Fam and Mulder:  My opinion is opposite.  My set of facts are:  I dealt with the WPIAL on legal matters involving eligibility of kids in sports over the years.  They are and were (excepting Chuck Heberle, the executive director) a royal pain in the arse to try and work with as we Scotsmen like to say.  As an organization they have this sense of entitlement and they want everything handed to them.  Therefore my attitude and opinion is good riddance and don't let the door hit you in your arses on the way out.  Besides, I fail to see any logical connection between having high school hoopers at Palumbo and the totality of Duquesne's student enrollment.  As a parent and grandparent, I would hope my kids made up their minds on higher education before going to a WPIAL game for inspiration to pick Duquesne over thousands of other educational facilities.  Does it say something that the WPIAL chose to pay MORE MONEY  to rent Peterson than D.U. wanted? Like a poster said on the other forum, let the fans be happy to try and find parking on Cardiac Hill, pay the outrageous prices and sit in a two-thirds to three-fourths empty arena.  Wow, what a high school atmosphere!  Nice job, WPIAL honchos.  Not to be critical!!

FAM wrote:

The paper indicated that DU was more expensive than Peterson Events, but wasn't clear.  I understand your points grammudder.  It is just there are few opportunities for high school students to get in Palumbo, since it is usually half-empty for men's games and even more empty for women's games.  This did provide some PR/advertising in the paper and on the radio when these games were announced, and it didn't cost DU any money since the WPIAL paid them.

I think you misread the article. What I thought was that since Palumbo was no longer going to be a bargain, they were going to go with the nicer facility, since the price difference would no longer be so great. I don't see where getting inside of Palumbo would help recruit students, as the place is third rate, and is not going to impress anyone.
 

GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH!!!!

Bilgy wrote:

Didn't Duquesne reshedule a league game with Fordham to a Friday afternnon, due to a WPIAL conflict?  As I recall, every Duquesne empoyee's place of duty was either teaching or at the game.

I remember that day well for two reasons.  First, The Ben Milligiville Ga story came out that day. 

And more importantly a close relative lost their battle with cancer that day.  And Duquesne played Fordham on that Friday afternoon. 

It is strange what you can remember from a significanr day.

FAM, I understand your perspective... I know the local papers reference Palumbo Center when they do the game stories, but it doesn't have PR value, nor does having the kids in our building help our recruiting. Rutgers has hosted state tournament games in NJ for years. All the great players from St. Anthony's, Newark East Side, etc., play there; none of them ever go to Rutgers. Heck, great HS football players from Piscataway pass the campus on their way to school, then go to OSU, PSU, Iowa, etc.

I wouldn't worry about this. The P-G will throw more love at Pitt because of the venue change, but they would throw all the love there anyway,

rittersdiner wrote:

The WPIAL better hope two catholic schools don't make the finals in a classification unless they don't care that the game will be watched by 9,000 empty seats. The WPIAL is sucked in, now watch Pitt up the ante over the years, just like it did for the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. Heard it doubled in rent this year.

What is your comment about two Catholic schools playing in the WPIAL championships supposed to mean?    If your implication is that a finals comprised of two Catholic schools doesn't draw, provide some attendence figures to support your uncalled for swipe at Catholic schools.  No matter which teams are playing in the WPIAL basketball finals at Pitt's facility, they will be playing with more than half the seats unoccupied.  

Last edited by godukes1970 (6/23/2014 8:30 pm)

rittersdiner wrote:

godukes1970 wrote:

rittersdiner wrote:

The WPIAL better hope two catholic schools don't make the finals in a classification unless they don't care that the game will be watched by 9,000 empty seats. The WPIAL is sucked in, now watch Pitt up the ante over the years, just like it did for the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. Heard it doubled in rent this year.

What is your comment about two Catholic schools playing in the WPIAL championships supposed to mean?    If your implication is that a finals comprised of two Catholic schools doesn't draw, provide some attendence figures to support your uncalled for swipe at Catholic schools.  No matter which teams are playing in the WPIAL basketball finals at Pitt's facility, they will be playing with more that half the seats unoccupied.  

I once went to a midseason tournament where Oakland Catholic played Vincentian in a girls game. At tipoff, there wer 35 people in the stands. Finished with about 75. Game was on Saturday afternoon with good weather.

I saw a playoff game about two or three years ago where attendance was just over 100 for the start of an Oakland Catholic game. I was at a Central Catholic-Upper St. CLair football game a while back and thought CC brought about 300 fans.

I am not privvy to attendance unless I can count them myself, which is not a good sign. I go by the eye test. You can argue the point, but private/Catholic schools do not have a large fan base for most sports. Anyone in the WPIAL offices can tell you that.

Makes sense, as today, most of the Catholic schools are not community based anymore. Thus their fan bases will consist mostly of alums, and friends and relatives of the players. A school like Greensburg Central Catholic might be an exception. Public schools represent certain neighborhoods, and thus, the people of those neighborhoods tend to have an emotional tie to the school.

I dont know how far back you went for the Pittsburgh Central Catholic and USC football playoff game, but PCC has one of the largest attendances in the WPIAL.   The always outdraw the opposing team in the WPIAL football finals.  One of the reasons they moved "home" games from Rooney Field is because they couldnt get enough people in. 

They don't get alot of people going to Hershey when they are in the state finals, but that is a problem all the schools in the West have.   Primarily, because they view the WPIAL as the real championship.  

When they played in the WPIAL bb finals a few years ago, Palumbo was packed for the finals with a 50/50 crowd. 

You are correct about Oakland Catholic and Vincentian, they have just parents and a few students coming to their games.

Last edited by duqkurt (6/24/2014 7:05 am)