Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

That is very cool. When I went to Ferris, it seemed like nobody know about this site. I guess the word is out.

As far as the game times are concerned, I have still not heard anything resembling a legitimate reason to continue this nonsense. "some people like it and some people don't" does not work for me. You could apply that logic to any decision ever made. ever.

Well, so far, the some people that don't like it aren't going to the games on Saturday evenings. When the same team is in town for both Friday and Saturday night, attendance is off exactly 20% (1,505 avg. vs 1,204) on Saturday. As I have said before, I do not believe that this is a coincidence. And no, I don't think that it has anything to do with the weak schedule we had early on.

Now, then. I do expect attendance to pick up on both nights the rest of the way, given this team's performance so far this season. However, I do believe that this will be due solely to the fact that this team is 13-3-2, and not because of a 5 PM start.

I'm not signing up, but I'm guessing that there is a comment section in the online version of the Pioneer, and it's also my guess that my quotes (and my intelligence) are probably being taken apart like a rusty '78 Datsun.

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

It's obvious that others are reading this site, and this thread, so I might as well address this here and now. As for quoting anything I have to say here for a newspaper, here is my position:

Go for it. Help yourself. I said it, it came from my keyboard. I'll wear it. All I ask is that you keep it in a reasonable context, and we're fine. I'm stunned that a knucklehead like me gets quoted in a newspaper, but that's something I'll have to deal with.

[SportsTalk51]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

They would also like to expand the 'home-and-away' series, probably with BGSU and ND. We already do it with MSU, um, and WMU. Note, I'm not calling it a 'home-and-home' series, as I look at it just from one fan's perspective, mine! So why not LSSU? They are only four hours away.

They have to do the home and homes in cluster pairs. Example - Michigan and Michigan State. They couldn't do it with one and not the other because it would make for an uneven number of home and away CCHA games. They can do it with Western because they always play them four times. If they went to a home and home with Lake State, they would also have to do it with Northern. That's why they are saying Notre Dame and Bowling Green, because they are paired together. BG is kind of pushing it from Big Rapids for a home and home, but I'm sure they'd take it to get Notre Dame to Big Rapids each year instead of just every other.

[UMICHhockeyRULZ]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

It's obvious that others are reading this site, and this thread, so I might as well address this here and now. As for quoting anything I have to say here for a newspaper, here is my position:

Go for it. Help yourself. I said it, it came from my keyboard. I'll wear it. All I ask is that you keep it in a reasonable context, and we're fine. I'm stunned that a knucklehead like me gets quoted in a newspaper, but that's something I'll have to deal with.

Get off your high horse. It's not like it was a major publication, just a local rag of a small time publication that has a very miniscule distribution list. That being said, congratulations (just don't let it go to your head). You're still nothing outside of Big Rapids.

[bigmrg74]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

It's obvious that others are reading this site, and this thread, so I might as well address this here and now. As for quoting anything I have to say here for a newspaper, here is my position:

Go for it. Help yourself. I said it, it came from my keyboard. I'll wear it. All I ask is that you keep it in a reasonable context, and we're fine. I'm stunned that a knucklehead like me gets quoted in a newspaper, but that's something I'll have to deal with.

Not bad for a Clinton High grad....

[hattrick16]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Now, then. I do expect attendance to pick up on both nights the rest of the way, given this team's performance so far this season. However, I do believe that this will be due solely to the fact that this team is 13-3-2, and not because of a 5 PM start.

The team's performance will certainly increase attendance, not to mention the "higher profile" teams we'll be playing (MSU, UM, and Miami).

I also think some of the uptick in attendance could be because we will no longer be competing against college football and only a couple NFL playoff games (and obviously no Lion games).

It would be nice if the athletic department could actually point to some statistics somewhere that show how 5 PM starts increase attendance. But instead we just get these uninformed assumptions that "some people like them and some people don't."

They should find a way to give away all the remaining tickets to games in order to benefit from the increase in concession revenue.

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

It would be nice if the athletic department could actually point to some statistics somewhere that show how 5 PM starts increase attendance. But instead we just get these uninformed assumptions that "some people like them and some people don't."

They won't because they can't. I've already pointed out the attendance totals to date. For about the 40th time, outside of the WMU game, which is a statistical outlier until we get further evidence, the average attendance is down exactly 20% on Saturdays.

[hattrick16]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

They won't because they can't. I've already pointed out the attendance totals to date. For about the 40th time, outside of the WMU game, which is a statistical outlier until we get further evidence, the average attendance is down exactly 20% on Saturdays.

I get that and I don't question your statistics. I'm just curious what led to this change to begin with? Are they making these decisions based on a whim? Or, have they seen evidence that this has worked elsewhere?

Regardless, your numbers prove it is not working at Ewigleben.

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

I'm just curious what led to this change to begin with? Are they making these decisions based on a whim? Or, have they seen evidence that this has worked elsewhere?

Now this, I would love to see.

It would be much different if attendance was flat. At least then they could make the argument that it didn't have any effect on the gate. If attendance was better, they could start the games at 7 AM and have the students tailgating and having Kegs and Eggs for breakfast for all I care.

There are exactly two home series left: Miami and NMU. Everything else is either home-and-home or on the road completely. I am curious about the Miami attendance, due to the fact that this could be a tiebreaker situation for the CCHA title two months from now, and the Saturday game is a 5:05 start. The NMU series, I believe, is 7:05 for both nights. In both cases I'm curious about how the attendance compares between Friday and Saturday.

[hanasoni]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

I think it has more to do with 'travelers' having a head start on a long ride home, more specifically, the other team and our players' family members. Might even have something to do with these 'home-and-away' series; play us 'home-and-away' and we'll set the Saturday game at 5 PM so we all get home two hours earlier.

Don't know, just a thought??

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Well, other than the two home series, the only Saturday home game we have the rest of the way is Michigan. That's a 7 PM start, and if that's not sold out, something is wrong, especially this year. The other two games, MSU and WMU, are both Friday night games.

Oh, and our Saturday road games the rest of the way are 7PM starts, with the exception of MSU, which is a 5:05 game. East Lansing is a whopping 2 hours away. The Notre Dame game on Sunday is an early start, but I can certainly understand that, as it's Sunday. At Ferris we've had 7 PM starts for at least 17 years, and no one else other than MSU appears to be doing this. I suspect that there is a good reason why that is the case.

[CCHAfan]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Get off your high horse. It's not like it was a major publication, just a local rag of a small time publication that has a very miniscule distribution list. That being said, congratulations (just don't let it go to your head). You're still nothing outside of Big Rapids.

Really? It was just made clear that the Pioneer is reading this, and your going to say something like that. I'm sure that will make them feel real good with their Job right now in their life.

Of course the Distribution list is not like the Detroit Free Press or the New York times, but I bet you would be surprised with how many people pick the Pioneer up.

[CCHAfan]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Well, other than the two home series, the only Saturday home game we have the rest of the way is Michigan. That's a 7 PM start, and if that's not sold out, something is wrong, especially this year. The other two games, MSU and WMU, are both Friday night games.

Oh, and our Saturday road games the rest of the way are 7PM starts, with the exception of MSU, which is a 5:05 game. East Lansing is a whopping 2 hours away. The Notre Dame game on Sunday is an early start, but I can certainly understand that, as it's Sunday. At Ferris we've had 7 PM starts for at least 17 years, and no one else other than MSU appears to be doing this. I suspect that there is a good reason why that is the case.

I'm pretty sure the Michigan Home and Home series on January 22nd/23rd are both at 8:00pm because of CBS College Sports Televising the game.

[hanasoni]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

Makes more sense to be consistent, so there's no confusion. Everyone knows what time the games are!

Just to prove a point, check out Ferris' new ticket special (Great idea, but I had to go to the CCHA website, then to Ferris' section to find out about it):
http://ferrisstatebulldogs.com/sport...stretchspecial

Check the NMU dates; in one spot it's 7:35 PM, and in another spot it's 5:05 PM. Now that's confusion.

And the same for the um games on Saturday, Jan 23; one's at 8 PM, the other listing shows 5 PM.

[Hammer]

Re: Ferris State Hockey 2009-10 - 2 minutes for slashing

I'm guessing that the NMU game is a 7:35 start, due to FSD carrying it.

As for the game at Yost, I need to know what time that one is, because that's likely to be the only time I see this team play live.