Where are the seat selection notices?

[bonwich]

A data point (and a slightly disconcerting one): As many of you know, my tickets have been in my dad's name for 30-some years, and my dad died about a year and a half ago. I've had the account at my address for years; I switched to my name and joined the Billiken Club earlier this year.

Last night my wife took a call asking for my dad wondering if he was going to renew his season tickets for this year.

I sure hope they're not "extending the deadline" for holders who didn't join the Billiken Club by the designated date.

[Major Majerus]

I certainly understand the problem of implementing new programs but they have had plenty of time to get this one off the desk and on the road. I have been delaying travel plans since my number last year was 305 and I could not take the chance that I might drop lower. The dates they announced for the first 300 to pick was when I was suppose to leave and I put all of that on semi hold waiting for this letter. They need to stop dicking around and get this letter out asap - my patience is running thin.

I left a message for Margo telling her my travel plans were on hold until I heard and asked for a return call or email to tell me my rank and whether I would pick on 6/4 or 5. She replied that the notices would be out this week...not yet, anyway.

[billiken_roy]

A data point (and a slightly disconcerting one): As many of you know, my tickets have been in my dad's name for 30-some years, and my dad died about a year and a half ago. I've had the account at my address for years; I switched to my name and joined the Billiken Club earlier this year.

Last night my wife took a call asking for my dad wondering if he was going to renew his season tickets for this year.

I sure hope they're not "extending the deadline" for holders who didn't join the Billiken Club by the designated date.

oh geez, talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. this is not good.

[davidnark]

I left a message for Margo telling her my travel plans were on hold until I heard and asked for a return call or email to tell me my rank and whether I would pick on 6/4 or 5. She replied that the notices would be out this week...not yet, anyway.

I called today to add a few more seats to my account. Margo is out of the office the rest of the week and has a recorded message saying seat notices will be mailed out this week. The ticket office guys then told me I should receive it "in a week or two."

[NashvilleBilliken]

I called today to add a few more seats to my account. Margo is out of the office the rest of the week and has a recorded message saying seat notices will be mailed out this week. The ticket office guys then told me I should receive it "in a week or two."

I'm a non-billiken club member and non-ticket season holder, but I find this whole thing to be completely unacceptable. They had what, 3 years to figure this whole thing out? Now they are at the last minute and the lady who is in charge of the whole thing went on vacation? On top of that, you have the ticket office saying it may even be 2 weeks before you get the notices? This just is bush league. You can't completely up the ante and operate like a grade school ticket office. It's pretty frustrating to see this go on and I wouldn't be surprised if it cost the U season tickets.

[Clock_Tower]

I'm a non-billiken club member and non-ticket season holder, but I find this whole thing to be completely unacceptable. They had what, 3 years to figure this whole thing out? Now they are at the last minute and the lady who is in charge of the whole thing went on vacation? On top of that, you have the ticket office saying it may even be 2 weeks before you get the notices? This just is bush league. You can't completely up the ante and operate like a grade school ticket office. It's pretty frustrating to see this go on and I wouldn't be surprised if it cost the U season tickets.

Nash. Please don't insult grade schools. Every grade I have been associated with have been run better than SLU's AD. For those of you who have not had personal contact with the Athletic Department (like I did for years) IMO, you just cannot believe how bad things are run. We have a new athletic director, a new coach, a new staff, new facilities, new commitment (so it appears) by Fr. Biondi but the same gang who can't shoot straight.

All I can guess and hope for is a clean sweep after the seats are selected and the first game is played. In fairness to AD May, I guess he decided to stick with the same team for continuity - for now. Then, if/when things go bad, new guys/girls can be brought, say they were not part of the old system, listen, smile and promise to do better in the future.

Call me Oliver Stone but I believe SLU is more concerned about raising money and not offending season ticket holders than following any rules they make or notion of fairness. I presumed SLU would have personally called every ticket holder who did not join the Billiken Club prior to April 4th and am not surprised with them doing the same now - after April 4th. We had a deadline last Summer/Fall which was quietly pushed back to April 4th. If only 6,000 seats will be bought and the place holds 10,600, no wonder phone calls are being made. Why not simply charge a $150 ticket application fee (1 time charge) and keep the same point system (why give priority to B-Club people over non-Club if all you need to do is pay them $150 this year) rather than make people join the B-Club to keep their position "priority" - especially if the B-Club will be automatic for all Blue, Gold and Red seat holders. Then again, what do I know.

[bauman]

I certainly understand the problem of implementing new programs but they have had plenty of time to get this one off the desk and on the road. I have been delaying travel plans since my number last year was 305 and I could not take the chance that I might drop lower. The dates they announced for the first 300 to pick was when I was suppose to leave and I put all of that on semi hold waiting for this letter. They need to stop dicking around and get this letter out asap - my patience is running thin.

Here I am Billiken fans, speaking to you from kshoe's cliff. Cheese and others, I have to agree with you-these notices will be received way too late for people who are trying to make some summer plans. How difficult is this process, really? On March 1st (or pick another date around that same timeframe) all of our points should have been totaled on a preliminary basis, only to be changed based on a contribution after that date. At best they probably received 5-10 contributions per day after that date. this prel. data base could have been updated by an intern for those post 3/1/08 contributions. On 4/4 all they would have needed to do was update for the last day or two---I'm assuming that they would have been checking the prel. data base at least weekly between 3/1 and 4/1. Bingo, on 4/6 or within a few days after that, they would have been able to finalize the prel. list. This isn't brain surgery-for the above to have NOT happened, I smell a rat.

In my work life I have handled many important date-sensitive projects. To mishandle this one is just unexcusable. I also do not believe Margo is the one in charge of this mess-I think we need to look no further than Mark Wright whose deeds fall far short of his words.

[Clock_Tower]

Here I am Billiken fans, speaking to you from kshoe's cliff. Cheese and others, I have to agree with you-these notices will be received way too late for people who are trying to make some summer plans. How difficult is this process, really? On March 1st (or pick another date around that same timeframe) all of our points should have been totaled on a preliminary basis, only to be changed based on a contribution after that date. At best they probably received 5-10 contributions per day after that date. this prel. data base could have been updated by an intern for those post 3/1/08 contributions. On 4/4 all they would have needed to do was update for the last day or two---I'm assuming that they would have been checking the prel. data base at least weekly between 3/1 and 4/1. Bingo, on 4/6 or within a few days after that, they would have been able to finalize the prel. list. This isn't brain surgery-for the above to have NOT happened, I smell a rat.

In my work life I have handled many important date-sensitive projects. To mishandle this one is just unexcusable. I also do not believe Margo is the one in charge of this mess-I think we need to look no further than Mark Wright whose deeds fall far short of his words.

Agreed. Margo is a nice lady but this is not her mess. This is Mark's baby and he has botched it from Day 1.

[1SLUFAN]

Agreed. Margo is a nice lady but this is not her mess. This is Mark's baby and he has botched it from Day 1.

Mark Wright is in charge of seat selection and he is less than honest. Would not be surprised if he gives preferential treatment to the Loyal Blue or whatever they are calling them and the rest will get the shaft. Does he not know the Debbie Yow story and how BAD that fateful day was for her? There are a lot of people out here that will hand Fr. Biondi Mark's head on a platter if he screws this whole thing up. He needs to go and Mr. May better better take a good hard look at Mark's poor ability to recognize the true loyal Bill's supporters.

Margo is a pawn and I would suspect a very frustrated one.

[Bill_Ken R]

Chris May has his work cut out for him. He would be wise to carefully evaluate Mark Wright. He has apparently offended a number of loyal fans and does not enjoy the trust of many. Not a good position for a person charged with fundraising for an athletic department at a Catholic university that needs to dramatically increase gifts. People giving large amounts of money are easily offended. Personally the whole situation with the required donations for the better seats has caused me to lose a lot of my enthusiasm for Billiken basketball. The university established the point system to get themselves out of a very difficult situation when the AD staff totally screwed up a previous seat selection process. It promised fairness and a reward for loyalty that could not be bought. The new system rewards loyalty IF you give enough money. There are a number of previously prominent Billiken fans who are giving up their season tickets after many, many years. I understand the need to raise more funds. I don't think a heavy lug on seats for a largely unsuccessful team is the way to do it. A smaller required donation to start, which could have been increased as the team became more successful under a quality coach, may have yielded a better result over the long haul. I have always been quite impressed that SLU had such a strong following for a team that didn't achieve much success. I think we should try to keep all those fans, but am not surprised that season ticket reservations are down significantly. I hate to say it but I don't have confidence that the selection process will be done fairly.

[mcglotherirvin]

i was told you couldn't simply switch tickets from one account to another. were you credited for having season tickets for 30 years though they were actually in your father's name?

A data point (and a slightly disconcerting one): As many of you know, my tickets have been in my dad's name for 30-some years, and my dad died about a year and a half ago. I've had the account at my address for years; I switched to my name and joined the Billiken Club earlier this year.

Last night my wife took a call asking for my dad wondering if he was going to renew his season tickets for this year.

I sure hope they're not "extending the deadline" for holders who didn't join the Billiken Club by the designated date.