don't create an exciting game. Football can be cold, wet, snowy, and very boring. In a small size stadium (I have been to Marist...you can't see plays develop due to lack of seating height). Even at ND...up high, you can see the plays, but if the windchill makes it -10, who cares! So it has to be a great program to bring the people in. Three hours in the autumn cold of Albany...well, it will be hard to bring them in. You also need tv exposure once or twice a year...so people can get to know their teams...there isn't the exposure for the smaller teams like there is for Basketball...you can do two basketball games in the time of 1 football...so you're exposure factor is cut in half.

[GODANESGO]

We should just accept that college football is a southern thing,

 

I'm not sure that ND, Michigan, MSU, Wisconsin, Ohio State..... would agree with that! And then there's USC, Stanford, Arizona....

 

15836[/snapback]

 

I think some guy named Joe Paterno might disagree with the whole southern thing too..lol.

[UAalum72]

Don't count us out against Cornell, apparently they lost a half-game scrimmage to Ithaca College 14-3 (though their starters didn't play much).

 

I agree if we get good weather we could draw 4K vs. Fordham and 6K for homecoming. It doesn't help other games that our opponents don't travel well (as we don't). That means we COULD average over 3K for the season for football - more than we've ever yet averaged for basketball.

[UAlbany09]

We should just accept that college football is a southern thing,

 

I'm not sure that ND, Michigan, MSU, Wisconsin, Ohio State..... would agree with that! And then there's USC, Stanford, Arizona....

 

Having been a college football fan since childhood...saw Ernie Davis play during Syracuse's last championship season in 1959...there is a great divide between watching football at the top level...like the schools you think of in the south, and the one's mentioned above. D1 and scholarships don't create an exciting game. Football can be cold, wet, snowy, and very boring. In a small size stadium (I have been to Marist...you can't see plays develop due to lack of seating height). Even at ND...up high, you can see the plays, but if the windchill makes it -10, who cares! So it has to be a great program to bring the people in. Three hours in the autumn cold of Albany...well, it will be hard to bring them in. You also need tv exposure once or twice a year...so people can get to know their teams...there isn't the exposure for the smaller teams like there is for Basketball...you can do two basketball games in the time of 1 football...so you're exposure factor is cut in half.

15836[/snapback]

 

 

ok, I will rephrase then. College football is not a northeastern thing. There's Syracuse (which sucks) and Penn State, and thats about it. There's Buffalo which blows as well. Ivy League, maybe, but it's a shell of what it once was. Same thing with Army outside of the Army Navy game. The thing is, I see all these teams in the America East with big time nationally ranked hockey programs, and I don't see why we're not doing the same thing. UNH, Maine, BU, Vermont. I'd rather have a big-time hockey and a competitive basketball program then a mediocre 1-AA football program. Now if you can fit Hockey and Football in together, great, but if I was the AD I would sacrifice football for Hockey. Thats just my opinion. If you're not going to be serious about football (i.e. getting a new stadium, and a legitimate conference, and full scholarships) then dump it and get a sport like Hockey.

[Dane96]

lets get rid of football and replace it with Hockey. We should just accept that college football is a southern thing, and that college hockey is a northeastern thing. Take the money for the football stadium and build a new 7-8k seat arena that can be used for Hockey and Basketball. I'm sure the Hockey East will take us with open arms. We'd also have some great instant rivalries with Union and RPI. Albany will be the new official Hockey Town.

15834[/snapback]

 

Jesus, I get back from Spain and I read posts like this. Buddy, hockey costs HUGE money...more than football.

[olddog71]

Jesus, I get back from Spain and I read posts like this.  Buddy, hockey costs HUGE money...more than football.

15844[/snapback]

 

Dane96,

 

I'm with you on the frustration end of this discussion.

 

If we were to institute hockey, then it would compete too much with basketball. We have finally turned the corner with building up a good Division I men's program in terms of both success and fan interest, and then you would tear part of it down with the competition with ice hockey which runs approximately the same time as other winter sports.

 

You cannot tear down a program like football which basically one man, Bob Ford, has literally built out of nothing to spend huge amounts of money on that would not be a guarantee.

 

Guys, enjoy the growth of the programs we have now. I can tell you all as a long, long-time UAlbany fan that it could be far, far worse. Look at your colleagues at the other components of the State University system. Most of the 4-year schools are stuck at the Division III level, and they will be there for the foreseeable future. Most of them do not have any form of football at all. We are extremely fortunate at UAlbany to have great programs at a much higher level of competition and improving all the time.

 

Dane, I'm jealous of you. Which part of Spain did you like the best?

[Dane96]

Jesus, I get back from Spain and I read posts like this.  Buddy, hockey costs HUGE money...more than football.

15844[/snapback]

 

Dane96,

 

I'm with you on the frustration end of this discussion.

 

If we were to institute hockey, then it would compete too much with basketball. We have finally turned the corner with building up a good Division I men's program in terms of both success and fan interest, and then you would tear part of it down with the competition with ice hockey which runs approximately the same time as other winter sports.

 

You cannot tear down a program like football which basically one man, Bob Ford, has literally built out of nothing to spend huge amounts of money on that would not be a guarantee.

 

Guys, enjoy the growth of the programs we have now. I can tell you all as a long, long-time UAlbany fan that it could be far, far worse. Look at your colleagues at the other components of the State University system. Most of the 4-year schools are stuck at the Division III level, and they will be there for the foreseeable future. Most of them do not have any form of football at all. We are extremely fortunate at UAlbany to have great programs at a much higher level of competition and improving all the time.

 

Dane, I'm jealous of you. Which part of Spain did you like the best?

15845[/snapback]

 

Well put Olddog.

 

Which part did I like? The free tapas with a cana, the ridiculously beautiful women (I swear...it is not even funny how beautiful these women are, even the middle aged women), or the fact that everyone siestas?

 

As for cities, I only went to Granada and Sevilla, flying in and out of Madrid. I LOVED SEVILLA (saw the first match of LA LIGA, a 4-0 win by Sevilla over Levante...insane with the constant chants of "CAMPIONES, CAMPIONES, SEVILLA" because they upset Barcelona to win the FA EUROPE SUPERCUP in the previous match).

 

Sevilla is much like a large New Orleans, crossed with the architecture of France, and the unique Spanish lifestyle.

 

Granada...wow. All of you guys in school....GET THERE...for a semester. Tapas is free with each beer, it is a town of 260,000 people, 70,000 of which are students from all over the world. The city is great because of the history of the Crusades, finished off with Queen Isabel's victory over the Sultan in the 1400's to win back the city from 700 years of Muslim control. The Ahlambra is definately worthy of all the consideration it has been gotten for entry into the "WONDERS OF THE WORLD" category. The cross between the roman catholic and musilm heritage is prevelant and the people are great. Being 2 1/2 hours from Sevilla, it is a great 1-2 punch. I wish I got a chance to hit the Alpujharra's, north of Granada.

 

 

Sorry for the rant, but I highly recommend it for all those thinking of going to Spain.

 

In fact, I think a good section we could add to this site are trip reports from others....to non-UA events. Would be pretty cool...and people could read and learn about places they have never been but may want to go after reading a post or two on it.

[Ruler]

Cortland, Brockport, Buffalo, Stony Brook all have better football facilities then Albany. What is to enjoy watching Cortland (DIII) play Brockport(DIII) in a beautiful new facility at Cortland or Special olympic stradium at Brockport? I won't even go near Buffalo or SBU!!!!!!

 

At this point all I want is University Field renovated. If the stadium gets built I will be thrilled. If not I can live with our football stadium at least being on the same level as DIII Cortland or Brockport....UNBELIEVABLE, The fact I made this statement about our facilities being less than Cortland is a F*%$ing DISGRACE!

I may blow a gasket next time Ostrom calls me!

[olddog71]

Cortland, Brockport, Buffalo, Stony Brook all have better football facilities then Albany. What is to enjoy watching Cortland (DIII) play Brockport(DIII) in a beautiful new facility at Cortland or Special olympic stradium at Brockport? I won't even go near Buffalo or SBU!!!!!!

 

At this point all I want is University Field renovated. If the stadium gets built I will be thrilled. If not I can live with our football stadium at least being on the same level as DIII Cortland or Brockport....UNBELIEVABLE, The fact I made this statement about our facilities being less than  Cortland is a F*%$ing DISGRACE!

I may blow a gasket next time Ostrom calls me!

15847[/snapback]

 

Ruler,

 

You're absolutely correct about the facilities at other State schools as much better than UA facilities. Our football facilities are a disgrace. When I was referring to the program UA has, I was thinking only in terms of the personnel. What a tribute it would be to Bob Ford if a brand new facility could be named to honor the 35 years or so that he has dedicated to UAlbany and to commemorate the huge improvement he has brought to the program since he started it.