TU Article today on Siena

[danefan]

I'm surprised no one commented on this yet.

 

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...sdate=5/24/2007

[McFan]

I did see this earlier today. I think it is a good idea. That arena is too big for a decent MACC team, and has been for a while. The need, as UA will in the future, to find the right size. Based on historical figures 8000 would be in the ball park. And even that has room to grow. I'm sure the TUC is a good deal financially for Siena, having only to rent and not build an arena, but an arena full of curtains and seat covers is not the same as a right sized facility.

 

As someone that sat through some empty RACC games at UA, I hope they don't jump the gun on arena size when the time comes. Look at what the baseball stadiums are doing. Nicer, smaller, stadiums that by restricting supply causes somewhat higher demand. Easy for me to say as I will have a shot at season tickets but I'd rather have 1,000 people not have a seat than 2,000 extra seats.

[UA_MA_2000]

With the exception of the UAlbany game, I don't think Siena even drew 8,000 fans all season (but I didn't research this; don't really care). Perhaps they came somewhat close for the MLK Jr. holiday game featuring Marist (I was there but skipped out on the overtime to make it uptown for our Stonybrook game).

 

Given that our average attendance is roughly at or slightly higher than the entire student population of Siena, Siena's attendance necessarily has to come from rowdy alumni and community members. I am skeptical as to whether limiting seating to the lower bowl will really have any impact on demand at all, given that Siena didn't come close to 8,000 fans in the first place (save the UA game), and most alumni and community members would, in all probability, be able to afford, and have afforded, seats in the lower bowl. I guess restricting the seating at the TUC for Siena games to the lower level is a reasonable idea, but, on the other hand, perhaps people who before wanted to sit above because of lower ticket prices up there may not come at all. In any event, doesn't matter to me. Go DANES!

 

PS- Didn't they already lower the curtains in the upper tier for some/many games???

[UAalum72]

I'm surprised no one commented on this yet.

You don't think we're as obsessed with them as they think we are, do you?

 

PS- Didn't they already lower the curtains in the upper tier for some/many games???

Yes, but this is to force all of their remaining fans to sit closer together. If they do get a rowdier crowd, will the dirt-nappers complain?

 

For many years, they've said the arena was a great advantage in recruiting, etc. Maybe it's not so perfect, eh?

[olddog71]

I'm surprised no one commented on this yet.

 

Who has time?

 

I just barely got over men's lacrosse and women's softball.

 

Does anyone know what the score is in tonight's men's baseball?

[UAlbany09]

What's Siena?

[UAalum72]

Does anyone know what the score is in tonight's men's baseball?

We lead 4-1 in the top of the sixth (as of 9:30)

Gametracker

[bob87]

I'm surprised no one commented on this yet.

 

Who has time?

 

I just barely got over men's lacrosse and women's softball.

 

Does anyone know what the score is in tonight's men's baseball?

 

 

You can go to the AE site and click on game tracker or listen to the game. It is 4-1 UA in the middle of the 7th.

 

As far as which seats Siena is going to cover with a tarp. Who cares. The only game on their schedule besides UA that I have any interest in seeing is Stanford. And that is only if UA or another better game isn't going on at the same time.

[bob87]

You can go to the AE site and click on game tracker or listen to the game. It is 4-1 UA in the middle of the 7th.

 

 

Sorry, I read the game tracker wrong. It was after 6. Ua added another run in the top 0f the 7th. Now 5-1 . still in the top of the 7th.

[olddog71]

You can go to the AE site and click on game tracker or listen to the game. It is 4-1 UA in the middle of the 7th.

 

Sorry, I read the game tracker wrong. It was after 6. Ua added another run in the top 0f the 7th. Now 5-1 . still in the top of the 7th.

 

Thanks for the updates.

[UAalum72]

We win 5-2, play Bing in the winners' bracket at 7:05 tomorrow.

[KingDane]

Frankly I was a little surprised by the T-U article. From some of the postings on this board, I remember they were anticipating somewhere north of 15,000 for the Stanford game. Why would they adopt such an inflexible tarp removal policy - 'only for the UA game, and no others'.

 

I realize none of their conference opponents will draw well. No reason to pull back the tarp for Iona, etc. That's understandable because of the MAAC's dismal ranking among conferences (And that's not Siena's fault: they happen to be the polished turd, or the 'jewel' if you will). However, when they've got a chance to ring the register and fill the building for, say, NJIT, they ought to be eager to pull the lever on the tarp retractor.

 

Fortunately for us they'll unwrap a few thousand seats for the only game that draws a sizeable crowd. I hope they dust off those piss poor seats for us in the UA sections after they've sat empty and covered for awhile.

 

As soon as there is a date for that game - someone please let me know - plane tickets are expensive.

[Clickclack]

No doubt they will have a good crowd for the Stanford game, they also do remarkably well for a "mid-major", they dipped during and post Lanier years but apparently are rebounding now. The math simply cannot be denied (there is a thread on their board with a link to attendance figures). No doubt they would be better suited with a building on campus but I guess that won't ever happen in the current environment. No doubt we like to josh them a little as they have some real mental midgets on their board (I'm sure they think the same of us) but we gotta call it like it is. I do have to say though I found it funny the notion that some of them believe in (from past conversations) that the UA vs. Seina game means more to us then them. But yet our game is the only one that will get the garbage bags removed from the seats.

 

The thread on their boar "New Configuration" and especially the post on the first page by misspractice is freaking classic. I had to actually laugh out loud!

[UA_MA_2000]

Frankly I was a little surprised by the T-U article. From some of the postings on this board, I remember they were anticipating somewhere north of 15,000 for the Stanford game. Why would they adopt such an inflexible tarp removal policy - 'only for the UA game, and no others'.

 

I realize none of their conference opponents will draw well. No reason to pull back the tarp for Iona, etc. That's understandable because of the MAAC's dismal ranking among conferences (And that's not Siena's fault: they happen to be the polished turd, or the 'jewel' if you will). However, when they've got a chance to ring the register and fill the building for, say, NJIT, they ought to be eager to pull the lever on the tarp retractor.

 

Fortunately for us they'll unwrap a few thousand seats for the only game that draws a sizeable crowd. I hope they dust off those piss poor seats for us in the UA sections after they've sat empty and covered for awhile.

 

As soon as there is a date for that game - someone please let me know - plane tickets are expensive.

 

Because of the new curtain policy, the following is pretty much irrelevant, but I found it fun to speculate nonetheless: 15,000 fans for the Stanford game is a STRETCH! There are few sporting events that have EVER sold out the TUC/Pepsi. In fact, to my knowledge, the TUC/Pepsi Arena has never sold out for a regular season sporting event (but I haven't researched this; I'm just going from memory here). The Albany Firebirds drew some good crowds, and I was there when it was sold out for the Arena Bowl against Orlando (which we won! Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!). I think there were some NIT games years ago when Siena sold out those games, but, again, that was post-season play.

 

Just for fun, my prediction for the Standford game, assuming no curtains, is MAYBE 10,000. I'm not knocking Siena and its attendance; they draw very well for a small conference team (and even for many mid-major teams). But, remember, Siena didn't even draw 8,000 for the very important game against Marist on a federal and state HOLIDAY (MLK Jr. Day) last season --- are we to expect them to draw even more for a OOC and rather meaningless game? Just my $.02. Yes, there was some freezing rain that morning but the roads were more than clear by afternoon, and I recall the temperatures being well into the 40s at game time.

[UA_MA_2000]

No doubt they will have a good crowd for the Stanford game, they also do remarkably well for a "mid-major", they dipped during and post Lanier years but apparently are rebounding now. The math simply cannot be denied (there is a thread on their board with a link to attendance figures). No doubt they would be better suited with a building on campus but I guess that won't ever happen in the current environment. No doubt we like to josh them a little as they have some real mental midgets on their board (I'm sure they think the same of us) but we gotta call it like it is. I do have to say though I found it funny the notion that some of them believe in (from past conversations) that the UA vs. Seina game means more to us then them. But yet our game is the only one that will get the garbage bags removed from the seats.

 

The thread on their boar "New Configuration" and especially the post on the first page by misspractice is freaking classic. I had to actually laugh out loud!

 

I think we are going to hear more "trash" from Siena in the coming years. The fact is that we are simply distancing ourselves from them, academically and athletically. I'm not knocking their athletic department or their academics in any way; I'm simply stating that the evidence reveals support for the proposition that we've already surpassed them. What better evidence of their decreasing importance in all spheres is the fact that this very thread deviated from the Siena article to updates on our baseball team's tournament score yesterday ... haha!