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Post by Cujo on Mar 5, 2023 22:15:51 GMT -5
Nothing like a road trip. Hotel, eating out, seeing the sights, meeting fans and making friends and basketball. Wish I was there. Actually, I wish the tournament was in Chattanooga, Birmingham or Atlanta. Asheville is Furman’s choice. Everything to please Furman.
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Post by Cujo on Mar 5, 2023 23:43:02 GMT -5
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Post by UofSAM. on Mar 5, 2023 23:46:43 GMT -5
I wish they would move the location around. Why do you play it in one location every year? But not likely to move it. Samford was aware of that when they joined SoCon. Samford knew the OVC would stay near Nashville. The TAAC or A-Sun would have gone anywhere but Seibert for the right bidding price.
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Post by 77SU on Mar 6, 2023 10:17:16 GMT -5
I wish they would move the location around. Why do you play it in one location every year? But not likely to move it. Samford was aware of that when they joined SoCon. Samford knew the OVC would stay near Nashville. The TAAC or A-Sun would have gone anywhere but Seibert for the right bidding price. We have played in SoCon tournaments in Chattanooga, Charlotte (1 time), and Asheville since joining the SoCon. IIRC, other schools didn't like the perceived home court advantage in Chattanooga plus maybe there was a problem with supporting WBB and MBB games and practice times for all teams. Asheville had it for a few years and lost it until the arena promised certain upgrades. Unfortunately it mostly had to do with technical stuff, like video boards, ad banners, etc. Difficult to renovate the building. The other venues that are newer or nicer are typically booked by the SEC WBB tournament at the same time. Legacy Arena is off the list because of the state basketball finals and SoCon seems to be locked into the Monday night championship game on ESPN. As I told the 4 MOC MOMs on the front row behind the TV announcers, Samford doesn't have the number of fans following the team because of the poor performances over the last decade. There are not really that many students at the tournament because of spring breaks and the cost. Tonight's GA ticket is $29+tax&fees on Ticket Master. If you pay close attention to the crowds, there are a lot of grey- and white-haired folks. They all love watching their teams play basketball because their teams compete and/or win consistently. We were allotted 150 seats behind our bench, but didn't fill them all. We had more folks this year than last, but there is still room for folks to show up, buy a GA session ticket, and get the wristband to sit behind our bench. Personally, until SU fans start showing up in greater numbers, we will be the red-haired step-child. Stepping off soap box.
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Post by Cujo on Mar 6, 2023 10:51:04 GMT -5
Until we quit losing in the first two rounds, fans aren’t going to show up. Cost benefit—am I going to give up a Monday at the office to watch two teams I don’t care about play in the championship game? Am I going to give up two days to drive to and from Asheville for one, maybe two games and one of those one or two games be a loss? That’s a lot to ask of a busy employed fanbase. No big deal for WCU fans to drive 45 minutes to Asheville. Heck, half of them probably live in Asheville.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Asheville (it is the place of my birth), but the SoCon makes us the red headed step child by their decisions. Make it as difficult as possible for Samford fans and then blame them for not traveling. By the way, the weather in Birmingham this weekend was unbelievably fantastic. Nice place to host a tournament.
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Post by 77SU on Mar 6, 2023 11:39:31 GMT -5
Cujo, if you showed up in Asheville you could get a prize for being one of the youngest, non-student fans in the building.
You did hit the major point I was attempting to make, that there needs to be consistent winning. Plus, it needs to be both programs, not just one or the other.
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Post by Cujo on Mar 6, 2023 11:43:46 GMT -5
Cujo, if you showed up in Asheville you could get a prize for being one of the youngest . . . in the building. This sounds like the last 10 cruises I've gone on.
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Post by FUBeAR on Mar 6, 2023 13:39:03 GMT -5
Nothing like a road trip. Hotel, eating out, seeing the sights, meeting fans and making friends and basketball. Wish I was there. Actually, I wish the tournament was in Chattanooga, Birmingham or Atlanta. Asheville is Furman’s choice. Everything to please Furman. The geographic center of the SoCon (10 schools’ long./lat. coordinates) is here… 1685 E Poinsett Street Extension, Greer, SC (conveniently located nearby the Persecuted Tattoo shop - Players could add some new ink between games)… …If only there were also a nearby basketball arena… Oh wait…This address is 18 miles from Bon Secours Wellness Arena, North Academy Street, Greenville, SC. Greenville has an amazingly vibrant and safe (unlike Asheville) downtown. The SoCon should be doing everything they can to move the SoCon Hoops Tournament to Greenville. And, nowhere else is even close. But…by contract…Asheville it is, for at least 3 more seasons.
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Post by sudog03 on Mar 6, 2023 13:43:30 GMT -5
Nothing like a road trip. Hotel, eating out, seeing the sights, meeting fans and making friends and basketball. Wish I was there. Actually, I wish the tournament was in Chattanooga, Birmingham or Atlanta. Asheville is Furman’s choice. Everything to please Furman. The geographic center of the SoCon (10 schools’ long./lat. coordinates) is here… 1685 E Poinsett Street Extension, Greer, SC (conveniently located nearby the Persecuted Tattoo shop - Players could add some new ink between games)… …If only there were also a nearby basketball arena… Oh wait…This address is 18 miles from Bon Secours Wellness Arena, North Academy Street, Greenville, SC. Greenville has an amazingly vibrant and safe (unlike Asheville) downtown. The SoCon should be doing everything they can to move the SoCon Hoops Tournament to Greenville. And, nowhere else is even close. But…by contract…Asheville it is, for at least 3 more seasons. Agree 110%.
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Post by 77SU on Mar 6, 2023 14:27:05 GMT -5
SEC WBB has Bon Secours under contract through the 2025 tournament. Good luck outbidding that group, unless some better venue catches their attention.
The other that is also mentioned is the Gas South Arena, formerly Gwinnett Center, is only 123 miles down I-85 from Greenville, another SEC WBB site.
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