Bona Wolf for Pope

Not having been to any other A-10 venues, what are your introduction ceremonies like? I've always felt that the Bonnies didn't make the most of their opportunity to really get the crowd into it right away. They intro the teams and play some terrible music (Metallica lately) and that's it. I've heard it takes a while for our lights to turn on so they can't really do a black out or anything, but it seems like they could get creative.

We did one time have ROTC "secure the court" which consisted of a bunch of military looking dudes storming the court with rifles. It was pretty shocking.

__________________
"Careful reading comprehension is crucial to an online forum discussion."

BM-GW

GW has been dimming the lights, playing a professionally produced video/music on the jumbotron and putting a spotlight on the players during intros. Would really hit the spot if we were winning and/or the arena was more than half full. They got around the slow bulb issue by installing these nifty shades on the lights which roll in and out to control the level.

res

Yes, GW does a very good job with its entire game presentation. The band, cheerleaders and dance team are also very good. But, as you say, it loses something with only 1,200 to 1,500 people in the seats. It would be a fantastic atmosphere if the place were full.

DukesDan

Duquesne installed new lighting this past offseason and they are now able to turn the lights off during intros. They play an intro video on the scoreboard above the court with highlights taken from TV broadcasts of players and little Monday night football esque head shots. The video is not top notch but it isn't embarrassing. What is embarrassing are the people standing in the upper deck holding hand held spot lights. Still, this is a big step forward in comparison to previous years. Buying several high end spot lights probably is not the best use of funds right now.

__________________
Duquesne Dukes: 2012 A10 tournament qualifier!!

2012-2013 Locks of the Day TBA
2011-2012 Locks of the Day NIT participant 29-26-0...... .527
2010-2011 Locks of the Day Regular Season Champion 31-20-4 ..... .600

#15 Cooper #11 Green #10 Nixon #12 Ricketts #24 Somerset

jjjacks17

I don't mind the Bonnies introductions. I think the whole lights out thing is a little bit over done. Why just try to be like everyone else? I think with the rich tradition that Bonaventure basketball has that what we do is just fine. The crowd at the RC doesn't need the bells and whistles to get into it. We do that just fine on our own.

Bona Wolf for Pope

I'm not specifically requesting a black out. I just think they could get the crowd into it a bit more.

And I will never stop hoping for a return of Wade in the Water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsyQDdVvLW4

__________________
"Careful reading comprehension is crucial to an online forum discussion."

BM-GW

I think this is the GW intro video from last season, played very loudly.

AdamtheFlyer

Dayton actually tweaked their pregame stuff this year. They play two separate videos before the team comes out for final warmups. One highlights the past and then a more hype video for the current team. Both are well done.

For starting lineups the lights are dimmed by using shades, and they use a spotlight on the starters.

I really like what UD does. They need a new song to keep the old people up and clapping through warmups, but that's more on the people than UD. People are stubborn and hate change, and respond by shutting down and whining.

Once they find a song people will react to, they will have a great lead in to tipoff.

Sent from my DROIDX using VerticalSports.Com App

__________________
Sure, I've been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, I'm not. I honestly just feel that America is the best country and the other countries aren't as good. That used to be called patriotism.

ATPTourFan

Rhody has something similar to Dayton regarding the double-video approach.

Just before the Rams take the court before the start of the game, national anthem, etc, they play a nice historical video entitled "100 Years of Basketball Tradition" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DYjDFHAE2o

Then, after the visiting team is introduced, they play another video with more current clips just before introducing the Rams. Ryan Center doesn't have the shades to lower the lights during intros. I'd like to see them dim the lights, but not necessarily go full black-out, during the pre-intro video.

It seems like it's increasingly easy to retrofit those automated light shades to lighting systems not originally designed for them. Hopefully after a few seasons of winning under Hurley, there will be money in the budget for a technical systems upgrade in the 10yr old Ryan Center. (still can't believe Baron wasted 10 yrs of that building's life!! WTF BARON?!!)

Bona Wolf for Pope

I'm sensing that key in a lot of these is a video scoreboard, which we don't have.

__________________
"Careful reading comprehension is crucial to an online forum discussion."

jjjacks17

good point ^^^ A video board in the RC would be a very nice improvement. Wonder if that will ever happen.

ATPTourFan

Ryan Center has two video boards in opposite corners. :-D Not that they're modern by any stretch, but since there's no hanging scoreboard above the playing floor, that's what we have.

blob

Here's a video all about Xavier's intro from 2 years ago in episode 5 of a behind the scenes series X did last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY1q47eaJ0k

Obviously the video, songs, etc. are different every year, but the general gist is the same every year. The students just started doing the jumping before tip off a few years ago.

Nugget49er

Charlotte chants "Forty!...Niners!" across the arena while the other team is introduced, then we dim the lights for our team. We have some kind of laser lights that show our logo and a basketball sweeping around the court and stands. We play a video showing the team working out, etc and then the starting line up. All while loud music plays. We have been doing this for quite a few years and it is an effective way to get everyone on their feet and pumped up.

My favorite thing at this time of the year is when we are playing a few OOC small schools to watch and see if their players watch all of this. If they get caught up in what they see as "big school" theatrics we are already in their heads.

a10nick

Xavier uses special energy-sucking lasers that focus on the opposing players as they are introduced individually. The only problem with that is that only the starting five and the bench guy that greets each starter with a jumping chest-bump are negatively affected since they are each isolated for a sufficient length of time for laser-focusing. But it does the job quite well.

Hence Xavier's gaudy home record at the Cintas.

Those who have claimed luck in hiring coaches, transfers, etc. in explaining Xavier's good fortunes in basketball have been dead wrong. It's been guile and the application of the advances in science that have worked for us! (Although both claims are equally credible.)

__________________
I just want the team I support to be in a stronger conference. I'd prefer it to be a stronger A-10! To me that would mean every member would have at least 2 trips to the NCAA Tourney and 5 winning seasons during each 10-year cycle. It would also be great for every program to seriously challenge for a league title (either regular season or Tourney) at least once during that same period of time.