Where were you?
- Thread starter MiketheGreat
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NYCRedmen
Well-known member
I tried several times to get a S-T-J chant going to counter the U-of-A chants but it seemed as if most of the students/fans were afraid to try something new other than the God awful Johnnies chant. The students in front of me were the exception, that row was excited and tried their best but when the U-of-A chants started too many St. John's fans just absorbed it.
Box office has ten dollar seats the place will likely be empty and you can sit almost anywhere.
A few points. First re my question on another thread the announced did not make it to half of Tuesday's crowd. I thought it would, barely as 10K seemed attainable but it was not to be. Likely because A&M doesn't really travel well.
Agree with those that say today's game at 4:30 will be a ghost town.
Re other teams fans at the Garden lets realize a few things. Yes there's loads of STJ alums in NYC. That said there's loads of alums from every school in the nation in NYC and the NYers who went to schools outside NYC are usually pretty successful (great generalization I know but you get what I'm saying, admit it) ergo money to burn supporting their alma mater. Throw in the fact that since most of them went to a school that wasn't a commuter school more than a decade ago and you have an alumni base that's far more connected to its alma mater than most STJ alums. My sister, who went to STJ Law, wouldn't have a clue what's going on with any aspect of STJ if I didn't tell her husband about the hoops team each year.
Now lets look at the garden. Even if all of CA was sold to season tix holders that also had seats at the garden that would only fill up 1/3 of the place leaving 2/3 of the place for single game tix. I don't think it's unfair to not be surprised that for any given game the fans of many of our key rivals buy up 1/2 those tix. That's just the way it is.
These preseason tourneys are even worse. No guarantee that STJ season ticket holders will attend, NY resident visiting schools alums may have their only chance to see their teams play all year so they're going come heck or high water, and traveling alums love to visit NYC so they flock to the city and the games in droves. It's actually a lose/lose proposition for STJ to play in tourneys that end up at MSG. It's going to look bad and very little can change that. Better off going to Hawaii, Alaska, Charleston, Puerto RIco, etc.... so Dickie V can't complain. Just my two cents.
Agree with those that say today's game at 4:30 will be a ghost town.
Re other teams fans at the Garden lets realize a few things. Yes there's loads of STJ alums in NYC. That said there's loads of alums from every school in the nation in NYC and the NYers who went to schools outside NYC are usually pretty successful (great generalization I know but you get what I'm saying, admit it) ergo money to burn supporting their alma mater. Throw in the fact that since most of them went to a school that wasn't a commuter school more than a decade ago and you have an alumni base that's far more connected to its alma mater than most STJ alums. My sister, who went to STJ Law, wouldn't have a clue what's going on with any aspect of STJ if I didn't tell her husband about the hoops team each year.
Now lets look at the garden. Even if all of CA was sold to season tix holders that also had seats at the garden that would only fill up 1/3 of the place leaving 2/3 of the place for single game tix. I don't think it's unfair to not be surprised that for any given game the fans of many of our key rivals buy up 1/2 those tix. That's just the way it is.
These preseason tourneys are even worse. No guarantee that STJ season ticket holders will attend, NY resident visiting schools alums may have their only chance to see their teams play all year so they're going come heck or high water, and traveling alums love to visit NYC so they flock to the city and the games in droves. It's actually a lose/lose proposition for STJ to play in tourneys that end up at MSG. It's going to look bad and very little can change that. Better off going to Hawaii, Alaska, Charleston, Puerto RIco, etc.... so Dickie V can't complain. Just my two cents.
jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
I guess we can dress it up any way we would like (and, in fairness, many of your points are well taken and deserve consideration), but I think the main reason for the lack of fans is apathy.
Let's put hoops aside, and remember that only 15% of the alumni base contributes to the university every year.
It's more a function of an overall general lack of school spirit than anything else, IMO.
This a critical juncture for the program, and we cannot expect Coach Lavin to continue to corral top recruiting classes if the fan support isn't there.
Yes, it's early and things can change on a dime. Let's hope that it will.
Let's put hoops aside, and remember that only 15% of the alumni base contributes to the university every year.
It's more a function of an overall general lack of school spirit than anything else, IMO.
This a critical juncture for the program, and we cannot expect Coach Lavin to continue to corral top recruiting classes if the fan support isn't there.
Yes, it's early and things can change on a dime. Let's hope that it will.
How does that 15% compare to the average?
Again, I'd say a lot of it has to do with the fact that most of the alumni drove to and from school, lived at home, had jobs and families and other things that are not part of the traditional on campus experience that forges much of the strong connections kids get with the university they are attending.
Just to put things into perspective, SJU attendance, while mid pack in the big east, is ahead of every PAC-10 school except Arizona. That's coming off a bad decade or two. There were plenty of empty seats up at the Uconn vs Maine game yesterday as well from what I saw on tv. Tons actually, and they are coming of a NCAA championship. For most schools, early season doesnt draw quite as well as regular season. Attendance jumped last season and will continue to. More than enough attendance to make recruits happy.
That's a good point too, Marcus. Everyone wants to compare the environment to Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State, et al. Well WTF else is there to do there. Of course they sell out every game. They also have 50,000 students on campus within walking distance of the venue. Big differences.
upstate redman
Member
Austour I share your sentiments. My dad, who went to SJU in the early 70s always talks about the place being full for the Johnies. Last night was the 100th time hes turned to me at an SJU game and said that its changed a lot. There were times it was full I guess. I think a lot has to do with MSG in relation to the campus, and the fact most SJU students commute. I can't say I have many friends who have gone to SJU, but the few I have barely know they have a team. They usually say like oh we stink, etc. Now, I think the team is going to perform so you will get your people eventually. I also think the casual bball fan is going to fall in love with this team and no Knicks will get your average NY fan to the games. The problem is, most Knicks fans in the city went to schools like Syracuse, Duke etc and they aren't really going to adopt us. People still think of us as a joke, but we all know those times are going to change. Lets just continue to support this team. I remember last night after Harrison's bucket put us up in the 2nd half and he was going nuts, the Johnies faithful roared, but I felt it needed to be louder for these kids. It will get there, especially Saturday games at MSG. I am just worried for that Cuse game, they really might get 10 k this year, with their program on high alert, they are going to band together, and this might be the last time they play us here. I don't know much about what the school does but they need to find a way to get every seat behind the hoops to be students like Nova and Gtown does. Btw, does anyone know how there working the student section at the new MSG?
Class of 72
Active member
With all due respect, that is a bunch of hogwash! St. John's was a pure commuter school in the 80's when the Garden would be packed and it has zero to do with the commuter bull!
You cannot compare the Duke/Kentucky games at MSG because, as you said previously, their fans in the NY area are hungry to see their schools play and the alumni associations make concerted efforts to get fans to NY. Going to NYC was a huge buzz in Lexington all last month and no Duke fan was going to miss coach K breaking the winning record. Three top ten teams that IMO would have sold out in Philly.
St. John's had a buzz with its recruiting class but that buzz quickly became a past tense when 3 of the best players never were able to register, three decommit and throw in the silence around the Lav illness and late approach to his condition, and many fans lost a little of the anticipation that built up last Spring. I don't care if tickets are $10 or $100, if the fan mindset is that SJ will likely lose they do not show up.....period!
The only thing that gets most SJ fans in the Garden is the anticipation of winning and regaining recruiting momentum and signing kids will go a long ways to building fan anticipation for next year.
As for Arizona, they had as many top level freshmen as SJ did last night but they also had a solid nucleus from last year to lead them...........we have a junior college transfer that is being asked to be the leader. That is a tall order in any college program and savvy fans know it is still a big work in progress and are not sold on the product.
It was no different at UCLA in the lean years as you know Austour when you had only 6,000 fans in half empty Pauley. That is St. John's today.
NYCRedmen
Well-known member
I agree Upstate, the Syracuse game will be 75% orange in my opinion. If tickets for that game are available already (I have season tickets so I don't know how & when individual games go on sale) you can bet that most SU alums living in NYC have taken them or will buy them up before long.
On a lighter note, I posted some pictures from last night's game in the photos section of my profile. Hope you enjoy them.
On a lighter note, I posted some pictures from last night's game in the photos section of my profile. Hope you enjoy them.
jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
Lets hope you are right and attendance increases as the season moves on. That said, it is almost certain that it will, how can it not.
The key to an increase in attendance, however is that it is not just bodies in seats but St. John's fans in those seats and not supporters of the opponent.
It's great to play at a sold out MSG, but not so much if 50% or more are fans of the other team.What good is it if we are among the leaders in attendance if the people showing up are rooting for the other squad.
These kids and Coach Lavin and his staff deserve our support. The problem certainly is not with the die-hards on redmen.com or johnny jungle. We are all preaching to the converted.
I would like to think when we play G'Town, Nova, and Syracuse in the coming months The World's Most Famous Arena will be decked out in RED.
At some point, recruits aren't going to care if St. John's fans aren't coming out because they don't feel a strong attachment to the school since they were commuters or any other reason that one wants to throw out there, legit or not. No one should be surprised if they will ask themselves do I want to play where I'm appreciated or not.
Let us all hope that it NEVER comes to that. Let's Go REDMEN !!!!!!
The key to an increase in attendance, however is that it is not just bodies in seats but St. John's fans in those seats and not supporters of the opponent.
It's great to play at a sold out MSG, but not so much if 50% or more are fans of the other team.What good is it if we are among the leaders in attendance if the people showing up are rooting for the other squad.
These kids and Coach Lavin and his staff deserve our support. The problem certainly is not with the die-hards on redmen.com or johnny jungle. We are all preaching to the converted.
I would like to think when we play G'Town, Nova, and Syracuse in the coming months The World's Most Famous Arena will be decked out in RED.
At some point, recruits aren't going to care if St. John's fans aren't coming out because they don't feel a strong attachment to the school since they were commuters or any other reason that one wants to throw out there, legit or not. No one should be surprised if they will ask themselves do I want to play where I'm appreciated or not.
Let us all hope that it NEVER comes to that. Let's Go REDMEN !!!!!!
jumbo_peanuts
Active member
I don't think the main reason is apathy. I think the fact that it was a Thursday night game that started at 9:30 was the main reason. Crazy as it sounds, a lot of people have careers and families, and just aren't able to make it to late games like that. Plus the game was on national tv. Why would they go out, fight traffic, and get home late when they can just sit home and watch it there?
NYCRedmen
Well-known member
Jumbo I hate to say it but I think apathy has always been a problem at St. John's. I've even had professors make comments about the incredible apathy on campus at St. John's. I think the 9:30 start may have been a contributing factor but not the major one. This was the first test for us this year against a nationally ranked team at the World's Most Famous Arena on national TV. If that can't get people excited nothing will, 9:30 or not.
jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
You make a fair point. Although with all the hype around this team one would have thought there would have been another 2K or 3K St. John's fans vs. a ranked Zona team, but it was what it was.
That said, there is no reason why MSG should not be packed with St. John's fans when they play G'Town on a Sunday at Noon on Jan. 15, or Nova on a Sat. at 1PM on Jan. 21, or Syracuse on a Sat.. at Noon on Feb. 4 or ND at noon on a Sat. on Feb. 25
With Christmas only weeks away, tickets to these games would make great gifts for friends and family.
That said, there is no reason why MSG should not be packed with St. John's fans when they play G'Town on a Sunday at Noon on Jan. 15, or Nova on a Sat. at 1PM on Jan. 21, or Syracuse on a Sat.. at Noon on Feb. 4 or ND at noon on a Sat. on Feb. 25
With Christmas only weeks away, tickets to these games would make great gifts for friends and family.
NYCRedmen
Well-known member
Jersey Johnny, I couldn't agree with you more. I hate to say it but I think we will be 50-50 in terms of G'Town fans and hands down SU fans will outnumber us. Ironically enough, had we won last night or even both games of this tournament it may have opened up a few more eyes and maybe dragged a few more fans wearing red for the next game. I am just worried that there are fans out there who are "waiting for the team to become good" before they start coming out, because they are so young. To those of you out there like that "COME OUT AND SUPPORT THESE GUYS". They played their hearts out last night despite being undermanned. They deserve it, St. John's deserves it.