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(This doesn't have anything to do with my usual "Fire Amodio" posts but an honest frustration with the support for the women's program). Last edited by duqkurt (1/28/2013 6:42 pm) Good points, one and all. I agree that at a school where winning to this degree is rare, you would think that the Admin and Students would break their normal routines and provide some support. I agree the non-student attendance has increased, as it should with a winner; but where are the students? Where is the advertising and promotional arm of the Athletic Department. Let's get behind a winner!. Can't argue with any of that! duqkurt, Last edited by godukes1970 (1/30/2013 7:55 am) Thanks for the response. I am not used to being agreed with. I do recall that during the time that Dan Durkin was head coach of the women's team there were broadcasts of the Dukes' home games and away games at Bobby Mo and Pitt on an AM radio station. I'm not sure how many years that lasted. As it stands now the Dukes are the dominate A-1 women's basketball team in the Pittsburgh area. Admittedly, Pitt's and Robert Morris' teams are having lousy seasons. (With Pitt's loss to DePaul last night with 2 ticks on the clock, they now have lost 27 regular-season Big East games in a row.) Perhaps a very high finish in the A-10 and entry in the NCAA tournament might attract a few deep pocket advertisers/sponsers who might be willing to foot the bill for a radio broadcast of the women's games. If not, I do agree that home and away coverage of the games on the Internet should be the very minimum coverage for a team of this caliber.
Status of Women's Program
I went to the game yesterday vs. Fordham. I usually go to about half the women's games every year. I would like to discuss the women's program and Duquesne's treatment of the program.
First the positives. Women's basketball game article was on front page on today's print edition of the PG. It is great to see that. Nice article by Jenn Menendez.
Also, I will say that attendance is up noticeably this year. Yesterday's announced crowd was 1,200. I wouldn't say there were 1,200 people there, but I would say it was an honest representation of tickets sold and people in attendance. There are more people attending games and that is a positive sign.
Like the men's team, the women's team has viritually no student support which is just appalling to me. Honestly, that game was for first place last night and there were three members sitting in the Crew section. This team deserves more that 3 students. The adminstration simply has to work harder to come up with solutions to this problem. This is a successful team.
The next two points relate to how much the Athletic Department really wants to grow the women's basketball program. It is not meant to be petty, but some honest questions.
Point 1 - Yesterday, I was very disappointed to see that there was no Pep Band there. Sometimes they have a band, sometimes they don't. Don't the women deserve a band as much as the men's football and basketball team? Recorded music really doesn't lend much to the atmosphere at a college basketball game. Especially since it was a conference game, the students were not on break and it was for a share of first place. It really shows that you treat the women as second class citizens with no band there for an important game. The band cheering would at least make up for the awful lack of student support.
Point 2 - Yesterday I saw that Fordham I assume was a student radio crew covering the game. I make note of this for every game I go to. And every conference foe has a radio/internet crew at the games.
When is Duquesne going to start webcasting away conference games? Again, this program is becoming successful and I assume there is some interest. I hate having to search for the play by play of an opposing school webcast (often times you have to pay to listen to audio even) or you have to follow the game on Gametracker. If they want people, to follow the program......shouldn't they webcast away conference games. I actually spoke to the play by play announcer on this subject, I don't wish to go into details concerning the conversation.....but if the school is willing to commit to the webcast of away conference games, so would the announcers. You don't need both (play by play and color), just one would suffice. If you want me to follow the team, and I am willing to, why should I have to resort to Gametracker for important conference road games?
Just some of my thoughts. I will willing to see if others agree or disagree with me.
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Re: Status of Women's Program
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Re: Status of Women's Program
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Re: Status of Women's Program
I agree with you that the success of the Dukes' women's team must receive its proper due. I was very pleased to see the article in yesterday's Pittsburgh P-G on the first page of the sports section. Unfortunately that hasn't happened very often. Many times there are only 2 or 3 sentences written about the women's games. There should be little argument that this women's basketball team represents the best opportunity for Duquesene to participate in a post-season NCAA championship tournament. With the proper media coverage, including broadcast of all of all games (home & away), it seems that even the causual basketball fan might take more interest in the team and ocassionaly show up at the Palumbo to see what a very good team - one that has several local players who are starting unlike two other local D-1 teams - the Dukes have become with Suzie McConnell Serio as head coach.
Recently I asked Bob Derda, Associate AD, why the women's game were not on the radio instead of an on-line broadcast of the home games. Pitt, who is now 9-11 (0-7) has all of its games broadcast on 1320 WJAS-AM radio. I was told that Pitt pays for the cost of the radio broadcast of its women's games beyond what is off-set from the advertisers' fees. I was also told that Coach Agnus Berenato does not have a radio show as does Coach Suzie. Why can't the women's team have both: a seperate coach's show and the radio broadcast of all of the games?
It seems that the Duquesne student body is interested in going to a basketball game only when ts on TV. Maybe more Duquesne women's team home games should be on TV.
Re: Status of Women's Program
I'm sure this post had nothing to do with it but today's 11am game for the women at GW (strange time for a game) is being covered by Redzone.
I also understand how it would be difficult/cost prohibitive getting the women's games on the radio. I am not sure that many A10 teams have all their women's games on the radio it would be great.
I would be happy to start with all conference games on the internet. •
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Re: Status of Women's Program
The Dukes are back in this week's AP Poll as others getting votes. They received 4 points in the latest poll and are tied for 31st in the ranking with Michigan State & Green Bay. Sagarin's ranks the Dukes at #44 and GW at #173. The Dukes are favored by 12 pts. in this morning's 11 AM tip-off.
GO DUKES!
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