I don't "get" Brown's seating issue.

[MaacGruff]

He's really pushed hard to end the series between Siena/Albany.

 

The ends of the lower bowl were split evenly between both schools on Saturday. Both ends of the upper bowl were 1/2 filled. UAlbany had equal shot of side seating in the upper bowl and there was a fair amount of purple up there. My season tickets are upstairs at nearly 1/2 court and I know there are a ton of seats available to those looking for them.

 

That leaves Brown eye-balling the sides of the lower bowl? Right where the vast majority of season ticket holders view a game?

 

Look, dropping the game does not equate to a loss of 13K tickets. Siena will add another game next season that will draw 8K anyway and they will not risk angering season buyers over the difference.

 

It really appears UAlbany wants to back away from this annual event.

[UAalum72]

If it were an Albany home game, you could check out the view from the baseline corners.

 

Let your season ticket buyers find out what a road game is like. If you can't give up your season tickets, would it be so hard to give Albany the same deal you gave NJIT last year? Maybe we'll televise it from the SEFCU so you won't even have to leave the nursing home.

[MaacGruff]

If it were an Albany home game, you could check out the view from the baseline corners.

 

Let your season ticket buyers find out what a road game is like. If you can't give up your season tickets, would it be so hard to give Albany the same deal you gave NJIT last year? Maybe we'll televise it from the SEFCU so you won't even have to leave the nursing home.

 

Have hit the road for tons of away games in the past and accepted the seating. NJIT was a one time fluke and booking two games yearly with Albany will kill the event.

 

You guys think you have a BIG TIME PROGRAM so build a 15K arena to support it. Then talk about home/away. Better yet, talk to the TU and steal the arena downtown. Cannot wait for the TUC response.

 

A student body 3-4 times the size of Siena and your pep band is 1/2 the size by comparison. No student support. No Alum support as witnessed Saturday.

 

And versus Siena? Next to no wins!!!!!!

 

Forget it!!!

[olddog71]

He's really pushed hard to end the series between Siena/Albany.

 

The ends of the lower bowl were split evenly between both schools on Saturday. Both ends of the upper bowl were 1/2 filled. UAlbany had equal shot of side seating in the upper bowl and there was a fair amount of purple up there. My season tickets are upstairs at nearly 1/2 court and I know there are a ton of seats available to those looking for them.

 

That leaves Brown eye-balling the sides of the lower bowl? Right where the vast majority of season ticket holders view a game?

 

Look, dropping the game does not equate to a loss of 13K tickets. Siena will add another game next season that will draw 8K anyway and they will not risk angering season buyers over the difference.

 

It really appears UAlbany wants to back away from this annual event.

 

Evidently you have not been paying close attention to the messages made by various posters on the UA, Siena, or AE boards, or you would not come over here with your ridiculous accusation.

 

I don't know exactly where you sit for Siena games, but I have not had a comfortable seat in the arena since the series began in 2001. This year I decided to forgo my attendance at the game for that very reason, my first absense since the new inter-school series began.

 

I refuse to pay more than twice the price I paid at UA for vastly inferior seating at the TUC. Last year I sat at one of the ends in an extremely cramped seat made even more uncomfortable because I was on a corner where the seats on either side of me were angled in toward my seat. I have flown on coach on various airlines, not exactly known for Lazy-Boy comfort, and found each airline offering more comfort than my seat at the TUC.

 

My view of the game was from a long distance behind the net. Action at most spots on the floor required binoculars to get a decent view. These are just two reasons why seeing a game at the TUC for many UA fans is not ideal. I could go on.

 

Do regular-season Siena fans have to put up with such circumstances? I think not. The season ticket holders receive prime seats along both long sides of the court. The seats are not squished together as they are on the ends. The spectators have a clear view of the court.

 

Unless the contract is renegotiated, as a UA fan, I will NEVER have the opportunity to have a much better seat. It is an insult to suggest that UA fans have to put up more money each and every year to attend that spectacle.

 

Judging by the comments I see here and over on the Siena board from Siena ticket holders, they would scream bloody murder if they were forced to give up their privileged places in the TUC. Countless Siena fans have made their views known about a possible change in seating patterns.

 

Siena does not now or ever had contracts with other schools that demanded that only one team be designated the home team, with all its inherent privileges. People over on your board complained about how they were seldom the home team in your series with Syracuse. I have been waiting now for 7 years to have a decent seat at a Siena game. How about giving up your prime seat every other year and go sit way up in the upper bowl or in the far corners of either bowl? I doubt that you will like your place.

 

You do not seem to view negotiations as a two-way street. You seem to be content to stick it to UA fans every year. Coach Brown has tried to change the situation, and he has suggested a couple methods to remedy it. You should listen more carefully to what he and Dane fans want to change. You choose instead to misplace the blame and make Brown responsible for a poor situation.

 

Another unfair aspect of the game as it is played is the revenue. UA fans bought all of the 1,600 tickets made available to the school several days before the game. By even conservative standards, UA fans made up 5,000-5,,500 fans there. That means that at least 3,400-3,900 UA fans had to purchase their tickets from either Siena itself or through the TUC, both places handing the revenue over to Siena. And this phenomenon happens every year. That situation is not fair, and it must be changed.

 

Your AD has gone on public record last week, saying that he thinks the current unfair contract does not need to be changed. I hope his more private stance is more reasonable; otherwise, his intransigent public stance shows a great lack of flexibility to modify the current terms. You should blame him and him alone if the games are not played in the future.

[olddog71]

. . . And versus Siena? Next to no wins!!!!!!

 

Everyone knows that the home team has built-in advantages over the visiting team. Many people talk about the crowd being a "sixth man."

 

Until Siena comes over to play at SEFCU or some other venue, you have a lot of nerve to brag about your close victoies in the last three games.

 

Until you win on our home court, each and every one of your last three victories will look very tainted!

 

Now, go back over to your board. You're not welcome here.

[GreatDanes06]

Another unfair aspect of the game as it is played is the revenue. UA fans bought all of the 1,600 tickets made available to the school several days before the game. By even conservative standards, UA fans made up 5,000-5,,500 fans there. That means that at least 3,400-3,900 UA fans had to purchase their tickets from either Siena itself or through the TUC, both places handing the revenue over to Siena. And this phenomenon happens every year. That situation is not fair, and it must be changed.

 

there you go! Thats what I was going to say also. I doesn't matter if UAlbany brought 5,000 fans, only 1,600 of the tickets mean money for UA. Everything else goes to Siena. You can't say this is a game for the city of Albany if one team is always taking home the bacon.

[Dane96]

He's really pushed hard to end the series between Siena/Albany.

 

The ends of the lower bowl were split evenly between both schools on Saturday. Both ends of the upper bowl were 1/2 filled. UAlbany had equal shot of side seating in the upper bowl and there was a fair amount of purple up there. My season tickets are upstairs at nearly 1/2 court and I know there are a ton of seats available to those looking for them.

 

That leaves Brown eye-balling the sides of the lower bowl? Right where the vast majority of season ticket holders view a game?

 

Look, dropping the game does not equate to a loss of 13K tickets. Siena will add another game next season that will draw 8K anyway and they will not risk angering season buyers over the difference.

 

It really appears UAlbany wants to back away from this annual event.

 

Are you people that Binging dense?

 

What is 13,262 minus 6,600 something, which number includes the 1000+ or so "FORCED SALE" seats to the box holders.

 

I dunno, I will do the math: 13,200-5600 (I am being generous on the box seats) is 7,200.

 

7,200 x20 (average ticket price) is 148,000.

 

Where is Siena generating that lost revenue?

 

This lack of forsight by both the codgers, such as you MAACGRUFF, and D'Argenio (nice marketing job with the baggies, the Gold out, etc) is the EXACT reason SIENA IS A ONE TRICK PONY.

 

I am not sure where you expect to make up, 148k in lost revenue, but it certainly will have to COME AS TWO ROAD GAMES. Then you can sit on your precious ass, that may get chapped because it is moved at the TUC for the Albany game, and watch the game from your 44.95 all season access pass via a 14inch computer monitor.

 

I have to say, but for a handful of Siena posters, I wouldn't want many making business decisions for me.

[MaacGruff]

He's really pushed hard to end the series between Siena/Albany.

 

The ends of the lower bowl were split evenly between both schools on Saturday. Both ends of the upper bowl were 1/2 filled. UAlbany had equal shot of side seating in the upper bowl and there was a fair amount of purple up there. My season tickets are upstairs at nearly 1/2 court and I know there are a ton of seats available to those looking for them.

 

That leaves Brown eye-balling the sides of the lower bowl? Right where the vast majority of season ticket holders view a game?

 

Look, dropping the game does not equate to a loss of 13K tickets. Siena will add another game next season that will draw 8K anyway and they will not risk angering season buyers over the difference.

 

It really appears UAlbany wants to back away from this annual event.

 

Evidently you have not been paying close attention to the messages made by various posters on the UA, Siena, or AE boards, or you would not come over here with your ridiculous accusation.

 

I don't know exactly where you sit for Siena games, but I have not had a comfortable seat in the arena since the series began in 2001. This year I decided to forgo my attendance at the game for that very reason, my first absense since the new inter-school series began.

 

I refuse to pay more than twice the price I paid at UA for vastly inferior seating at the TUC. Last year I sat at one of the ends in an extremely cramped seat made even more uncomfortable because I was on a corner where the seats on either side of me were angled in toward my seat. I have flown on coach on various airlines, not exactly known for Lazy-Boy comfort, and found each airline offering more comfort than my seat at the TUC.

 

My view of the game was from a long distance behind the net. Action at most spots on the floor required binoculars to get a decent view. These are just two reasons why seeing a game at the TUC for many UA fans is not ideal. I could go on.

 

Do regular-season Siena fans have to put up with such circumstances? I think not. The season ticket holders receive prime seats along both long sides of the court. The seats are not squished together as they are on the ends. The spectators have a clear view of the court.

 

Unless the contract is renegotiated, as a UA fan, I will NEVER have the opportunity to have a much better seat. It is an insult to suggest that UA fans have to put up more money each and every year to attend that spectacle.

 

Judging by the comments I see here and over on the Siena board from Siena ticket holders, they would scream bloody murder if they were forced to give up their privileged places in the TUC. Countless Siena fans have made their views known about a possible change in seating patterns.

 

Siena does not now or ever had contracts with other schools that demanded that only one team be designated the home team, with all its inherent privileges. People over on your board complained about how they were seldom the home team in your series with Syracuse. I have been waiting now for 7 years to have a decent seat at a Siena game. How about giving up your prime seat every other year and go sit way up in the upper bowl or in the far corners of either bowl? I doubt that you will like your place.

 

You do not seem to view negotiations as a two-way street. You seem to be content to stick it to UA fans every year. Coach Brown has tried to change the situation, and he has suggested a couple methods to remedy it. You should listen more carefully to what he and Dane fans want to change. You choose instead to misplace the blame and make Brown responsible for a poor situation.

 

Another unfair aspect of the game as it is played is the revenue. UA fans bought all of the 1,600 tickets made available to the school several days before the game. By even conservative standards, UA fans made up 5,000-5,,500 fans there. That means that at least 3,400-3,900 UA fans had to purchase their tickets from either Siena itself or through the TUC, both places handing the revenue over to Siena. And this phenomenon happens every year. That situation is not fair, and it must be changed.

 

Your AD has gone on public record last week, saying that he thinks the current unfair contract does not need to be changed. I hope his more private stance is more reasonable; otherwise, his intransigent public stance shows a great lack of flexibility to modify the current terms. You should blame him and him alone if the games are not played in the future.

[GreatDanes06]

I think Coach Brown said it best on Mark S's blog:

 

“To look and see parents of my players sitting behind the backboard, that’s not right,” Brown said. “That’s not fair. I’m sorry. And I’ll probably get killed for it tomorrow when you all write about it, and I really don’t care. This is a great game for this area.”

That is wrong and I don't care what a single Siena fan says. Players parents have a right, even if their seats are better then mine

 

“This series needs to continue,” Brown said later. “It does. I’ve never said I don’t want it continue. It’s great. You walk in there, I mean, it’s electrifying. I mean, we had guys exhausted after warmups. The adrenaline’s flowing. It’s a blast.”

 

thats doesn't sound like a person who wants this to end

[olddog71]

To UA posters here:

 

If you are dissatisfied with the current arrangements for the UA-Siena series, now is the time to make your complaint known to the proper authorities.

 

Sometimes I like to complain (Just ask my wife about it), but this time I decided to do something about it. I wrote an email to Dr. McElroy about the situation.

 

I urge the rest of you to do the same. NOW is the time to make your complaint known. Our AD can use our comments as ammunition in the negotiations about to begin with Siena to continue the series. Please make your views known NOW.

[KingDane]

Look, dropping the game does not equate to a loss of 13K tickets. Siena will add another game next season that will draw 8K anyway and they will not risk angering season buyers over the difference.

 

 

MG - why doesn't Siena add two or three games that draw 8K? When the schedule comes out lets wager - I'll pay you $1 for every fan over 8K - you pay me $1 for every fan beneath 8K. Go ahead name the big attractions you're going to pull in next season. Then lets make the bet.

[olddog71]

I think Coach Brown said it best on Mark S's blog:

 

“To look and see parents of my players sitting behind the backboard, that’s not right,” Brown said. “That’s not fair. I’m sorry. And I’ll probably get killed for it tomorrow when you all write about it, and I really don’t care. This is a great game for this area.”

That is wrong and I don't care what a single Siena fan says. Players parents have a right, even if their seats are better then mine

 

“This series needs to continue,” Brown said later. “It does. I’ve never said I don’t want it continue. It’s great. You walk in there, I mean, it’s electrifying. I mean, we had guys exhausted after warmups. The adrenaline’s flowing. It’s a blast.”

thats doesn't sound like a person who wants this to end

 

GreatDanes06,

 

Thanks for providing a great quotation from Coach Brown. Yes, another important reason why the current arrangement must go.

 

Once again, he states his mind without the need to do the PC thing.

 

I like how he stands up for his players and us fans. Other people from other institutions may not like him, but too bad!

[UAalum72]

Have hit the road for tons of away games in the past and accepted the seating. NJIT was a one time fluke and booking two games yearly with Albany will kill the event.

Doesn't have to be twice in one year, just asking for a home-and-home. NJIT is no fluke in that way - in the past few years you've also played home-and-away against Vermont, Monmouth, Dartmouth (830 fans) and a non-return game AT Winthrop. Why can you play in Hanover, NH but not on Western Avenue?

[Clickclack]

I gotta be honest...what really got a chuckle out of me is that mentally challenged half wit at Siena they call their AD saying that he thought the current arrangement was fair.

 

Is he out of his mind...or does he enjoy sounding like a fool.

[Big D]

 

"Have hit the road for tons of away games in the past and accepted the seating. NJIT was a one time fluke and booking two games yearly with Albany will kill the event."

 

 

 

 

I agree twice a year is too much. I say play every year, with alternating home teams. Again, neither team needs this game. The players like the "big time" atmosphere, and the fans of both teams love it. UA does not need to play Siena to earn credibility as a Div. I hoop program. We've earned that in other ways already. You may feel differently, but you would be wrong.

 

 

 

"You guys think you have a BIG TIME PROGRAM so build a 15K arena to support it. Then talk about home/away. Better yet, talk to the TU and steal the arena downtown. Cannot wait for the TUC response."

 

 

 

 

I don't think we have a "BIG TIME PROGRAM". I think we have a growing program. Rome wasn't built in a day. Whether we have a Big program 10 or 15 years from now remains to be seen but I can tell you this, UA admin. has big plans for the athletic program generally, and the hoop team in particular. Ten years from now, Siena will be what it has been...a good MAAC team with a loyal fan base that looks like an AARP convention. My guess is that, a decade from now, UA fans will think back fondly to these early days, and say to each other "remember when Siena used to beat us"!!

 

As to your other point, UA will never build a 15,000 seat arena. Why would we want to follow Siena's mistake, and play our home games in a 2/3 empty building with no atmosphere, ridiculous ticket prices, and no home court advantage???

 

As the program grows, and we outgrow SEFCU, the school will build a 7,000-8,000 seat on campus facility, or remodel SEFCU to accomplish the same goal. This is what State Universities with growing programs do. See, e.g., UConn, which replaced a 4,500 seat gym for the 10,000 Gampel Pavilion in 1990, or UMass, which replaced 4,000 seat Curry Hicks Cage (which, incidentally, was a fun place to watch a game) for the 9,000 seat Mullins Center in 1993.

 

 

 

"A student body 3-4 times the size of Siena and your pep band is 1/2 the size by comparison. No student support. No Alum support as witnessed Saturday."

 

 

 

Be careful, for appearances can be deceiving, my friend. As a big Siena fan, you should know that the majority of the "Siena" pep band, is actually the SHAKER HIGH SCHOOL BAND!! They are given Green and Gold shirts, and the deception is (almost) complete. This is a fact. Check it out before you besmirch UA's somewhat rag tag, but improving, pep band.