Michigan Fans, Maize Rage, and Athletic Department Frustration
It has clearly been a frustrating basketball season.
Yesterday, waiting for tip-off I was floored by the number of Purdue fans in attendance. Obviously, the answer here is pretty straightforward -- if the team were better, there would be more demand for the product. But my goodness, our basketball "fans" are incredibly fickle. So, first off, Michigan ticket holders -- do better.
Even so, I tweeted at the Maize Rage before the game about how many Purdue fans were IN THE MAIZE RAGE. The lower bowl, where the Rage sits was mostly Purdue fans, as well as almost the entire corner section. The Maize Rage tweeted back to let me know that during spring break, they only get the center section of the lower bowl.
Well, fine I guess. The Athletic Department obviously has the experience here and knows lots of students will be gone. That makes sense. What doesn't make sense to me is just dumping those tickets on the open marketplace allowing Purdue to pack the lower bowl. Just give the tickets to local elementary schools or Big Brothers/Big Sisters or *something* that isn't the opposing team's fans.
I thought the MSU game was rough in terms of how present and loud their fans were. But that's somewhat to be expected given how many Michigan ticket holders have MSU family members, friends, etc. Also, MSU taking over Crisler has happened before. Plus... this season.
But yesterday was a new low. It was almost certain Michigan wouldn't be able to win yesterday. But the players played hard all game. And it felt like their homecourt advantage was actually a liability.
February 26th, 2024 at 9:54 AM ^
There is a competitive team that plays in the same arena, but the Athletic Department never seems to do a damn thing to boost attendance for the Women's BB team.
February 26th, 2024 at 9:54 AM ^
Disagree with this post completely. The comments from leadership show they are not interested in making any changes. The best way fans can impact that is by not going to games. Tickets are very expensive, there is no reason for someone not to sell their tickets to a Purdue fan and recoup a fraction of what they have dumped into season tickets this year with little to no entertainment value in return. If it looks like a Purdue home game then maybe the administration will think twice.
February 26th, 2024 at 9:55 AM ^
“ This shot works “ !!!’ “ We gonna shock the world “….
February 26th, 2024 at 9:55 AM ^
Of course, a key factor is the team stinks. That is never good for fan support.
However, te fact is Michigan has never had a good (let alone great) fan base when it comes to basketball. We are in the bottom half of the B1G. It is a front-running fan base. The student section is nothing special; the fat cat seats are regularly left unfilled unless the game is a middle-to-top tier opponent; and our athletic department is pathetic in terms of being active in getting empty seats (whether for resale or they haven't been sold yet in the first place) filled with people who will root for Michigan, e.g., lack of sales to local basketball teams or schools.
I go to 2-3 Pistons games a year. The Pistons have been terrible, basically, for 15 years. So there is no reason for there to be a good fan base (i.e., it's not just 1-2 bad years) and there are plenty of empty seats. If you go when the Pistons are playing Toronto, get ready for some loud cheering for the Raptors. That said, the Pistons at least try to fill those seats, making sure there is a robust secondary ticket market (which too often isn't the case for Michigan games) and more importantly, regularly getting local kids' soccer clubs, schools, Boy Scout troops etc to the games, where they often cheer like the middle school over-amped kids they are. Thus, the atmosphere, even if half-full with Pistons' fans, is usually pretty supportive and rowdy in a good way. UM could take notes.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:00 AM ^
But my goodness, our basketball "fans" are incredibly fickle. So, first off, Michigan ticket holders -- do better.
People in power will continue to put out the level of product the fans tolerate, the only power fans have is whether they attend games or not. I'm glad the arena was full with an embarrassing amount of Purdue fans because it shows the AD fans won't tolerate this level of performance.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:01 AM ^
In all due respect, it is a two-way street. I'll do better when they do better. I'll pay the business, which is the athletic department, when they hire more talented staff and stop burying their heads in the sand regarding NIL.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:03 AM ^
This is no different than any other team going through a rough patch. I bet a ticket for a home purdue game is tough to get or expensive right now. You can have a nice road game trip and get a cheap seat to see your team.
This team plays basketball poorly, it's not a fun product. Until recently every Browns home game against the Steelers was flooded with steeler fans.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:22 AM ^
Boy you're not kidding on that analogy. It was so nice this year to NOT be surrounded by a bunch of Steeler fans in section 533. And I barely saw any on the walk in & out - what a sea change that was from years gone by.
if you win fans will come and when you lose (and lose bigly), they stay home and sell their tickets.. This isnt that hard to understand.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:13 AM ^
Just because we're not used to it, doesn't mean it can't happen to us. Michigan Stadium has been taken over by OSU for years and years...
For one thing, we're a hospitable group, not like those a-holes in lansing etc...
Second, why should kids/people spend their time and energy to go watch what is basically a horrible horrible product. I don't think you can turn this on the fans when this team (though the kids seem to be playing hard) looks terrible. Its a bad product with NO promise for improvement.
We're not fickle. We're in last by multiple games and generally have been non-competitive against any team with a pulse.
Also, Howard apparently had to be held back again yesterday??? by McDaniel? This garbage is like a slow moving train wreck. But when are we going to get to the shitty finish line so things can improve?
February 26th, 2024 at 10:13 AM ^
The team is 5-20 in its last 25 games. That’s beyond horrendous. I assume you’re trying to say that we suck for being fair weather fans. But there’s a big difference between fair weather fan and simply not wasting time and money on a team that mailed it in a while ago. Your post sounds whiny and you come off seeming like you feel superior to everyone who didn’t attend. Have fun if that’s your thing. But don’t crap on people making rational decisions. Me, I’d personally rather watch the rose bowl for 50th time.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:21 AM ^
Again, the main point of my post is obviously muddled.
Lots of frustration for lots of reasons for lots of people.
What I'm trying to say is that the Athletic Department has an opportunity to do something better for the specific situation of how to fill the Maize Rage during spring break.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:24 AM ^
But my goodness, our basketball "fans" are incredibly fickle. So, first off, Michigan ticket holders -- do better.
That conflicts with your statement above. The Athletic Department can do something "better" since they can't even give these tickets away. They can hire a competent coach. No snark. Just facts.
5-20 and getting worse.
February 26th, 2024 at 11:29 AM ^
Bball fans fickle? I for one don't have the ability to enjoy going to a sporting event knowing that the team I root for is 95% likely to lose and that it will do so in a painful manner. Usually will have a lead at half time and then have it slip away due to bad defense and turnovers.
You do know that Michigan is last in the B10?
February 26th, 2024 at 12:00 PM ^
I... am... quoting... the ... original... pooooooooooooossssssssttttttttttttttt
February 26th, 2024 at 12:04 PM ^
mvp- probably best to take the L on a bad post and remain silent
February 26th, 2024 at 10:14 AM ^
"But my goodness, our basketball "fans" are incredibly fickle. So, first off, Michigan ticket holders -- do better."
I disagree strongly. There's a big difference between fairweather fans who only show up when the team is top-10 nationally, and fans who have given up on a completely catastrophic season. If Michigan were a middling B1G team fighting for a tournament berth, I'd agree that we would want better attendance to help give the team every possible competitive edge. But THIS season? People are allowed to have better things to do with their Sunday afternoons.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:25 AM ^
For sure, everyone has free will and can spend their time and money however they choose. But as a basketball fan base, my experience is that Michigan fans aren't great. Even in good seasons, for many games, there are lots of empty seats. The economics of basketball ticket pricing are certainly to blame in all sorts of ways.
I made the main point of my post confusing by starting with this. That wasn't my intent (even though my choice is to support the team as a season ticket holder). As I've tried to point out in some of the comments, the main issue I wanted to highlight is the Athletic Department's handling of the Maize Rage tickets during spring break week.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:15 AM ^
I was a student during the Elerbe years. I only went to a few games during my time there. Students were stuck in the upper bowl. No atmosphere (Amaker fixed that after I left by moving students down and having a better team). But compared to football and Hockey games, there was no chance I'd trade to basketball (I give all the fans that did show up a huge "you are a better fan from me" no sarcasm fist bump).
That said, a bad team during spring break, I find it hard to imagine why you would expect the stadium to be filled with students. I fully encourage road trips down south with your friends.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:53 AM ^
Minor editorial note, because it's always funny to me: Brian Ellerbe was the head coach at Michigan for, what, 3 seasons and some change, and Michigan fans have at least twice that number of ways to spell his name.
Ellerbe.
February 26th, 2024 at 11:02 AM ^
I'm usually a proper pedant on spelling and suchlike, but I forgive anybody who forgets how to spell Ellerbe--who wants to remember anything from those years?
February 26th, 2024 at 11:14 AM ^
Tractor Traylor, LaVell Blanchard, Jamal Crawford headband mania...
Crisler was fun back then, even if the end result sucked.
February 26th, 2024 at 3:30 PM ^
I knew I was off, but didn't feel like correcting it. Proper callout
My Tractor Traylor story is a boring one. A friend of the parents took us to game, and we got to sit in the lower bowl (mostly empty because it was an ok team and students were up in second tier). Tractor Traylor was one of the only other people in our section a few rows up from us. He did not fit into the chairs at Crisler. That's it.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:21 AM ^
To me, this actually feels and looks worst than the 3-8 richrod football team. Even as bad as that was, you could convince yourself of a brighter future (maybe not much brighter...but something to hold onto). This is not even a sport. The last three years, (yes even when winning) has been some of the most lazy basketball I've ever watched with almost nothing that makes me think a brighter day is coming.
I'm all for not being a fair weather fan but when it gets to this level I have no issue with fans not coming or being engaged.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:22 AM ^
You have a point. The bad RR teams would at least do something fun or exciting for a quarter or a half until the inevitable happened. This is just abject. This is Kabuki theater, not an actual sport.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:32 AM ^
Blinkin totally agree. I mean you could spot a Denard Robinson or something and think "hmm...maybe they will have something". There was some dudes out there. I'm not trying to shine a turd with revisionist history..it was bad.
But yes, what we are watching now doesn't even feel like basketball.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:36 AM ^
I would pay to watch Kabuki in Crisler; I would not pay to watch this year's team.
February 26th, 2024 at 11:37 AM ^
agreed there is noh way I'm spending my off-time watching this miserable excuse for a hoops team
February 26th, 2024 at 10:25 AM ^
God help me, I had the thought yesterday that Tommy Amaker probably could have coached this team onto the bubble. Because at least he knew when his team was a bucket of spare parts that needed to be deployed accordingly.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:34 AM ^
For sure, I don't think anyone is going to sing many praises for those years but it was far better than this. It really started three years ago with me when even when they were winning you'd hear the announcers say things like "it's just lazy basketball" and "no discipline" or "no hustle". Most of these were related to defense but the signs of a poorly coached team with no fight started a long time ago.
And I sat there watching toledo beating Michigan in the RR days so I'm no fairweather fan. I was at the UM/IL game that was like 6 overtimes and we cheered and were happy to be 7-5 lol. I can withstand a lot.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^
Shooting up and smoking is illegal if done concurrently!!!
February 26th, 2024 at 11:32 AM ^
This is worse than Richrod football- While I'm not a Richrod fan, we had a good number of entertaining games vs Notre Dame, beating Wisconsin as part of the 3-8 season, and any game that Denard played in prior to Hoke trying to make him an under center QB.
February 26th, 2024 at 2:17 PM ^
In football adding 2 wins is like adding 6 to basketball. If we add 12 wins to this the next couple years we are still kinda hot garbage. If you keep this coach he "may" do better than this but he is still the architect that designed this roster. You arent getting a roster rebuild from a guy that put this together on purpose. I would love to see the alternate universe where Caleb Love (19ppg) and Terrance Shannon (21.6ppg) are on this roster. I think a potential 40ppg might have helped.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:31 AM ^
Haven't the kids in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program been through enough without being subjected to this basketball team?
Also, you want the Michigan ticket holders to do better? Is this Dave Brandon's burner account? "Come on, you ingrates. Show up and consume the slop we feed you. How dare you have standards?"
This certainly is a new low. I'll agree with you there. But the blame lies at the feet of the head coach, and increasingly the AD if he doesn't act decisively.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:32 AM ^
Take it one step further, why does our AD allow the B1G to schedule home games during our Winter/Spring Breaks? Because they've bent over for the almighty TV $$$.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:37 AM ^
Not going to go look it up for you, but I'd venture to guess that just about every B1G school on semesters is going to be on spring break sometime in late February-early March, too. Which also happens to be the most important part of the regular season.
What do you want the ADs to do, tell the conference to suspend play for two weeks every winter?
February 26th, 2024 at 10:38 AM ^
You are going to have a tougher time telling fans to do better and show more support when players leave at the drop of hat anymore.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:51 AM ^
I am Disgruntled!
(Let’s see how many Curb fans are here.)
February 26th, 2024 at 2:19 PM ^
Ill give you a shit bow.
February 26th, 2024 at 7:15 PM ^
Capital D !
February 26th, 2024 at 10:52 AM ^
So people should pay for crap?
If McDonald's changed their fries to other-people's removed warts would you still feel people should be compelled to buy them?
Lousy take.
February 26th, 2024 at 2:19 PM ^
I uh....
Wut?
February 26th, 2024 at 2:19 PM ^
I uh....
Wut?
Double take kinda works here.
February 26th, 2024 at 10:56 AM ^
It's a shame but completely understandable. Basketball tickets (and all that comes with it) are way too expensive for families. I have a family of 4 and there is no way I'm spending $100-200 (MINIMUM) for tickets and food to watch the product that is currently being offered. Add in the commute from the East Lansing area, and it's a hard "NO" this year. They should consider making the ticket and food prices more reasonable.
February 26th, 2024 at 11:02 AM ^
This is my entire point.
For spring break week, when the Maize Rage is gone, make an affordable promotion that gets kids and families into Crisler, into the Maize Rage, and lock out visiting fans.
Even in a crappy year, there would likely be demand if they gave the tickets to local elementary schools for, say, $5 each. Then a family of four could go for $20, kids could experience a B1G game, and we wouldn't have what we had yesterday in the lower bowl of the arena.
Commuting makes it more difficult, but that's why you make it a local promotion.
February 26th, 2024 at 11:14 AM ^
To be fair, even 5-6 weeks ago (mid-January) ---- nobody would have thought Michigan hoops would be in last place in the B1G.
To do such a promotion, you'd have to basically guarantee ahead of time there would be weak inherent U-M fan demand for the game.
If Michigan were, say, muddling along but still 6-10 in conference play - the demand to see U-M play a Top 5 team would have been a lot higher. And Michigan would have left a lot of $$$ on the table with your idea.
February 26th, 2024 at 12:10 PM ^
I'm not saying do it for all of Crisler.
This is just for the Maize Rage seats that you know will be unused because it is spring break week.
Crisler Arena capacity is 13,751. Maybe 10% of that is Maize rage with the center Maize Rage section still going to M students. So it is, like, 1,000 seats where you're losing, net, maybe $25 per ticket. So it costs you $25 grand for tickets that have already been sold to students as part of their season ticket package.
I'm not suggesting it would be free for the Athletic Department, but it wouldn't be a bad investment in goodwill.
February 26th, 2024 at 11:15 AM ^
For real, explain how you "lock out visiting fans."
There is no way to do this.
February 26th, 2024 at 11:33 AM ^
Every year, for spring break week, work with local elementary schools to give each of them some number of tickets. Whether it is a pure give away, or the tickets are sold for $5, or whatever, the goals are:
- Local kids get to go to a Michigan game in a way that is a lot more affordable than for a typical game.
- Kids and families fill those sections with non-transferrable tickets.
- Goodwill.
The locking out comes from the fact that for this one game, you don't sell the tickets the way the Athletic Department normally sells tickets. And I'm not saying for the entire arena -- those sales go on like normal. This is just for the Maize Rage tickets that are going to go unused because the bulk of students are gone on spring break.
As I said in a post above, if you looked at the kids in the white t-shirts that stood with the Michigan players during Lift Every Voice and the Star Spangled Banner, they were having a blast the entire game. They don't particularly care that the team isn't good -- they were just excited to be at a Michigan game in Crisler Arena with everything that goes along with it.
Of course, Purdue fans would have still filled Crisler yesterday, been loud, and dominated our fans. But they wouldn't have filled the lower bowl Maize Rage seats and the student corner section.
If Michigan happened to be number 2 in the country, I'm sure there would be a lot more demand for those tickets. But if you do the promotion every year, schools and families know to look for it and would likely come no matter how bad the team is.
February 26th, 2024 at 11:36 AM ^
It's clear you have a very specific idea about this that cannot be changed, even when people explain to you that what you're saying is simultaneously incorrect, implausible, and/or counterfactual.
In other words, that's just, like, your opinion, man.