thunderdan Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 I’ve never seen the Billikens outside of St. Louis, but I think this is the year where I venture outside of our fair city to see a few games. Anyone else make yearly trips for road games? If so, where are your favorite (or frequent) destinations? Where are you going this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 I go to Davidson games. I plan on going to Auburn this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowry Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 The wife and I usually go to one out of town game. But there aren’t really any within driving distance so we probably won’t go this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 It has been hard the last few years. We have scheduled very few regional road games and we lost our closest conference mates. When we were in the MCC, Great Midwest and CUSA I went to a ton of road games, at least two a year. A couple season I did as many as 8 if you count conference tourneys. I was looking forward to the SIUC road game but that will have to wait. There are no other non conference road games that are even remotely doable for me. The game at Loyola should be awesome. As soon as single game tickets go on sale I am there. Can we get 1,000 Billikens fans up there? I like to go to Dayton games but their crowds have gotten pretty rowdy in the past ten years or so. It is not family friendly for opposing fans and your better off if you go at least 3 guys deep. I've gotten into fights the last 3 times I've been to Dayton. Even the old sweater wearing women will heckle you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowry Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 5 minutes ago, thetorch said: I like to go to Dayton games but their crowds have gotten pretty rowdy in the past ten years or so. It is not family friendly for opposing fans and your better off if you go at least 3 guys deep. I've gotten into fights the last 3 times I've been to Dayton. Even the old sweater wearing women will heckle you. Young Charles likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderdan Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 36 minutes ago, thetorch said: It has been hard the last few years. We have scheduled very few regional road games and we lost our closest conference mates. When we were in the MCC, Great Midwest and CUSA I went to a ton of road games, at least two a year. A couple season I did as many as 8 if you count conference tourneys. I was looking forward to the SIUC road game but that will have to wait. There are no other non conference road games that are even remotely doable for me. The game at Loyola should be awesome. As soon as single game tickets go on sale I am there. Can we get 1,000 Billikens fans up there? I like to go to Dayton games but their crowds have gotten pretty rowdy in the past ten years or so. It is not family friendly for opposing fans and your better off if you go at least 3 guys deep. I've gotten into fights the last 3 times I've been to Dayton. Even the old sweater wearing women will heckle you. Yeah, I was looking forward to SIUC, but I can wait till next year. I’m totally planning on Loyola, though! Is there a way to buy tickets through SLU (for road games), to ensure that we sit in the Billiken-friendly section? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billikenbooster Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 Last year wife and I drove to Pittsburg for the game. Stayed within walking distance of the venue, the trains are great. Walked around Heinz Field (whatever they call it now). Multiple great eateries there. Met Taj, cgeldmacher had a large group there. Had a blast! Flew alone to Philly. Stayed with family. Drove over to LaSalle. If someone sneezed on one side of the court, someone on the other side of the court would say God bless you. The LaSalle coach dropped an Fbomb on the bench at a ref....everyone heard it, he had to T him up! Hilarious! Would not recommend the venue. Bad section of town. Plan to see St Joe's this year, if the schedule allows it. Of course, Loyola. AD should have some buses going for this one. mhg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 15 hours ago, thetorch said: It has been hard the last few years. We have scheduled very few regional road games and we lost our closest conference mates. When we were in the MCC, Great Midwest and CUSA I went to a ton of road games, at least two a year. A couple season I did as many as 8 if you count conference tourneys. I was looking forward to the SIUC road game but that will have to wait. There are no other non conference road games that are even remotely doable for me. The game at Loyola should be awesome. As soon as single game tickets go on sale I am there. Can we get 1,000 Billikens fans up there? I like to go to Dayton games but their crowds have gotten pretty rowdy in the past ten years or so. It is not family friendly for opposing fans and your better off if you go at least 3 guys deep. I've gotten into fights the last 3 times I've been to Dayton. Even the old sweater wearing women will heckle you. Back in the day the Tip-Off club would do bus trips to the Carbondale game. Seemed like it was always during the week. Not too many happy rides home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrettJollyComedyHour Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 I've been to Richmond, but that was only because I was on the women's tournament trip in Richmond 2017. Richmond definitely has a southern college vibe to them, the arena is next to a literal fraternity/sorority row. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgstl Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 Been to Fordham, it’s the easiest. Will be going to Loyola this year for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FromDaEastSide Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 Did the Philly double in 2020 prior to the shut down, was a great time and saw the Gola swimming pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 3 hours ago, willie said: Back in the day the Tip-Off club would do bus trips to the Carbondale game. Seemed like it was always during the week. Not too many happy rides home. The 89 trip was great. That was a really good game. The trip down to carbondale in 94-95 and 97-98 were also great. That 97-98 team was my first year of college and I somehow went to 5 road games, both CUSA tourney games and both NCAA tourney games along with all the home games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbj14 Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 19 hours ago, thetorch said: It has been hard the last few years. We have scheduled very few regional road games and we lost our closest conference mates. When we were in the MCC, Great Midwest and CUSA I went to a ton of road games, at least two a year. A couple season I did as many as 8 if you count conference tourneys. I was looking forward to the SIUC road game but that will have to wait. There are no other non conference road games that are even remotely doable for me. The game at Loyola should be awesome. As soon as single game tickets go on sale I am there. Can we get 1,000 Billikens fans up there? I like to go to Dayton games but their crowds have gotten pretty rowdy in the past ten years or so. It is not family friendly for opposing fans and your better off if you go at least 3 guys deep. I've gotten into fights the last 3 times I've been to Dayton. Even the old sweater wearing women will heckle you. The Chicago contingent of Billiken alumni and fans are ready to go. Hope we get a blue sea in Gentile every season here on out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 38 minutes ago, thetorch said: The 89 trip was great. That was a really good game. The trip down to carbondale in 94-95 and 97-98 were also great. That 97-98 team was my first year of college and I somehow went to 5 road games, both CUSA tourney games and both NCAA tourney games along with all the home games. Our away record of 8 -17 says there were a lot of sad rides. The Larry Hughes comeback was not one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 32 minutes ago, willie said: Our away record of 8 -17 says there were a lot of sad rides. The Larry Hughes comeback was not one of them. In the 80s and 90s we were 4-5 in Carbondale. Not too shabby considering for the most part they were a better program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 Assuming NYC isn't Chinese Flu virus nuts and the city violence has tamed down, we will likely go to the conference tourney again this upcoming season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 8 minutes ago, billiken_roy said: Assuming NYC isn't Chinese Flu virus nuts and the city virus has tamed down will likely go to the conference tourney again this upcoming season. Just watch out for the monkey pox................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post cgeldmacher Posted July 26, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted July 26, 2022 On 7/22/2022 at 7:36 PM, thunderdan said: I’ve never seen the Billikens outside of St. Louis, but I think this is the year where I venture outside of our fair city to see a few games. Anyone else make yearly trips for road games? If so, where are your favorite (or frequent) destinations? Where are you going this year? I have a group that has gone to a road game 9 of the last 10 years. It is a group of guys that were all at SLU at the same time in the 90s and in the same fraternity. We have gone to Butler twice, Dayton three times, VCU, Fordam, St. Joes, and Duquesne, last year. I have met several guys from this board at the games including Pistol (years ago), Taj, and Billiken Booster. We normally has 6-10 guys go, but last year we had 17 in Pittsburgh. The biggest factor in a road trip, at least for my group, is finding out what road games will be on a Saturday. Weekday games will not work for my group. As a result, I am usually anxiously awaiting the final scheduled to determine what games will be options. Here are my thoughts about several A-10 destinations to give you a little insight into Billiken Road Tripping: Dayton - Not much to do in Dayton, so I recommend staying in Cincinnati and commuting the 50 minutes or so north for the game. Dayton Arena is, in my opinion, one of the worst to visit in the A-10. There are very few seats behind each basket and then huge, seemingly endless seats on the sidelines. The seats you can get as a Billiken fan will be very high up on the sides. You will feel like you are in the upper deck at a dome you will be so far away from the court. A positive is that there is usually a nice contingent of Billiken fans at the Dayton away game. The Dayton fans are tolerant of Billiken fans, but not friendly. St. Joe's/LaSalle - I put these two together, because they are both in Philadelphia. Philly has a reputation for rough people and difficult fans if you are cheering for the road team. I disagree. The fans and St. Joe were very pleasant. As long as your not being a jerk, the Philly fans will treat you well and be friendly. Talk A-10 basketball with the people around you and you'll be fine. Philly is a great town to visit with a lot of history. We hit the bars in South Philly and found that the City of Brotherly Love distinction was more accurate than the stereotypes of people from Philly. It was a very fun trip. GW/George Mason/VCU/Richmond - I group these together, because GW is in downtown D.C., GM is in Fairfax, VA, just outside of DC, and VCU and Richmond are both in Richmond, VA (90 miles south). Since Richmond can be difficult to get to, I would suggest staying in D.C. and commuting to the game. D.C., obviously, has a ton of history and cool things to see. When we went, for the VCU game, we stayed in D.C. at a hotel that was basically on GW's campus. We didn't choose it because of GW. We choose it, because it was walking distance from the National Mall and all the cool stuff that D.C. has to offer a tourist. D.C. is also a fun town. I would recommend the Georgetown area for bar hopping. Many great restaurants in D.C. as well. Fordham - This was one of my favorite trips. We stayed in Manhattan and took the subway to the game. Their gym is very small and, in my opinion, a blast to visit. We got seats in the first row under one of the baskets for $5.00 a seat on a group deal. Best deal we've ever gotten. The fans were the best to interact with also, because there are so few of them and because they don't expect to win. As road fans showing up as a group to Rose Hill, we were a novelty. Everyone wanted to talk to us. They complimented our team throughout the game. After the game, a group of fans we were talking with inside chased us down outside and invited us to the bar they hang out in after the games that is under the gym. I will warn you that the subway drops you off about a mile from the campus and gym and the walk is through areas that most tourists avoid. I didn't feel in danger at any point, but it wasn't the best neighborhood in town. Consider talking an Uber to and from the subway station. As far as Manhattan, that speaks for itself as far as other stuff to do while on your Billiken trip. St. Bonaventure/Umass/Rhode Island - Never been to these places, and may not end up going to them. I say this, because they are hard to get to. Bonaventure is, infamously, in the middle of nowhere. UMass is not near Boston and is actually closer to Hartford, although still over an hour away. Rhode Island might be doable if there were easy flights into Providence, but I have never seen any from St. Louis. Davidson - Haven't been to Davidson either, but it is on my list of places to eventually see a Billiken game. Davidson, NC is 25 minutes north of downtown Charlotte, NC. If you want a game where you are not going to freeze most of the trip, this is the A-10 road destination for you. I don't know much about the city, but want to visit for a Billiken game soon. Duquesne - Duquesne is walking distance from downtown Pittsburgh (probably a 15 minute walk). Downtown Pittsburgh is great, because it is a self-contained little peninsula created by the rivers. Tons of great restaurants and bars in the area. The arena is new and shockingly small for a brand new facility. The fans were, the best way I could say it is, strange. They did not want to engage in talking with us at all. They barely cheer for their own team for that matter. Our 17 guys were louder during introductions that the entire rest of the crowd was for their home team. Lot of sitting on hands and not really paying attention to the game by the home fans. Then, when we would make noise for the Billikens, we got strange looks. Loyola - Brand new to the conference and a new road trip destination. Because of this, my group has not yet been there. Loyola is not in downtown Chicago. It is north of downtown. It is actually closer to Northwestern in Evanston than it is to the Loop or Magnificent Mile area. If you stay in downtown Chicago, it will be a 40 minute ride on the Red Line to get the the stop that is closest to the arena. That being said, it might be worth it. Chicago is a fun town. Let me know if you end up going to a game. If my group is at the same game, we can meet up and hang out. BuiltFordBills, majerus mojo, Pistol and 9 others like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 The Airforce museum in Dayton is something you should not miss. If you have any interest in aviation at all, it's a waste to go to Dayton and not go there too...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old guy Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 Two points I want to make about Dayton. 1. The Air Force Museum is definitely a place to go to when in Dayton, particularly if you are traveling with young kids. I know no place that comes close to it other than the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in DC. 2. It they seat you in the nose bleed seats at the arena, you could think of bringing an inexpensive small pair of binoculars, you can get them at Cabela's they have a wide selection. This might make watching the game a lot more enjoyable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 The air museum at Pennsicola is fantastic. Plus that is the home base of the blue angels. Catch a day they are on base you're getting a free air show when they practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 11 minutes ago, billiken_roy said: The air museum at Pennsicola is fantastic. Plus that is the home base of the blue angels. Catch a day they are on base you're getting a free air show when they practice. If air force bases are your thing, that's probably the main attraction in Dayton, as well. Huge museum connected to Wright-Patterson AFB, kid friendly. Dayton isn't the greatest trip but if anyone ever needs recommendations I can be a resource. I live an hour south of UD Arena. UD Arena, the football and baseball stadium, and their parking lots are wedged between the highway and the river, and a few seasons ago they switched parking rules so that only passholders are allowed to park in the lot that surrounds the arena. Visitors have to park behind the Marriott across the river and either walk 15 minutes or take a shuttle. It's a horrible arrangement. There used to be a visitor lot on the other side of the highway (not river), much closer, for $5 but now whoever owns the land decided to just let it sit vacant instead of making any money off of it. Dayton fans are basically 1. the students, who always show up in force, 2. the alums who still live in SW Ohio and have season tickets, and 3. the general population of Dayton. Those are the ones I seem to have the most trouble with when I visit. I don't sit by the students and am used to obnoxious opposing students. But I manage to have at least one weird encounter with some local yahoo every time I go up there, which is every season. If I'm being completely honest, I've always envied the consistent support UD gets from students and Dayton in general, but man, it makes for a much different crowd than you'd encounter at Richmond or Davidson. CBFan likes this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills By 40 Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 13 hours ago, cgeldmacher said: I have a group that has gone to a road game 9 of the last 10 years. It is a group of guys that were all at SLU at the same time in the 90s and in the same fraternity. We have gone to Butler twice, Dayton three times, VCU, Fordam, St. Joes, and Duquesne, last year. I have met several guys from this board at the games including Pistol (years ago), Taj, and Billiken Booster. We normally has 6-10 guys go, but last year we had 17 in Pittsburgh. The biggest factor in a road trip, at least for my group, is finding out what road games will be on a Saturday. Weekday games will not work for my group. As a result, I am usually anxiously awaiting the final scheduled to determine what games will be options. Did y'all take the charter bus to Butler in December 2017? We had a large family group on that trip and despite the as$ whooping it was fun - I specifically remember that being the first game that Hinkle ever sold beer at. We try to make as many away games as we can but it all depends on the schedule. Last year we went to Memphis, we've been to SIUC, Butler, and others I'm surely forgetting. Looking forward to annual Chicago trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old guy Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 4 minutes ago, Pistol said: If air force bases are your thing, that's probably the main attraction in Dayton, as well. Huge museum connected to Wright-Patterson AFB, kid friendly. Dayton isn't the greatest trip but if anyone ever needs recommendations I can be a resource. I live an hour south of UD Arena. UD Arena, the football and baseball stadium, and their parking lots are wedged between the highway and the river, and a few seasons ago they switched parking rules so that only passholders are allowed to park in the lot that surrounds the arena. Visitors have to park behind the Marriott across the river and either walk 15 minutes or take a shuttle. It's a horrible arrangement. There used to be a visitor lot on the other side of the highway (not river), much closer, for $5 but now whoever owns the land decided to just let it sit vacant instead of making any money off of it. Dayton fans are basically 1. the students, who always show up in force, 2. the alums who still live in SW Ohio and have season tickets, and 3. the general population of Dayton. Those are the ones I seem to have the most trouble with when I visit. I don't sit by the students and am used to obnoxious opposing students. But I manage to have at least one weird encounter with some local yahoo every time I go up there, which is every season. If I'm being completely honest, I've always envied the consistent support UD gets from students and Dayton in general, but man, it makes for a much different crowd than you'd encounter at Richmond or Davidson. I believe the land you are referring to, located between the UD campus and the river, was once owned by NCR which was headquartered there. There was a beautiful carrillion located I believe on the side of the industrial plant, which I have no idea if it is still there or not. NCR ceased to exist as an independent company and eventually shifted their products from electromechanical products to electronic ones, before disappearing altogether. As the transition occurred this land or a huge piece of it was transferred to the University. They own it, I believe this is the case but may be wrong. The local yahoos resent the fact that they lost their high paying skilled jobs and had nothing to replace them with in the area. Dayton lost a lot of jobs and revenue. This happened elsewhere in Ohio like in Youngstown which still has not recovered from the loss of the steel industry. The same applies to Gary Indiana, and Alton IL. The locals in these cities tend to be less than friendly to outsiders which are still resented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted July 26, 2022 Share Posted July 26, 2022 10 minutes ago, Old guy said: I believe the land you are referring to, located between the UD campus and the river, was once owned by NCR which was headquartered there. There was a beautiful carrillion located I believe on the side of the industrial plant, which I have no idea if it is still there or not. NCR ceased to exist as an independent company and eventually shifted their products from electromechanical products to electronic ones, before disappearing altogether. As the transition occurred this land or a huge piece of it was transferred to the University. They own it, I believe this is the case but may be wrong. The local yahoos resent the fact that they lost their high paying skilled jobs and had nothing to replace them with in the area. Dayton lost a lot of jobs and revenue. This happened elsewhere in Ohio like in Youngstown which still has not recovered from the loss of the steel industry. The same applies to Gary Indiana, and Alton IL. The locals in these cities tend to be less than friendly to outsiders which are still resented. That's a different piece of land than what I'm referring to. There's a wedge-shaped empty lot behind the Burger King on the corner - just walk under the highway overpass from UD Arena and it's on the north side of the road. This lot is not being used for anything and used to be cheap, easy parking for those of us located south of Dayton. NCR is/was on the other side of the river. I know Dayton has hit hard times and didn't feel like getting into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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