Liked: the final score; the preparation; the energy; less gambling on defense; Jalen Harris’ shot; Jimmy Whitt’s hard work; Mason Jones; Adrio Bailey; rebounding; student section; large crowd (though no where close to 17,000); positive atmosphere; engaged fans; animated coach.
Didn’t like: turnovers; Reggie Chaney’s absence; ribbon boards dedicated solely to advertising (no stats or secondary scoreboard; I’m a nerd and I like to see stats throughout the game); increase in canned music, advertising and staged nonsense in timeouts (the Hogwild Band barely played; this is getting worse, not better); no William Tell before the game.
Large crowd??? I was a bit disappointed in the crowd, I doubt there was even 10k there. I was hoping more would turn out for opening regular season game.
If I was in the band and told the role that it would play (or not play), I do not know if I’d even want to go to the game. Very sad. I guess it’s like that in the NBA. All piped in music. If that’s one of the ways you become more like the NBA, I don’t like it.
Absolutely. Students, I thought, really showed out for a Tuesday night, and the rest of the lower bowl was mostly full at one point. I love a great college basketball atmosphere. I hope Arkansas has that all season.
Ticket scanned were around your number of 11.5K. Last year the opening night drew 7k. But that is understandable. You celebrate honeymoon night a lot more than 8th anniversary night.
I attended the UALR game. The ribbon board was actually a distraction to the lighting on the floor. I kept thinking that part of the lighting to the game floor was flashing on and off occasionally, until I realized it was when the ribbon board would go to an all white for some ad. I’m guessing it isn’t really a distraction to the players and coaches or they would do something to stop it.
From what I understand, from now on they will announce tickets sold as the attendance. Because announcing actual tickets scanned was creating a negative image of the program. Bad marketing.
So, I believe attendance will be always at least 14K. 14K (rounded) being season tickets. I don’t know how many season tickets have been sold this year. I have asked for that number but have not seen it posted,
I believe Jeff Long implemented the policy of announcing actual attendance because they had received heat over fooling the public of what actual attendance was by announcing tickets sold.