bleachers

[guinpen]

Does anyone else think that it is time for the bleachers to go? Maybe keep the ones behind the baskets but the rest need to go. Looks like high school stuff. Can't believe that we need the floor space anymore. Redo both sides with chair backs the whole way up. Sure we will lose some capacity but so what, we never sell out anyway.

[ysufan0505]

I'm more worried about the scoreboard!! Can we upgrade that thing already?!? Hopefully next yr

[Wick250]

Guinpen,

I've had the same thought.  When it opened over forty years ago, Beeghly was the only phys. ed facility.  We needed roll-back bleachers so that all constituencies could be properly served.  Not now.  With the student rec center, the Watts, and that 100 yard long gym underneath the Stambaugh stands (that some do not even know exists,) we have plenty of capacity for indoor phys. ed and intramural events. 

Permanent, theater type seating would be ideal and would greatly enhance the atmosphere.  Hey, a new scoreboard would not hurt either.  Those should be the next targets for money from the football blood games.

[guinpen]

I agree about the scoreboard also, maybe Covelli would pitch in. I have watched some other league games this year - Detroit @ Green Bay - was one and their house looks nicer than our house. Beeghly opened while I was a student and while that look was nice 40 years ago, it is time for a facelift.

[guinpen]

Watching the game at Valpo, our place looks like a palace compared to theirs.

[Pita]

Agree Guinpen....I think we have way more important concerns
than "bleachers".  Besides, if bleachers aren't filled WHAT DOES
IT MATTER???

Is there anything else that could be b****ed about in basketball
at YSU?  Maybe its me, but by golly my ladies sewing bee never
has had sooooooo many gripes.

Have a good...in between....till football.

PEACE

[Lets_Talk]

Have not been to a game in several years. Bleachers were always very hard and unstable. Watching games on the internet, there seem to have been improvements made to the upper bleachers to make them more stable??

The scoreboard looks awful on tv/internet. One game, the camera was fixed on the scoreboard from the north end zone. The entire bottom half of the message part of the scoreboard was not working. It looked awful.

Also, a bigger problem(in my opinion) than how the bleachers look on tv/internet is all the empty chairback seats, at least on the side opposite the camera. It is very hard on tv/internet to notice all the people sitting in the south endzone or even the upper bleachers from the main camera angles.

I do agree that Beeghly would look much nicer if there were chairbacks in upper bleachers. And, I'd imagine it is possible to install retractable chairbacks like on the bottom levels.

Sadly, the biggest problem I see is a sincere lack of desire on the part of the school administration to put forth the $$$$ investment into mens and womens basketball. And, as always, I'm talking people above Ron Strollo. I know if it were up to Ron, YSU would be doing everything possible to make the financial investment and show the overall level of commitment to EVERY sport that is require to be in the top half of the HL. YSU is a sleeping giant in this conference in ALL sports, but it takes commitment and desire on the part of the ENTIRE University community. Youngstown is a "football town", but time and time again, the fans have proven with a winning team, fans will show up. Hard to win consistently in a league like the HL with the pitiful budgets YSU provides.... End of rant!!!!

[southbeach]

Lets-Talk- agree with your rant. With the same commitment as football the basketball programs would be competitive in the league every year. The return on investment in basketball is always so much greater than football.

[Wick250]

I don't disagree with the concepts that you guys have outlined here, but here is the problem with increasing budgets for basketball while the athletic stipend from the administration is being reduced (as are all departments within the university.)  I have pondered the relative interest in YSU football and basketball for many years.  I do not claim that this is a scientific study, but as a lifelong Youngstown resident it might mean something.  Anyway, I know fourteen friends or acquaintances who never miss YSU football games.  Of that number, exactly one attends all the basketball games.  A few more might go to one or two basketball games per year, but mostly if I give them a spare ticket.  The others, at least ten, never walk into the gym.  I have gone out of my way to ask that latter group about their lack of interest in YSU hoops.  I even tried to pose that question at times when the basketball team was winning.  The answer is always the same: "I don't like basketball.  All I want is a good football team."  If this sampling is a reflection of community culture, the YSU athletic spending pattern is properly aligned.

[Lets_Talk]

Wick250, you comments are well taken. Actually, the narrow mindedness of people in the Ytown/Warren area is one reason I finally left and moved out west. I admire people like you, IP, Pita, Guinpen, Indy, 1AA Fan and all the others that try and support all of the sports programs at YSU. Even if not going to any games, the people I mentioned and several others who post on this site at least try their best to follow EVERY sport YSU offers.

We all have certain sports that we like better than others. And, it only makes sense that people will more often attend sporting events they like. But, the good thing about basketball is YSU does not have to draw 15,000 or so per game to be able to have a solid following. 3,000-3,500 on weeknights, and then 4,000 - 5,000 on weekends could help make a great atmosphere in Beeghly. And, time and time again, the fans of the Mahoning Valley have shown if a quality product is on the floor, and the game is promoted well, that type of crowd is realistic. And, for certain schools..CSU, KENT, Akron, Valpo, Butler(when they were in the HL), 5,500-6,000 plus will go to Beeghly for YSU basketball.

In my opinion, the athletic department does a terrible job of marketing basketball. Look at the promotions. They are nothing but re-do's of football game promotions. I also tire of hearing that YSU is a commuter school. If a true effort is made to get students to games, I see no reason why YSU cannot get a solid fan base of maybe 200-300 students. Create an actual student sections. Give t-shirts, coupons to Panera, whatever it takes to get students to the games. Once they get there and see how much of an impact they can have on the team, then maybe that student base can grow to 500 or more. I remember being in high school during the Mike Rice era, when the South Endzone was filled with students. Still remember streamers being thrown onto the court after the first made basket by YSU. This is back when Bruce Burge(sp?) was in charge of marketing. I remember the Christmas Tree with money on it at halftime of a game, and a fan got to go and take as much money off the tree as they could in 1 or 2 minutes. And, this is at a time when the only dorm was Kilcawley. Now there are Lyden and Cafaro, in addition to the Courtyard Apartments and at least 1-2 other apartments that are on campus and for students only.

Please do not take this post as an attack on you. That is not the case. It is a commentary on the outdated ways of thinking in the Ytown/Warren area, and the way even the school seems to focus so much on football, with the other sports as an after thought. All of those Associate AD's, and they come up with nothing in terms of drawing people to games, unless it is a game on ESPNU. The department could save alot of money by having student interns come up with marketing ideas, specifically ideas aimed at attracting STUDENTS

[Penguin Nick]

If YSU really cares about basketball then the bleachers need to go.  I’m absolutely sick and tired of the men’s basketball program being the red-headed step child of the football team.  I’m passionate about YSU football, but the basketball team, and the citizens of Youngstown who have to live through this mediocrity year-after-year, are getting shortchanged.  There should not be such a disparity between Stambaugh Stadium and an outdated Beeghly Center.  I don’t buy into this notion that men’s hoops cannot be successful and believe that men’s basketball should be able to financially take care of itself (and even other sports at YSU) and be a major money-maker.  You shouldn’t have to count on the football “money games” to support men’s basketball. 
This is how you pay for retractable chair back seats (and a new scoreboard): 
First, play a tough non-conference schedule against elite teams.  There are schools out there that will play anyone at anytime (Oral Roberts and Oakland for example).  True, you’ll play most of these games on the road and you’ll lose most of them but they will toughen you up and in the long run you’ll become better and perhaps YSU will eventually get better athletes because of a tougher schedule.  I assume that YSU would earn between $60,000 - $100,000+ by playing elite teams.  It would also give fans something to look forward too.  Secondly, play an attractive home schedule that puts fans in the seats.  Our non-conference schedule is pathetic.  On a side-note, YSU can do a much better job marketing the games to students and getting them involved. 
Duquesne University had ugly bleachers just like YSU and got rid of them and put in seats.  You lose some #’s but it looks much nicer.   

See the picture.  http://www.goduquesne.com/facilities/duqu-facil-palumbo.html

[ELPENGUIN]

Penguin Nick, did you run your plan by coach Slocum?  His ability to stay as YSU coach depends on wins and losses.  Fans would be crying for his head if he had a ooc schedule that gave him (us) and 0-11 start to the season.