Crisler will be rocking this year
Dylan at umhoops.com has a nice update on the recent developments involving the Maize Rage:
http://www.umhoops.com/2009/09/25/maize-rage-building-momentum/
My favorite item: a year after selling fewer than 500 student season-tickets, we've sold (as of Dylan's article) 2,408. We haven't sold that many since the Fab Five years. Our homecourt advantage is going to be much, much improved.
We can finally say that we've turned the page on the recent unpleasant decade. Michigan basketball is back.
September 25th, 2009 at 10:35 PM ^
A good loud student section will help make up for a few of Crisler's deficiencies.
September 25th, 2009 at 11:09 PM ^
Just kidding
September 25th, 2009 at 11:19 PM ^
This will be my 6th year as a student ticket holder at Crisler. This section captain idea sounds great if the Maize Rage kids weren't in charge. The self-important "I'm a bigger fan than you because I'm wearing a silly outfit!" crap gets really old really quick.
I appreciate their efforts, but the reason the Maize Rage has never really completely taken off is because there's a huge divide between the small core group of kids who run the thing and the rest of us. They've never done a good job of bridging the gap and making everyone feel important.
September 25th, 2009 at 11:55 PM ^
"This will be my 6th year as a student ticket holder at Crisler."
Two farewell laps?
September 25th, 2009 at 11:47 PM ^
Now, how about a Maize Rage section in the Big House between the 30's....
September 26th, 2009 at 1:09 AM ^
I agree that there's an evident divide in the leadership and "regular" members of the Maize Rage, but I also think that after the President and those who are in charge of it, there's a significant drop-off in enthusiasm.
I admit that those guys have been there through thick and thin; which is why I don't understand the whole first-come, first-served idea for the bleachers. Priority should go to those who've been there through the good and the bad.
September 26th, 2009 at 10:31 AM ^
Last year only something like 450 students bought tickets, and some of them have graduated. Now that there are going to be around 700 Maize Rage members seated in the lower bowl, how would you prioritize? You'd have to give lower-bowl seats to a few hundred first-time buyers, which wouldn't be fair to the rest. Throwing them open to everyone is probably the most equitable solution. At any rate, for some of the biggest games, the best seats will be reserved for those with good attendance in prior games, so it will be rewarding the diehards in that way.
September 26th, 2009 at 2:29 AM ^
VictorsValiant and Bando, how do you recommend bridging the gap between hardcore Maize Rage members and casual fans?
September 26th, 2009 at 3:27 AM ^
Do you mean the gap between the administrative folk of the Maize Rage, and its casual members?
That's a good question. Throughout my four years as an undergrad, my time was split between football and hockey season tickets. I did not have the time or the money to watch a subpar basketball team. The only year I saw any success was my senior year, obviously, and I had many other things to focus on.
But to answer your question, I think one of the more proactive ways to bridge that gap would be to re-structure the Maize Rage and its student organization as more egalitarian. I know the meetings in the Union are open to everyone, but the administrative folk may have to re-evaluate what's most important: supporting Michigan Basketball. Elevate the casual member to a position of "power." Give everyone the ability to lead. Have them pass out/post flyers in the Diag; man a table at Festifall; maybe have a different writer for the Maize Page/Full-Court Press every now and again; endow them with appropriate knowledge to know the team and run the website. Word-of-mouth; extend leadership capabilities. Distribute and delegate equally. Make the average Rager important.
Of course, as we all know, winning makes everyone happy, but if you also want a happy and boisterous Maize Rage, everyone's going to need to find a way to take charge and contribute. Take notice of what's already happened on this campus, and at others. For instance, I'm sure you've all seen what's happened with junior Andrew Chinsky (a good friend of mine), and what he's been able to do with the Block M at football games. Not only is he taking intiative, but he has a solid support structure in place with the Athletic Department. Get the MSA/AD/and Advisory Council in dialogue. And also, I think we need to take a look at the methodology and enthusiasm which is employed at places like Duke (I still hate them), and North Carolina. We're moving in the right direction with Michigan Madness and the expansion of the Maize Rage, but every Rager--and casual fan--are of equal importance.
September 26th, 2009 at 8:20 AM ^
Ummm....
They do all that.
There's only so much they can do when there are few people that attend meetings. They have a table at Festifall. Anyone can join the "Maize Rage Core" if you want to attend meetings. It's a completely open system, but if you want to have more of a say in things, you have to, you know, open your mouth and say them. If you want to help pass out fliers, attend a meeting, I'm sure they'd love the help.
The "divide" you say exists isn't really a divide created by elitism as you imply. There's simply few people who actually put the effort into the team several years ago and through today. Unlike the Football student section, the Maize Rage is a registered student group that organizes a ton of things around campus. Like any registered group, if you want to be a part of it, you have to set aside time to attend meetings and games.
FTR: I'm one who has attended every M Hoops game since freshman year. This is my fifth season of season tickets. I don't have the time to really attend the Maize Rage meetings, though I wish I did so I could be a bigger part of the group. But I can say that I think they've done a great job of reaching out to all members of the Maize Rage to attend meetings in order to be a bigger part of the group. How are they going to know that I want to write a part of the Rage Page if I never show up to a meeting?
September 26th, 2009 at 10:45 AM ^
There definitely needs to be better coordination of cheers across the bleacher section. Too often, the students in the center will be leading a cheer (or just jumping up and down when we're on defense) and the students on the sides won't join in. What is the deal there?
September 26th, 2009 at 10:51 AM ^
I think that's usually the result of the casual fans sitting in the edge sections and not really being into jumping and yelling.
Now that there's more students and more rowdy fans, that probably won't be as big of a problem.
September 26th, 2009 at 11:00 AM ^
Very well said. This is an issue that permeates groups all across campus. People love, and I do mean love, to criticize the efforts of student groups without having any reasonable way to do anything or knowing the full details of the group. They think it's elitism, when, in reality it's the everyday member being lazy and unwilling to put effort in. Call em spoiled or whatever, but it was always annoying.
September 26th, 2009 at 7:01 PM ^
Yeah, good point, I know members have to put in an individual effort, but I think the answer can also go back to enthusiasm. Props go out to those who have been there the longest and annually contribute for every single game.
That's why I have such a problem with the first-come, first-served policy this upcoming year regarding seating priority.