I was shocked at the turn out and the atmosphere for this game. Just felt more excitment from fans even before kickoff. Also the team does seem different, idk how to explain it but just seems like the have some moxy this year. Once secondary sures up think we be alright. Have to say tho Vinny Jr. Was putting the ball in good spots and whipping it in on them slants, our defenders were right there though which is a plus. Offensively impressed by the wide receivers, they made catches and plays that past few years we wouldn't have saw. The excitment for next week is real.
Atmosphere of heinz/team feel
- Thread starter Jsr862
- Start date
I dunno about all of that, being a significantly improved atmosphere; i do know it was dang crowded in my section, more than I expected. Looked ok elsewhere (lower bowl). Upper was of course sparse.
I think the student section and band switch worked out well.
The larger band did seem somewhat more boisterous.
I dug how the crowd basically flipped off the suits, and finished Sweet Caroline a capella even after it was truncated and the game resumed.
But by far the most surreal and hilarious moment was the Human Bobblehead race featuring the big head Fitz, Marino, Dorsett and Ditka heads!
I think the student section and band switch worked out well.
The larger band did seem somewhat more boisterous.
I dug how the crowd basically flipped off the suits, and finished Sweet Caroline a capella even after it was truncated and the game resumed.
But by far the most surreal and hilarious moment was the Human Bobblehead race featuring the big head Fitz, Marino, Dorsett and Ditka heads!
The bobble head race was a nice addition. That fitz was an imposter because the real fitz wouldn't cheat to win hahahaha. Students came in with a crazy number. I sit section 523 at the lower portion of the section and loads and loads of students came up to fill the top sections. Was getting a bit upset because they just do whatever they want and the stadium staff doesn't stop them. I was being prepared to have to kick some kids out my seat after halftime. But luckily none tried taking mine.
The box score says the turnout was 35k. I was disappointed it wasn’t better with good weather and rib fest.
The students showed up today. They definitely help the atmosphere
I was hoping for closer to 50k, but we played well and controlled the game from the opening kickoff (literally). I’ve been around long enough to just be happy with the win.
-I should add we’re not inflating attendance anymore like under previous regimes so the number we’re putting out is a real number
Students did show really well.
Somehow a lot of them seemed to snag parking passes in my lot. Loads of em tailgating where we normally just have older goobers like me. I had a couple "get offa my lawn" impulses but they made things livelier. Particularly the frankly scandalously clad co-ed contingent.
Somehow a lot of them seemed to snag parking passes in my lot. Loads of em tailgating where we normally just have older goobers like me. I had a couple "get offa my lawn" impulses but they made things livelier. Particularly the frankly scandalously clad co-ed contingent.
Well, I was working and there are just some things the radio just can't conjure up.
I did this in my time as a student. Most are cognizant enough to realize which seats are vacant.
True. Most in my section did too, though.
It was a combo of a comfortable lead, high humidity (and free/cheap cold booze to be had elsewhere), and our more exciting play from the first half getting clumsy and torpid.
Myself I stayed just to see some backups. And truly, to finally see us try a punt (hoping the first punt of the season wouldn't be happening next week, inevitably from the south endzone with the PSU fans screaming right behind the guy). Believe me the absurdity of hoping for a possession to stall normally wasn't lost on myself...
34,486. That's very poor. The worst opening game attendance in 18 years. Actually the worst ever at Heinz.
Sweet Caroline doesn't work as well as when then had it every game between the 3rd and 4th. Fans aren't participating nearly as much. There's no anticipation for it because it is randomly placed, and now students are leaving after half.
Sweet Caroline doesn't work as well as when then had it every game between the 3rd and 4th. Fans aren't participating nearly as much. There's no anticipation for it because it is randomly placed, and now students are leaving after half.
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What do you think the solution is besides winning 8-10 games every year?
Not saying this as a dig at all, I don’t know what the easy fix is either. To be honest I don’t know if winning would be the cure all either. Maybe the whole attendance debate is just something that we will always have to deal with.
Changing the font on our helmets or the shades of colors on our uniforms, changing the intro music, selling beer throughout the stadium...
Winning is the only answer.
The student section was terrific today. Best they've sounded for this type of game in a long time. Loved it!
It's only the worst because the number they announced today was an actual, real number of the people there, whereas in the past we have announced numbers that literally had no basis in reality.
We have to earn support. I don’t blame anyone who is a little leary about supporting Pitt. We need to do our part and get people back onboard
Then I guess all there is to say is a fine job by pitt moving the student section, because the crowd didn’t look bad at all. It actually seemed much more lively than last year’s opener. Yeah it rained late in the game last year, but it looked and felt like a half empty stadium.
It seemed improved somehow this year, although you still had lower empties while fans were spread out amongst the upper deck seats.
The first time that they "clapped" their seat backs, my buddy and I thought that jets were flying overhead (pre-game). Fooled us! Had not heard that before.
Good job with Sweet Caroline after the music stopped.
Ok, So what method of like the half dozen NCAA approved ways to announce attendance are they using now? Turnstile? Tickets distributed? Tickets sold? What?
It’s harder than walking
Against Villanova two years ago there were 50.000. Expectations for this year's team are not high among the media types. That has permeated the fan base's belief in this year's squad. A win over PSU will get things back on track.
You mean for the same students that take shuttles from the Cathedral to Sutherland? Or complain about walking from Lothrop to Market?
Students getting to the game isn't the problem, and they get there a lot better than when they had walk up to Gate 10. It is this culture of leaving early that has become entrenched as a cultural norm. Excuses are easy to find for people looking for them.
I was happy with the students Saturday. Frankly they saved the day because the rest of the crowd was bad, but being off campus doesn’t help us.
The students always show well for the first game. But being off campus doesn't affect a damn thing based on how they showed up on-campus. The only thing that affects things is winning compelling games that generates expectations and excitement which also makes games an event that students feel that they need to be a part of.
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Well, I walked from Dawson street up cardiac hill, and that was no easy walk. It is far easier now than when I was a student.
I think the crowd was incredibly loud, and it was a great atmosphere at the game. Cant wait for the crowd this week
I think the crowd was incredibly loud, and it was a great atmosphere at the game. Cant wait for the crowd this week
This. You can't compare that number to when they were adding 10k+ to the number when it was so clearly a lie.
Clearly? Uh huh. Another attendance counting savant. This Saturday was 5,526 worse than last year which was under the same AD but there were a significantly larger number of tickets (>50K) sold this year. It was a clearly a much worse opening game than other years when we've sold comparable #s of tickets (like 2 years ago when we played a FCS ranked Villanova). There was an awful lot of no-shows this year (over 15K) and that is a failure on some level because opening games generally do better than what happened this Saturday.
Really, it comes down to winning and expectations. We're also coming off a season with the lowest number of wins in a decade, which, btw, was also the last time opening day attendance was in the 30s. I'll give a little of the difference to the caliber of the opponent, as it was a bad FCS opponent with no local regional interest, compared to a team like YSU that is a quality FCS program generates some local interest and bring some fans. But Pitt's program is again stale to the general public unless it proves otherwise, and it needs to start showing otherwise next week.
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Atmosphere = enjoying myself. It'll be shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee next week, but I'm not gonna exactly be enjoying that... especially if still extremely hot and humid (night will help). The numbers of PSU supporters is always over counted by the media but almost as annoying will the casual 'event' fans (who really don't support either, even if they put on the lone Pitt cap in their closet, likely to be the Dinocat variety ... or more likely a Steelers shirt, hopefully Conner at least).
They'll sit like lumps, no cheering, eating up a storm and spewing waste ... Clogging the restrooms, slowing entry and concession lines, griping over the price of a box of nachos, grumbling that Pitt is 'allowed' to play in the "Steelers stadium", getting up and slogging past me in the middle of plays ... mocking us mildly (vs the louder PSU fan mocking) if we go down early ...
Before the game they'll be driving about aimlessly, confused in the North Shore expecting easy cheap parking like they got in 2001 (their most recent Pitt game, which they went to because of the new stadium, unless they went to this game two years ago). Lost after the game, wandering in the cross walks "now where is Blue 5 lot again?", trying to cross 3 lanes or making illegal u turns etc., clogging traffic worse.
Bah, I know the program wants and needs more regular fans like that for more profit, but you can have that kind of "atmosphere".
They'll sit like lumps, no cheering, eating up a storm and spewing waste ... Clogging the restrooms, slowing entry and concession lines, griping over the price of a box of nachos, grumbling that Pitt is 'allowed' to play in the "Steelers stadium", getting up and slogging past me in the middle of plays ... mocking us mildly (vs the louder PSU fan mocking) if we go down early ...
Before the game they'll be driving about aimlessly, confused in the North Shore expecting easy cheap parking like they got in 2001 (their most recent Pitt game, which they went to because of the new stadium, unless they went to this game two years ago). Lost after the game, wandering in the cross walks "now where is Blue 5 lot again?", trying to cross 3 lanes or making illegal u turns etc., clogging traffic worse.
Bah, I know the program wants and needs more regular fans like that for more profit, but you can have that kind of "atmosphere".
