Brian Ferentz 'Stadium Experience is Lacking'

[83Hawk]

They need a gimmick - similar to "jump around" at Wisky. The Panchero Burrito is so f'ing stupid.

So is the jump around.

 

[djwoody98]

Coach Ferentz just pulled a Hayden Fry trick. The crowd will be ready tomorrow, will the Hawkeyes?

 

[seepig]

I think you are right, as season ticket holders are getting emails to take survey's about what can be done to enhance the experience at Kinnick. Hopefully this is a good first step in the Iowa marketing department being more pro active to building a good experience at Kinnick.

The only thing that can make the fan experience better is to produce winning football teams in Kinnick not teams that are 4-8

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

When the team gives the crowd something to go crazy about.... they do. It's that simple. There have not been many big plays for the Hawks at Kinnick since Sash lateraled that interception in 2009.

For visiting teams, they have had quite a few big plays. Onside kicks, fake punts, etc...

Iowa fans at Kinnick know good football when they see it. Give us good football, and we'll give you one of the toughest home environments in college football. Give us crap like the last few years, and we will probably boo the play calling.

This m f ing this. Iowa fans will bring it if the players bring it. Fact

 

[jacknicholson]

I do believe that he means that we don't have the home field advantage anymore, with complacent fans. Times have been tough the past two seasons and partially this season, but we are improving and that should be recognized.....

With all the complaints last week after the NW victory, it was difficult to tell from reading the comments who won the game.....

 

[lightning1]

This may be more of a personal opinion but the onus is on the students. They don't even fill their section out anymore.

And they probably won't ever fill it out again. With the alcohol Nazis goose stepping around, who needs the hassle? Lets not forget, the students have a lot more options for entertainment than most regular fans. They are looking for a good time and that's hard for students to find around Kinnick.

 

[uihawk82]

People saying the hawk fans are not fans blah blah blah are crazy. There just hasnt been a lot of variety , big plays and big wins to get stoked about since mid-2010.

If you were in Kinnick from 2001 to 2005-6 you know how loud and crazy the fans are and can be. There was a reason we had a 19 game home winning streak during that time. great tough teams and crazy crowds

You know all these teams use hand signals now and signs to call plays, and the QB hand signals for the snap so crowd noise isnt as disruptive

but it is still great for the home players.

I think B Ferentz meant the product on the field has been less than exciting.

I wish, as Hawkeyedrummer1 said, the band would go back to having a small unit roam around the stadium playing songs to the crowd, getting them going,

Way too many commericials on the video boards and every thing is commercialzied now so that is lame but a part of the times.

 

[brozley]

From what I've heard, you are spot on - shutting down a lot of the pre-game partying adds to a quite crowd inside. Wish the cops would focus on the "out of control people" and let the masses have fun pregame.

He means that the Inside-Kinnick experience has deteriorated about 1400% since Dad first worked in Iowa City. The University, the IC folks, the "neighbors" around Kinnick, the UI Hospitals, etc., have turned it into one of those new-era-Trick-or-Treat deals where nobody wears a scary costume and each kid gets EXACTLY the same number of pieces of candy. No longer full-sized candy bars, just small mini's or individually-wrapped mini-bars. Alcohol not "illegal", but certainly "discouraged". A-hole fans who complain to the security when a rabid fan stands up for longer than 3 consecutive plays because the Hawks are moving the ball on the type of drives we had to open the O$U and NW games.

Pretty sure that's what he means. That, and he heard OK4P might not be at the game, thus dwindling the joy for everyone in attendance.

 

[uihawk82]

And they probably won't ever fill it out again. With the alcohol Nazis goose stepping around, who needs the hassle? Lets not forget, the students have a lot more options for entertainment than most regular fans. They are looking for a good time and that's hard for students to find around Kinnick.

Many students and young people find it better to tailgate around the stadium then head to someones house, apartment or a bar to watch the game.

How much are student tickets? they aint cheap, what $40 a game

 

[tm3308]

1. The entrance is pathetic. They come out and stand there for like three minutes while we all watch the stupid video of a semi-truck. The stupid video of a semi-truck should just be axed altogether. The video should just be a big tiger hawk. The team should be gathered in the tunnel and not visible to the stadium yet, then they should walk out until everyone is ready which should take no longer than 15 seconds from the time they're first visible. Then Herky needs to come out on the platform with the iowa flag onto the field and then Ferentz follows and the swarm follows.

2. Kinnick is dead on 90% of first and second downs. Kinnick is sub-par on 75% of 3rd downs right now. Brian Ferentz has a point.

As a former HMB member, I'll say it. The band is weak. But it wasn't always this way.

Watch other college football games, it's energy, energy, energy coming from the band. I can't count the number of times during a timeout, stoppage in play or some other quiet lull in the action... that I've looked over at the band and they're sitting there...doing nothing. THIS...as much as anything, allows the energy to just die in the stadium.

As a guy who's been there, done that...when the band was damn hot... it pizzes me off. You couldn't keep us quiet "back in the old days". We were freaking nuts and it was a gas!!!

That's what the marching band is there for.... DO YOUR DAMN JOB


The scoreboard, the team entrance, the band... have all taken on the characteristics of the Head Coach. Bland, predictable and no energy. It's no coincidence. This is the way Sally Mason and the East Campus crew likes it.

First off, I do think Brian was probably referencing the internal results of the surveys sent out to season ticket holders. That makes the most sense; otherwise, he'd just say the atmosphere has been lacking and fans need to step it up (the "I know it's....) suggests a tone of "I understand, but...".

As for our entrance, I agree. Back in Black is great, and it should stay, but the time the team spends standing at the end of the tunnel has gotten progressively longer each year. In 2008, they stood there for MAYBE 10 seconds. Now they stand there for over a full minute.

And the band definitely lacks. The only truly good performance that brought some life into the stadium was during halftime of the Indiana game in 2009, when they played Thriller and danced out part of MJ's original music video. That was the best they've done in 5 (going on 6) years. Ohio State's band knows what the **** it's doing. They do something awesome at halftime every damn week anymore.

 

[lightning1]

Sorry to break it to you, Brian but bubble gum and note pads aren't very exciting. Neither is punting on the opponents 35 yard line. The problem you have is on the side lines and in the AD's box suite.

 

[tm3308]

So is the jump around.

Hating Wisconsin doesn't make the above statement true, no matter how much you might want it to.

The burrito lift is the absolute dumbest thing I've ever seen at a football game.

 

[lightning1]

Did they release the results of the surveys? People are posting like it's a known issue among ticket holders. Is there a link or an article where the AD talks about the survey?

 

[atxhawk]

Yeah just watch some cheesy WWE show and copy that.......oh wait.......you were talking about someone else weren't you.

Yeah, I mighta been taking some shots at a few other programs there.

In all seriousness though, as someone who only attends once a year these days, the combination of the tailgate crackdown and the product on the field have dampened enthusiasm. This year's game is not the best of comparisons for me though since I went to the WMU beat down.

 

[LawVHawk]

I have to admit when I first saw this thread title I thought it had something to do with whether Brian was qualified to be considered for the HC job if and when Dad decides to hang it up...

 

[tm3308]

Did they release the results of the surveys? People are posting like it's a known issue among ticket holders. Is there a link or an article where the AD talks about the survey?

I don't think anything has been released regarding the results. Some season ticket holders here have said they've been getting surveys regarding stadium experience/atmosphere. And Brian's response makes the most sense if he's referring to the results of those surveys (which I'm sure he would have been informed of, since he's kind of the social media face of the program these days).

 

[IowaHOCKS23]

They need a gimmick - similar to "jump around" at Wisky. The Panchero Burrito is so f'ing stupid.

I thought I was the only one who felt the burrito thing is aweful. Did we just become best friends?

 

[atxhawk]

The first time I saw it my reaction was WTF? Then I hung my head in shame.

 

[lightning1]

I don't think anything has been released regarding the results. Some season ticket holders here have said they've been getting surveys regarding stadium experience/atmosphere. And Brian's response makes the most sense if he's referring to the results of those surveys (which I'm sure he would have been informed of, since he's kind of the social media face of the program these days).

I guess I'm in the minority because I don't need anything pumped in or gimmicked up. The best stadium experience is watching a good football game and hopefully a win. The tailgating experience completely sucks compared to what it used to be like. It used to be like one huge family street party! Like most large family parties, you're going to have some uncles or cousins that can't handle their booze and make ***** out of themselves. But they're still family. Now they have closed down lots, pushed the tailgating areas away from the stadium and enlist the area Storm Troopers to keep people in line. It's a joke compared to what it used to be.

 

[JHHawk]

Yeah, I mighta been taking some shots at a few other programs there.

In all seriousness though, as someone who only attends once a year these days, the combination of the tailgate crackdown and the product on the field have dampened enthusiasm. This year's game is not the best of comparisons for me though since I went to the WMU beat down.

And when someone suggests that Iowa fans should go down and congratulate the players after the Wisky game if they win, and others jump in like Fun Police and say....no,no,no.....no fun allowed at Kinnick on game day. Why would the students have enthusiasm for gameday....everyone wants a return to a puritanical era, I guess.