Empty Seats

[pentaxman46]

The Saturday afternoon UND/Wisc game was packed, 11,500 official attendance. Sunday, however, the attendance dropped to 10,500. 1000 empty seats for a game with the hated Badgers, what gives?

DG

[Goon]

The Saturday afternoon UND/Wisc game was packed, 11,500 official attendance.  Sunday, however, the attendance dropped to 10,500.  1000 empty seats for a game with the hated Badgers, what gives?

DG

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that is was Sunday the roads were slippery and it was a bad weekend to have UND hockey in Grand Forks. I wish there wasn't any Sioux hockey on the weekend of NDHS hockey. It was a weekend with two nice crowds.

[CoteauRinkRat]

The Saturday afternoon UND/Wisc game was packed, 11,500 official attendance.  Sunday, however, the attendance dropped to 10,500.  1000 empty seats for a game with the hated Badgers, what gives?

DG

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First of all, it was a sunday afternoon game.

Second, the participants and fans of the state high school hockey tourney the days before, really boosted saturday's attendance.

Third, the weather and roads were really bad.

[Canuck]

I realize I'll be completely ripped to shreads for voicing my opinion on a matter like this but...

Doesn't seem like being on a Sunday afternoon, after a state tournament and slippery roads should be much of a deterrant for the Sioux hockey fans that are constantly trumpeting their loyalty.

From a different perspective, it was:

a) The biggest game of the year to this point

b) Home ice for the playoffs on the line

c) The hated (and highly-ranked) Badgers in town

d) Possibly the final home game of the year

e) Senior Day (although by reading this board sometimes, you'd think this senior class contributed to four straight, non-NCAA playoff teams)

Considering those factors, I think its rather inexcusable the building was not sold out.

[dj_hoime]

Even on Saturday their were plenty of seats open in the upper deck yet it was past capacity?How can their be that many more peaple than the capacity. 11,400

standing room only?

[Canuck]

And how do poor road conditions and the state tournament come into play when it comes to the student section? Pretty sure slippery roads don't affect the walk from Walsh Hall and I'm pretty sure they didn't tire themselves at the state tourney?

Considering the fuss that has been made in recent memory about how few seats the students get at UND hockey games, the amount of empty seats in those sections were most apalling.

[Canuck]

Even on Saturday their were plenty of seats open in the upper deck yet it was past capacity?How can their be that many more peaple than the capacity. 11,400

standing room only?

UND's policy, as is the case with many universities and pro teams, is to announced "paid" attendance, rather than "actual" attendance.

[Stack]

I realize I'll be completely ripped to shreads for voicing my opinion on a matter like this but...

Doesn't seem like being on a Sunday afternoon, after a state tournament and slippery roads should be much of a deterrant for the Sioux hockey fans that are constantly trumpeting their loyalty.

From a different perspective, it was:

a) The biggest game of the year to this point

b) Home ice for the playoffs on the line

c) The hated (and highly-ranked) Badgers in town

d) Possibly the final home game of the year

e) Senior Day (although by reading this board sometimes, you'd think this senior  class contributed to four straight, non-NCAA playoff teams)

Considering those factors, I think its rather inexcusable the building was not sold out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree to some extent on your post. But the only one of the 5 items you mentioned that mattered to me was we were playing the Stinking Badgers.

The thing that bothered me most about the attendance was how empty the student sections were. I'm guessing there were about 800-1000 empty seats in the student sections. I mean come on. By 3:30 in the afternoon the hangover should be pretty much taken care of. Come to the game!

[CoteauRinkRat]

Canuck

I just pointed to some reasons why the building might not have been full, not saying that is why for sure, just speculating.

I know a group of about 20 individuals who didn't make the trip in from Fargo, because the roads were so bad. According to the Herald, there were quite a few accidents on the highways around the area yesterday.

[CoteauRinkRat]

Considering those factors, I think its rather inexcusable the building was not sold out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rip on the fans, it was their fault the team didn't win.

[Diggler]

The reason the student section was so empty was because of the people who ended up gettin season tickets. They don't come to any games ever. There are also some people who are still bitter that they didn't get season tickets, so they aren't coming to games either. I think both of these people are dopes, but what are you going to do?

[PCM]

I'll toss out a few more reasons why the house wasn't packed on Sunday. The Sioux are at .500 in the WCHA, not far above .500 in their overall record, out of contention for the league title and on the bubble to make the NCAA playoffs. On top of that, the Sioux have no viable Hobey Baker candidtate, the team hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard and it can often be very frustrating to watch.

The way this season has gone, I'm not surprised by a drop in attendance.

[CoteauRinkRat]

I'll toss out a few more reasons why the house wasn't packed on Sunday. The Sioux are at .500 in the WCHA, not far above .500 in their overall record, out of contention for the league title and on the bubble to make the NCAA playoffs. On top of that, the Sioux have no viable Hobey Baker candidtate, the team hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard and it can often be very frustrating to watch.

The way this season has gone, I'm not surprised by a drop in attendance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well said PCM

[Canuck]

I'll toss out a few more reasons why the house wasn't packed on Sunday. The Sioux are at .500 in the WCHA, not far above .500 in their overall record, out of contention for the league title and on the bubble to make the NCAA playoffs. On top of that, the Sioux have no viable Hobey Baker candidtate, the team hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard and it can often be very frustrating to watch.

The way this season has gone, I'm not surprised by a drop in attendance.

Which has exactly been my point all season; for all the chest-thumping we hear from Sioux fans about how loyal they are, the minute the team slides toward the middle of the pack, there's a mass exodus from the ol' bandwagon.

It only reiterates how absolutely spoiled Sioux fans are. The fact of the matter is, despite the reasons listed above, this still remained an absolutely critical game for the Sioux against a storied opponent.

No Hobey candidate? Cripes, we've only won one Hobey period. Where does that fit into the equation?

Lighting up the scoreboard? Ask Baltimore Ravens fans if they want to give back their Super Bowl because they averaged less than 20 points per game.

I guess the broad point I'm trying to make is that (many) Sioux fans are often more deserving of the "fairweather" label than the "diehard" label.

We're in fifth place in the toughest conference in the nation!!! We just won a McNaughton last year!!! We still have a strong shot to land in the NCAAs and maybe, just maybe, pull a Denver and run the table.

Then you can bet your Ralph Bucks the bandwagon will be jam-packed once again.

[CoteauRinkRat]

I guess the broad point I'm trying to make is that (many) Sioux fans are often more deserving of the "fairweather" label than the "diehard" label.

I think you are preaching to the choir on this one, because a very good majority of fans who frequent this message board would be labeled "diehard".

[Canuck]

Just to add one more point, PCM, I would completely agree with your post IF our .500-ish record was the result of being blown out on several occasions or losing to completely inferior teams.

But the fact remains that we have remained, for the most part, a competitve team that has a chance to win just about every time we step onto the ice. In this most competitive, balanced league in the nation. Is it down year? Well, for a program like ours, yes. Let's remember that for most programs, a down year is single-digit WCHA point totals.

Here we are bemoaning our season, yet we will still likely open the playoffs at home and will still have a good shot at landing in the NCAA playoffs. Once that happens, the slate is wiped clean.

And this after losing the best coach in the country, the best two players in the country and playing most of the year without last year's best rookie in the country.

Ok, so I added more than just one point...

[Canuck]

I think you are preaching to the choir on this one, because a very good majority of fans who frequent this message board would be labeled "diehard".

I fully agree. It's the others who frustrate me to no end. The ones for whom its "first place or bust."

These people need to remember that our last NCAA title came in a year in which we DID NOT win the league.

And our previous NCAA title came in a year in which we were picked to finish in the lower half of the standings, including one last-place vote.

[Sioux Traveler]

Who has brown and yellow seats, check out their last game!!!!!

http://www.fiba-filmbank.org/dev/fiba_2004...empty_seats.jpg

[brianvf]

I know a group of about 20 individuals who didn't make the trip in from Fargo, because the roads were so bad.  According to the Herald, there were quite a few accidents on the highways around the area yesterday.

They closed I-29 sometime yesterday night as well. Although it was open earlier in the day for the game, it shows how bad the road conditions were.

[U2Bad1]

Come on, 10,500 fans is more than 99 percent of college hockey teams will draw to a single game all year.

[PCM]

Which has exactly been my point all season; for all the chest-thumping we hear from Sioux fans about how loyal they are, the minute the team slides toward the middle of the pack, there's a mass exodus from the ol' bandwagon.

Sorry, but your hyperbole falls into the category of gross exaggeration. While everyone would have preferred a packed house for Sunday's UND-UW game, to characterize the lower-than-average attendance as a "mass exodus" really does a disservice to those who turned out to watch the game and cheer on the Sioux.

Many people make weekend plans based on their regular routines. Scheduling a game on an unusual day and time means that some people aren't going to attend because it interferes with their normal routine. Combine that with icy road conditions and a televised game, and you have another reason for people to stay home.

It only reiterates how absolutely spoiled Sioux fans are. The fact of the matter is, despite the reasons listed above, this still remained an absolutely critical game for the Sioux against a storied opponent.

While I agree that many Sioux fans are spoiled, using this particular game to paint all Sioux fans with a broad brush isn't being fair or reasonable.

No Hobey candidate? Cripes, we've only won one Hobey period. Where does that fit into the equation?

You don't think that it helps get people to the arena when the Sioux have players like Jason Blake, Jeff Panzer, Brandon Bochenski and Zach Parise in contention for the Hobey? Fans like to watch marquee players. The Sioux have some good players, but there really aren't any who stand out with star quality.

Lighting up the scoreboard? Ask Baltimore Ravens fans if they want to give back their Super Bowl because they averaged less than 20 points per game.

The fact is, offense generates excitement, and more sports fans will turn out to watch a .500 team with a good offense than a .500 team with a good defense. Some of the best Sioux teams of the past weren't that great defensively, but they could win consistently by outscoring any team in the country. That alone made them fun to watch.

I guess the broad point I'm trying to make is that (many) Sioux fans are often more deserving of the "fairweather" label than the "diehard" label.

And broad the point I'm trying to make is that it might be more reasonable to ask: Why has the average attendance remained so high at Sioux games when this has been a down season by UND's standards?

[Old Barn Guy]

Canuck, I totally agree with your posts on this topic. This isn't the first time I've felt this way about some of your other posts. We often seem to be on the same "wave length."

From what I saw on the ice vs the Badgers, I think this team is showing some signs of being a very dangerous opponent from this point on. Parise is earning the ice time by being the hot goalie. Three d-men chip in goals.

The "injury bug" is something we are having to deal with. Let's hope those guys aren't out of the lineup too long.

Now if some of the "expected scorers" start to finish off, look out!

[SiouxMeNow]

It only reiterates how absolutely spoiled Sioux fans are. The fact of the matter is, despite the reasons listed above, this still remained an absolutely critical game for the Sioux against a storied opponent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

absolutely right Canuck! EVERYONE is a Sioux fan when they're a national contender...in an average year...NOT SO MUCH! This was the BADGERS after all...we had them at home AND with home playoff ice on the line - c'mon guys!

What was really SAD for anyone that was there on saturday was hearing the 300 or so Badger fans singing and chanting during the game from their nosebleed section in the OPPONENTS arena while the sioux fans chatted about the weather or the city smoking ordinance and barely NOTICED a hockey game was going on. That was REALLY embarassing!! I'm not even going to address the atmosphere early Sunday

PS - are you on the clock with these postings Canuck? If so...tsk tsk! I'm off on mondays so I'm clean...some would say I'm WAY OFF every day... DON'T GO THERE!!

[7>4]

I'll toss out a few more reasons why the house wasn't packed on Sunday. The Sioux are at .500 in the WCHA, not far above .500 in their overall record, out of contention for the league title and on the bubble to make the NCAA playoffs. On top of that, the Sioux have no viable Hobey Baker candidtate, the team hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard and it can often be very frustrating to watch.

The way this season has gone, I'm not surprised by a drop in attendance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My guess is that it was road conditions more than lack of interest that resulted in lower attendance. Come on PCM, you make Sioux fans sound like Gopher fans. For a .500 team, we are still number 2 in the country in attendance.

On a site note, the radio broadcast made it sound like there were about 3,000 fans there instead of over 10.

[skateshattrick]

My guess is that it was road conditions more than lack of interest that resulted in lower attendance. Come on PCM, you make Sioux fans sound like Gopher fans. For a .500 team, we are still number 2 in the country in attendance.

On a site note, the radio broadcast made it sound like there were about 3,000 fans there instead of over 10.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I drove from Fargo despite the bad road conditions. However, it has been harder this year than normal for the reasons stated by PCM. A friend from Moorhead who has season tickets has said that he seldom goes because this team is so underachieving and does not play with any passion. This is a long time Sioux fan with a lot of knowledge about the game and a son on Moorhead's high school team. That brings up another reason---youth hockey is winding down with tournaments and many parents are unable to attend because of commitments with their own child's game(s).