davidnark Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 -The arena design looks great; it will blend perfectly into campus. Hopefully, this will mean the end of the ugly astroturf on Laclede between Compton and Grand. -I drove by the site yesterday; I have two minor concerns: One, parking is going to require some effort (although that doesn't bother me too much). By my count, there won't be a garage or lot within a few hundred yards of the arena. Two, there does not appear to be any good spots within a block of the arena for a good bar/restaurant. The site is landlocked by SLU and Harris Stowe on three sides, and Forest Park Pkwy/Hwy 40 is on the fourth side. -The Dog and Pony Show put on by Biondi was great, but haven't we been stuck on $10 million for about four months? The reports indicated that (i) they won't break ground until at least $20 (and maybe the full $40) million is raised, (ii) construction will take at least 22 months, and (iii) they want to open the arena in 20 months. Am I that bad at math or does something not add up here? -I assume that the bulk of the season ticket holders will receive seats based upon the current point system. I also assume that the first few courtside rows will be reserved for big, big donors. Billiken Roy, fear not, there aren't hundreds of millionaire closet SLU fans waiting to write big checks to steal your seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 i have no problem with deserving big donors going in front of me. i applaud those that truly are difference makers in this project. what i will be po'd about is the guy that pays 10k for 4 psl's and moves ahead of me even though he has never given one dime to the unversity prior to this event. that person does not deserve rights over long time billiken club members or season tix holders. i agree with the design, both inside and out. it is spectacular. i gotta believe laurie is fuming as this will steal events from the savvis no doubt. maybe the two existing slu parking garages can be added to going up? i am not an engineer, so i dont know the structural or the fiscal sense in that. i would also believe there will be limited underground parking as well at the arena itself. at least i have seen that setup before. personally i would think it might be an excellent opportunity for father biondi to show off the campus by making some of the patrons walk through or along his beautiful campus to get to the arena from either of the existing parking garages. second, it has been a few weeks since i drove around down there, and it is amazing how you dont pay attention, but doesnt compton go across highway 40 there? i.e. is there opportunities to expand for parking and business just across hgwy 40? not saying that is much more convienent, however, the last thing that needs to happen is to start commercially messing with the landscape of the university grounds themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlow Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 I too am excited about the design of the new arena and about its connection to the campus. I share your concerns about the parking, the availability of space for restaurants, and the cost and politics of assigning seats. I have an additional concern: do the university and "the powers that be" have the foresight and the awareness to seize this opportunity to change/improve the chemistry of a Billikens basketball event. While the Bills have been renting space at Kiel, the Arena, and Savvis, they have had to play by someone else's rules, and, as a result, they have been shorthanded in trying to get students involved and in trying to create their own persona. Now that we have our own place on the horizon, we need to be proactive. We can't just think that because this Arena is on campus, the students will show up. If the University does nothing except open the doors, we will have the same-old-same-old: the crowd that sits on their hands and dreams of the days of the 1948 NIT championship. A crowd of 6000 fans in a 13,000 seat Arena will kill the golden goose. I've been to several basketball games at the University of Tulsa's Reynolds Center, and each game was a happening. They have created their own "hostile environment" that is highly student-centered and SRO for many games. SLU's Marketing folks and the Athletics department need to be on top of this way before the doors open in 2005. I feel that the persona of a Bills game is as much of a drawback to a potential recruit as the facilities. With the proper marketing and development, a new persona coupled with a new arena can be a huge plus for the recruit, the fans, and the University. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dewey33 Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Vito's is on Lindell.....and there are a few potentially attractive storefronts near the Drake Apts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBand Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Roy wrote: "that person does not deserve rights over long time billiken club members or season tix holders" -Agreed. Especially the fact that some people cannot give extra beyond their season tix. My family has had 5 for 20 + years. I know that counts forsomething, but to have a johnny come lately with a big check book. ****** our spot bugs me. -A thought, we in the band have had many people stop playing, and then go buy season tickets. Those folks (Baby Blues and Cheerleaders too, I guess) donate a lot of time and effort during the games for years, but when they go to get season tix they are last in line in seniority. Perhaps every one of them who has been there for quite some time could get bonus Billiken Club poimts if they want to? Roy wrote "i would also believe there will be limited underground parking as well at the arena itself. at least i have seen that setup before." - Probaby not enough to make a difference. As big as Kiel is, there may be (when an event is in session with the tv trucks and all) is additional parking for maybe 15 cars. Expect a walk from the Olive Compton garage or the Laclede garage. Roy wrote "doesnt compton go across highway 40 there? i.e. is there opportunities to expand for parking and business just across hgwy 40? not saying that is much more convienent" -yeah, but I think everything on that side is industrial (I know Sigma Aldrich is over there as well as the Metro garage) plus Market Street right there is 6 lanes right at the end of a highway 40 exit/entrance as well as Forest Park Pky. I dont see that happening. The people in the best spot may be the folks who own the old Firehouse at Olive and Compton. That bar will get tons of business. In all, as a former opponent, I'm impressed with the building. Woolard was on 1380 yesterday afternoon and said that the seat worst seat in the house would be about the same distance from the court as the suites at Kiel. The seating will be arranged at a steeper level than those at Kiel. I'm impressed with that. Also, I like the fact that most of the building will be underground keeping the building low to the ground. Now, I didnt see anything on any of the pictures that said "Band Seating"...hmmmmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillikenButch Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 ...leaving Guy Phillips at Savvis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eskimo Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 I agree with the hostile environment issue...as a student I was in a short lived group who attempted to be very hostile to the opponets (i.e. standing behind their bench and calling them names, yelling death threats at the officials, telling players how much fun we had with their mothers the previous night, etc.), however we were escorted out of the arena our first five games by savvis security. I'm not saying we didn't go a little overboard, however even when we were "behaving" they were ready to pull the trigger on us by placing a guard directly infront of us. I hope the new arena allows for more leniant rules, as college kids sometimes deserve the right to be college kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 the first step in creating a hostile environment is disbanding the "Blue Crew." By only allowing 50 students to be a part of the "student section" you're sending a message to other students that they aren't as important and might as well not even go to games. The Blue Crew helps to project that sentiment on to other students as well. Last year my seats were 2nd row next to the Blue Crew area in the student section. I rarely sat there after the first few games as the Blue Crew often made my firends' experience unpleasant though their actions. Why not unite the ENTIRE student body, not single out 50 "superfans" and alienate the other 11,000 SLU students who should be supporting their team??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 I think dismantling the Blue Crew would be a very bad idea. Every major team in the country has a "Blue Crew" of sorts. Many teams have multiple student support groups. Why should SLU be any different? I will admit that sometimes the Crew can get a little obnoxious, but they are also very loud. This is what there job is...be loud and disrupt the opposing team. If you don't like it, move a few rows back. Or make a case to Woolard to buy them tickets at center court so you and the other law kids can sip on your cocktails and enjoy the game in peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted December 19, 2003 Author Share Posted December 19, 2003 The Blue Crew is great. Why would it be disbanded? It is my understanding that the Blue Crew is a student organization that is open to membership for all. If a student doesn't want to join the Blue Crew, then they can suck it up and sit behind them. If a bunch of crabby ass graduate students can't tolerate the Blue Crew, then the grad students should move back to the cheap seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCrewPres Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 I disagree with Billiken Law's statement about disbanding the Blue Crew. As everyone knows, student attendance at the Savvis Center is horrendous as it is, and by having a dedicated student cheering organization at least some student fans feel committed to coming to games and supporting the team. I had more students show up regularly to my high school team's games that the number of students at SLU (900 students in h.s. to 10,000 at SLU) Secondly, the Blue Crew does not have a 50 person limit; it is open to whoever would like to participate... if we had 200 students interested in joining (which we don't) then Blue Crew would be 200 people. I dont feel that it alienates other students since it is their choice whether to join the organization or not. Blue Crew simply has benefits for those dedicated students that are not available for the regular student fan. Yeah, our section may get rowdy and obnoxious, but we're simply trying to create a rowdy environment that is needed to support our team and create a fun basketball environment where all the SLU fans do not sit on their hands during the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Keep up the good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 First of all, there is nothing wrong with a Blue Crew group - my question is if they are there to disrupt the other team then why not move them closer. Second, normally the student seating area does not have to be by where the Blue Crew sits. The Antlers sit separate of many of the students as just an example. Third, parking is a concern at SAVVIS if we draw more than 8000 to a game, the garage fills up and then you are paying big dollars at Union Station or going to other lots. My guess is that Harris Stowe will charge for parking and some of the other businesses in the area might do the same. I personally street park so walking 4 or 5 blocks does not bother me. Fourth, I understand - I really hesitate to say this but here goes anyway - how those of you who have great seats might not want to hear that you might have to pay a priortity seating fee to keep them but the truth of the matter is there are no free lunches. If you want the school to run with the big dogs then you are going to have to accept that those who can pay will get the better seats. The good news is there will be room for all of us who currently have season tickets but you may have to sit up higher. The good news is that even the worst seat in the house will still be a good game viewing seat. I am sorry but we can not have it both ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 i had never heard that membership was limited to 50 students. that said, how many students were truly turned away from wanting to be "blue crew" members? i would guess very few since i rarely have seen the student section packed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 like i said, i have no problem with the johnny come lately big bucks guy. take his money and run. but if some guy who has never knowingly backed the program gives a few thousand which is probably less than most of us billiken club members have given over the last 10+ years and that person gets to go ahead of us, that is simply wrong. that is my point. had i known it would have behooved me to save my bucks and give it all at one time as opposed to giving a few hundred each year for 15 years, i surely would have saved it up and done the same. a little different imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 blue crew said, "Yeah, our section may get rowdy and obnoxious, but we're simply trying to create a rowdy environment that is needed to support our team and create a fun basketball environment where all the SLU fans do not sit on their hands during the game." thanks for clearing up the no limit question. and as you point out in the above statement. if some of the students dont want to participate in the "wilder" aspects of the more devout bluecrewers, nothing keeping them from sitting 6 or 7 rows back. that sea of blue behind that basket would be awesome. hell the sea of blue over the whole arena would be awesome. but that will never happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillikenButch Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Too much white hair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVanillaGorilla Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 If you put a consistent top 25 program that makes the NCAA year in year out people will come. If you don't they won't, does not matter how nice the building is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Ken R Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 I agree that winning is the key to big attendance but I will say that SLU has had a pretty large core of fans who continue season tickets year in an year out, successful team or not. It is obvious that our attendance has dropped off from the Spoon success years but I think we have still maintained around a 7,000 season ticket base even in the leanest years. That is pretty good. If we win like I think we will in the future we will fill the new arena. We definitely need to keep Brad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schasz Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Why don't you take your lame assinine comments over to your ***** Cat board. In the meantime, I'll send you a banana with any luck you'll slip on the peel and fall on your head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLUNATE Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 I'm not sure what the capacity is in the Olive garage, but I know that on any given work day it isn't full, so I would think that it would provide the vast majority of the parking on night and weekend games. Laclede isn't that far away, it would give most attendees a chance to stroll through campus, and I'm sure the University would offer a special shuttle service that would go to and fro on game nights (for that matter, the Scottish Rite and Harris Stowe may join in the fun). I can see the old Firehouse being a potential hot spot once the arena opens, but I wouldn't discount Vitos, the Kastle or the creation of new places right there on Grand/Compton. If you park at Laclede, there is always Humphrey's and Laclede street and who knows if something will open up in the old Warehouse of fixtures. I'm very excited about this project. I wonder what they'll do with West Pine if the budget allows for the entire athletic dept. to move to the arena? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STLBlazer Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Your Blu Crew should be moved behind or much closer to the opposing bench. At UAB, the loud students are caddy-corner to the opposing bench. It's always fun to make fun of the bench riders, the guy in street clothes, and the coaching staff that can't dress. Waterboys are easy targets too but the best target is when a player gets taken out of the game and comes back to the bench mad. Last year after our NIT win, La-La's PG Brad Boyd tried to come into the student section to fight us. It was pretty funny. On a side note, La-La is a bunch of thugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 I know of a few kids who were pissed that they got turned away from Blue Crew membership and as a result rarely go to games. Unite the ENTIRE student section, don't take 50 or so and call them "superfans" and send the message that 10950 students at SLU aren't as good of fans and their attendance isn't really necessary. I don't know what the deal is with "The Antlers" but I've attended games at many other colleges and never heard of student groups being basically segrigated. Why not name the ENTIRE student section the Blue Crew instead of just 50 kids? And believe me, we law students can be just as obnoxious as the undergrads if given the chance. Obnoxiousness is a prerequisite of being a lawyer in the first place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted December 22, 2003 Share Posted December 22, 2003 BCPres ... has the Blue Crew turned people away? and if so why? Just curious Official Billikens.com sponsor of H. Waldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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