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Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

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  • Originally posted by giwan View Post
    Does he get/have enough tools to improve the program enough? Why would a recruit come to NMU vs say Ferris State (add any school you want here)?
    Chicken dinner.


    Last I was made aware, the budget hasn't moved from the 2002 numbers.

    MQT has been fickle the last two decades. As pointed out, the fans b*tched about the Berry, so they adjust the leg room. No attendance change. They b*tched about lack of beer. They got it. No attendance change. They b*tched about the food. It was improved. No attendance change. They got a winning start to last season. No attendance change. They got a new video board. No attendance change.

    This is the same town that is on their *third* junior team in five years. And helped kill the Electricians at the same time.

    And they *still* whine about not having the Palestra.
    “Demolish the bridges behind you… then there is no choice but to build again.”

    Live Radio from 100.3

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    • Originally posted by aparch View Post
      Chicken dinner.


      Last I was made aware, the budget hasn't moved from the 2002 numbers.

      MQT has been fickle the last two decades. As pointed out, the fans b*tched about the Berry, so they adjust the leg room. No attendance change. They b*tched about lack of beer. They got it. No attendance change. They b*tched about the food. It was improved. No attendance change. They got a winning start to last season. No attendance change. They got a new video board. No attendance change.

      This is the same town that is on their *third* junior team in five years. And helped kill the Electricians at the same time.

      And they *still* whine about not having the Palestra.
      The town didn't kill the Electricians. Being forced out of their league did. The loss of the Fall Classic to tournaments in more convenient markets did. Nate tried like heck to recruit a team, but could not get enough players to make it go and the team folded.
      "The use of common sense and logic will not be tolerated and may result in fine and/or suspension."- Western Professional Hockey League By-laws. 1999-2000.

      Comment


      • Originally posted by davyd83 View Post
        Go back to the Russell era and check those attendance numbers. Or the Sertich era. Or Boxer, Brown, Nahrgang or Mancini. From the mid 90s until Mel's 3rd year, attendance was often less for a Tech-UMD game thand for a Houghton/ Hancock game at the Ice Arena. The year before Mel took over, they averaged 2100 of those die hards.
        As a percentage of the local population, the Copper Country outdraws 'metro' Marquette on a regular basis. And not necessarily because lots of people are attending in Houghton. Agreed, davyd?

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        • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

          Originally posted by davyd83 View Post
          Even when the team was off to a good start last year and 7-0-1 at home, they still only drew 1800.
          There is research that suggests that sports attendance, in general, lags sustained team success/failure by about a season or two, controlling for other factors. YMMV.

          GFM
          Geof F. Morris
          UAH BSE MAE 2002
          UAHHockey.com

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          • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

            Originally posted by aparch View Post
            Chicken dinner.


            Last I was made aware, the budget hasn't moved from the 2002 numbers.

            MQT has been fickle the last two decades. As pointed out, the fans b*tched about the Berry, so they adjust the leg room. No attendance change. They b*tched about lack of beer. They got it. No attendance change. They b*tched about the food. It was improved. No attendance change. They got a winning start to last season. No attendance change. They got a new video board. No attendance change.

            This is the same town that is on their *third* junior team in five years. And helped kill the Electricians at the same time.

            And they *still* whine about not having the Palestra.
            People in Marquette are weird. Trying to get people to live events can be rough. When I was at NMU, I started a student organization that puts on concerts. That organization is still around today and has been earmarked for a budget the past few years while NAE is no longer (college students dont want to see the Counting Crows and Train... end rant). It is sometimes very challenging to put on live entertainment and fill the house. You have to be VERY particular about when, where and who.

            One thing I learned, perception is key. If people perceive that its going to sell out... they show up. We would tailor our promotions to that key... urging people not to wait to get their tickets, etc. We also did a **** good job on the production side of things making sure people got a good show.

            I think NMU has the talent. Walt is a great coach. I think the Berry is offering a lot of great stuff now... food, beer and JUMBO TRONS!

            What is left? The promotion. If they know its not going to sell out, start giving tickets away to elementary schools. Their parents will buy tickets... they will buy food. Start giving tickets away to senior centers. Go to some of the outlying communities and offer a bus back and forth. I bet enough people in Escanaba would fill a bus a few times a year to come up to Marquette, booze up and watch some hockey, and have a safe trip back home. I dont know. These are just the first things that come to mind. However, I am convinced that if more people start showing up, the Cats will react to that.
            Go Cats!

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            • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

              Hockey rink size clarifications:

              International hockey rinks are 200' x 100' with 13' behind the goal to the boards whereas North American hockey rinks are 200' x 85' with 11' behind the goal to the boards.... The neutral zone on International rinks is 58' long and it it's 50' long on North American rinks.... Thanks to Davyd83 for the heads up on this issue!!!!!!!!!!!!

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              • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

                Originally posted by DonorRoomDrinker View Post
                Hockey rink size clarifications:

                International hockey rinks are 200' x 100' with 13' behind the goal to the boards whereas North American hockey rinks are 200' x 85' with 11' behind the goal to the boards.... The neutral zone on International rinks is 58' long and it it's 50' long on North American rinks.... Thanks to Davyd83 for the heads up on this issue!!!!!!!!!!!!
                I think you asked about how many D-I rinks are bigger than 200x85. USCHO's team pages have this information should you want to do the research.

                GFM
                Geof F. Morris
                UAH BSE MAE 2002
                UAHHockey.com

                Comment


                • Originally posted by noremorse1 View Post
                  People in Marquette are weird. Trying to get people to live events can be rough. When I was at NMU, I started a student organization that puts on concerts. That organization is still around today and has been earmarked for a budget the past few years while NAE is no longer (college students dont want to see the Counting Crows and Train... end rant). It is sometimes very challenging to put on live entertainment and fill the house. You have to be VERY particular about when, where and who.
                  I can attest to this as a current member of NAE. We bust our tails promotion wise and students still don't show. Our Dustin Lynch show in fall of 2015 in the BEC sold around 1,000 tickets. A little less than we expected but it was a Sunday night after Halloween with the Packers-Broncos game at the same time.

                  Our Papadosio show (after surveying campus) tanked a little too as we didn't get the ticket sales we expected. Students begged for a "jam band" genre and still didn't show. We had to consider moving it from Vandament to the Great Lakes Rooms but stuck with Vandament and walk-up sales were a little better. We thought we had a good date picked on a Thursday night where most would be done with classes for the week.

                  This past semester we had to go smaller and decided on a Second City comedy show (generally popular to campus in the past) and those two shows sold out on Family Weekend.

                  We have some solid ideas for this coming spring and are confident the name will bring a crowd.

                  I think the Athletic Department is headed in the right direction with promotion. I've seen several things this year I haven't seen in the past such as trying to push ticket deals and market student-athletes as "celebrities" on posters and such. It's just difficult to get the community out to events.

                  I wonder what toll an area high school playoff game, high school basketball game, the UP 200 or some other show/event has on NMU hockey when they're scheduled at the exact same time.

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                  • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

                    I always found it interesting that whenever State or Michigan came to town, half the "home" crowd would show up wearing Michigan or MSU gear.

                    In reality, if Alabama Huntsville dressed like Sparty or Minnesota State showed up in Maize & Blue, most of the crowd wouldn't know the difference were it not for the coach behind the bench. It's that **** big time logo on the sweater that's the draw, not the quality of the team.
                    "The use of common sense and logic will not be tolerated and may result in fine and/or suspension."- Western Professional Hockey League By-laws. 1999-2000.

                    Comment


                    • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

                      Originally posted by aparch View Post
                      Chicken dinner.


                      Last I was made aware, the budget hasn't moved from the 2002 numbers.

                      MQT has been fickle the last two decades. As pointed out, the fans b*tched about the Berry, so they adjust the leg room. No attendance change. They b*tched about lack of beer. They got it. No attendance change. They b*tched about the food. It was improved. No attendance change. They got a winning start to last season. No attendance change. They got a new video board. No attendance change.

                      This is the same town that is on their *third* junior team in five years. And helped kill the Electricians at the same time.

                      And they *still* whine about not having the Palestra.
                      Agree the town is fickle. Though the electrician demise was not one due to attendance.
                      I believe much stems from the tops in the city and nmu leadership. The city govt could careless about about hockey at all levels.

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by giwan View Post
                        Agree the town is fickle. Though the electrician demise was not one due to attendance.
                        I believe much stems from the tops in the city and nmu leadership. The city govt could careless about about hockey at all levels.
                        The city is barely able to keep Lakeview open. What can the city do?
                        "The use of common sense and logic will not be tolerated and may result in fine and/or suspension."- Western Professional Hockey League By-laws. 1999-2000.

                        Comment


                        • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

                          I attended Northern from 84-88. I love hockey, and I had season tickets all the way through my years as a student in Marquette. Student support was abysmal during that time. Of course, as the team got better, (leading to 1991), attendance improved, but I never had the feeling that a large percentage of students supported hockey at Northern. I know for some students it was the cost, and I don't recall the athletic department cutting students any slack, and it doesn't sound like that got any better. I really feel, however, that this new conference is going to continue hurt hockey at Northern and in the UP. We, as fans, not students, would get jacked when Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Minn Duluth would come to town. Never saw a Michigan or MSU at Lakeview, but that was a big deal. The reality is big name schools don't have to come up to the North to play us, and their unwillingness to do so actually makes them better (recruiting).
                          The reason I loved college hockey so much was big school-small school, didn't matter, we could play with anybody. This conference re-alignment was all about the big schools squeezing out the small schools so the games shift to larger fan venues, which is not going to happen in Marquette. I wish I could say the future looks bright in the UP for hockey, but the big hotshots don't have to play us anymore. Kinda tough to recruit a Hoby Baker candidate with that reality.
                          “They are a **** site better than the U.S. Army, at least we know that they will be there in the morning.”
                          – Lewis B. Chesty Puller
                          when a journalist asked him about being surrounded by 22. enemy divisions

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                          • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

                            Originally posted by davyd83 View Post
                            The city is barely able to keep Lakeview open. What can the city do?
                            They run Lakeview pooriy, saw how a previous city manager changed the accounting on the rental of the rink. Smaller cities and smaller associations offer better. Know this first hand all thru WI etc.

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                            • Re: Northern Michigan University Wildcats 2016-17 Season Thread: Gotta Get Up And Try

                              Originally posted by devildog View Post
                              I know for some students it was the cost, and I don't recall the athletic department cutting students any slack, and it doesn't sound like that got any better.
                              They made a huge improvement to that actually. Out of pocket cost to students for regular season games to any NMU game now is essentially zero. Each student pays an athletic fee as part of their tuition their first year. This gives them admittance to all regular season games with their student id card. I started at NMU in 99 and remember gathering soda cans up to get money for a ticket. Fast forward 2 seasons and I got to go to all the games and my parents picked up the bill with my tuition payment. Translated to more beer money for me!

                              I hope there is another huge realignment. I dont like the way the conferences are currently... and I dont think many of the teams in other conferences do either. I think Dave mentioned last season that the draw for the Big 10 Championship series has been in a steady decline each season since the first.
                              Go Cats!

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                              • Originally posted by noremorse1 View Post
                                They made a huge improvement to that actually. Out of pocket cost to students for regular season games to any NMU game now is essentially zero. Each student pays an athletic fee as part of their tuition their first year. This gives them admittance to all regular season games with their student id card. I started at NMU in 99 and remember gathering soda cans up to get money for a ticket. Fast forward 2 seasons and I got to go to all the games and my parents picked up the bill with my tuition payment. Translated to more beer money for me!

                                I hope there is another huge realignment. I dont like the way the conferences are currently... and I dont think many of the teams in other conferences do either. I think Dave mentioned last season that the draw for the Big 10 Championship series has been in a steady decline each season since the first.
                                The Big Ten isn't going away. Nor is the NCHC. The WCHA & AHA have basically been relegated to mid-major status. We're the MAC & Sun Belt of college hockey. Last year at the GLI, one of the best coaches ever in college hockey told me that the Big Ten was good for the Big Ten, but horrible for the rest of college hockey. Unfortunately, we're not going back. The loss of tournament revenue, increased travel and the loss of 8-10,000 tickets sold per year has hurt the leftovers. Tech, Bowling Green and Minnesota State have had improved alumni and Instututional support. The rest have had a difficult time closing the gap. Of the other schools, only Ferris has had much sustained success. There are serious budgetary issues at many of the other schools.
                                "The use of common sense and logic will not be tolerated and may result in fine and/or suspension."- Western Professional Hockey League By-laws. 1999-2000.

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