Started By
Message
Playing at Rupp reminds me of going to church
Posted on 2/8/23 at 6:12 am
Posted on 2/8/23 at 6:12 am
Beautiful building with a reverent atmosphere. Lots of old folks. The attendance gets animated when the hit praise and worship music kicks in, and then is otherwise silent with the occasional clapping.
7
Posted on 2/8/23 at 6:18 am to Drewbie
Well done. Have an upvote.
Kentucky selling the lower level to the rich blue hairs who hate to stand and clap or cheer.
I watched the end of the Duke/UNC game and thought, that should be what Rupp is, but it's not even remotely close.
Barnhart is raking in money though.
Kentucky selling the lower level to the rich blue hairs who hate to stand and clap or cheer.
I watched the end of the Duke/UNC game and thought, that should be what Rupp is, but it's not even remotely close.
Barnhart is raking in money though.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 6:26 am to kywildcatfanone
Trolling aside, I respect the hell out of the Kentucky program. I do think y'all deserve a better gameday atmosphere, though. It's like your crowd has an energy meter that runs out after a few possessions and has to recharge.
I remember Cal calling a timeout at some point during the first half. I believe the game was tied, and you could have heard a pin drop in that stadium. It was eerie.
I remember Cal calling a timeout at some point during the first half. I believe the game was tied, and you could have heard a pin drop in that stadium. It was eerie.
This post was edited on 2/8/23 at 6:28 am
Posted on 2/8/23 at 6:29 am to Drewbie
I've attended games at Rupp since '94.
You aren't wrong. It's easily the most overrated venue in college basketball. Far too many blue haired old ladies who are nostalgic for the days of Rupp himself.
All it would take is giving the students the first 5-6 rows near the court, but they gotta make that dollar to pay Coach Car Salesman.
You aren't wrong. It's easily the most overrated venue in college basketball. Far too many blue haired old ladies who are nostalgic for the days of Rupp himself.
All it would take is giving the students the first 5-6 rows near the court, but they gotta make that dollar to pay Coach Car Salesman.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 6:42 am to Drewbie
In the first half that was as good a crowd as you could ask for in any arena.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 7:30 am to Drewbie
quote:
I do think y'all deserve a better gameday atmosphere, though. It's like your crowd has an energy meter that runs out after a few possessions and has to recharge.
It's because all the people sitting in the lower level are 80 years old and older, other than the appeasement "erruption zone".
I realize we are raking in mountains of cash from selling those seats, but it affects the team when they aren't being cheered on.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 9:25 am to kywildcatfanone
quote:
Kentucky selling the lower level to the rich blue hairs who hate to stand and clap or cheer.
Yall need to do something about that. Every time they panned across the crowd it looked like a bunch of people old enough for Anna Nicole Smith to marry.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 9:36 am to dbeck
Don't forget the lesbian!
Posted on 2/8/23 at 9:44 am to kywildcatfanone
quote:
Kentucky selling the lower level to the rich blue hairs who hate to stand and clap or cheer.
Not quite true.
The "individual" older fans (who grew up in Memorial and will cheer) have been replaced by "corporate" folks who may not even be UK fans, they are just there to see and be seen. They are also not old. I have been in Rupp in good seats with say kids and young adults (up to say age 30) and they don't watch the game they just play games on their phones. Just mommy and daddy have the dough to have 4 to 8 seats so they get to go and be bored.
As a member of the older set I see solid old fan lose their seats so they can resell them to corporate folks and 10 times the revenue.
Old is not the issue, wealth is.
quote:
I watched the end of the Duke/UNC game and thought, that should be what Rupp is
No you don't. I have been to Durham for the UNC vs Duke game and it is a set up. At least UNC has fans that know the game, Duke has east coast kids slumming in the South for college. Go to Durham when it is not a big TV game and that place is as quiet as the Arizona desert.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 9:52 am to kywildcatfanone
quote:I feel you. Texas has the same problem with football at DKR. It's gotten slightly better with a little more energy since the early 2000s, but could be much better/louder.
Kentucky selling the lower level to the rich blue hairs who hate to stand and clap or cheer.
I watched the end of the Duke/UNC game and thought, that should be what Rupp is, but it's not even remotely close.
Basketball at the old arena (Erwin Center) was much, much worse. Thankfully the new arena has remedied that a little.
I feel like UNC has the same problem. The donors that spend the most want to be rewarded with the prize seats, but at the same time, the school is sacrificing any energy and environment that could otherwise be present should students have those seats instead.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 10:00 am to dbeck
quote:
it looked like a bunch of people old enough for Anna Nicole Smith to marry.
Old people have money, and we cater to money.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 10:01 am to Cheese Grits
quote:
No you don't.
Actually I do want fans sitting courtside all along, standing the entire game. That has to be unnerving for visiting players.
Right now, as Drewbie said, it's like a church service in the lower arena most of the time.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 10:03 am to XWing atAliciousness
quote:
feel like UNC has the same problem. The donors that spend the most want to be rewarded with the prize seats, but at the same time, the school is sacrificing any energy and environment that could otherwise be present should students have those seats instead.
It's about the money. It's been about the money, and it will always be about the money.
Now, when UK is playing good against a good opponent, the place can be super loud despite the blue hairs, but that is becoming less and less of a thing every year.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 10:03 am to Cheese Grits
quote:
replaced by "corporate" folks who may not even be UK fans
Yes, that is true as well. Good point.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 11:06 am to kywildcatfanone
Pitino complained about this back in the day. He even suggested building a facility on campus, but that never went anywhere.
The issue with UK basketball and Rupp is that it sits downtown. You can't find a seat in a restaurant or bar a few hours before tipoff.
UK basketball is a substantial economic engine for Lexington. Students don't buy $100 steaks at Tony's or shots of Pappy at the bourbon bars before sitting courtside. I don't ever see it changing.
The issue with UK basketball and Rupp is that it sits downtown. You can't find a seat in a restaurant or bar a few hours before tipoff.
UK basketball is a substantial economic engine for Lexington. Students don't buy $100 steaks at Tony's or shots of Pappy at the bourbon bars before sitting courtside. I don't ever see it changing.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 11:16 am to Cheese Grits
quote:
No you don't. I have been to Durham for the UNC vs Duke game and it is a set up. At least UNC has fans that know the game, Duke has east coast kids slumming in the South for college. Go to Durham when it is not a big TV game and that place is as quiet as the Arizona desert.
That may be the case there, but anyone who has been to a Kentucky game watching Kentucky students stand in line for hours to get into the Erupption Zone knows Kentucky would have absolutely no problem with filling in around the court with students versus boosters.
And yes, we want the students around the court. And luxury boxes built for the boosters.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 11:28 am to Wildcat1996
quote:
The issue with UK basketball and Rupp is that it sits downtown
Yep. They need to build a 20K seat stadium next to Commonwealth and let Rupp fend for itself with tractor pulls and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 11:32 am to Drewbie
Cal is def a preacher in another life
Posted on 2/8/23 at 11:33 am to Drewbie
Place can get loud af at certain times though. One of the loudest crowd reactions I’ve ever heard in any stadium was when Julius Randle had a tip in at the buzzer to beat LSU in OT about 10 years back.
Posted on 2/8/23 at 12:03 pm to XWing atAliciousness
quote:
The donors that spend the most want to be rewarded with the prize seats
Yes and no
If you are a Utx fan, as example ...
I think the 98 Final Four was in the Alamodome, which was smaller than modern venues (to make the math easy, say 48K vs 72K seats now)
98 Alamodome 48K seats, 4 schools
3K went to school A
3K went to school B
3K went to school C
3K went to school D
12K of 48K seats (25%) went to the schools
22 Super Dome 73.5K seats, 4 schools
0.8K went to school A (president got 200 / 25% of allotment)
0.8K went to school B (president got 200 / 25% of allotment)
0.8K went to school C (president got 200 / 25% of allotment)
0.8K went to school D (president got 200 / 25% of allotment)
3.2K of 73.5K seats (4.35%) went to the schools
If Utx had been in the 98 Final Four about 3K of their donors got tickets
If Utx had been in the 22 Final Four about 50 of their donors got tickets
Having been to many Final Fours in my lifetime (men and women) it has changed drastically since that 98 Final Four. I was at UNC's hotel in 98 and saw many I had seen for decades at Final Fours. Since then many have disappeared as the real fans have been displaced by corporate junkets.
It is not the donors of the schools who have the seats, it is the corporate sponsors of the NCAA that now have those seats.
Page 1 of 2
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News