Improving the atmosphere at Carver Hawkeye

dane61 said:
I'm bumping 80 years old. Infrequent poster on this board. I drop in from time to time to read what members have to say. Have heard these not infrequent complaints about Carver atmosphere. Have wondered though about golf and tennis, for example, where at critical times like a putt in golf or a serve in tennis the crowd goes silent. Why? Suggests that it is more about the performance of the athlete than the crowd pleasing itself.

I take in all of the local high school baseball games. Pay my admission and then go to the third base side and stand the entire game by the fence. Often I have it to myself. When someone does join me along the fence it is typically a person at or near my age. Why not take a place in the bleachers? Because the students are there and unmindful of the game. Socializing. You see, the game is not important. What is important is a venue to gather and socialize.

I stand by the fence because I am there to give full attention to the play on the field. Without distractions. But I understand--each to his own. I prefer to watch basketball games on tv than attend because of all of the distractions. Each to his own...

But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself

---Ricky Nelson
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Good input but I do think baseball is a different animal, especially for young people. Baseball is and will always be my favorite sport but I can see why the younger generation is getting less and less interested in it. The pace of the play is much different than basketball so the crowds are going to be different. Golf and Tennis are entirely different, those athletes rely more on focus than inspiration.

But, yeah, to each his own. I agree with that sentiment. I think my complaints with Carver is more the facilities and seating than the crowd itself. I think they designed Carver more for comfort than making it an advantage, they went from 1 extreme with the Field House to the other.

Do post more often.
 
dane61 said:
I'm bumping 80 years old. Infrequent poster on this board. I drop in from time to time to read what members have to say. Have heard these not infrequent complaints about Carver atmosphere. Have wondered though about golf and tennis, for example, where at critical times like a putt in golf or a serve in tennis the crowd goes silent. Why? Suggests that it is more about the performance of the athlete than the crowd pleasing itself.

I take in all of the local high school baseball games. Pay my admission and then go to the third base side and stand the entire game by the fence. Often I have it to myself. When someone does join me along the fence it is typically a person at or near my age. Why not take a place in the bleachers? Because the students are there and unmindful of the game. Socializing. You see, the game is not important. What is important is a venue to gather and socialize.

I stand by the fence because I am there to give full attention to the play on the field. Without distractions. But I understand--each to his own. I prefer to watch basketball games on tv than attend because of all of the distractions. Each to his own...

But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself

---Ricky Nelson
Click to expand...

When you say it's more about the athlete's performance, you you saying you don't believe the crowd helps the home team at all? I think the home team draws energy from the crowd (if they didn't, why would they try to pump up the crowd like they do?). I think the crowd can rattle the away team a bit. This factor is probably minor. I also think the crowd makes the officials bias a bit. Those 3 things can add up to a pretty big advantage.
 
I think most fans place far too much importance on the actions of the fans in the arena. Yes, they can pump up the team a bit, but I dont think they very often affect the outcome of even a close game.
 
I agree with Dane in there are a lot of people that aren't interested in watching every play in the game. At least those seated on the end line near the tunnel. Rows up to 11, majority of fans only stand once a game, during the national anthem. There is more emotion for a walk-on getting into the game then when iowa gets back-to-back 3's. The fans are a mixture of ages, very few of them make noise.

I don't understand it but it won't keep my wife & I from boo'ing the visitors.

RU-TG-ER You Suck RUTGERS!

Judzee gave me permission to stand the entire game so we're good from now on.
 
sioux34 said:
I think most fans place far too much importance on the actions of the fans in the arena. Yes, they can pump up the team a bit, but I dont think they very often affect the outcome of even a close game.
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Rutgers is 12-0 this year at home. That has nothing to do with their crowd?
 
sioux34 said:
I think most fans place far too much importance on the actions of the fans in the arena. Yes, they can pump up the team a bit, but I dont think they very often affect the outcome of even a close game.
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I suspect there are various factors as to why home court is an advantage, because there's no doubt that it is.

The home team can probably draw from the energy, it may rattle opposing teams at times (though I suspect most athletes are basically used to this, but still.. maybe it affects younger teams a bit more than experienced ones?), maybe more home cookin' from the refs, and not having to travel could be a big deal IMO. Especially as I get older, I've noticed the toll that traveling can seem to take. For whatever reason, it drains me, even if it's just a day of sitting in an airport, and on a plane, doing nothing. Just something about being taken out of my regular routine. I have to assume this also could affect athletes to some degree, too.
 
There is a fondness to look back at how loud the Fieldhouse got, but my guess is that between the Ralph Miller years and the Lute Olson years there were many games where the Fieldhouse was relatively quiet. Good teams make good crowds. Add a little personality to the team, and it's even better. Nevertheless, I think CHA could be improved to enhance the atmosphere, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
 
homes said:
There is a fondness to look back at how loud the Fieldhouse got, but my guess is that between the Ralph Miller years and the Lute Olson years there were many games where the Fieldhouse was relatively quiet. Good teams make good crowds. Add a little personality to the team, and it's even better. Nevertheless, I think CHA could be improved to enhance the atmosphere, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
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Yep. Just ask Iowa State fans this year ... Hilton not quite as loud/raucous for the current Cyclone team. :)
 
The clowns are going to need to sacrifice a chicken, or maybe a goat to get any magic back in Hilton this year.
 
Clearly there is a correlation between how good a team is and how loud fans get. But iowa would have to be a top 10 team for years just to sound like Hilton during a borderline top 25 team.

That's going off what I've heard. I'll never step foot in there. Although I was there for a Poison/Warrent concert close to 30 years ago.
 
PCHawk said:
Clearly there is a correlation between how good a team is and how loud fans get. But iowa would have to be a top 10 team for years just to sound like Hilton during a borderline top 25 team.

That's going off what I've heard. I'll never step foot in there. Although I was there for a Poison/Warrent concert close to 30 years ago.
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It's pent up emotion that is not released during their generally mediocre football seasons. Always remember, anything positive about Iowa State athletics is traceable to something more negative about their athletic programs. They're compensating, that's all.
 
sioux34 said:
I think you are getting your cause and effect reversed. Good teams have loud crowds. Loud crowds do not make teams good.
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You just took my first sentence, deleted the rest of it so you could take that sentence out of context, then insinuated I meant the exact opposite of what I said. Then you finish your post saying pretty much the same thing I said in my sentence you quoted and took out of context. Nice work.
 
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