The STU feels like Poo

[World B. Free]

Yes I understand there is a global pandemic taking place. I have multiple students who have lost parents and family members to Covid. A dear friend lost his life in May of 2020 to this horrible virus. I get it and I don't think less of anyone who doesn't want to go to a basketball game during this insane period of time. It all sucks.

With all of that being said, last night the best team VCU will play on its home court this season came to town and there was 0 juice in the building. I might as well have been watching Kennesaw State and North Alabama play. I had serious flashbacks to the McCarthy days. The poor lighting; the stench of burnt popcorn; the lame contests during timeouts; they are all easier to accept when the place is packed and the energy/electricity is on HAVOC levels or close to it. Instead last night it felt like all 3 were huge zits on the face of a beauty pageant contestant. The whole thing felt very "Mid-Major" in the most derogatory sense of the title. It felt like I was at a Flying Squirrels game when I thought I had a ticket to see Yankees/Red Sox.

The student section is a joke. What happened? Do students not care anymore about the basketball team? 5 years ago I was taking students to visit VCU in large part because they wanted to go to a school where hoops was a big part of the college experience. Did it really fall off that quickly?

I kept thinking of the Dayton game from a couple of weeks ago. That was a tough place to go and get a win on the road. I'm not so sure the STU was for Davidson last night.

I know things had been trending this way for a bit anyway but I guess I was busy doing my best to ignore it. But the fact is there are more difficult places to play in the A-10 than the STU and even an unbiased observer of A-10 basketball would agree. And I know you couldn't say that 4 years ago.

It's a bummer and maybe I'm just salty b/c VCU got screwed last night by 1 ref and then did a fine job on its own of giving away a massive game. But something feels wrong about the whole thing and I worry that this is just the tip of the iceberg. I don't expect sellouts anytime soon but I'm scared to see what the rest of the season is going to look like inside that building.

 

[RowdyPkunk]

Personally... I thought the STU overall as a whole last night was fine. Was actually one of the better games this year overall in terms of crowd noise... Yes there were a lot of empty seats.

Sure there were stretches early on when Davidson was taking it too us... that it wasn't jumping.... but that's Natural when your team is struggling... especially coming off the blow out loss to the Bonnies Friday night.... but when VCU got it going especially in the 2nd half.... the crowd started to get in to it A LOT more.

One thing I will definitely say more so than prob any other home game this year..... when these refs kept making terrible calls last night... there were A LOT of Boos over coming from the crowd. Admittedly.... of all the VCU homes games I've been to this year (and I've only missed 1 home game this season so far)... that's by far the most boos I've heard at one time for officiating.

Sure there's always people complaining when Refs call fouls (even if the call is actually the correct one)..... but last night was definitely not one of the nights where the crowd was lacking overall.... at some points of the game, maybe. But Not all game.

And the whole "Host" situation thing that was brought up on the Davidson thread.... did not help matters at all.

 

[Newboy]

Just let us boo, and don't cut us off for a promotion.

 

[rambunctiousrowdyram]

I think the STU is definitely feeling the Covid effects. Dayton being in Ohio where things have been taken less serious covid wise probably is a factor. Sure the fans are offput by the losses a bit but I don’t think you would see a half empty arena in normal times. Not like we haven’t had bad seasons pre covid. Things will get back to normal eventually. Of course how we’re doing as a program once we’re pass covid will definitely influence the attendance. Our fans have high expectations.

 

[theyaintwantit]

Yes I understand there is a global pandemic taking place. I have multiple students who have lost parents and family members to Covid. A dear friend lost his life in May of 2020 to this horrible virus. I get it and I don't think less of anyone who doesn't want to go to a basketball game during this insane period of time. It all sucks.

With all of that being said, last night the best team VCU will play on its home court this season came to town and there was 0 juice in the building. I might as well have been watching Kennesaw State and North Alabama play. I had serious flashbacks to the McCarthy days. The poor lighting; the stench of burnt popcorn; the lame contests during timeouts; they are all easier to accept when the place is packed and the energy/electricity is on HAVOC levels or close to it. Instead last night it felt like all 3 were huge zits on the face of a beauty pageant contestant. The whole thing felt very "Mid-Major" in the most derogatory sense of the title. It felt like I was at a Flying Squirrels game when I thought I had a ticket to see Yankees/Red Sox.

The student section is a joke. What happened? Do students not care anymore about the basketball team? 5 years ago I was taking students to visit VCU in large part because they wanted to go to a school where hoops was a big part of the college experience. Did it really fall off that quickly?

I kept thinking of the Dayton game from a couple of weeks ago. That was a tough place to go and get a win on the road. I'm not so sure the STU was for Davidson last night.

I know things had been trending this way for a bit anyway but I guess I was busy doing my best to ignore it. But the fact is there are more difficult places to play in the A-10 than the STU and even an unbiased observer of A-10 basketball would agree. And I know you couldn't say that 4 years ago.

It's a bummer and maybe I'm just salty b/c VCU got screwed last night by 1 ref and then did a fine job on its own of giving away a massive game. But something feels wrong about the whole thing and I worry that this is just the tip of the iceberg. I don't expect sellouts anytime soon but I'm scared to see what the rest of the season is going to look like inside that building.

My man!!!! You're back. Did you give your ODU principal some sh1t after we ran them out of their gym in the second half back in December?

Seriously though.... the students are what drive me the most nuts tbh. I've previously mentioned on here that I was a student from the 11-12 through 14-15 season. I will never compare that time to any other period because that was Post Final Four & Peak Shaka. That was the hypest time to be a VCU fan and it was kind of surreal that as a life long VCU fan I was able to experience that time as a student.

I'm convinced that if we cut out some of the promotions The Stu could be a little hyper. The band is not what it once was, but when the Hey song gets rolling, The Stu can get loud.

 

[MobileMunchies]

TBH on TV it sounded loud last night at points, louder than games I've been at earlier in the season. I stopped going when the numbers started rapidly escalating. I'll save yall the details, but the food cart business never was easy and prohibited us from living anything resembling a normal lifestyle the entire time we did it while we were able to do it, no expensive vacations for us, no new furniture, we worked out asses off just so we could work and be together. A live GAME in there is beyond the high point, and the opportunity to do it was/IS the perhaps the funnest most fulfilling that could be sent our way... but having carelessly unmasked people surrounding our seats leading into beyond rapid escalation in numbers told both of us here, no more, at least until things begin to rapidly come down. I know of some other rammaniacs who now also fear the environment, the kind of people that will get an entire section on their feet (several whose reputations precede them). It's having an impact here.

SUCKS being 3 minutes from the stu being too fearful of what's inside to be there in person.

Just wanna ask as well, can we get ONE masked, actually rowdy person sitting in some of these seats?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1483591325249327104

 

[World B. Free]

My man!!!! You're back. Did you give your ODU principal some sh1t after we ran them out of their gym in the second half back in December?

Seriously though.... the students are what drive me the most nuts tbh. I've previously mentioned on here that I was a student from the 11-12 through 14-15 season. I will never compare that time to any other period because that was Post Final Four & Peak Shaka. That was the hypest time to be a VCU fan and it was kind of surreal that as a life long VCU fan I was able to experience that time as a student.

I'm convinced that if we cut out some of the promotions The Stu could be a little hyper. The band is not what it once was, but when the Hey song gets rolling, The Stu can get loud.

Hahaha! I left that place a while back but I do run into that jabroni every once in a while. He's still trying to tell me how football was the best thing that ever happened to ODU. Good call on the students. 11-15 must have been an insane time to have been a student. I was thoroughly enjoying it as if I was one even though I graduated 10 years before. That was one heck of a ride.

Can't wait for the day that the band is back and the student section is lit!!!!!

 

[MobileMunchies]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1483772348188741633

 

[Gopher+RamFan]

I was a student from 2009 - 2014 (took a gap year for Iraq). Stu was bumping before the Final Four run, not always a sellout but even games against Georgia State were raucous as a student. Lining up beforehand to get in, sneaking in airplane liquor bottles from the ABC store across the street. The student section was loud, fun and the place to be. The age of yelling "you suck... balls" during opponent player intros with your back turned seems to be forever ago. Didn't really matter who the opponent was, from VUU to ODU it was raucous. My last home game was February 2020, didn't seem the same.

 

[MobileMunchies]

I want it to be back to normal, life AND The Stu, but yeah, my mom has been having to entrust her 2 sons to help her learn to modify her behavior from wanting at age 78 to get out and live her life like normal (she's beginning to understand that's impossible), to what we're helping her modify into living a "new normal", whether or not any one of us wish to admit it, there is a new normal. Regardless of vax status, when there's even a hint of escalation in numbers, you mask up and social distance regardless.. if you wanna stay healthy. I have a friend that just thru coughing shoved a piece of his lung into protruding between some ribs. I know some who have had bad bouts with it who I don't think are right in the head, ever since. You can keep these things from happening by living it safe. A lot of us just wanna pay it safe, a lot have no choice but to play it safe, which includes everything that comes with playing it safe. One way or another everyone is gonna figure this out eventually.

 

[rambunctiousrowdyram]

I was a student from 2009 - 2014 (took a gap year for Iraq). Stu was bumping before the Final Four run, not always a sellout but even games against Georgia State were raucous as a student. Lining up beforehand to get in, sneaking in airplane liquor bottles from the ABC store across the street. The student section was loud, fun and the place to be. The age of yelling "you suck... balls" during opponent player intros with your back turned seems to be forever ago. Didn't really matter who the opponent was, from VUU to ODU it was raucous. My last home game was February 2020, didn't seem the same.

07-11. It was wild way before the Final Four. 07-08 was the 3/4 court set up wlth students all around with the students and C section chanting together. Then they kicked the students out to sell season tickets. 2009 we had a little lull but we got back on track fanwise during conference play. The Nottheastern Karl Hess game was absolutely bonkers. Then we loss thanks to Larry killing all momentum with a dumb 3 pointer after we came back. It was good in Siegel for many years after I graduated. I kept my season tickets for many years. Then we got too corporate and you saw the hits slowly coming. Back in CAA everyone knew what colors to wear. You didn’t need free shirts. Sure the 6th man program helped with students but the games were fun anyway. Friends who didn’t have classes went to games and would lose their minds.

 

[RowdyPkunk]

I was a student from 2009 - 2014 (took a gap year for Iraq). Stu was bumping before the Final Four run, not always a sellout but even games against Georgia State were raucous as a student. Lining up beforehand to get in, sneaking in airplane liquor bottles from the ABC store across the street. The student section was loud, fun and the place to be. The age of yelling "you suck... balls" during opponent player intros with your back turned seems to be forever ago. Didn't really matter who the opponent was, from VUU to ODU it was raucous. My last home game was February 2020, didn't seem the same.

Yeah I was a student there from 07 to fall 2010 myself & yeah I remember lining up hours before the game and all the stuff you mentioned. I remember one year it was FREEZING COLD.... the Fur game was the same day as the Christmas parade.... but wasn't until 6 or 8 pm that night.... and all the Rowdy Rams were lined up at 8 am that morning & stuck it out all day long.... Shaka came out & brought all the students Pizza & Coffee I think.... and I remember one of the Rowdies darn near passed out & they at least had the decency to let her sit inside by the door & warm up for a while.

Those were the days.

 

[AlienAiden]

Yeah I was a student there from 07 to fall 2010 myself & yeah I remember lining up hours before the game and all the stuff you mentioned. I remember one year it was FREEZING COLD.... the Fur game was the same day as the Christmas parade.... but wasn't until 6 or 8 pm that night.... and all the Rowdy Rams were lined up at 8 am that morning & stuck it out all day long.... Shaka came out & brought all the students Pizza & Coffee I think.... and I remember one of the Rowdies darn near passed out & they at least had the decency to let her sit inside by the door & warm up for a while.

Those were the days.

I remember having to walk by hookers on my way to the Coliseum. Those were the days.

 

[Natty]

Attendance and the promotions are obvious vibe-killers. The promos just killlll me...pretty cringe-worthy stuff there. The Rowdy Rams don't seem to exist anymore and honestly an offense that struggles to score probably doesn't help the energy much either.

Definitely just a different time to be a VCU fan.

 

[mrgeode]

I remember having to walk by hookers on my way to the Coliseum. Those were the days.

God only knows why, but when I was in high school the state Latin convention was approved for an multi-day trip during the school week, so of course as many of us signed up as possible. Staying across from the convention center in '01 or '02 was an enlightening experience for a 16 year old. We definitely watched a car cruise by two ladies out on a corner, pick one up, and then drop her back off about 15 minutes later. One of the freshmen asked why she got dropped back off outside and the worldly juniors had to explain the situation to him.