@ LCC 12/13 ( not the day whiny patsos wanted)

[uofalbany]

Home and home... you can have the 'entering a hostile environment' every other year.

After all, you'll probably have more or less the same seats at the Pepsi as you do now.

[UA_MA_2000]

Home and home (preferably two games per season but if not then alternating). I want SEFCU to erupt. And we tailgate mid-winter for the Siena game.

 

I don't really understand the view that the game should only be played once a year, but I understand the view is out there (and on here). Only 1 Siena game? And play who instead? NJIT, Holy Cross, Fairfield, and Quinnipiac instead of a second game against Siena at home? Seriously? Um no. When UMASS or Syracuse or Rutgers or Army come play at SEFCU then I'm okay with playing Siena once a year. If we played Siena in a couple weeks we'd sell out SEFCU ... .

 

And the fans of both schools obsess about beating each other in everything from basketball to soccer to field hockey (if Siena has field hockey even). So, no, I assure us all there will be no dilution of any rivalry with two games a year.

Edited December 15, 2014 by UA_MA_2000

[Eli]

The only rivalry is basketball. We smoke their women EVERY year...and our men have been successful lately. As far as the rest of D1 sports...Siena can't hold a candle to us. This is why I get so angry reading their forum and hearing them state that we are the little brother in Albany. Seriously? In what alternate reality? Regardless of basketball, with football being on the up and up, I think UAlbany's name (in general) will outgrow Siena. Hell, we have LCC BB fans coming to our FB games. It's a matter of time.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Ilko

[haggyland]

I would take their baseball program but that's it.

[bob87]

I have no need to play them twice a year . Once a year is plenty at alternating sites. I like seeing different teams and going to different places when possible . There are approximately 340 teams (non ae) to fill about 10-12 games (non conference)

[bob87]

I would take their baseball program but that's it.

Even with our baseball program only going to the NCAA tournament just once , I still wouldn't trade it for theirs

[McFan]

I'm in the minority here but a couple of points:

 

• I think it is a community event. There was a ton of restaurant business that night. People who aren't UA or Siena fans show up to this game. If you are local you see people before, during, and after the game that are excited about it. There is a buzz.
• Fix the tickets but play so plenty of people, i.e. 10K can see the game.
• Be careful what you wish for. We still get less than 3K per game and we couldn't sell our allotment of 750 through the university. I know many UA fans bought from the TU but not selling even the 750 we were allotted does not help our bargaining position. I know some of you do it out of principle and I'm fine w/ that. This isn't a shot at those that do.
• I'd like to see the coaches and players get into ahead of time. Hype this thing. I saw the Army/Navy coaches interviewed prior to their game and they're not afraid to talk it up. I know this isn't Army/Navy but you get the point (or I hope you do).
• Once a year. Hype this thing.

[Dane96]

McFan, agree...100%!

[alum73]

I always used to think it should be in the TUC every year, but as time has gone by, I've changed my mind. I now think it should be alternated. I am a season ticket holder, so I'll always have a great seat in SEFCU, and Siena never sells out, so I can always go when the game is there. If will be a tough ticket to get every other year, but maybe that will help us with ticket sales for SEFCU. There are plenty of restaurants on Western to feed all the hungry patrons. I'm hungry for equity. We deserve to be treated as every other opponent is treated. If that isn't amenable to Siena, well, that'll be their loss every other year.

[Clickclack]

I always used to think it should be in the TUC every year, but as time has gone by, I've changed my mind. I now think it should be alternated. I am a season ticket holder, so I'll always have a great seat in SEFCU, and Siena never sells out, so I can always go when the game is there. If will be a tough ticket to get every other year, but maybe that will help us with ticket sales for SEFCU. There are plenty of restaurants on Western to feed all the hungry patrons. I'm hungry for equity. We deserve to be treated as every other opponent is treated. If that isn't amenable to Siena, well, that'll be their loss every other year.

Alum, my opinion over the years closely resembles your migration from point a to b.

 

I was fine a few years ago with the TUC but the more I think about it the more I come to the realization that competitive balance and fairness should take precedent over who can't and can't attend especially with other avenues to view the game.

[McFan]

I always used to think it should be in the TUC every year, but as time has gone by, I've changed my mind. I now think it should be alternated. I am a season ticket holder, so I'll always have a great seat in SEFCU, and Siena never sells out, so I can always go when the game is there. If will be a tough ticket to get every other year, but maybe that will help us with ticket sales for SEFCU. There are plenty of restaurants on Western to feed all the hungry patrons. I'm hungry for equity. We deserve to be treated as every other opponent is treated. If that isn't amenable to Siena, well, that'll be their loss every other year.

How about being treated better than every other opponent. Give us the TUC (their home court) every other year. I fear that it will lose its luster if 50% of the fans can't show up every other year. I'm in the camp that if built up properly we should see 11-12K. If our trajectory continues upward and they somehow get back on track this could be a very big event every year. Shutting out 6-7K people every other year concerns me.

Edited December 16, 2014 by McFan

[bob87]

 

 

I always used to think it should be in the TUC every year, but as time has gone by, I've changed my mind. I now think it should be alternated. I am a season ticket holder, so I'll always have a great seat in SEFCU, and Siena never sells out, so I can always go when the game is there. If will be a tough ticket to get every other year, but maybe that will help us with ticket sales for SEFCU. There are plenty of restaurants on Western to feed all the hungry patrons. I'm hungry for equity. We deserve to be treated as every other opponent is treated. If that isn't amenable to Siena, well, that'll be their loss every other year.

How about being treated better than every other opponent. Give us the TUC (their home court) every other year. I fear that it will lose its luster if 50% of the fans can't show up every other year. I'm in the camp that if built up properly we should see 11-12K. If our trajectory continues upward and they somehow get back on track this could be a very big event every year. Shutting out 6-7K people every other year concerns me.

How many of those 6 -7k fans have ever attended a game at Albany. I think we are at the stage that it would be better to play at home with an electric crowd at our game and work towards getting some more people as return fans to build the fanbase.

 

Obviously it is ultimately mr bensons job and decision on how to best build the program. But my opinion is the status quo of agreeing to be second class citizen to a crappy school like LCC has not done anything to get extra people at our home games . Time for something different (play a game at sefcu and see what it would be like ) or end the series

Edited December 16, 2014 by bob87

[UAalum72]

Zalman has a point on community interest. Siena draws 6K and Albany 2-3K for most of their games. That means this matchup draws only 2-3K out of a Capital District population of 800K, above those who would've gone to separate games vs. any other two opponents.

 

It's a measure of how far this game has fallen in importance to me that this year we took our a vacation in Florida this week (circumstances prevented our usual Oct. trip) and I didn't mind missing this game. My bride hasn't gone for a couple of years anyway as she has trouble with the T-U stairs. When the series restarted in 2001 the game was on our 25th anniversary but we made sure we went (though I paid for it with a week in Aruba).

[UA'08]

The players need to get into it also if it's a real rivalry. Not to the point of the cincy Xavier brawl, but there needs to be some trash talking. I praise Patrick cole for that preseason tweet having some fun. Stir it up a little, that's how you really make it a rivalry

Edited December 16, 2014 by UA'08

[danstep]

I believe if this game becomes a 100% neutral site game, at the TUC, more Albany fans will show up....reason being will have best seats on our half side....I also believe the game should stay at the TUC for the attendance issue soley....the more the better...I get why some/alot want a game at SEFCU, but I would rather the game alternate who is the home team at the TUC....if UA fans still don't show up then shame on us.....