Re: Red Sweaters used to be RE: P olls

[dannyspoon]

I have a perspective on this, but don't think I'm directing it towards
anyone in general, because I'm not one to tell anyone how they should root.
My perspective comes from another "red sweater" area, as I grew up through
high school in Indiana, where we wore red sweaters probably every other day.
Ok, maybe not that much but you get the idea, everyone was nuts for high
school and IU basketball.  When I came to Cincinnati and UC, I had the
unfortunate timing of being in school during the pitiful Yates era, so the
games in the garden weren't the best, but I can tell you there were not a
lot of "red sweaters" at those games.  It seems to be a phenomenon of the
Shoe.  I went to games where the red sweaters were worn by the Louisville
fans, and they usually outnumbered our fans.  But I think I missed only one
game the entire time I was there, mainly because they were free and they had
beer and I was a broke student with nothing better to do.   I have only been
to a couple of games at the Shoe, and I can tell you I was shocked at the
lack of response by the crowd at times.  My most recent memory was from
Kenyon's junior year, when he made the shot at the end of the game to win
the CUSA tourney over Charlotte.  I was literally standing in the aisle
jumping up and down yelling at people to get off their **s and make some
noise at the end of the game (I really was, and my younger friend was
getting embarrassed and telling me to sit down), and I was sitting in the
student section!  I have not gone to a game since at the shoe and probably
will not again, because it is more exciting to watch on TV.  I did go to the
final game at Firstar center last year, and that was a pretty good time,
much different than at the Shoe.  I have lived and breathed basketball my
entire life, and some of my earliest memories are of watching games on TV
and going to them in school.  I have never seen the type of response that
you see at the Shoe anywhere else.  Look at the other big time programs,
with big time fans every bit as well to do as anyone at the Shoe, and you do
not see that sit on your hands mentality.  A Cameron they wait in line for
weeks to get tickets, and practically tear the place down every game.  Think
about Rupp, or Assembly Hall, or Jayhawk Stadium, or the Dean dome, or even
Freedom Hall or Charlotte's arena or Marquette's.  They all literally rock
the house every game.  I'm sorry guys, it does not happen here, and to me
that's just not the way college basketball should be.  Don't get me wrong,
I'll support and love UC basketball until the day I die, I just think that
the way we support the team at the games could be better, and IMHO much more
effective.


----- Original Message -----
From: "richard l. kandell" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: [UC Basketball] Red Sweaters used to be RE: [UC Basketball] P
olls


> While I would hardly be considered a "red sweater" I became a member of
> UCATS in the year of its founding, and many members of my family think I
am
> at least somewhat obsessive when it comes to UC athletics.  That said, and
> it is probably a function of personality traits, I am afraid that I did
not,
> when I had season tickets, or even when I attended individual games, stand
> up and cheer every time UC made a foul shot (though some of the teams I
saw
> we probably should have cheered when they made a free throw) even when I
was
> student during the Oscar days.  I also don't applaud when the conductor
> comes out on stage and hasn't done anything yet, or yell and stamp my feet
> at every point made by speaker.  But that doesn't make me a "bad" or even
an
> "uninterested" fan. I enjoy the games, applaud good plays, and am more
than
> willing to stand and cheer at critical points, but in all candor I'd just
as
> soon leave standing through the entire (or even most of the) game to
things
> like the Texas Aggie 6th man student body group.  Just one old man's idea
of
> how he, personally, enjoys watching sporting events.
>
> Richard K.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rands, William (RANDSWJ)" <address@hidden>
> To: <address@hidden>
> Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 8:34 AM
> Subject: RE: [UC Basketball] Red Sweaters used to be RE: [UC Basketball] P
> olls
>
>
> > I've been hearing this red sweater stuff for a couple of yrs
> now.Complaining
> > about it is like baying at the moon. It's a fact of modern life that the
> > most desirable seats at at hot item sports events are going to go to
those
> > who pay for them. What is UC supposed to do? Move the people who pay the
> > most to the bleacher seats in the upper level? Move the people who have
> been
> > supporting UC generously for 40 yrs? And there is some age bias in these
> red
> > sweater criticisms.
> >
> > Moreover, if the crowd is quieter than it used to be, it doesn't seem to
> be
> > affecting the team's play. Actually, I think it probably is quieter, but
> > that's because few games are close, & all of us are so used to winning
> that
> > we expect it as a matter of fact. It's not due to the red sweaters who
> have
> > been in their seats since the Shoe opened.
> >         Bill
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Brad Holdheide [mailto:address@hidden
> > Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 7:35 AM
> > To: 'address@hidden'
> > Subject: RE: [UC Basketball] Red Sweaters used to be RE: [UC Basketball]
> > P olls
> >
> >
> > AMEN !!!!! (well said, couldn't agree more)
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Dan Marshall [SMTP:address@hidden
> > > Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 3:46 PM
> > > To: address@hidden
> > > Subject: [UC Basketball] Red Sweaters used to be RE: [UC Basketball]
> > > Polls
> > >
> > > I certainly understand that UCATS bring alot of money in to the
athletic
> > > department, I myself have season tickets and donate my UCATS money
every
> > > year, yet somehow I still find the energy to yell my butt off at the
> > > games, if they really "Love the university" why don't they cheer for
it?
> > > If someone is physically unable to do to age or whatever, that's fine,
> > > it's just that now a UC game kind of reminds me of the Lakers games,
> where
> > > the rich go and socialize, and the game is secondary. There is a
> > > difference in my mind between, "The Red Sweaters" and the UCATS. As a
> > > matter of fact, if you look up from section 112, you will see that
half
> > > way up both balconies are UCATS members who donate money also to the
> > > University, who seem to be able to clap and yell.
> > >
> > > Obviously, the "Red Sweater" is just a description of the group of
> people,
> > > who although the support financially, don't really support
> > > enthusiastically at the games, maybe it's do to the fact that many of
> them
> > > are so old etc.  I think this is pretty much fact.  Otherwise so many
> > > people wouldn't call them out all the time.  Obviously there are some
> that
> > > do, and I would consider you one of them, so don't take it personally,
I
> > > don't really know when it comes down to it, if I would rather have
> people
> > > down there cheering for less money going into the institution or not.
> > >
> > > I will say this, over the last ten years, the level of enthusiasm in
the
> > > Shoe has gone down, I remember sitting in the student sections, with
my
> > > two first half beers and my two second half beers(thanks for all those
> > > tickets MR. Breiner) and the place was always rockin, now with the
> > > exception of the Memphis and Marquette game last year, it's pretty ho
> hum
> > > in there.  What changed?
> > >
> > > It would be interesting to see the breakdown though.
> > >
> > > But again, anyone that is on this forum probably has the same
enthusiasm
> > > they show here at the games. So, the comment wasn't meant for anyone
> > > here.(unless you think donating a bunch of money and going to the
games
> > > and sitting on yours hands with your nose up in the air is acceptable,
> it
> > > seems like many of them just go because it's a social event, I've sat
> down
> > > there, with all the old woman chattering away, etc, I think if it came
> > > down to it, I would rather have less money and more fans that cheer
like
> > > crazy, actually have fun and are there to see the game, not the newest
> > > cute little hand knit red, custom knit red and black sweater with
> sequins
> > > (sp?))
> > >
> > > Dan
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: address@hidden [mailto:address@hidden
> > > Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 2:04 PM
> > > To: address@hidden
> > > Subject: Re: [UC Basketball] Polls
> > >
> > >
> > > In a message dated 10/31/2002 12:21:23 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> > > address@hidden writes:
> > >
> > > >  or I guess the only way we can really stop making noise is to give
> more
> > > seats to the red sweaters... they seem to keep nice a quite, I guess
> they
> > > are the only ones that know the
> > > > rules..... ;)
> > > I'd like to see a financial gifting comparison of the "red sweaters"
as
> > > you call them (us) to the "non red sweaters". How do you think major
> > > college athletic departments are funded? It certainly isn't strictly
> from
> > > ticket sales and selling ads. They don't go out in the back yard and
> shake
> > > the money tree! They rely on gifts and donations to support and
> supplement
> > > the budget. Your talking about people who have a love for the
University
> > > and the ability to share some of their wealth and are (probably) long
> term
> > > givers.