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Post by phoenixphan87 on May 7, 2015 14:04:07 GMT -6
Hopefully Metro Detroit embraces the tournament and there are at least a couple thousand people at some of the games featuring non Detroit area teams. This isn't a conference like the MVC that has traveling fan bases. I cannot see myself heading over to Detroit to watch the Phoenix play unless they were favorites or battling for an at large NCAA birth. Hopefully it works but I am pessimistic.
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Post by GBPhoenix1 on May 8, 2015 20:52:13 GMT -6
Here is some long winded food for thought on this topic.
I don't think comparing to big 10 hockey is relevant. There are only 6 teams in the league. Minnesota and UW have the largest average attendance at 10k/game but were 10.5 and 6.5 hour drives away. Plus UW was terrible this year so their fans were not going. The other 4 schools averaged between 5k and 6k per game. The two Michigan schools were 2nd and 3rd in the standings. OSU was bad and 3.5 hours away. PSU was 4th in the league and 6 hours away. These two events are apples and oranges but the best fan bases had the longest trips and in the case of UW and PSU had no reason to go.
I know a lot of fans wanted a true neutral site. I wanted that too. However, we have never heard of a Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincy or Fort Wayne group coming to the table. A few things on that. I like Indy but going from the Big 10 to the HL is a tough sell for the locals. The Sears Centre is barely functioning and not really in Chicago. Cincy, well I guess nobody had the money or interest to put it together. Fort Wayne has the arena and location but lets be honest people would flip their lid if this thing was going to Fort Wayne. The truth is a really wealthy guy, Mike Ilitch, wants to bring events to Detroit because he has a new arena funded by the public for the Red Wings but needs other events. For him to flip a million bucks at the league to get an event is chump change and well worth it. Plus he owns the Motor City Casino so I would be stunned if there wasn't a room deal...aka get people gambling while they are in town and make that money back on another of his businesses.
I think the league has to get off of the Tuesday night championship game to make this work for the fans. I would guess that is part of a contract with ESPN right now but I can't imagine the league stays at Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Tuesday format in Detroit long term.
Now the Tuesday night game isn't a bad strategy for the tv numbers. The truth is fans aren't flocking to the game on tv but at least being on ESPN is putting some eyes on the game. I doubt an empty arena matters as much as the channel and time slot. For example in 2013 812k people watched the game. In 2014 679k and in 2015 780k watched. Almost all Tuesday night programming at that time of the year on ESPN gets those numbers. In fact the women's tournament, the old big east or the men's NIT draw more than that so clearly many viewers are clicking right by even with the current atmosphere. I share this because a lot of TV's in this country on a Tuesday night get turned to ESPN because there is nothing else to watch. As the evening goes on more people are home and awake. Why was 2013 better than 14 or 15? Because the game was on at 8pm instead of 6pm CST. So the east coast, central, mountain and pacific time zones are all home and awake. Being on ESPN at that time is good for the numbers regardless of the actual program let alone the number of people in the seats. Move the games to ESPNU at the same time even with a full arena and the numbers go in the tank. John Q public in Denver, Des Moines, Atlanta or San Diego is going to watch if it is the only thing on or if the game is good. I doubt John Q public is watching for the crowd.
I am not worried about it not being a true neutral site even though I would have preferred that to avoid any negative vibes. The same people who think Detroit and Oakland have an advantage are mostly complaining about the venue being too big. Detroit attendance is so weak I can't even find it on their website. Oakland only had 2 games over 3000 people this year and the majority were 2500 or less. Are these schools suddenly going to get 4000, 5000 or more fans to a game? Even if they do in a 20,000 seat arena will they matter?
My last take though is what are we protecting anyway? The format right now isn't fully working in my opinion. They have used it 13 times and 8 times the host advanced to the dance and 5 they did not. However, 4 of those 5 have been in the last 7 years. Four our troubles in 2009 CSU was a 13 seed, granted they did win that game against Wake Forrest. In 2011 Butler was an 8 seed and did big things. In 2012 Detroit was a 15 seed and in 2014 Milwaukee was a 15 seed. When the league held serve over this time in 2010 Butler was a 5 seed. In 2013 Valpo was a 14 seed and in 2015 they were a 13 seed. The last at large from this was Butler in 2009 as an 8 seed. Here is what I am getting at. Butler was the exception to the rule and that is why they are gone and doing well in the new Big East. The rest of the time the league is getting a 13, 14 or 15 seed and has one win to show for it and that came from the upset winner in CSU over Butler in 2009. It turns out that CSU team was really good. Back on point the Horizon League is going to great lengths to run a tournament that isn't really protecting the regular season winner anyway and regardless of who wins isn't getting the league a good seed leading to wins and raising the profile of the league. Each school needs to raise their bar to matter in the dance because the evidence shows there is parity but nobody that the committee thinks is that good.
In my opinion the league absolutely should try something different. This is an idea that should be convenient for the fans, has some money and marketing behind it, creates an event and gets in on the ground floor at a top flight arena. The downside is being vastly overstated by the majority of fans. About the only thing we lose is the experience of seeing the #1 seed win and rush the court and since that isn't a lock every yearI don't think we are missing much.
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Post by titanreg on May 12, 2015 2:19:43 GMT -6
I,for one hope you all come to the D for the tourney. I have gone to the weekend rounds of the current format every year and I don't like it as much as it was when you first entered the league. I have been to at least 25 conference tournaments, finally can be home.
I have been to GB at least 20 times and always come to see my Titans. Missed our game this past season, too far for a Wednesday night game without playing Milwaukee too.
Book a hotel and set up your hospitality room and I hope all teams' fans do the same. Host bars, concerts, great new restaurants, and playing in the new arena in year three. The HL tourney was the best when fans from all schools came to 1 place.
I'm going to embrace it, I hope you all will also.
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