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THE ZOO

M

mtgrizfankb

Well-known member
What happened with the Zoo. I know it was awesome back when. I know last year they tried it for the Big game at the beginning of the year. but what happened i mean the students had a blast and it had tons of support. whats the story? teams dont fear coming here anymore. we have such a great student base for griz games and we should have one for bball since there is no ticket cost. What is the deal, sorry if this has been posted and im just dumb. :D
 
My guess is after that game the Griz had a completely marginal showing in the BSC and limped into the tourney. The challenge was set forth for the students to make a good showing for all the games and not just the CSU game. I don't think the challenge was met aside from a few games and thus they didn't fork over the big cash seats to the students.
 
1st of all, I do believe that area should have always been the student area.

As for the current state, O'Day laid everything on the line to them last year, and stated what was expected and what they needed to make this the student section again. I am not sure what happened and why the students did not consistently show up for the games.

They were given the chance and did not deliver. They only have the student body to blame. If this is so important to the students, here is some advice. "Show up for the games consistently!" It should not matter where the seats are. Show up, get some leverage back, then try this again.
 
The students still haven't come back since the Arena was redone. I think I was a sophomore when the games were moved to Sentinel H.S. I went to several games my freshman year, and maybe two or three over the next four years.

PS - Let the students do some tailgaiting, I bet they show up.
 
Lots of schools have their student sections under the baskets.

I believe part of the student section is at one end of the side section near close to the baseline.

Seats under the basket aren't bad seats.

Student support for the games is pretty weak. Student support for the Lady Griz is really weak.

Lots of season ticket holders of the sideline/midcourt seats don't show up for games.
 
The one sure-fire cure all for students (and public) to fill the seats consistently is to be a conisistent winner. The perfect example for this model is yards away in Wa Griz stadium. If UM fans can fill a 25,000 stadium, they can surely fill a 7,000 arena.

The one good thing currently is, with this win 7-0 win streak, fans are starting to get excited about the team...the team just needs to keep performing at a high level for years to come. And with the recent recruits of the past couple years, that looks like that is going to happen.
 
PlayerRep--you are right on the money. Most of the people whining about where the students sit didn't see the Texas A & M vs. Texas game last night in College Station.
 
i hate under the basket seats. you have a crap vision of the whole floor. I would rather be on the sidelines jumping up and down and getting the place rockin. rather than sittin under a basket. I talked to alot of students that went to the CoSt game and they said it was awesome, but they went back few times cause they ended back in the ends for big games. they said if they had MORE chances to sit on the sides they would go back. but i agree that they should come to the games no matter. But lets face it the UM cares less about student for the bball games. they dont talk about it, they dont promote it enough. Most students sit in their dorm rooms and drink to be honest. idk what they will do. i guess most students just dont care
 
i have a way of getting free courtside seats in that level i would like student section to be in. If i stand most the game and yell do you think they will kick me out? my guess is yea
 
I recall O'Day challenged the student to win back at least part of their old seating in what used to be The Zoo. He made it pretty clear, prove that you'll make a consistant effort to attend as many games as possible, he'll look at the student attendace and make a decision. The results I heard once were like an average of 5 more students per game. If people wanted the zoo back so bad, I think there could have been a bit of a better effort. The UM already does a lot to try to get students to come to the game, it's free, and they give away money to those who go!

Probably one of the big factors in student attendance being crap, and the lack of increased attendace has been the long winter break, where a whole bunch of home games are played and little to no students are in town.

I think that maybe the UM should consider doing some promotional games, maybe 4-5 per year where the students get maybe 1/2 of the Zoo back. Give them a handful of big games, a few conference games and a few non-conf "bigger ticket" games. See what happens.
 
Re/MaxGriz said:
I recall O'Day challenged the student to win back at least part of their old seating in what used to be The Zoo. He made it pretty clear, prove that you'll make a consistant effort to attend as many games as possible, he'll look at the student attendace and make a decision. The results I heard once were like an average of 5 more students per game. If people wanted the zoo back so bad, I think there could have been a bit of a better effort. The UM already does a lot to try to get students to come to the game, it's free, and they give away money to those who go!

Probably one of the big factors in student attendance being crap, and the lack of increased attendace has been the long winter break, where a whole bunch of home games are played and little to no students are in town.

I think that maybe the UM should consider doing some promotional games, maybe 4-5 per year where the students get maybe 1/2 of the Zoo back. Give them a handful of big games, a few conference games and a few non-conf "bigger ticket" games. See what happens.
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Bingo, Re/Max. That is a HUGE part of it. Personally, my friends and I make it to every game we can (hell, 3 of us have won the $500 scholarship this season [including yours truly :thumb: :D ]). However, sometimes it's tough with other responsibilities. And by responsibilities I mean studying and work. Drinking is a weekend pastime for most.

And I like your 1/2 Zoo idea. It would be very doable and I think it would probably catch on better. The process of getting the students interested in Griz bball is going to take longer than just a couple games, but it can certainly be done. Especially with the current direction of the team.
 
papa bear helena said:
Re/MaxGriz said:
I recall O'Day challenged the student to win back at least part of their old seating in what used to be The Zoo. He made it pretty clear, prove that you'll make a consistant effort to attend as many games as possible, he'll look at the student attendace and make a decision. The results I heard once were like an average of 5 more students per game. If people wanted the zoo back so bad, I think there could have been a bit of a better effort. The UM already does a lot to try to get students to come to the game, it's free, and they give away money to those who go!

Probably one of the big factors in student attendance being crap, and the lack of increased attendace has been the long winter break, where a whole bunch of home games are played and little to no students are in town.

I think that maybe the UM should consider doing some promotional games, maybe 4-5 per year where the students get maybe 1/2 of the Zoo back. Give them a handful of big games, a few conference games and a few non-conf "bigger ticket" games. See what happens.
Click to expand...

Bingo, Re/Max. That is a HUGE part of it. Personally, my friends and I make it to every game we can (hell, 3 of us have won the $500 scholarship this season [including yours truly :thumb: :D ]). However, sometimes it's tough with other responsibilities. And by responsibilities I mean studying and work. Drinking is a weekend pastime for most.

And I like your 1/2 Zoo idea. It would be very doable and I think it would probably catch on better. The process of getting the students interested in Griz bball is going to take longer than just a couple games, but it can certainly be done. Especially with the current direction of the team.
Click to expand...

It seems like it would be a workable situation, my memory is a bit fuzzy about the Zoo but I grew up in the 80's/90's and my parents took me to most of the games b/c a general admission ticket was cheaper than a babysitter. I don't recall The Zoo being especially rowdy with exceptions to just a few teams: MSU, Boise St, and Idaho. The rest of the games most of students in those seats would just sit around.

So, give the students a handful of big games to get rowdy, the rest of the games will most likely be supported by season ticket holders. Seems like a win-win to me.
 
I sat in the student section from 1978 to 1983. It was normally rowdy for most games. Before 1981-82 seasson, the students would scream their lungs out as loud as they could while the team was being announced and all the way to tip off. Totally intimidating to the opposing team. So intimidating that the Conference voted to alternate the introduction of both teams players starting during the 1981-82 season.

The other teams just hated the participation of the UM student section and alternating player introductions pretty was their way of eliminating that intimidating factor. It pretty much worked. The student section did try to be creative by bringing a lot of papers and students would hold up the papers reading it while introducing the opposing teams player. It was amusing but it had no effect on intimidating the other team. I am sure some or a lot of students thought it was fun at the start

Heck, most of the fun of going to the games was the fan participation in the basketball games. UM didn't need chearleaders as the student section would lead the cheers, doing what only the cheerleaders do today.

But, now that the player introductions are done the way they were prior to the 1981-82 season, maybe the student section could start participating more in the chearing and start screaming as loud as they could while our players are being introduced. But, I suppose they would feel weird doing so. But, you never know, it may make it more exciting and other students would notice it and start coming and eventually, there would be enough students to warrant moving the students to be on the east lower floor level seats. At least half of the floor level seats.

We need to get that intimidating factor back into the game at the start of each game like it had prior to the 1981-82 season.

but, they certainly won't with the number of students that come now.
 
The visiting team is always going to have the basket in front of the visitor's bench during the 2nd half. Wouldn't a good compromise be to put the students under that basket, and around the sideline to the half court on the visitor's side?

And unfortunately, I agree with the statements about the winter break, winning means attendance, etc. There simply aren't any students here for almost 2 months. King George can blame that on whatever he wants, but that is a fact. And students, when they are here, will show up if the team is winning consistently. Most won't show up if they aren't winning.

I was in school in the early 80's when basketball was king, and football wasn't very good. The football stands were virtually empty, and basketball was packed.
 
mtgrizrule said:
1st of all, I do believe that area should have always been the student area.

As for the current state, O'Day laid everything on the line to them last year, and stated what was expected and what they needed to make this the student section again. I am not sure what happened and why the students did not consistently show up for the games.

They were given the chance and did not deliver. They only have the student body to blame. If this is so important to the students, here is some advice. "Show up for the games consistently!" It should not matter where the seats are. Show up, get some leverage back, then try this again.
Click to expand...

um....maybe the anticonformist students at UM don't like O'Day's hillbilly ultimatums. it's not the camo hat wearing carhart hunting school you all went to.
 
robomomo said:
um....maybe the anticonformist students at UM don't like O'Day's hillbilly ultimatums. it's not the camo hat wearing carhart hunting school you all went to.
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Are you seriously suggesting that the current student body there invented free-thinking non-conformity? That's awesome, and it wouldn't be the first time in my experience some self-styled free-thinker thought he was the first person in history to think for him- or herself.

I was a student there in the 80s when basketball was a big deal and football wasn't, and the whole place was thoroughly "anticonformist." That was the whole point for me. If I had wanted to spend my whole life doing what I was told and never questioning authority I would have gone to MSU. Not sure what your points are about "hillbilly ultimatums," "camo hats," "carhart," and "hunting school."
 
I've been to two basketball games in Missoula since I moved to Montana. Decent sized crowds both times but definitely not the vibe seen at a UM football game. Talked basketball with Missoula locals when I've visited and generally received a lukewarm response, at best. I try to talk college basketball with people I work with and interact with here in Great Falls but unless it's in regards to high schools, no one seems to give a squat and/or a piss.

Two roundball games a year seem to be broadcast on tv - home and away against the Bobcats. That is it. Hell, radio coverage of Griz bball when I've traveled around the state is spotty. Neither of these things do anything to help build support statewide.

The U of M has an abundance of history on its side in regards to both men's and women's basketball and both programs seem to be thriving at the moment even though the rabid student/community support isn't there like it is with football.

The success of the football program may be part of the reason the rest of the athletic programs aren't receiving the same type of support. My coworkers talk Griz football 12 months a year. They don't talk about any other UM sports. The fan base of the U of M and the state of Montana in general dwell on football.

Once some of the love gets spread around things may change. Til then....football is God at UM.

PS - No, this is not a knock on your mens or womens basketball programs and yes, the rest of the Big Sky Conference is envious of this fact that you get such fantastic support for football.
 
i do like the 4-5 zoo gmes a year. a co st game or something like that. maybe the cat game. and 2 or three others. maybe if basketball gets bigger then they can add a few games a year and build up the student force again?
 
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