SIAP How was crowd/atmosphere today?

[hooper56]

You have to understand that by having middle schoolers jump rope at half time and showing the Neckers Kiss Cam, the freeze frame credit card promotions, the pancheros burrito lift, beltone noise meter, franwich find the sandwich, this is going to whip the entire crowd and all the students into a frenzy. Toss in that the Iowa Poms didn't bother to show up at all and you have a crappy atmosphere. Oh it gets plenty loud at courtside but the administration has made it such a sterile environment that it is not going to get any better when you have the security folks encouraging people to sit down and quiet down.

This all pisses me off to no end. CHA could be such a rockin place. Why are we not running special buses to all the dorms and back from CHA to make it super easy for students to get to the games? How about we get a PA announcer who pumps up the crowd instead of having someone who sounds like he is doing an oatmeal commercial?

And God forbid some little kid brings a homemade sign that says go hawks, because security will confiscate that baby faster than you can say in heaven there is no beer.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

they have in the past & will this year...they may not announce ahead of time (which is stupid) .. yes its gets loud during half time when they do it..any football player can attend a game...some of them don't because the sport of basketball isn't really an interest.

the number of students yesterday was decent..just seems they were waiting for the team to do something to get excited...maybe the 3:30 start time on a sunday got in the way of the sunday afternoon nap (after a Saturday night-returning from Xmas break)

An 11-0 start doesn't qualify I guess.

People talk about the students not showing up.. But I see others talking about the students that WERE there just standing there doing nothing. What's up with THAT? Every other student section I see on TV is always making noise, jumping up and down, etc. etc. Who the heck is in charge of the student section, anyway? Whoever it is, doesn't seem to be doing much to get the whole section into the game. Do they just come to watch, or to make noise like the Izzone, etc.?

 

[hawk-i bob]

An 11-0 start doesn't qualify I guess.

People talk about the students not showing up.. But I see others talking about the students that WERE there just standing there doing nothing. What's up with THAT? Every other student section I see on TV is always making noise, jumping up and down, etc. etc. Who the heck is in charge of the student section, anyway? Whoever it is, doesn't seem to be doing much to get the whole section into the game. Do they just come to watch, or to make noise like the Izzone, etc.?

the 11-0 start?...yep noise was there...you just made my point..

Have not missed more than a single game in CHA for a long long time....seen a lot of B1G games where the students were engaged...yesterday it just seemed they were a little more laid back...but lets not put it all on the students...the crowd as a whole was a little laid back...

I would say its a little harder to get all worked up with Michigan, their players & Beilein...just is..it was a fun college basketball game to take it.

 

[IamHawkeye]

This is exactly right. I have sat with the students, 10 rows from the top and nearly courtside the past few years and being down close to the court it was WAY louder than up top, naturally. I think the crowd is fine, just keep winning. We talk about the crowd and arena way too much.

*And if the students want better seats, maybe they should come to games. They are never going to put the students behind the benches when only 100 kids show up. that would be even more embarrassing

We talk about the crowd and the arena way too much. You say that and I agree. Do we have to have these threads after every home game?

 

[hawk-i bob]

We talk about the crowd and the arena way too much. You say that and I agree. Do we have to have these threads after every home game?

no...but the title of the thread should have given you a clue not to open it...let alone post on it.

Fans who are not able to attend the game have a genuine interest in how the crowd was...how the student section was.

 

[hawkeyemark]

We talk about the crowd and the arena way too much. You say that and I agree. Do we have to have these threads after every home game?

These threads come up consistently IMO because many people who actually attend the games feel like we have a weak atmosphere at Carver regardless of what they attribute that to. I don't see that changing until the Athletic Department decides to make some changes which doesn't seem to happen on the basketball front.

 

[83Hawk]

I thought overall the crowd was pretty weak for as many people that were there and how well the game went. As others have mentioned, I've seen far smaller crowds make a lot more noise.

My biggest issue though is with the PATHETIC student section. I'm an alum and current grad student. I sat down there today row 4 and the students just mostly stood there like they're bored or something. I made more noise than anyone within two sections of me and I'm not a loud guy. Only occasionally did the students make any noise when the Hawks were on defense after a big play. It was pitiful. These students don't know how Carver used to be. When I was an undergrad, I went from the undefeated at home season under Alford through year two under Lickliter, so I've been to the full gamut of crowds and games. I remember games beating Mich St and Wisconsin at home and thought the roof was going to blow off Carver. Five sections wide top to bottom full of students and it was LOUD. Used to have to get to games three hours early for decent seats. Now the student section is nothing. Makes for little to no sort of home court advantage from a crowd noise perspective. Which is sad because this team deserves their full support.

Get off my lawn!

 

[jdw10224405]

You have to understand that by having middle schoolers jump rope at half time and showing the Neckers Kiss Cam, the freeze frame credit card promotions, the pancheros burrito lift, beltone noise meter, franwich find the sandwich, this is going to whip the entire crowd and all the students into a frenzy. Toss in that the Iowa Poms didn't bother to show up at all and you have a crappy atmosphere. Oh it gets plenty loud at courtside but the administration has made it such a sterile environment that it is not going to get any better when you have the security folks encouraging people to sit down and quiet down.

This all pisses me off to no end. CHA could be such a rockin place. Why are we not running special buses to all the dorms and back from CHA to make it super easy for students to get to the games? How about we get a PA announcer who pumps up the crowd instead of having someone who sounds like he is doing an oatmeal commercial?

And God forbid some little kid brings a homemade sign that says go hawks, because security will confiscate that baby faster than you can say in heaven there is no beer.

+1. Similar atmosphere issues for football games. Even do most of the same stupid promotions at both.

 

[jdw10224405]

An 11-0 start doesn't qualify I guess.

People talk about the students not showing up.. But I see others talking about the students that WERE there just standing there doing nothing. What's up with THAT? Every other student section I see on TV is always making noise, jumping up and down, etc. etc. Who the heck is in charge of the student section, anyway? Whoever it is, doesn't seem to be doing much to get the whole section into the game. Do they just come to watch, or to make noise like the Izzone, etc.?

Nobody is in charge of the student section. Prior to Lickliter, there was no need. Then Lickliter came, attendance dropped off a cliff, and there was a weak attempt or two to create a Hawk's Nest student org, but nobody could get any support. Apparently there is a Hawk's Nest student org now, but they seem to have nothing going.

I figured the students would be back and better this season given the basketball team's success last season, but that seems not to have happened. We'll see if this Sunday's game vs. Purdue is any better as class is fully back in session this week. However, yesterday should have been a lot better with class starting tomorrow.

 

[hansenhawk]

Still think the main problem is deeper. Iowa basketball was so bad/mediocre for so long, that a lot of kids college age did not grow up Hawkeye basketball fans, like us old geezers did. It's a culture that needs to be, and is slowly being recreated.

 

[johnnashhawk]

Carver generally feeds off the team, vs the team feeding off the crowd. I sit on the floor when I can attend, and have heard some deafening crowd noise. The wine and cheese crowd helped build the place. Alford changed the atmosphere by getting the students into the seats they have. Maybe as we continue to win it will improve. Maybe it's the economy.....who knows. But the loudest home game I remember was the NIT game in the quad cities, where they served beer.... Other than the fieldhouse, or course.

Since I don't follow wrestling closely, I wonder how that crowd compares to the basketball crowd???

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Fieldhouse was not just a different place, but a very different time. It won't be replicated.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

This. Dolph was ripping the students in pregame. Uncalled for IMO. Give them good seats. Not nose bleed. Put them on the floor, for a good 10 rows in half the sections - Including both baskets. GENERAL ADMISSION. The most rabid of student fans would be on the floor hazing the opponents, at the top of their lungs. It would be contagious to the rest of the crowd... That alone would make Carver alive. Every Game!

In a few sections at half-court, You could block a few rows behind the students for the old facts, who are too frail to stand up and cheer for their team. OR make it general admission to the public. Fans that really want to be there. They deserve a few good seats. If only a couple hundred.

The tickets would be first come-first served. It would bring a better crowd, a better atmosphere to Every Game.

Students don't show up so why give them the good seats. Days of Lick and Alford long gone for student there if you are a senior you've seen a NIT runner up and 2 tourney appearances. Until they show they deserve spots where they are at. Schools with good seats are schools where students consistently show. It'd look awful for Iowa to give them good seats and be half full on TV.

Was at game yesterday thought crowd was good. Got loud at certain times. Don't know what people's expectations are but for a Sunday with sub zero temps vs an unranked team it was pretty good. But love the people who whine that it didn't sound loud on tv and don't attend the games.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

I was literally right next to the students that were there.
A large number of them near me trickled in as the first half was going on.
The ones that were there for the intro yelled "sucks" after each michigan starter's name was announced. That was about all I heard out of them other than when the entire crowd was cheering at various points.
I'm not the most demonstrative person, but I was up and making noise much more than anyone else around me.

CHA has never been a particularly loud and boisterous crowd for basketball during the games I've attended over the years.
No where near what the Fieldhouse was like.

I have been to some great wrestling crowds when CHA was really rocking. Much more enthusiasm than b-ball.

 

[hawkeyemark]

Students don't show up so why give them the good seats. Days of Lick and Alford long gone for student there if you are a senior you've seen a NIT runner up and 2 tourney appearances. Until they show they deserve spots where they are at. Schools with good seats are schools where students consistently show. It'd look awful for Iowa to give them good seats and be half full on TV.

Was at game yesterday thought crowd was good. Got loud at certain times. Don't know what people's expectations are but for a Sunday with sub zero temps vs an unranked team it was pretty good. But love the people who whine that it didn't sound loud on tv and don't attend the games.

In many ways the student seating question seems moot because we can't really make seating changes if we wanted to until we figure out a way to put suites in Carver which inevitably involves raising the roof and an expensive, involved project. It may take awhile but at some point we will face the question of doing that or building a new arena more conducive to present needs.

Carver frankly didn't seem as loud as I would have expected yesterday but I realize that it seems louder attending in person than it does on tv. And some of us who make that observation live way out of state and can't attend games. I think having at least one sideline student/general admission section would look great on tv no matter how many students we draw. People with kids who find regular admission prices too steep would gladly fill those seats and make plenty of noise combined with the students. As we continue to build the basketball culture and if we make an effort to draw the students in like providing buses to Carver to make it easier for them to get there I think more will come.

 

[Ronman]

As many people have voiced, there is nothing wrong with Carver. Listening to Steven Bardo tonight, he mentioned how nice it is to see Carver rocking again. As a member of the famous Flying Illini, and therefore NOT a person that would be inclined to flatter Iowa in any way, he recounted how he NEVER won in Carver in his career and how tough it was to play at Carver. The problem these days is simply the apathetic attitude of the Iowa students toward the basketball team. You would hope that an exciting team, ranked in the Top Ten would draw a pretty rabid student following. So far, that hasn't been the case. Hopefully, that will change. This team deserves it.

 

[rufus-hawk]

As many people have voiced, there is nothing wrong with Carver. Listening to Steven Bardo tonight, he mentioned how nice it is to see Carver rocking again. As a member of the famous Flying Illini, and therefore NOT a person that would be inclined to flatter Iowa in any way, he recounted how he NEVER won in Carver in his career and how tough it was to play at Carver. The problem these days is simply the apathetic attitude of the Iowa students toward the basketball team. You would hope that an exciting team, ranked in the Top Ten would draw a pretty rabid student following. So far, that hasn't been the case. Hopefully, that will change. This team deserves it.

Agree. If you don't like the arena, too bad. It's not as though a new one will be built. The Kiss Cam is awful but honestly it is up to the crowd to be enthusiastic. It's just silly to blame things like the halftime show if you don't think the atmosphere is raucous enough.

This group of students grew up during a pretty uninspiring era of Iowa basketball. Future students will be much more enthusiastic. Best suggestion so far is to provide transportation for students from the dorms. Cambus doesn't run as many routes during break and you can't expect kids to walk a mile of two in below zero weather.

 

[Hawks1988]

I did hear the student section yelling "we want Dakich" in regards to the son of Dan Dakich. played a few minutes in the game.

 

[IamHawkeye]

Still think the main problem is deeper. Iowa basketball was so bad/mediocre for so long, that a lot of kids college age did not grow up Hawkeye basketball fans, like us old geezers did. It's a culture that needs to be, and is slowly being recreated.

Iowa basketball was bad for 4 years (3 -Lick, one Fran's first year). Despite not liking SA much, he had some exciting teams.

 

[IamHawkeye]

no...but the title of the thread should have given you a clue not to open it...let alone post on it.

Fans who are not able to attend the game have a genuine interest in how the crowd was...how the student section was.

I thought it sounded plenty loud on TV, esp. remembered when the the crowd was doing a continuous roar. I will open a thread if it interests me, thank you, and post, thank you, in this inevitable type one after every game. And I have been at games where it was very loud, loud cheering is what is needed, BTW, and not sophomoric antics by students.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

Students don't show up so why give them the good seats. Days of Lick and Alford long gone for student there if you are a senior you've seen a NIT runner up and 2 tourney appearances. Until they show they deserve spots where they are at. Schools with good seats are schools where students consistently show. It'd look awful for Iowa to give them good seats and be half full on TV.

Was at game yesterday thought crowd was good. Got loud at certain times. Don't know what people's expectations are but for a Sunday with sub zero temps vs an unranked team it was pretty good. But love the people who whine that it didn't sound loud on tv and don't attend the games.

I am not saying give them ALL the good seats. But give the ones that want to be there, and will have energize the crowd, a chance at some good seats.

The seats would be limited and first come-first served. The diehards would be on the floor. It would work

 

[mazda1]

I think the hangover from the political correctness of not supporting Alford and the team after the PP issue still impacts students attitudes toward the team.

 

[hawk-i bob]

I was literally right next to the students that were there.
A large number of them near me trickled in as the first half was going on.
The ones that were there for the intro yelled "sucks" after each michigan starter's name was announced. That was about all I heard out of them other than when the entire crowd was cheering at various points.
I'm not the most demonstrative person, but I was up and making noise much more than anyone else around me.

CHA has never been a particularly loud and boisterous crowd for basketball during the games I've attended over the years.
No where near what the Fieldhouse was like.

I have been to some great wrestling crowds when CHA was really rocking. Much more enthusiasm than b-ball.

thanks for posting this ..with where your location was ..from where I sit that is the sense I got ..the "sucks" thing is lame..but what can u do.

I'm in row 12..the lower bowl can get loud..is it deafening? probably not..compared to a couple other venues (IE Hilton)..

 

[Kurt Warner]

Hilton>>>>>>>>> carver, sadly

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

With everyone back away from the court (with that walkway area being so wide all around) there really isn't a "courtside" atmosphere like you get in many places. Heck at Cameron Indoor (and I detest Duke) you get the feeling at times they could call fouls on the fans they're so close. We just don't have that sort of facility.

 

[IronFist1776]

A lot probably missed the game due to being hungover after drinking the pain away after the most despicable cheaters in sports history stole a victory over the Chiefs.

FIFY

 

[IronFist1776]

With everyone back away from the court (with that walkway area being so wide all around) there really isn't a "courtside" atmosphere like you get in many places. Heck at Cameron Indoor (and I detest Duke) you get the feeling at times they could call fouls on the fans they're so close. We just don't have that sort of facility.

Its also small as heck, like 9000 but yes, they were smart enough to put the students right there in your face.

 

[gablefan73]

they have in the past & will this year...they may not announce ahead of time (which is stupid) .. yes its gets loud during half time when they do it..any football player can attend a game...some of them don't because the sport of basketball isn't really an interest.

the number of students yesterday was decent..just seems they were waiting for the team to do something to get excited...maybe the 3:30 start time on a sunday got in the way of the sunday afternoon nap (after a Saturday night-returning from Xmas break)

They did have a nice we want Dakich chant. Appropriate since we went on a run every time Dakich was in the game. Carver was really loud early and some in the second half. The offese went dead for awhile and that sucked some life out of the crowd.

 

[ThriceHawk]

Why can't they do something to renovate the areas behind the baskets? There's so much wasted space.. the fans are a lot farther off the court than most arenas.

 

[hooper56]

I am not saying give them ALL the good seats. But give the ones that want to be there, and will have energize the crowd, a chance at some good seats.

The seats would be limited and first come-first served. The diehards would be on the floor. It would work

Right now they have at least 5 sections that include courtside seats. Those sections at best are half filled. In my view they should cut that back to 3 sections and if and when they can fill the sections, add another.

 

[Curt Furence]

The loudest I can remember CHA being (on tv) in a very long time was the NIT game vs. Dayton a few years ago. The crowd was really loud. Not having season ticket holders filling the arena really changed the nature and sound volume of the crowd. It was a fantastic environment to see. Wish we could see more crowds like that one.

As far as games I have been to in person recently, the Dayton game was very loud for the whole game. The Iowa State game last season when Gabe blocked Nader (i think Nader) the place was crazy but calmed down from basically the Thomas 3 on.

 

[HerkysDad]

Why can't they do a something to renovate the areas behind the baskets? There's so much wasted space.. the fans are a lot farther off the court than most arenas.

When the students used to attend in force, those areas were filled with folding chairs and dubbed "the Hawks Nest". But with fewer students attending, I have not seen them. I attended Iowa during the 69/70 Big Ten Championship year. The fieldhouse was rocking, but I still had a support column in front of my "obstructed view" seat. Attended every game.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

Right now they have at least 5 sections that include courtside seats. Those sections at best are half filled. In my view they should cut that back to 3 sections and if and when they can fill the sections, add another.

Exactly my argument... Make the courtside seats First-come-First-serve. Have the seats Assigned to those who want to be there, and show up early. The seats would then be FULL. With the most hungry students.

That would make a difference. It would have the student fans that are the diehards, that will cheer loudly.

Then fill a few rows behind that with the public the wants to be there. Walk sales by non-season ticket holders.

If you are wanting a loud and hungry Carver. It would make a difference. Put the most hungry fans on the court.

 

[Curt Furence]

somewhat related.. what section is the band in? I cant remember and don't see anything on the seating charts. Are they by the students?

Buying tickets for a group and didnt want to get stuck right next to the band.

 

[wneff]

Why can't they do a something to renovate the areas behind the baskets? There's so much wasted space.. the fans are a lot farther off the court than most arenas.

Someone once explained on here that it is a fire code matter. Just repeating what I read. Those arenas you showed all have upper and lower sections, unlike CHA, by which people can leave. That area in CHA was cleared so that people can exit at the bottom in an emergency as well as making the 43-row climb to the top.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

this ..said it perfectly...

Just fight them already!

 

[Herky T Hawk]

somewhat related.. what section is the band in? I cant remember and don't see anything on the seating charts. Are they by the students?

Buying tickets for a group and didnt want to get stuck right next to the band.

Currently the pep band is directly behind the basketball hoop by the student section. A few years ago they were in the corner two sections to their right, but a decision was made to give them half of the only bad seats in the entire place. The other half being behind the other hoop.

When looking at a picture of Hilton empty, there are several sections of seats where the fans probably need a chiropractor for their necks after watching the game.

Realistically, the "empty" space behind the hoops isn't that big of a deal. 15 years ago when we had chairs there they only held a few dozen students. The other side primarily held the handicap seating before the renovation. Now they are farther away from the court. In my opinion I would rather have nothing along the baselines as it is a significant safety concern. Remember the OSU game last year where their stud got a TV camera dropped on his head?

In my opinion, here are the top things that they could do.

1. Remove the top 5 or so rows worth of seats along both sidelines. Replace those sections with suites. That gives you seven sections along each side where you can put probably 16 suites in each side. You may need to dedicate one or two for media on the side where the TV cameras are positioned.

2. At the top of the other sections where the gold pipe barriers are, wall them off and put doors at the top of the stairs. This provides for two things. It helps trap sound into the arena and it prevents people from watching the game from the concourse. That should help keep people in their seats until the game is over.

3. Move the students wrap around the 8-10 sections on the same end but keep them in the collapsible portion of seating. You may need to remove the top row or two of collapsible seating from those sections so that the people sitting behind them can see.

4. Put louvers into the roof area where the "tent" is located directly over the court. You can open them up when the weather is nicer to let heat out and close them in the winter to help trap noise in.

Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are fairly cheap and can easily be completed during a summer. They also significantly trap noise into the arena, help create a better home court atmosphere with student seating, and provide nice areas for the big donors to sit. Number 4 would probably have to be reviewed by an engineering firm to see if it is possible.

 

[83Hawk]

Ideas are not bad, but not sure if #2 is possible....I would suspect there is some sort of fire code preventing putting doors at the tops of the stairs.

 

[Ronman]

I think the hangover from the political correctness of not supporting Alford and the team after the PP issue still impacts students attitudes toward the team.

Maybe, but most of the students were well under ten years old when this happened.