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I wrote this for the Duquesne Duke. It's going to be published this Thursday. It was longer but apparently you are limited to 300 words: Well said. I hope students read that. There needs to be a culture change. Duquesne basketball needs to be exciting. A win against Pitt wouldn't hurt. I bet there would be a pretty big crowd saturday if they won tomorrow night. Well done Simms! Been thinking about doing the same thing. Agree also that there needs to be a culture change. The history is just not understood or appreciated. Even without a win against that other team tomorrow, the team should be supported. It is what a two minute walk to the games? Would be great if the students attended every home game this year and just had fun. Would make a difference. Let's Go Dukes! If there are only 300 or so people signed up for the crew that is super low. I think 800 freshmen alone signed up when I was a freshman in 07-08. Last edited by DukesDan (12/04/2012 4:58 pm) It is hard to get players interested in a game vs Maine let alone a student. Things will get better as we win and play recognizable teams. Great idea and great letter Simms. I don't think the students are to blame but if they enter their freshman year with no desire to watch college basketball it is like trying to get a ballerina to a monster truck rally. Times have changed, but let's face facts: The student body at Duquesne is still composed of 99% who will never see a game in their lives and 1% who end up being hooked, like many of us. You could understand a greater apathy following the end of Nee's days here, but after the first year of Everhart's career here, the team had a winning record and was competitive in every game every year. There should be more than 15 sophomores, juniors and seniors coming back to the games, let alone the freshmen who are entering as the Ferry years are just beginning. In and of itself, a coaching change usually creates a spark. Ferry and the staff and players were out and about on "move-in day" helping kids and parents into the dorms. That prompted no one to show up to return the favor? I think the key is to get students in for one game early in the season at AJ Palumbo. Seriously just bribe them straight up. Free Burritos worked! It really did! Dont do stupid raffles, that is the stupidest idea because one person is happy and the rest of the students are plotting how to steal the Ipod by the end of the game. JK, but it just makes people jealous. Last edited by DukesDan (12/05/2012 9:36 am) The history is just not understood or appreciated. . Let's Go Dukes! The sad fact is that in realistic terms, for most current students and alumni, THERE IS NO HISTORY at Duquesene! Most of us who talk about the glory days are now looking at retirement and grandchildren. Talking about SiHugo Green and Dick Ricketts and the NIT means about as much to the average student or recent (last 20years or so graduated) alumni, as my Dad going on and on about Pie Traynor and Arky Vaughn in my youth. Yes, I appreciated the history of baseball, but it meant very, very little to me. There is history. of course, but the problem is it is experienced as history, not reality. Without getting into the whole, sad story for the 816th time, Duquesne really missed everything when college basketball burgeoned in the '80s. From then on, students have had no real big-time encounter. The big job for Ferry and Co. is to regain that. I think there was a pulse in the fan base for about 4 or 5 years. Probably 07-11. Next year will be a good year I think. I am feeling optimistic. This season has already beat my expectations. Great points to my history remark Tejas. And Fuzz you are absolutely correct - history but no reality. We have seen some significant changes in coaching and hard playing (except for the occasional lapses). As you say, have faith. I have a good feeling about things. Go Dukes! Beat that other team!!!
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Letter to the Duke
This Saturday, I drove two hours to watch the men's team face Maine. I had heard great things about the pep band (which proved to be true) and my Twitter and Facebook feed received numerous updates from Duquesne and the Red and Blue Crew reminding me of the game. I felt happy knowing that The Crew executive committee was continuing to keep the student body updated after my graduation, especially since I received updates when I no longer attended school.
You can imagine my shock when I saw the actual student section at the game. The pep band was filled to the upper row of the bleachers, but the student section couldn't have had more than fifteen students. The pep band cheered and supported the Dukes, but the student section was simply too small. The Palumbo Center is an intimate basketball arena that allows for the students to be a true sixth man. With the right student section, it can be deafening. I would argue that watching a game in this environment is superior to the Consol Energy Center, especially with how large the Consol is. Yet every year since graduation, I've noticed that a huge student crowd shows up for the Consol games and that the Palumbo student section remains weak at best. I think this is unacceptable. The Dukes play in one of the premier basketball conferences in the nation. The Atlantic Ten is a multiple bid league that just added two teams (Butler and VCU) that have been the final four recently. Students cannot continue to show up for the Pitt and WVU games while missing the remainder of the season. The team and staff deserve better. I certainly hope to see better crowds the next time I show up to a basketball game. Let?s Go Dukes!
"You have to be realistic about these things." - Logen Ninefingers
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Re: Letter to the Duke
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Re: Letter to the Duke
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Re: Letter to the Duke
We could talk all day about why people don't go to games.
I think it is pretty clear that college basketball attendance is down across the board nationwide. It is also pretty clear that if you plan on going to a lot of college basketball games when you are in college you wouldn't choose to go to school at Duquesne.
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Re: Letter to the Duke
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Re: Letter to the Duke
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Re: Letter to the Duke
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Re: Letter to the Duke
C'mon, man!
But I have to agree with Iron Duke. I don't think nearly enough is being done to promote the team, either to students or alumni. When I asked the Alumni Association what it was doing for the Penn State game, the answer was: Nothing.
C'mon man!
Simms, I know you were one of the early organizers of the Red & Blue Crew. It must break your heart to see how quickly it has degenerated. But I love your enthusiasm.
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Re: Letter to the Duke
Promotional ideas:
Free Burritos
Sell beer, have an oktoberfest or something in the auxillary gym before the game
Set up a pregame at milanos and coordinate some awesome deals with them (they already offer 5 dollar yuengling pitchers and college pizza specials)
Put a huge banner on the sky walk over forbes and on Awalk saying "Now entering Dukes Country" or something to that effect
A spotlight outside AJ Palumbo pointing into the sky on big game days
Posters in key spots such as dorm entryways
More videos like the "Behind the Duke", except email to everyone
Bring the student section bleachers down lower to the floor
Keep the area above the student section off limits until the lower section is full. It dilutes the students that go by spreading them thin and making the section look empty
Sound like a broken record when it comes to the tickets being free, hand out tickets at lunch on game day (Everhart did this occasionally and it was useful)
New shirts, new design with more than just the crew on them. Hand special student section shirts out at certain games.
Get the frats and sororities to go, they do a lot of stuff they dont want to do so they are used to following orders. Seriously if you can get them to go to the library at 6pm every day in spring you can get them to the games.
And when we finally beat pitt, make a BFD about it. I mean rub it in hard. and put up a banner or something. IT may be the best chance to change Duquesne student pitt fans into dukes fans
hand tickets out for the next home game at the home game before.
Coordinate schedules with schools to stop the scheduling of tests and greek events during game times
Hold press conferences and media interviews in the union or somewhere very visible so students see news crews on campus talking to coach Ferry and the players
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Re: Letter to the Duke
RedandBlueRUs wrote:
We've had two "tantalizingly close calls in the last forty years (Carroll's 94 NIT team and Ron's 09 team) but that is it! Nothing was built on that and we reverted to being Same ol' Dukes within a year or two.
As has been mentioned before, the culture needs to change and consistent winning is the ONLY way to do that. And when that happens and we aren't scheduling Maine, North Dakota and Albany, then you will see that student section fuller,
Then, and only then.
Vicimus Atlanticum decem
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Re: Letter to the Duke
Have faith. It can happen.
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Re: Letter to the Duke
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