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Topic: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Topic: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

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Andrew Ruck
General User

Member Since: 12/22/2004
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 4,694

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Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 3:42:18 PM

It is unbelievable how bad it has gotten. Just makes me sad.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

Campus Flow
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
Post Count: 4,952

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 4:16:11 PM

Ozone needs a spiritual revival. All it takes is a few great leaders.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Miami @ Peden front of 25,086

bobcatsquared
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 5,034

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 4:17:05 PM

We need cc-cat's son to transfer to Ohio and revise the Crazy Cats.

bigtillyoopsupsideurhead
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Member Since: 12/1/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 1,925

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 4:47:46 PM

Are there any current students on this board? Even 1?

FearLeon
General User

Member Since: 3/12/2005
Post Count: 4,115

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 5:06:06 PM

bigtillyoopsupsideurhead wrote:

Are there any current students on this board? Even 1?

Nephew is a freshman at OHIO...lives on West Green and hasn't been to one game. Kills me. These kids would rather play video games and hang on Facebook all day I guess. But the Ozone is officially dead.

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

Alan Swank
General User

Member Since: 12/11/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 7,022

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 5:56:57 PM

Max count today in the "zone" 31 and I'm pretty sure two of those were a newly elected city councilman and his kid.

bobcat2nc
General User

Member Since: 12/28/2004
Post Count: 584

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 6:00:01 PM

It is embarrassing to introduce the Ozone as part of the team. There were more WKU fans there than in the Ozone. I have to say that the Convo experience has been disappointing to me for several years and stopped inviting friends to come along. It is the same uncomfortable feeling as taking friends to a restaurant you raved about for ever only to find out that things have gone downhill.

rpbobcat
General User

Member Since: 4/28/2006
Location: Rochelle Park, NJ
Post Count: 3,503

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 6:15:24 PM

My wife and I were there for the opening game.
Figured the O-zone would be packed.

Nope,empty.

Thank goodness the 110 was there to make some noise.

catfan28
General User

Member Since: 6/11/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,503

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 9:01:38 PM

In the last few years, we have typically had solid student crowds...just a lack of hyper-involved students that stand, cheer, etc. This year, it's totally different. It's as though students have forgotten we have a basketball program. On a smaller scale, students were also non-existent at volleyball this year.

It's one thing to have light student crowds for Coppin State...but Iona and WKU are about as good as it's gonna get in the Convo nowadays. Should be an extraordinary effort to make sure there are lots of students there and involved. Free food, giveaways, whatever it takes. It's as though we've just given up on even trying to get students there.

Ohio69
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 2,992

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 10:13:14 PM

Athletic department needs to do something about this quick. No students in 13,000 seat arena is about as bad a look as you can get. Need to get �em back in January.

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

Obc2
General User

Member Since: 11/8/2007
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Post Count: 596

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 10:39:33 PM

my son attend HS in NKY and they have "crazies" in student section, usually numbering 100+. sometimes 2-3x that.

granted they just won 5a state football title and basketball has two D1 signees (Xavier, Iowa).

i find it hard to understand why ozone cant find a couple hundred fanatics. lord knows theyre aint THAT much to do in athens...

RSBobcat
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Member Since: 8/22/2010
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 4,401

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RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/10/2017 11:03:27 PM

Ohio69 wrote:

Athletic department needs to do something about this quick. No students in 13,000 seat arena is about as bad a look as you can get. Need to get �em back in January.

I Agree. Athletics Dept FAIL!

It's just not the students - We have the same distractions as other institutions (and/or LESS here in rural Appalachia with 20K enrollment). Butts in seats is Athletics Dept MARKETING employees JOB!

All the Athletic Dept apparently knows how to do is put up Barriers all 'round the Convo (and some one is gettin' PAID for that).

RS Bobcat

GoCats105
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Member Since: 1/31/2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Post Count: 6,910

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RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 8:08:26 AM

The thing I'm worried about? These are the supposed future fans of Ohio Athletics! Hard to build a fan base, most of which are probably alumni or have some affiliation to the school, if you can't reel in the students you have on campus right now.

Andrew Ruck
General User

Member Since: 12/22/2004
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 4,694

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 8:36:33 AM

GoCats105 wrote:

Exactly. All of us on this board regularly attended most every game when we were students. If we don't have even 50 students in the current student base, how will we maintain a strong fan base while us old alumni die off? It's very scary.

It isn't just Ohio though. It is a huge problem facing college basketball (and really all sports). Remember the Cameron Crazies? Students used to have to camp out for weeks to get tickets. Now, although they still have some great leaders and an involved core, hundreds of seats sit empty.

I'm trying hard not to judge how these kids spend their free time, all I'm saying is it really makes me sad. I agree that the Athletics Dept can do more, but it isn't like they are doing less than they have in the past. They may be able to gimmick their way to a few hundred students showing up for tacos or something but the root of the problem is they just don't give a crap.

Andrew Ruck
B.B.A. 2003

boydhallbobcat
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 277

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 9:32:30 AM

Free Food! OFFER FREE FOOD! There are ways to get students interested.

OUVan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Bethesda, MD
Post Count: 5,580

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 9:34:15 AM

Are students still able to get in just by showing their ID?

FanInTheStands
General User

Member Since: 10/11/2015
Post Count: 172

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 9:41:32 AM

What worries me about the Athletic Department trying to get students to the games come January is the abundance of home games we have this year on Tuesdays; very few Saturday games at all. I'd love to see the Ozone rocking like it used to just a few years ago. I shutter to think what the student section would sound like right now if not for the vocals of those in The 110.

OU_Country
General User

Member Since: 12/6/2005
Location: On the road between Athens and Madison County
Post Count: 8,320

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 10:03:25 AM

Andrew Ruck wrote:

GoCats105 wrote:

You make a good point. I rarely missed a game, and now I'm willing to drive halfway across the state for a game 10-12 times a season (or more). I don't know what the best answers are, but the folks in ticketing and marketing inside The Convo should be asking questions on how to improve the situation.

Were it me, I'd start by wiping the slate clean of everything they do now, and ask people what they like and what gets them in the building. Send the end of season surveys right now. Get into the dining halls, and the businesses uptown that support Ohio Athletics today. I was in Jackie O's yesterday at 11:15am for lunch and beverages. Only 1 of the 3 people behind the bar even knew there was a game. I don't blame them if basketball isn't their thing, but it would seem to make sense that places that openly support Ohio Athletics are adorned with game schedules, etc.

Basketball is different than football, but there's no reason a basketball culture can't be embraced and supported like football is if the folks running the show make it happen.

The next and basic things I would do after asking questions:

1) Put some lights on the damn building. It's ridiculously dark for night games.

2) Put up some signage more than a 6 or 8 foot banner that might tell people when there are future games at The Convo. Not just men's basketball games, but the ladies, wrestling, volleyball as well.

3) Revisit the polices being used for security. Simply put, it's not fan friendly, and it's over kill. I'm fine with doing things for safety, but no one can argue against the fact that it's overkill, and no one can toot the safety horn loudly if the building is so dark during night games that I can't read signage until I'm ten feet away.

These are Basic things that frankly have been brought up in this forum before.

OU_Country
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Member Since: 12/6/2005
Location: On the road between Athens and Madison County
Post Count: 8,320

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 10:06:14 AM

FearLeon wrote:

bigtillyoopsupsideurhead wrote:

Are there any current students on this board? Even 1?

Leon, I don't know where you live, but tell him you'd like to go to a game with him. Or two. Depending on the game, I'd even have a ticket for you.

100%Cat
General User

Member Since: 1/17/2013
Post Count: 2,490

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 10:13:49 AM

boydhallbobcat wrote:

Free Food! OFFER FREE FOOD! There are ways to get students interested.

I don't think it's as easy as offering free stuff. Too many times, on giveaway days, as I'm walking in I am watching students with the free item or food walking out of the Convo before the game starts. They come, they get the free stuff, they leave.

FearLeon
General User

Member Since: 3/12/2005
Post Count: 4,115

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 10:46:59 AM

OU_Country wrote:

FearLeon wrote:

bigtillyoopsupsideurhead wrote:

Are there any current students on this board? Even 1?

Leon, I don't know where you live, but tell him you'd like to go to a game with him. Or two. Depending on the game, I'd even have a ticket for you.

Thanks OUCountry...I don't live in OHIO and can't make it to Athens this winter as I went to the OHIO-Kansas football game. However, I'll be taking him personally to a game next winter...you can count on that.

#BleedGreen #TrentIsGOAT

Ohio69
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 2,992

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 10:52:14 AM

I will never get used to college kids not going to football and basketball games. At OHIO or elsewhere. I assume that officially makes me an old fogey....

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

doubledribble
General User

Member Since: 10/6/2010
Post Count: 554

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 10:58:47 AM

I agree with most all of the suggested "fixes", and I focus on the #1 suggestion that our marketing group needs to "try something, even if it is wrong" !! We have the worlds #1 sports management program...put some of them on this serious problem before it is too late. This is the kind of problem or issues that they will face when they hit the job market so they might as well get some "on the job training" while in grad school!

Our students have shown over multiple football seasons that they enjoy and support The 110, yet at basketball games we are lucky if they get to perform 2 or 3 complete songs due to some of the silly "time consuming promo's that have stolen their "time". Feature The 110, advertise that they will be performing at full strength...have guest conductors, maybe our new president, maybe an Ozone member for a song, maybe Saul...do something folks!

The issue of almost zero outside lighting at the convo has been brought up over and over on this web site. Does anyone from athletic facilities even look at Bobcat Attack ?? Outside lighting was removed from the building back during the "energy crisis" of the 70's, and it has yet to be replaced, re-engineered or re-designed. This building should be the shining star on our campus, at least on game nights!

Miami had more students at their last home game than we did for WKU or Iona.
Is the end of the world approaching??

bshot44
General User

Member Since: 2/12/2012
Post Count: 2,211

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 11:16:51 AM

Agree ... I've been saying all of this for a few years. The Convo is no longer an intimidating place to play.

I sat next to an Iona assistant coach when I was flying back from LaGuardia a few weeks ago as they were flying to Ohio to face Bobcats. We talked a while .... and he was asking about the arena/fan support/etc.

I told him (sadly) that it shouldn't too great of an environment ... the students basically no-show and the arena is so cavernous that even when 6k show up ... it feels totally empty .... even though 6k would basically fill another MAC arena.

But back to the OZone ... it is a farce. I hated when they moved the 110 in there ... I liked it better when they were behind the basket ... but I understood the move. They needed to at least give the look that OZone had people in it.

The marketing for basketball/football/athletics in general is .... to put it bluntly ... bad.

There is no "buzz" when Ohio has football or basketball game uptown anymore. I was down there for Toledo football game ... should've been the biggest home game in years .... and it was a like a funeral procession to the stadium. I went from Jackie O's to Pub to Pigskin to Cats Eye and not one place had any sort of energy for the game. Was kind of sad. And then when you walked into the stadium you got a JV Thursday night feel. Truly depressing.

It's an epidemic in college sports ... especially at Ohio's level. Kids just don't look at athletics like "us old folks did when we were in college"

I don't have the answers ... but I will say the atmosphere at the Convo for a game rivals that of going to a movie at the Athena on a Monday night. It's brutal.

Totally agree on the darkness of the Convo from the outside ... you literally can't even tell it's there let alone know there is a game going on that night. Silly.

There has to be something that an entice the students to show up. Isn't that something they study in these sports marketing classes? I'd assume staying current on reaching fans is pretty big part of that, right?

I've said for years they need to cover the upper seats in the Convo with tarps. Force folks to move down and create a more intimate environment. You can take the tarps off for the big weekend games (Dads/Sibs wknd)

I think getting a facelift inside with a new scoreboard (hopefully ribbons around the arena) would help with the environment. Throw a couple coats of paint on the old girl and give her some life in the concourses. That grey/white paint scheme is old and boring ... just zero life to it.

I think what's also killed the interest level among young fans (college aged) ... is the ESPN-ization of college sports. If you aren't talked about on SportsCenter or ESPN ... it's almost like you're non-existent. Many of these kids grew up not hearing about Ohio basketball/football ... and they rarely hear anything about it because you just get Alabama, Ohio State, Duke, Kansas and all this big school crap crammed down your throat from every angle whether it be TV or Twitter or anything.

So when they get to Ohio U, they're more apt to sit home and watch Kansas v Arizona State on TV than walk down the street to see Ohio/WKU in person.

Sucks ... but I do think it plays a role. Media is sooo accessible now and those big networks just suck from the power team/conference teet so much ... it's hard for the "little guy" to get any exposure ... with the exception of the courtesy weeknight MACtion football games that serve as a backdrop to talk about the "real football" that will be on their network later in the week.

Follow the money. Simple as that in regards to the coverage.

In summation (as I've babbled long enough) ... I'm not sure of the fix ... whether it's quick or not ... but the status quo ain't workin' and I think it's time for them to start trying any and every option to change it up.

Last Edited: 12/11/2017 11:17:53 AM by bshot44

Alan Swank
General User

Member Since: 12/11/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 7,022

Status: Offline

RE: Rest in Peace Ozone, 2001 - 2017

Posted: 12/11/2017 11:33:07 AM

FanInTheStands wrote:

Put your winter coat on for the two games in January before the students come back. Classes don't start till the 16th so the first two home MAC games will be without students and I assume the band.

Last Edited: 12/11/2017 11:36:14 AM by Alan Swank

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