Slim Gyms

Our gym is small. Way too small. How many of you saw the recent Naz game? Good for you if you did. I wasn’t able to get in. I forgot that because of our gymnasium’s capacity, you basically have to start camping out the night before a big game if you want a chance to get in. And we shouldn’t have to do that. This isn’t American Idol.

Now, I’ve researched 25 colleges and crunched some numbers to figure out how our problem compares to other colleges, both local and from around the country. If you don’t want to read a bunch of numbers, then this might be the time for you to read something else. Check out the Papa John’s ad (Papa John’s, please note this mention – send free pizza).

To illustrate the fact that our gym is too small, I’ve created the Student to Seating Ratio Index. The SSRI represents the number of seats a school has at their basketball venue compared to the student enrollment at that school. Basically, it’s students vs. the number of seats available. Here’s what I’ve got. The home of our basketball team, Manning & Napier Varsity Gymnasium, has a capacity of 1,200. The college itself has an enrollment of 2,075 which gives Fisher a SSRI of .58. For every one student here at Fisher, there’s .58 of a seat waiting for them at the gym. Find a buddy, since you’re sharing a seat.

Now let’s take our rival, Nazareth College. Enrollment of 1,800 and a gym capacity of 1,200 equals a SSRI rating of .67. Better than Fisher. Hear that, administration, Naz is better than Fisher at something.

On a bigger scale, look at Duke University. For a school of 6,500, they can pack 9,314 Cameron Crazies into a basketball game. That leads to a SSRI of 1.43. Almost one-and-a-half seats per student. Bring Star Jones to a game and she’ll be comfortable.

And the prize for best SSRI? Out of all the schools surveyed, Syracuse University is our champion. With 18,247 students and a basketball capacity of 33,000 at the Carrier Dome, ‘Cuse brings a 1.81 SSRI to the table. That’s almost two students per seat. Now Star Jones can bring her husband.

So what am I trying to say here? Ah, that’s right. We’ve fallen behind when it comes to taking care of our fans here at Fisher. And that’s a problem. We’re a school that prides itself on our athletic prowess yet those in charge have let this problem continue on. Let’s fix it. Let’s build a gymnasium that has a capacity bigger than my high school alma matter – Rush-Henrietta, SSRI of 1.11 – and welcome all of our students to basketball games, not just the ones who brought their sleeping bags. You have to admit that the current situation is like saying you want to be a fire truck when you grow up - it doesn't make sense.

- Originally published in the Cardinal Courier (Volume 5-Issue 8; February 8, 2006)

This space not for sale

On Feb. 11, the basketball court at the Varsity Gym will be named “Bobby Wanzer Court” in honor of the pioneer coach of Fisher men’s basketball. Wanzer coached the Cardinals for 24 years and retired with a 311-239 record. When it comes to Fisher sports, Wanzer is a legend. Not only did he coach the Cardinals but he also played all-star basketball for the Rochester Royals – they’re the current Sacramento Kings, for those of you playing along at home – won the MVP in 1953 and is a member of the hall of fame.

So it’s only appropriate that he receives this honor. In a sports world that’s dominated by corporate sponsorship, Fisher continues to acknowledge those who helped build the community instead of turning to faceless companies.

There are too few examples left of this on the national level nowadays. There are too many Pepsi Arenas, PETCO Parks, and FedEx Fields. The San Francisco Giants’ stadium isn’t even six years old but is about to take on its third name. We need more Lambeau Fields, Ralph Wilson Stadiums, and Comiskey Park – oh, wait … that one succumbed to sponsorship too. Hello, U.S. Cellular Field. Classic. Even the local War Memorial is now the Blue Cross Arena. Gee, thanks, Blue Cross for defending freedom.

I understand that sometimes in order to build these new stadiums, teams and organizations need to raise a few bucks. But isn’t there something to be said about history? About keeping the past alive? Are we going to tell our children someday about how great the pool at the BOB in Arizona was? Or about the awesome luxury sweets at the Staples Center? Or about the train at Minute Maid Park? No. Hopefully, we’ll be able to pass on stories about the great stadiums. And God bless baseball’s trinity of untouchables: Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Wrigley Field.

Thank you, Fisher, for honoring those made Fisher what it is today. And thank you, Bobby Wanzer, for making us what we are today.

- Originally published in the Cardinal Courier (Volume 5-Issue 7; January 25, 2006)

'Til Fandom Come

Fans. Without them, athletes are just playing in front of empty seats. And unless you play for one of “The Big Two” here at Fisher (basketball and football), you may have noticed that there aren’t many fans at your games. Or any fans at all.

If you play football or basketball, consider yourself lucky that you have huge crowds and “Cardinal Crazies.” If you play for any other sport, well, it appears that your fan base may be made up of the “Cardinal Cadavers” – explaining why none of them showed up to watch you play.

Why don’t we support all of our Fisher sports? Where’s the TLC for baseball, golf, men’s basketball, men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, men’s tennis, softball, volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, and women’s tennis. Don’t forget that there are numerous club sports that weren’t even mentioned. These teams work just as hard as “The Big Two” but just aren’t getting the same results fan-wise. Don’t the other teams deserve the same love that we bask “The Big Two” in?

In the case of groups like the men’s soccer team, it seems like they’re doing everything they should be. They play at Growney Stadium, home of the football team, so everyone should know where to find them – we did pack a record 5,983 fans into the stadium for the homecoming game last weekend. This is the team that went to the Empire 8’s last season. The blame for the lackluster attendance is on the shoulders of the student body for this one. Teams like the soccer team deserve our support.

Why aren’t we flocking to soccer games? Or baseball games? Ask yourself these questions. I’m pretty sure that MTV’s going to repeat that episode of Laguna Beach so you really don’t have an excuse. You may not be a big sports fan. Odds are though, you have a friend on at least one of these teams. Go to the game just to support that friend. And once you’re there, maybe the sport will grow on you.

It would be nice if every sport enjoyed the crowds that The Big Two receive. Teams that are doing everything they can like the soccer team are getting cheated. We should all be at their games. They’ve earned it.

Like most of you, I’ll be at the next football game. I’ll be at the basketball games once they start up. But, unlike a lot of you, I’ll be at the next soccer game.

- Originally published in the Cardinal Courier (Volume 5-Issue 1; September 21, 2005)