167 replies to this topic

[HH75]

gamekeeper, on 15 February 2013 - 09:21 AM, said:

So your agrument is to keep a program that is no longer competative, so they can at least get gate money the 4 or 5 home games,
I can hear the Coach pep talk now.
"Look, I know you probably won't win, but go out there try your best and don't get hurt we need you literally....our sports budget depends on us." Our conference depends on us for their homecoming games.

Its sad and unfortunate but it is the truth. Football pays the bills. Good football pays more bills, but bad still gets the job done. Without it you have to rely on every sport paying its own way. Ever attend a girls softball game?, or baseball game? How many people, besides mom and dad (and thats being generous) attend on a regular basis? They cant carry thier own weight. Most of the time these sports dont even charge to "get in", because they know if they did, they would have no chance to get anyone there. One reason.... to many games on too many nights. The casual fan and his/ her family are not going to travel to Van Buren on Tuesday at 5pm to catch a soccer ( or baseball, or any other sport) game only to turn around and hit another one on Thursday night in Ada, and shell out 30 bucks for each game.

[Common Sense]

roarintiger1, on 15 February 2013 - 10:26 AM, said:

This would sum up Vanlue's speeches pretty well I would say. Unfortunately, there are several more schools now who are also giving those speeches.

So is the answer to give up and find other sports, or put the team in a competitive situation with other schools that are in the same situation. There is a league close by that has similar size schools that Vanlue COULD compete with. The conference with Perry, Ridgemont, Marion Catholic, etc. I honestly feel that IF the kids knew they had a chance of winning some games, that would get more kids out for the sport. Hardin Northern should look there also. The BVC would stay a 10 team league with N. Baltimore and Hopewell coming in, HN and the 'Lue would be a more competive league and it's a win-win situation.

[Buckshot]

I give credit to the majority of the BVC schools and administrators. They worked hard to develop an expansion program that was fair to all members. The newly enhanced league will be better for all schools involved, but I think I think they missed the boat. Talk of LB and several other schools leaving the league to form a new alignment with a couple of add on schools would have been the best deal. Even with realignment the issues HN and Vanlue have still have serious consequences for all other league schools I wonder if it's not just a matter of time before we hear we don;t have enought football number for C-R and Arcadia.

[roarintiger1]

I have no idea what Arcadia and even Pandora-Gilboa could do. But, I'd like to think that Cory-Rawson would eliminate soccer before they throw in the towel on BVC football. It only makes sense and cents! Of course, what I'd like to think and what is actually done could be two different things.........it usually is.

[gamekeeper]

Vanlues basketball team is paying for their sports, much like New knoxville, ottoville, linconlnview. It doesn't have to be just football or nothing. It's the best game in town that pays the bills. The Basketball team which is getting bigger crowds will continue to cover. Just because Football is biggest in most schools, doesn't mean you have to have it to have sports.

I totally agree FOOTBALL is king. But it doesn't mean you need to keep the sport just to have other sports. Basketball can make money if you are competative, and Vanlue and the schools i mentioned above are very competative in those sports.

[govikes]

HH75, on 12 February 2013 - 01:00 PM, said:

What im saying is if school A is having a jr hi football game at the same time school A is also hosting a varsity soccer game more casual sports fans will watch the jr hi football game. (I agree parents will go to the game regardless of which on it is. So we'll leave them out of the gate money.)

Your saying soccer can only out drawl football if football doesnt exist so...


I dont know if the lue "makes money " at the gate or not. I have nothing to do with them.
Let me ask... If LB was playing a varsity fooball game AT Vanlue and LB was also hosting a home varaity soccer game at the very same time, which event do you think more casual LB fans would attend? Even traveling all the way to the Lue?

And yes! Im fully aware of the cost difference to field each team, as this seems to be the one ,if not the only, argument soccer people continuously bring up to justify thier cause.

I love this "traveling all the way to the lue". When we go to Vanlue, we consider Findlay the halfway point and crack open another brew (except the driver). So please don't make it seem LB is soooo far away from anywhere. LB is probably the geographical center of the BVC.

Edited by govikes, 15 February 2013 - 03:38 PM.

[HH75]

govikes, on 15 February 2013 - 03:37 PM, said:

I love this "traveling all the way to the lue". When we go to Vanlue, we consider Findlay the halfway point and crack open another brew (except the driver). So please don't make it seem LB is soooo far away from anywhere. LB is probably the geographical center of the BVC.

LB is the center of the BVC geography? Really??? :sarcasm.

Re read the post you quoted! It was meant as LB fans travelling "all the way to the lue" for a football game, as apposed to staying in their own back yard for a soccer game!

Pssst...... Little secret here for ya govike!!!... I dont really mean every fans OWN back yard....I mean it as staying close to their own home or only traveling to their "home" school.... as in NOT going to an away game or to a school outside thier district that they pay taxes in. Or to a sight where a prepaid LB sports pass would not be valid. You know.... where people have to take more money out of thier pockets to watch.

Clear now? Maybe you ought to be the driver more and the passenger less??!

Edited by HH75, 15 February 2013 - 04:30 PM.

[hunt4em]

roarintiger1, on 15 February 2013 - 02:42 PM, said:

I have no idea what Arcadia and even Pandora-Gilboa could do. But, I'd like to think that Cory-Rawson would eliminate soccer before they throw in the towel on BVC football. It only makes sense and cents! Of course, what I'd like to think and what is actually done could be two different things.........it usually is.

P-G should start looking up after this year. Two small classes back to back will hurt any schools sports program. They were 500 last year and should have a shot at maybe knocking off one or two of the bigs in the next couple years. Arcadia will struggle

[citgogainfan]

HH75, on 15 February 2013 - 04:26 PM, said:

LB is the center of the BVC geography? Really??? :sarcasm.


Clear now? Maybe you ought to be the driver more and the passenger less??!

I really enjoy the ride to LB as a passenger... makes that ride go a lot faster. Driving seems like it takes forever!!

[govikes]

HH75, on 15 February 2013 - 04:26 PM, said:

LB is the center of the BVC geography? Really??? :sarcasm.

Re read the post you quoted! It was meant as LB fans travelling "all the way to the lue" for a football game, as apposed to staying in their own back yard for a soccer game!

Pssst...... Little secret here for ya govike!!!... I dont really mean every fans OWN back yard....I mean it as staying close to their own home or only traveling to their "home" school.... as in NOT going to an away game or to a school outside thier district that they pay taxes in. Or to a sight where a prepaid LB sports pass would not be valid. You know.... where people have to take more money out of thier pockets to watch.

Clear now? Maybe you ought to be the driver more and the passenger less??!

Dear Sir, my point was that LB to Vanlue would be what a fifteen minute ride down 15? Your post made it seem that you thought it would be a long trek to get there. We are at the western edge of the BVC and every game is a road trip longer than 15 minutes except for PG and McComb. I would bet that 100% of the time the fans would go and pay for an away football game even if there was a "freebie" soccer or cross country event at home.
The rural fans from Benton Ridge may have a couple mile farther drive, but the majority of the LB fans can jump onto I75 within 2 minutes. What would be the longest road trip for LB? HN or Arcadia at 20-25 minutes?
My 2nd point was that unless a child was playing in the free event, all casual fans would rather go and watch a sport that they are more familiar with.

Edited by govikes, 16 February 2013 - 03:03 PM.

[Bluetiger76]

govikes, on 16 February 2013 - 03:01 PM, said:

Dear Sir, my point was that LB to Vanlue would be what a fifteen minute ride down 15? Your post made it seem that you thought it would be a long trek to get there. We are at the western edge of the BVC and every game is a road trip longer than 15 minutes except for PG and McComb. I would bet that 100% of the time the fans would go and pay for an away football game even if there was a "freebie" soccer or cross country event at home.
The rural fans from Benton Ridge may have a couple mile farther drive, but the majority of the LB fans can jump onto I75 within 2 minutes. What would be the longest road trip for LB? HN or Arcadia at 20-25 minutes?
My 2nd point was that unless a child was playing in the free event, all casual fans would rather go and watch a sport that they are more familiar with.

gotta agree......

[Common Sense]

Geography should only have about 10% consideration of who's in a league. Size of school and ability to compete should weigh much more. It's easy for many schools to complain about LB being in the BVC, but the BVC NEEDS LB to stay in the league. It's typically the biggest gates for the other schools. Yes, their programs are good, but it's because of their athletes and coaches, not enrollment. Van Buren is the same size and LB and look at their athletic program?

And yes, as someone said earlier, CR needs to review their soccer program. At the smaller schools, you either have soccer or football, you can't have both.

[cropduster]

roarintiger1, on 15 February 2013 - 02:42 PM, said:

I have no idea what Arcadia and even Pandora-Gilboa could do. But, I'd like to think that Cory-Rawson would eliminate soccer before they throw in the towel on BVC football. It only makes sense and cents! Of course, what I'd like to think and what is actually done could be two different things.........it usually is.

Bingo... That should be the talk @ the hive as I type this.

[PostPlayer]

gamekeeper, on 15 February 2013 - 03:27 PM, said:

Vanlues basketball team is paying for their sports, much like New knoxville, ottoville, linconlnview. It doesn't have to be just football or nothing. It's the best game in town that pays the bills. The Basketball team which is getting bigger crowds will continue to cover. Just because Football is biggest in most schools, doesn't mean you have to have it to have sports.

I totally agree FOOTBALL is king. But it doesn't mean you need to keep the sport just to have other sports. Basketball can make money if you are competative, and Vanlue and the schools i mentioned above are very competative in those sports.

Football is king? I would disagree. 10, now 11, home games in basketball versus 5 in football. Gates are double the size in basketball over football I would think.

[Pantherbuff]

PostPlayer, on 17 February 2013 - 10:50 AM, said:

Football is king? I would disagree. 10, now 11, home games in basketball versus 5 in football. Gates are double the size in basketball over football I would think.

Not always..... A poor basketball season will not bring in as mucth per game as a good football season, per game.... And , if you have both, it would be more, but not doubled..... And football use to be king at your school when I was in school....

Edited by Pantherbuff, 17 February 2013 - 11:59 AM.

[gamekeeper]

If you have a successful basektball program you will get a consistent draw for all your home games. Weather is not a factor so people will go even if the game is going to be very good. But if the team stinks in football and the say Vanlue is playing LB none parents are likely to show.

Basketball is a good draw if your team is good, just from the weather stand point. And you don' t have to have 30 kids go out.

And what POst and I are saying Vanlue for instance their gates for basketball is greater than football, because you play 10 versus 5 home games. And no one is going to away games from a school with a losing program, or a to a game that they feel their team is going to lose by double digits.

[tiffindude3313]

From what I understand Vanlue did have decent gates for football that do support other programs, especially when the weather was decent (a lot of rain this past fall). A lot of alum come back, and the game I went to the crowd, etc was pretty into it. The other team also brought decent numbers. I am sure (although I don't know 100%) that basketball would be better because the team is usually more competitive, but it was a decent crowd. From my view, though, it doesn't just affect the fb players....there are cheerleaders and marching band kids, concessions, etc. Like someone said earlier, it's an atmosphere that is much more accepted in this area than soccer is or probably ever will be. Not to diss soccer, but Ohio is primarily a fb state.

[PostPlayer]

tiffindude3313, on 28 February 2013 - 01:51 PM, said:

From what I understand Vanlue did have decent gates for football that do support other programs, especially when the weather was decent (a lot of rain this past fall). A lot of alum come back, and the game I went to the crowd, etc was pretty into it. The other team also brought decent numbers. I am sure (although I don't know 100%) that basketball would be better because the team is usually more competitive, but it was a decent crowd. From my view, though, it doesn't just affect the fb players....there are cheerleaders and marching band kids, concessions, etc. Like someone said earlier, it's an atmosphere that is much more accepted in this area than soccer is or probably ever will be. Not to diss soccer, but Ohio is primarily a fb state.

It's ok to diss soccer...

[Bobby]

PostPlayer, on 28 February 2013 - 03:37 PM, said:

It's ok to diss soccer...

No, it's not. There are a lot of kids who play soccer and love the sport.

[roarintiger1]

Bobby, on 28 February 2013 - 06:19 PM, said:

No, it's not. There are a lot of kids who play soccer and love the sport.

And.........most of them are less than 10 years old.