Ralph Suggestions

[westsidesioux]

I think that it's a crying shame to have that ring scoreboard around the arena have advertisements on it during the entire game. I understand that this brings in revenue, but that scoreboard could be better used as a spot for stats and scores from around the WCHA and around the country and not just a random corner of it. Just my opinion I guess.

[yababy8]

I use to work at the Ralph for 5 years. Worked up in the production department. Where they do replays and hit of the game, and the music and all that crap. For the first 2 years I worked there, they hired as many as like 5 people to run the music Friday,Saturday, night. And they didnt have a designed play list, it was prety much the person running the sound board that night played what ever he wanted. Trust me that sucked ass, since I was the one who put all the songs into the player. So they need 1 person to play the songs and to get new songs also.

I shouldn't be suprised by this bit of info but yet I find myself both suprised and irritated by this fact. They are just having newbies with no developed skill or testest or trained concept of how to work a crowd do Fighting Sioux Hockey game sound production?? I don't have any background in this at all but I'm aware enough to know that what 'sounds' you put over that million dollar sound system<--guess.. can have a very significant impact on crowd energy. This is a NO BRAINER!

Further, we are talking about the Ralph not some jo shmo D1 rink. Are we not the standard??

And enven without consideration for our 110 milliion dollar rink, are we not The Sioux. I think about the thousands of Sioux fans I see at DU and CC every year and the tradition they and all fans love to support and I can't help but be vexed thinking about this oversight, and about how this lack of investment by the management suggests to me an improper consideration that they are amongst the stewards of our tradition.

I don't mean to be harsh but this a blunder and is somethnig that should be remedied.

[Sioux Grandpa]

With all of the suggestions,is there anyone on this thread that could or would write them into an organized letter and send it to the ones that could make the changes? I saw some very good ideas on here and sometimes that's all it takes is a letter written well that offers some suggestions. If anyone knows of the address and who it should be sent to, please post it on this thread.

My favorites:

1-Posting of the scores from around the WCHA

2-Organized cheers but not quite to the extreme of the Wisconsin fans (I was there for the Regional and thought it was over done) but they seemed excited.

3-Stop PA announcements at bad times

4-More band along with an occasional walk through the halls between periods playing the school song.

5-Reminder to people to stay in their seats when puck is in play.

You forgot #6 - take away the make over -

That is the dumbest thing that I have ever seen at a sporting event in my life!!!

[Sioux-cia]

You forgot #6 - take away the make over -

That is the dumbest thing that I have ever seen at a sporting event in my life!!!

Get someone from the communications department to do an internship at the REA. They can be in charge of balancing the ads with scores, music selection, etc. I've had students 'shadow' me and have given them 'programs' to develop or refine and they have done wonderful jobs.

[AussieSiouxFan]

I think they need to organise music better. Someone should sit down one day, take all the songs they play in the ralph and trim them down to the best part of each song, or the chorus, so when there is a short stopage in play you don't just hear a boring intro to a song but you get the best most exciting part of the song, which will keep the crowd cheering, singing and making noise rather than killing the buzz with a boring 10 second intro to a song.

Another suggestion is involve the crowd with section cheering competitions which should be done at times of boring play, or where there hasn't been a lot of noise for a while. Eg. The pa anounces 2 sections to have a cheering competition, whichever section is the loudest, each person in that section wins a prize like a crapy t shirt or something cheap that will not cost to much. This will then make noise in the building after an absence of noise which will then kick start the whole crowd and hopefully result in a more vocal crowd.

Just a couple suggestions that may work.

[Goon]

I think they should allow noise makers, I don't understand why they could have them at the WJC but not for Sioux hockey?

[LeftyZL]

I think they should allow noise makers, I don't understand why they could have them at the WJC but not for Sioux hockey?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but The NCAA doesn't allow noise makers into their events of any sports.

[Goon]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but The NCAA doesn't allow noise makers into their events of any sports.

The NCAA is a party pooper...

[Dean]

Noise makers would be a good idea because since we've made the move from the old arena, the atmosphere had definitely suffered. It appears our fans just aren't as enthusiastic as they used to be.

[kmiller56]

I just jumped on this thread...and couldn't agree more. Something is missing most of the time. The crowd needs to get into it. We had a lady next to my wife get on her because she was not sitting all the way back in her seat. Brutal...

[Siouxmama]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but The NCAA doesn't allow noise makers into their events of any sports.

Is the regular season at the Ralph considered a NCAA event?

[siouxfan123]

Is the regular season at the Ralph considered a NCAA event?

I don't think so, that is why you get thunder sticks as a promotional item and why places like SDSU, UNO, MSU-M(??) go nuts with the cowbells.

[Goon]

I don't think so, that is why you get thunder sticks as a promotional item and why places like SDSU, UNO, MSU-M(??) go nuts with the cowbells.

I was wondering the same thing as well...

[Smoggy]

I was wondering the same thing as well...

I do know the NCAA said football stadiums couldn't use them anymore, but then allowed Miss. St. because they've been using them forever.

Personally, I don't think noisemakers should be allowed. It should be about who can cheer the loudest.

[Stromer]

I do know the NCAA said football stadiums couldn't use them anymore, but then allowed Miss. St. because they've been using them forever.

Yeah that sounds like something the NCAA would do. What is good for one person isn't good for another.

[The Whistler]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but The NCAA doesn't allow noise makers into their events of any sports.

So I can't bring my kids anymore? OH well, more beer for me.

[mikejm]

I've had students 'shadow' me...

It's always about you, isn't it Sioux-cia?

[mikeypat15]

Get rid of the clap, clap, clap your hands, so freaking annoying.

[Sioux-cia]

It's always about you, isn't it Sioux-cia?

Of course!

[sprig]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but The NCAA doesn't allow noise makers into their events of any sports.

It's OK if the local noise makers approve.

[Windsor]

Dance Mania!

[Sioux-cia]

It's OK if the local noise makers approve.

Isn't that part of the problem? Not enough local noise makers?

[Boogieman]

Mentioned once before but I'd like them to replace the black nets behind the goals with white nets. I've been to a number of rinks where the nets are white and it is so much easier to pick up the puck through the net rather than through the black netting.

Sell Budweiser or something besides Miller at the average stand.

Sell wine on the concourse. Just about every place I've been including the Fargodome sells wine along with beer in the concourse. I'm guessing this is because the liqour license is usually the same for wine/beer. I just know some people that can't drink or like beer so wine is a good option.

Stop making the average fan that goes to one of the end bars feel like they are inferior. Gees they watch you like a hawk like you're going to sneak into the other "restricted" area. I mean come on. I promise I'll just go back to my seat once you give me a drink.

I like coordianted cheers but please don't let us turn into the stepford fans from Wisconsin. They don't know much about hockey but man when their band starts playing do they know how to cheer. Let's do some coordianted cheers that all fans not just students can learn and do.

Make it ok for me to stand and cheer the last few mintues of a game when I'm tryign to fire my team up. Rather than having people yell at me to "SIT DOWN", let them stand up too and encourage the boys.

OH and did I already say I'd like WHITE nets!

[Boogieman]

There is no reason why we can't host a holiday tourney at least every other year with some decent teams that a lot of us haven't seen.

[mikeypat15]

Updated of everybody's suggestions

1. National anthem
   
   1. 
      
   2. Something different
      
   3. Singer on the ice (my opinion)
      
   4. Color guard on the ice (my opinion)
      

[*]Music

1. The school band
   
   
2. More of it
   
3. Expand its repertoire
   
4. More beer song
   

[*]Lineups

1. Make one song instead of two eliminating that somewhat awkward pause (my opinion)
   
2. Make videos available to public
   
3. Force the opposing team to watch the video
   

[*]Play celebrate when announcing goals

[*]Laser light show

1. New
   
2. Play it Friday
   

[*]Organ

1. More than once a month
   
2. Contemplate a live organ player (my opinion, see Frank Pelico)
   

[*]After the Fighting Sioux video do not play music

[*]Good old hockey game before opening faceoff

[*]Reduce the use of the clap, clap, clap your hands sound bite to once per game, not 5 or 6

[*]Advertisements

1. Overall less emphasis
   
2. Less on video ring
   
   

[*]Less on the scoreboard in between periods

1. More highlights from the game during intermission
   

[*]New advertisements

[*]PA announcer

[*]Less long advertisements causing him to speak while puck is in play

[*]Talk less

[*]Giving scores

[*]Don

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