Sign me up. But also I would add to eliminate our internal drug testing program. The NCAA does their own tests. That is more than enough.
20 minutes to game time and probably less than 10k here
- Thread starter H2P 2003
- Start date
Sign me up. But also I would add to eliminate our internal drug testing program. The NCAA does their own tests. That is more than enough.
Honestly, if we won 5 straight national championships, we would draw 55K-60K for a regular game vs a GT, Duke, Syr, etc. Just too many seats and we are a minor league team in Pittsburgh. People say "look at Pitt basketball's sellout streak." Yea but they played in a right-size arena. They wouldnt have drawn many more than 12,500 if they played in an oversized 20K seat arena
They might’ve filled PPG if that was around in the golden years of Pitt basketball, but you’re right. It’s all perception. At this point, it is what it is.
Pitt basketball is like Penn State Football in State College, they are Pittsburgh's MAJOR LEAGUE basketball team. So if they are good, they should sell out the Pete and maybe even more.
I fully expect the Steelers to right their ship and finish with at least 10 wins and at least a wild card as typical.
But their defense definitely is bad so if it turns out most games are going to be like yesterday and the offense can't outscore anyone, and they are looking at missing ther playoffs by game 9 or so, you'll see huge bunches of empty seats similar to our games.
Just check newspaper comments today on the articles for yesterday's loss. You think Pitt fans threw in the towel prematurely after the PS loss? Just take in some of that ranting. That is a team with multiple likely hall of fame players, too, and everyone already thinks they're done. Conversely we're throwing our lot behind guys who have nearly no pedigree. A 3 star QB with 4 starts. So i actually think we have more faith than they do.
But their defense definitely is bad so if it turns out most games are going to be like yesterday and the offense can't outscore anyone, and they are looking at missing ther playoffs by game 9 or so, you'll see huge bunches of empty seats similar to our games.
Just check newspaper comments today on the articles for yesterday's loss. You think Pitt fans threw in the towel prematurely after the PS loss? Just take in some of that ranting. That is a team with multiple likely hall of fame players, too, and everyone already thinks they're done. Conversely we're throwing our lot behind guys who have nearly no pedigree. A 3 star QB with 4 starts. So i actually think we have more faith than they do.
I agree, Steelers will be like 10-5-1 and make the playoffs, honestly you can't blame the offense, they scored 37 points, should be enough to win. But truth is "next man up" doesn't work at the QB position, so when Ben retires, they are guaranteed to suck for years, Tomlin has NOTHING to do with their recent successful seasons, criticize Ben all you want, he carries the team every year. When I say successful seasons I mean 13-3, division titles, you know, stuff 25 other cities would throw parades for.
Shut up. He says he can't afford it, take him at his word. You have no idea what the financial situation is for others.
Absolutely, all internal rules whatever is the NCAA MINIMUM! No "higher standards", if the minimum SAT is 500, we take players that score 500, we allow the NCAA to drug test, but we never do extra tests on our own, never any VOLUNTARY suspensions, like if a guy gets a DUI.... NO PUNISHMENT... Never sanction or punish anyone for anything if the NCAA isn't going to. NEVER ANYTHING EXTRA! NO SELF IMPOSED RULES not forced on us by the NCAA.
Thanks HailtoPitt. Times are a little tough right now is all. Like I said, we could've done that in years past. It's also why I'm canceling my subscription here...
They only would have for the big games. For Rutgers and Seton Hall, they would have gotten 13K-14K
Slick...$2 billion says it won't ever happen. We've got more bike lanes than Beijing, though.
You're right, I was thinking of games like the Brawl, UConn, etc. I like the Pete for the reasons you mentioned. It's the perfect size for us and creates a great atmosphere when filled. It's why I think tarping Heinz wouldn't be a bad idea. Or win, that works too
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anon_vmuicqnzlyp3u
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Unless you were in the OC lot, there wasn't a lot of tailgating. I was in the OC lot and the tailgating was awesome!
Should have invested the money and built it, instead of the T extension for the Steelers.
yeah I doubt it happens in our lifetime, but it sure would make sense and would make Heinz a whole lot more accessible for the students. North Shore would feel more connected to campus and kids might go there on non game days also. Plus you would also connect Oakland to Downtown which is an even bigger selling point.
Same with Bigelow closing. But common sense and Pittsburgh don't go hand in hand.
Considering the university's priorities, sell the idea to the brass not as one to help Pitt sports be more competitive (which is anathema to Pitt's leadership and faculty) but as (1) a cost saving venture, and (2) an embrace of alternative cultures (aka, those where marijuana is integral).
A lot of things you said are valid, but the conference argument was poor. Comparing Ohio State and Michigan to GA Tech and Wake is dumb. You can do the exact opposite.. Would you rather play Clemson and Miami or Rutgers and Illinois? Compare apples to apples. Everyone just says it's the coach it's the coach! There are so many things that make up the program other than just the coach. We went out and got a top coordinator at a major Big Ten program that is from Eastern Ohio. Truthfully, probably not going to hire someone a whole lot better than that if they fire Narduzzi this year. Also, Grammarly is great for spell check on websites, probably worth the download.
Pitt should have negotiated to close Bigelow when the City was planning the new BRT system. A skilled government relations person at the helm could have gotten it done.
No-
He wants to complain about the optics with no vested interest in helping .
I’ll feel free to call him on his hypocrisy while offering ways he can be part of the solution
He’s paying what $11 a month here as a subscriber.
Like I said, I’m calling bullshit on his poverty excuse .
I agree with your comments about coaches and that should be expected. However, I just don't sense Pitt athletics is aggressively out selling the product like other teams may be doing. Yes, I know it's not professional sports, but when is the last time I received a call about buying tickets? NEVER. I am not a Pitt grad, but I support Pittsburgh teams. Having said that, be created, come up with a $99.00 season ticket or family ticket. Include all you can eat programs, giveaways (people like free stuff). This is not rocket science, and my point is that the athletic department is in total control of the game day experience, pricing, promoting, selling and I just don't see it. Lyke is going out and trying to get big donors, but this is not showing up in the seats/stands. This is not a college football town, and I get that, however we all note how bad the attendance is and it's not going to change in a day. However, it does affect how recruits look at our program. It is obvious. Yes, winning plays a big part of it. However, we still don't get the big recruits on a consistent basis with a 10-2 season (minus bowl) because we can't draw on a consistent basis. Kids want to play in full venues. Crowds= better game experience....one would hope. I just don't see this athletic department selling and advertising they way they should. Just my opinion.
Cut the guy a break. And in reality, this has nothing to do with poverty. It has to do with where to spend one's money to get the best return. I've already canceled my subscription to the premium site because I think it's a waste of money. I tried it for a while and it's nothing special or worth the price.
Pitt is not that important to many of us, even though we're fans of the sports teams. I guess it just falls under the heading of "low priority" for me. You don't know the circumstances of the guy you responded to or his priorities. Believe it or not, there are far more Pitt fans who place Pitt sports as a low priority than those who place it as a higher priority. Sure, it's nice if they win. But at the end of the game, it's basically irrelevant and forgotten.
I used to be a high priority Pitt fan. Now, I don't care if I miss a game on tv. It stopped being fun for me. Some of that has to do with my own changes in priorities. And some has to do with Pitt constantly effing things up, which I came to realize they have been doing long before I become a fan. Now that I realize that nothing to going to change, it's entertaining observing the situation. Fascinating really. In a way, sort of like the Pirates. Once you take off the blinders, it becomes easy to see how things really are.
I do have to ask myself, especially for next year, why would I pay 200 for my tickets when I can go on stubhub for 10-15 dollars every game?
Even this year, with PSU on the schedule, thevalue doesn’t match up.
I’ll still go, the reality of what the secondary market is doesn’t justify pitt’s Cost.
The reason is because the money goes to Pitt, but, when Pitt is just using the football program as a means to get ACC revenue and prop up other sports, then it doesn't matter.
Moving to Heinz did not save money for day to day football expenditures. The move enabled Pitt to not have to raise the money and spend it on updating and renovating Pitt Stadium. So as usual for Pitt, the move to Heinz was a short-sighted attempt to upgrade on the cheap. Be certain, it costs way more money to bus the students, players, band members, in addition to all the costs of pre-game tents, catering, rent, etc. than operating Pitt Stadium. Frankly, I am way past worrying about how many people show up for a game...I control what I can--I go, bring friends/guests, enjoy myself, support the team, and hope that others will do the same. Hail to Pitt!
They do a ton of that. They constantly have deals. Espcially for current season ticket holders and donors. I get a ton of stuff. They want to reward the loyal customers and donors. If you start to give away free stuff to the casual fans that will just show up every once in a while, then you start chasing away the loyal fans/donors. There is a balance.
I just got an email for my kids to join the jr panthers. Get to go on the field for warmups, have free clinics with the soccer, volleyball, etc teams on game days. Students get free pizza for the Olympic sports. They now serve beer at the football games after years of complaining, they changed to the script.
The moral of the story though is the casual fans want the world handed to them to get them to go. The reality is the loyal fans that continue to show and donate should be the ones rewarded.
I love when people do that. I'd rather watch Ohio State and Michigan than WF and GT! No shit!
I'd also rather watch Miami, VT, Clemson, FSU, than Purdue, Illinois, Indiana!
Stray cats love them....bicyclist, a total public nuisance, thankfully are avoiding them but it allows Mayor Snowflake to claim Pittsburgh is hip....
He's still better, right now, than at least 25-28 NFL starting QBs, and when he retires Steelers will go from what we have now, like 13-3 or 11-5 and losing in the playoffs that people don't like, directly to 5-11 and stay there maybe for a decade. No next man up at the QB position, that's a fairy tale
I think they try harder and do a little better now, but it really is too late. The ball was dropped in the 80s. Kept things rolling with the Golden Panthers, kept Sherrill (or replaced with equivalent or better), win another NC or 2, upgrade the facilities, cement blue blood status, get invited to the Big Ten when it originally expanded. Then you're kind of on cruise control from there.
They did the opposite of that, things fell apart and never really recovered. And i think we're locked in to what we can be now.
So if we're going to be mediocre and have poor crowds either way I personally prefer Heinz to the duct taped crumbling shell that Pitt Stadium had become, which also had nearly impossible ingress/egress by the end. The NS is no prize either but far preferred.
As far as continuing season tickets, we're kind of on a precipice again now. 200 bucks isn't much but why throw even that much away? Something like a 3-9 this year sets things plummeting again i fear. At that point, even grass cutting or grocery shopping are looking like better options.
So I see at least 6-6 as imperative, and not just for Narduzzi, but the program. You think crowds are bad now...
If things turn into a disaster, they will just hire a new coach, promote the throwback unis full time, do the re branding thing, and convince enough fans to keep showing up. Wash, rinse and repeat as necessary. It is sort of what the Pirates do, but a little bit less obvious.
Hey Chris, any chance we can get this guy removed from the boards? This is atrocious.
You think annual operating costs, including upkeep and maintenance, lighting, turf, water, sewage, security, insurance, and regular upgrades for a stadium would be less than $1 million? FY2016 Pitt paid $900,248 for its Heinz sublease.
Catering is free in Oakland for Pitt?
Promotions, promotions, promotions helps get people to the game.
On Friday prior to the PITT /GT Mrs Buffett had to work security ( volunteer job) at the front gate of our local HS. She likes seeing the new parents, fans, and parents of kids who our kids played with when they were in HS who attend games.
So I always tag along and watch the games. I wish she wouldn't do this because we can't arrive in Pittsburgh on Friday the day before the game we have to leave like 3:30 am on gameday but she likes it.
The local HS partnered with a local car dealership and runs a promotion for a new car. They also raffle off priorrity parking spots right next to the front gate late in the 4th Q for the next home game. They do some other giveaway stuff which helps attract fans who otherwise might stay home.
Winning fixes the attendance problem but while we're waiting for those conference championships we should be doing something in the give away department to get spur attendance.
I know they giveaway some stuff but I'm talking something significant like free club season tickets or season tickets, or money, or a car, or basketball season tickets, sideline passes, Lunch with Lyke, Dinner with Duzz, something like this to get the marginal fans to the place.
If HS's can pull this off PITT should be able to get something going.
"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!
On Friday prior to the PITT /GT Mrs Buffett had to work security ( volunteer job) at the front gate of our local HS. She likes seeing the new parents, fans, and parents of kids who our kids played with when they were in HS who attend games.
So I always tag along and watch the games. I wish she wouldn't do this because we can't arrive in Pittsburgh on Friday the day before the game we have to leave like 3:30 am on gameday but she likes it.
The local HS partnered with a local car dealership and runs a promotion for a new car. They also raffle off priorrity parking spots right next to the front gate late in the 4th Q for the next home game. They do some other giveaway stuff which helps attract fans who otherwise might stay home.
Winning fixes the attendance problem but while we're waiting for those conference championships we should be doing something in the give away department to get spur attendance.
I know they giveaway some stuff but I'm talking something significant like free club season tickets or season tickets, or money, or a car, or basketball season tickets, sideline passes, Lunch with Lyke, Dinner with Duzz, something like this to get the marginal fans to the place.
If HS's can pull this off PITT should be able to get something going.
"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!
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And that’s fine.
If it’s low priority for folks.
Then don’t complain about the optics because plenty of others elected to watch from home
Not sure why that context keeps being forgotten.
Want less empty seats - be part of the solution .
If you’re part of the sea of yellow because you don’t have tickets or attend-
Don’t whine about the crowds.
If you take into account all the other things taking place at Pitt Stadium...such as track/field, soccer, intramural sports, etc....for certain. Considering Pitt actually made money at Pitt Stadium on parking, concessions and catering around games...I feel very comfortable with my statement. Put on top of that getting alumni back to campus and spending money there...there is a reason college teams play their games on campus, in largely non-NFL caliber stadiums. There are only a handful of idiots that still think playing off campus is better than on...hopefully you are not among their dwindling numbers. Hail to Pitt!
