Webergrad02
Active member
I saw this pic of the original hot dog on my Facebook. Look at how full the arena was. I don't think you can see an empty seat in the entire frame.
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Look how full the DEE was in 79 - 80
- Thread starter Webergrad02
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oldrunner
Active member
I'm having flashbacks.
Now there is an example of a PG who wasn't athletic, didn't shoot well, but man could he pass and run a team. He was a floor general, a coach on the floor. McCarthy, pretty much, just turned the team over to him in games. It didn't hurt that he had Bruce Collins and David Johnson to pass to. With a bunch of slow guys and one athlete, we were a good fast break team because of Mattos.
Now there is an example of a PG who wasn't athletic, didn't shoot well, but man could he pass and run a team. He was a floor general, a coach on the floor. McCarthy, pretty much, just turned the team over to him in games. It didn't hurt that he had Bruce Collins and David Johnson to pass to. With a bunch of slow guys and one athlete, we were a good fast break team because of Mattos.
Webergrad02
Active member
Let me guess, he wasn't required to stop the fast break and look over at the dam flash card?
oldrunner
Active member
In those days, they had a general game plan that would involve two or three defenses and three or four offensive sets. If they needed to make in game adjustments, a time out was called. McCarthy always said that it wasn't so much the Xs and Os, as it was the Jims and Joes. Ron was similar in his approach, but would have more options on D and O than McCarthy did. Randy seems to have less options on D and more on O. It's really just coaching styles. Although, I would rather that they run 'early O' for 10 to 15 seconds before they go to the play cards. You're right, it just seems to slow the game, when it's not needed.
SWWeatherCat
Active member
webergrad02 said:I saw this pic of the original hot dog on my Facebook. Look at how full the arena was. I don't think you can see an empty seat in the entire frame.
Been there, lived that! Good times. Huge crowds. That is still my favorite all-time team-- there have been many player favorites in recent times but it's tough to beat those five together. Although I truly appreciate hard-nosed defensive teams, Coach A's teams were probably the most entertaining to me.
It is about time, that we start the annual bash on marketing. YES...beat that dead horse a few more times!! For whatever reason our athletic director (who I am a big fan of) doesn't realize that marketing is a joke, and that change is desperately needed. NOW is the time for athletics to start making plans for summer marketing. THE SUMMER is the times when season tkts are sold. Every chance the department gets to speak to groups, be seen in the community, take part in events, fairs, etc should be taken and used. There is no reason why the Dee shouldn't be fuller than it is. It is pretty pathetic that an entire summer is wasted practically every year and that the department is running around at the end of August trying to get something done. Now is the time to plan with student organizations so that when the students return the students support their teams.
I was really young, but I remember the Dee in the early 80s. Mostly the 83-84 season. That is when I became a Wildcat for life. Loved those crowds.
I was really young, but I remember the Dee in the early 80s. Mostly the 83-84 season. That is when I became a Wildcat for life. Loved those crowds.
oldrunner
Active member
:wall:
I've beat that horse a few times myself. And, I always want to see more from marketing. More to the students than anywhere else. Quite literally, the students are the future of this whole thing anyway. However, I have seen improvements in marketing over the past few years. I think they have tried a few new things and have had some successes along the way. Over the past 7 to 8 years we have had a steady increase in attendance at athletic events and there has been some signs that the student body is beginning to awaken from a long slumber. I'm happy, as long as we continue to show improvements each year. The potential is soooooo huge. We just need to keep running with this ball. Who know where it will take us. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
I've beat that horse a few times myself. And, I always want to see more from marketing. More to the students than anywhere else. Quite literally, the students are the future of this whole thing anyway. However, I have seen improvements in marketing over the past few years. I think they have tried a few new things and have had some successes along the way. Over the past 7 to 8 years we have had a steady increase in attendance at athletic events and there has been some signs that the student body is beginning to awaken from a long slumber. I'm happy, as long as we continue to show improvements each year. The potential is soooooo huge. We just need to keep running with this ball. Who know where it will take us. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Webergrad02
Active member
I will wait a few weeks before I start in on the marketing tirade. I would love to see students involved with the in-game promotions and also the broadcast. Lets get some students involved in what we are tying to accomplish.
The thing I love about this pic of Mattos, is that the arena is really full in a corner that doesn't get that full now.
The thing I love about this pic of Mattos, is that the arena is really full in a corner that doesn't get that full now.
oldrunner
Active member
Montana fans truly hated Mark Mattos.When we beat them, up there, he skipped around the arena, pumping his fist in the air. The more they booed, the more he did it. When they started throwing things, his team mates ushered him off the floor or he would have stayed out there, soaking in the love, all night. I loved it!
ballplayerz
Active member
There is no marketing this summer. all interns are gone. Talking to them apparently there pay is set up some way that they dont need them in the summers so they are free to find work elsewhere til the fall and football starts. There is no marketing and there will be nothing better this year unless one man is gone.
The only reason the attendance has gone up is because the teams have been good. The marketing has SUCKED and will continue to suck until they get someone in office that knows what they are doing.
The only reason the attendance has gone up is because the teams have been good. The marketing has SUCKED and will continue to suck until they get someone in office that knows what they are doing.
ballplayerz said:
Disappointing, but true! Weber players and coaches deserve better than this. It's really not that hard to sell a winning program, but you at least have to try! I went to a game at Creighton and the whole city of Omaha was into Creighton basketball! Everywhere you went was a poster or billboard. Going to a game was an event! Ogden/Utah can do better in its support of the Wildcats!
We have a second rate marketing team that just doesn't feel the need to do a good job! With all the tools available on Social Media it seems that we are lost to what we need to do!
Those were fun times! We had season tickets when the DEC first opened and I remember going to the games as a 9-10-11 year old. The DEC was consistently packed, always close to sold out during those seasons. That was a special team also that the whole Ogden area embraced. Of course, back then college basketball was king in Utah. The Jazz were not in SLC yet and when they first moved to SLC they were horrible, struggled for attendance and did not have the following they have now. Also, college football was not as popular as it is now in Utah. BYU football was good and popular but the other universities were still basketball schools primarily. Unfortunately for Weber Hoops, we must now compete with fairly successful college football programs in the area, plus the rise of popularity of college football in Utah and a fairly loyal fan base for the Jazz. So the extra effort in marketing is needed to compete for the entertainment dollars and loyalty of these fans.
Having said that, I'm not sure what the studentbody size of Weber was in 1980, but I know the studentbody is much larger now than 1980 and even when I was a student in the early to mid 90's. Also the population of the Ogden/North Davis County area is much larger than in 1980. So you would think when the team is successful that we could still get a consistent 8,000 - 10,000 attendance. But as the team continues to have success in the next few years maybe we'll get the attendance back to that.
I'll tell you though, after having watched college basketball games in many different arena's, there is nothing like the DEC when it's packed and the Wildcats get on a roll. It's electric!
Having said that, I'm not sure what the studentbody size of Weber was in 1980, but I know the studentbody is much larger now than 1980 and even when I was a student in the early to mid 90's. Also the population of the Ogden/North Davis County area is much larger than in 1980. So you would think when the team is successful that we could still get a consistent 8,000 - 10,000 attendance. But as the team continues to have success in the next few years maybe we'll get the attendance back to that.
I'll tell you though, after having watched college basketball games in many different arena's, there is nothing like the DEC when it's packed and the Wildcats get on a roll. It's electric!
oldrunner
Active member
I agree, Zona. The Dee Event Center is a jewel. The student body and community are spoiled. What we have is better than 95% of the rest of the NCAA. At UCLA last year, a newly renovated pavilion wasn't close to being as nice as the Dee. I also believe that we will return to the attendance level of the 80s. To me, they key is continuing to stoke the fire under the students. I was a student in the 70s. The enrollment was not much more than 10,000. Today's enrollment is better than 25,000. We need to make it easier for the nontraditional students to attend with their whole families and for all students to attend with more non-students of their choice. I feel it is realistic to set a goal of 10% attendance from the students.
