2004-05 America East Championships

[statefan]

I see the league has announced the sites for next year's championships and the only one awarded to us is Women's Golf. I understand that we're still relatively new to the conference, and from my personal view, the only sports that I care about strongly that have designated tournament hosts are basketball, baseball and softball. We have never gotten any of these, while Binghamton gets men's basketball (which I don't quarrel with due to everyone's reports on the quality of their facility) and Stony Brook gets softball for the second time in three years.

 

I was really hoping we'd get either Baseball (at the "Joe") or Women's basketball, to compliment our senior dominated team. Are my expectations out of line? Is something lacking in our bids for these events? I'd be interested in hearing others' reactions.

[GreatDanes06]

i think they would want to have the Baseball on Campus probably, just an idea. But i think if they can get the baseball stadium set up with the stands and the press box, the 2005-06 season can easily get the Baseball tournament. When it comes to the basketball, the only place in Albany if anythign they would want to tournament is the Pepsi Arena, but they cant do that cause of Siena. But frankly, if we can get up there in basketball, i cant see how they can turn us away. Albany to me is much more attractive then Binghamton.

[Dane96]

Why wouldnt they want the tourney at teh RACC? They could sell it out easily, especially if UA is playing well. When we were DIII, 3200 people watched Stockton State, NYU and some other squad besides Albany. The Albany-NYU game had 4k.

[DaneFan2k3]

Please don't kid yourself. The tournament will not be at the RACC anytime soon.

 

The department has to prove it can handle that type of event first.

 

The fans are practically on the court, the bleachers but up against the basketball supports, there is no designated luxury seating (and really no way to create it), the locker room facilities are small and mostly inadequate (ever see a team at another arena coming down STAIRS to get to the court?).

 

They would have to do it at Pepsi Arena, in an off-year for the MAAC.

 

As for baseball, I wouldn't hold your breath there either. Inadequate parking close to the venue, inadequate stands (even if they threw up some bleachers), no press box (even if they threw one up, it's not going to be like at these other places).

 

Playing at The Joe wouldn't be beneficial to anyone. "Hey, look at this great facility. ON THE CAMPUS OF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Great."

[Dane96]

D2k...unless you were at the NCAA DIII ELite 8 game...you should not make such a broad remark. That event was very classy. The NCAA was very happy w/ the event and the atmosphere was tremendous for all three games!

 

Second, you obviously havent been to many hoop arenas. Go to Duke, Maryland, the Pit in New Mexico, Purdue, etc, etc....those bleachers are around the court and make life misreable for teams. THAT IS THE POINT!

 

The locker room- obviously you have never been in those either. The visting and mens and women's sport specific locker rooms are fantastic. The referees have there own locker rooms as well.

 

And what the hell are you talking about...what teams come DOWN THE ARENA. The locker rooms are at court level.

 

Baseball---ummmm, last I looked there was a parking lot at Indian Quad, w/ a walking trail to the field.

 

Again, you dont read much do you....the school is putting in stands and press boxes for both MENS and Womens baseball and softball respectively. They even advertise the fact on the website.

 

 

BTW...Mahaney Diamond is not fantastic...I have played there and the stands woud be very easy to put up. They have 4000....all we need is half that number to host.

 

http://goblackbears.collegesports.com/faci...es/mahaney.html

Edited July 16, 2004 by Dane96

[mainejeff]

That Mahaney Diamond sure is pretty though.....

[Dane96]

Yes it is! Though, not pretty when Oil Can Boyd was whippin' fastballs for the Blue Ox!!

Edited July 16, 2004 by Dane96

[Oldtimer]

The RACC is adequate for AE basketball tournaments based on attendance I have seen at BC and Hartford and Albany definitely has adequate hotel, motel and restaurants to make it a pleasant site. University Gym is a very good Volleyball facility as well. Lax has a grass field which increases the challange but is not in vogue. Decisions are probably made on facilities and can the host get to the finals. Thus we have golf which someone on this board wanted to deep six last year.

[alumni '92']

if walter brown arena in boston could play host to AE basketball tournaments, the RACC and capital district would do just fine (sufficient seating/facility, reasonable costs for visiting fans, etc.) ... i'd also push for AE baseball at 'the joe', albeit it is across the river at hvcc, it is a community resource and part of the SUNY family

[danefan04]

If I'm not mistaking, some of the sports, the conference championship is played at the site of the regular season champion.

 

It's only a matter of time that baseball holds it. Women's basketball has also kind of surprised me that they haven't received a call either.

 

But I believe that cross country, men's lacrosse, and track and field have all hosted.

[DaneFan2k3]

And what the hell are you talking about...what teams come DOWN THE ARENA. The locker rooms are at court level.

 

Dane96 talks a lot of smack for knowing nothing about the RACC:

 

1.) Both the men's and women's opponent locker rooms are located one floor above the arena, forcing the teams to walk down a two-level flight of stairs to get to the arena floor.

 

GET A CLUE!

 

This isn't the Division III level anymore. Walking down a level is BUSH LEAGUE. Have you ever walked around during a game? The RACC is totally UNSECURED and you can walk right past an opponent's locker room while their coaches are outside talking. I've done it many times! PS, just to reiterate- if you want to do this, YOU'LL HAVE TO WALK UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS!

 

You know what locker rooms they use? You call them "sport-specific" and "fantastic." If by that you REALLY mean "general use men's and women's locker rooms" and "dirty and smelly from the recreational people who keep their stuff in there," then YES, you're right! FANTASTIC!

 

WAY TO SPOUT OFF ABOUT A SUBJECT YOU CLEARLY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT!

-------------

2.) You mention the Division III tournament, obviously one of the higher profile events the RACC has had. You could equally have mentioned the Section II game between Columbia and Schenectady a few years back, where it was standing room only.

 

For either of those events, you don't need luxury seats for sponsors, you don't need Division I-level locker room or media facilities, the list goes on and on. The Hall of Fame room would be inadequate in size for a conference tournament event in terms of hosting pre- and post-game functions. ITS DIVISION III. Expectations are a LOT lower. Have you never seen the reporters doing interviews IN THE HALLWAY after a game, or typing up their stories after the game sitting on press row? All you need to do it stick around for about 20 minutes after the game and you'll see this. BUSH!

 

As for SECURITY, the RACC is one of the more unsecure venues I would imagine in all of college sports. There are a handful of state troopers and/or campus security guards in the corners of the arena, but if some idiot wanted to start throwing things or go out onto the court, he would be mostly unfettered. A comical routine of the officers chasing him while he ran around on the court would ensue. There is no security on either baseline for the most part during the game.

 

It's just not suitable for that type of big-time atmosphere. (Although you could argue that the A-East tournament isn't a big-time atmosphere and you wouldn't get too much of a fight).

-------------------

3.) I've been to TONS of large Division I hoops arenas. The fan sections don't TOUCH the actual backboard systems, which is illegal. UAlbany's does. It's a flaw in the design of the bleacher system; it comes out too far. Check it out next time you're at a game. If the stands actually got rocking behind one of the hoops, you could literally shake the baskets - illegal!

 

Also illegal is not having a buffer between the stands and the players on the endlines. Again, if you got a rowdy crowd and they touched an opposing player on the baseline, you're risking a forfeit or at the least a technical foul.

 

You're such a homer you're not thinking logically! Name another big-time arena (since you so callously mentioned the arenas you mentioned) where you can actually walk down ON the baseline during the game. Go on, name one.

------------------------

4.) A parking lot at Indian Quad, which no one knows about, for baseball. If you aren't from around here, the chances of finding the Indian Quad parking lot are about zero. The point is that most people would park at the RACC and walk to baseball, not knowing about Indian Quad. And that is classLESS.

 

PS - the locker room facilities are in the PE Building or RACC. SO THE PLAYERS HAVE TO WALK BACK AND FORTH. Another classLESS feature of our baseball field.

--------------------------

5.) I know all about the plans for the press boxes and stands at the baseball and softball diamonds. But as I said, if they throw something up, it's not likely to be large enough. I have talked to people, and the "plans" don't include bleachers adequate enough. Check around before you go railing on a subject you have no clue about. We're not going to have 2,000 seats at either venue. And the press box isn't going to be large enough to host a conference tournament.

 

Where did you think 2,000 seats were going to fit at our baseball stadium? I mean really, give me an honest answer. With the hill there, and the dugouts, there are really only two spots to put bleachers - behind home plate, and to the right of the home dugout. And ditto for the press box, which you can presume would go behind home plate, thus taking up half of your seating capacity (if you want something of adequate size).

 

If you think 2,000 seats are going in to the right of the dugout and in the remaining space around the press box, I've got some land I'd like to sell you beyond the left field fence in foul territory. It's only slightly damp ...

 

You point out Maheney Diamond's seating, like we could do something akin to that. Point one, their dugouts are significantly farther apart than ours are, leaving them much more room behind home plate for stands.

 

Point two, the seating at the lacrosse-soccer field is about 500 people. That type of bleacher going in behind home plate would take up the entire area behind home plate. WHERE ARE THE OTHER 1,500 SEATS??? You can't put something lacrosse-soccer-like in next to the dugout, because it would extend too far back and cover the emergency vehicle access road.

 

Point three - NO LIGHTS. How are you going to host a baseball championship with no lights? The UA-Maine game started at 8:15 last year. They had games at noon, 3:30 and 8:15. The 3:30 game ended at 5:34 (times on A-East website). Even if you started warming up immediately and played at 6:00, you're not likely to get the entire game in before nightfall. And that presumes no games going into extra innings or running long. That's a fairly-brisk 2 hour game. So you're playing games at 10 or 11 am for a conference tournament. No one's going for that if they can help it.

-------------

 

Please check your facts before you go slamming other posters. Just because you don't share my viewpoint, doesn't mean I'm not right. Reality bites sometimes. It's possible to be optimistic (about the proposed new facility plans) while still being realistic (about the current situation and some of the plans that you have details about).

[Dane96]

The visting locker rooms must have been moved....they were not upstairs...ever! The general locker rooms were not the visting locker rooms. There were actual "vistor locker rooms." Also, during the tourney, the teams (for DIII and ECAC) used our sport specific and not GC locker rooms (so all visiting teams had a private lockerroom.

 

So yes, I do know what I am talkign about.

 

Second, there is a media room. Unless that is now gone, the media have a private room.

 

Third...are you kidding...who needs luxary seats.

 

Fourth...when was the last time you were at the RACC for a non-high school game tournament? They up security for that. Additionally, last time I was at the RACC there were medical detectors. This isnt the UN.

 

Fifth, though I never st behind the back board, that solution is easy, its called taking out the first row...not that hard. Though I always thought that there was at least 2 feet between the seats and the backboard. BTW...go to St. Johns...same set up.

 

Illegal not having a buffer...blah...blah. Ok my friend...again....go to Duke, Maryland, any ACC school but Wake and Virgina and you will see the same set up. Same again with about every school in the N.E.

 

And since your a compete asswipe, the fans at DUKE have to walk ON THE CT during the game to get to the bathroom...but I guess I am the homer! The fans have to do the same at the Thunderdome.

 

The parking lot know one knows about....is that like the RACC that no one knows about? Or how bout Brueggers that no one knows about. Point is....DIRECTIONS WILL BE GIVEN.

 

The locker room facilities....go again and look at where Maines is. Second, what baseball team uses a lockerroom in college. I could tell you....NONE! It is so freaking rare to have em a the collegiate level. Hofstra doesnt even have em for the men.

 

Now, I am not going to get into the pressbox $iena, because neither of us know how big it is. Conisdering my true sport was baseball and I played at a $ienaload of stadiums and diamonds in the NE, trust me...it doesnt take much for a press box. My high school had 2000 seats and a pressbox. It took two weeks and not a lot of money to build. In Rhode Island there is a stadium that seats 1500 seats w/ a pressbox that would be perfect for UA.

 

I too have talked to people....so lets stop the pissing contest. Now, in case you are wondering....2000 seats equates to about 10 rows....period.

 

The light thing is an issue...I agree w/ you there.

[DaneFan2k3]

You've clearly not been on campus since UAlbany went to the Division I level, yet I'm the asswipe?

 

There is no media room. There are no visiting locker rooms. There is lax security. About 20 University Police Officers sit upstairs during the games. There are about two down near the court. If you don't think that a separate section for corporate sponsors of a league-sponrsored tournament is important, you've got another thing coming. They pay for the event.

 

You say "yes, I do know what I'm talking about," yet your statement was that teams DO NOT have to walk down to the court. Well, they do.

 

So doesn't that mean that NO you DO NOT CURRENTLY KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT? Just because something USED to be one way, doesn't mean you know what you're talking about. Quite the opposite.

 

As posted on another thread, there IS a Doc Sauers banner. There IS a banner listing the years the men's team made the NCAAs.

 

You're clearly not even around. Why do you give a flying crap?

 

"It's called taking out the first row." Sounds simple, except that the thing rolls out, so if you remove a row, now you've got a step-up from the ground that is probably too high, and the thing might not roll correctly.

 

The students at Duke sit along the side of the court, opposite the benches. So have YOU ever been there? You can see it on TV. They are not along the baseline as we are talking about. The student section there is also closed off until halftime. You can't leave your seats. I just checked on this with their message board. It's not hard to find!

 

Before you were talking about 4,000 seats, then 2,000, now you're saying 1,500 ... but you still haven't talked to the point that the 500 seats currently at lacrosse would take up 95% of the room at baseball. So where do the rest go? You have no answer, you're more interested in a pissing match on points you can't articulate! You have no plan!

 

If you think 2,000 seats can work in 10 rows, then you don't have any concept of what 200 people sitting across one row looks like! The space behind home plate cannot accomodate it! Get real.

 

And two weeks and not a lot of money to build? Ask anyone who was around here for the lacrosse-soccer stands and press box to go up. It took about two months as I recall, and the price tag was definitely a "lot" of money. Define "not a lot". When your department is going to have to fundraise it all, and 500 seats costs an estimated $50,000 (as I saw here on the board), that's a lot! Especially when you want three or four times that many seats for your proposed baseball-only stadium!

 

It's been fun pissing on each other, but really, you're just spouting off. You're not really grounded in reality. It's not worth debating unless you can articulate a plan. There isn't adequate space at baseball for 2,000 seats. That's a fact right now. And the RACC isn't suitable for a top-notch Division I basketball tournament.

 

Maybe we can host the D-II's for St. Rose. Nah, they built their own new gym.

[Dane96]

I edited my entire post to save others from the board of my scathing remarks. In all honesty, I don't care what you think....or what you think you know.

 

In any event, stop ripping the fans and the University for what you like to call "a lack of realism."

 

Further, look below so you can just how wrong you really are.

 

Have a great day!

Edited July 18, 2004 by Dane96

[Dane96]

Tell me the fans arent on top of the players in those seats.

 

Oh whats that....students behind the goals.

 

http://www.duke.edu/~dcw4/crazy.html

 

 

why dont you try this one on for size.

 

http://goduke.collegesports.com/facilities...es/cameron.html

 

Here is 2500 seats for you!

 

http://www.digitalballparks.com/Warwick.html

 

Now who doesnt know about seating arrangements?

 

Again...this is 4000 seats.

 

http://goblackbears.collegesports.com/faci...es/mahaney.html

 

This is 1000 chairbacks at Hofstra

 

http://www.hofstra.edu/Athletics/ath_facilities.cfm

Edited July 18, 2004 by Dane96