Season tickets

[redice]

Our style of game is not helping as well. The NHL made a decision to increase scoring to increase fanbase. As much as I liked the Devils-Flyers games in the late 90's, that isn't how most young fans are accustomed to watching hockey. The fast offensive style that many of our rivals employ has captured the excitement that was formerly created by fighting and headshots on players staring at the puck.(RIP Eric Lindros) Not that I want to get into another argument about the effectiveness of "the system", but scoring 1 goal a game doesn't excite the fanbase, especially when you are losing. I am interested to see the expectations of the new class of students. The current students were not there to see the frustration that was the development of the freshman class of 2011.

You make an excellent point here....   This one may require a coaching change to effect it.   The question will be:  can we be win with an offensive style team?    Because a high-scoring, but losing team will NOT excite the crowd or fill the arena.

[Trotsky]

You make an excellent point here....   This one may require a coaching change to effect it.   The question will be:  can we be win with an offensive style team?    Because a high-scoring, but losing team will NOT excite the crowd or fill the arena.

We had a high scoring losing team in the early 80s.  I don't recommend it, but it excited the crowd and filled the arena.  

Even those of us for whom the sun rises and sets on Mike should acknowledge that The System, at least the last 4 years' incarnation, sucks all the energy out of the building.  That's part of what it's designed to do -- stop teams like the old Firewagon Yale squad from skating us out of the building.  When we have an outstanding talent gap, as in the Silver Age (2002-10), that can produce excitement (especially when the rules allowing  ahem "spirited" play were looser).  But when you're even with the opponent, it's a grinding, technical style -- like watching the old compulsories in figure skating rather than the short program.

I love Cornell hockey and I love Mike, but I've been bored out of my skull for much of the last 4 seasons, and even from time to time during the salad days.  It's not heretical to admit that.

[CAS]

Just win baby.

[andyw2100]

I'm coming to this thread a little late, but have some info that may be of interest.

There are a total of 190 returning undergrad and 76 returning grad ticket holders, holding numbers for a total of 355 tickets (less than 10% of Lynah). I have no idea how this compares to the past but it's not inspiring.

My daughter, who is a senior at Cornell this year, and has been going to games all her life, accepted a part time job with the athletics department this semester selling season hockey tickets to students. As of today they have sold over a thousand student season tickets. They hadn't sold over a thousand the last five years. Last year they sold about eight hundred student season tickets.

There had been plans to distribute some information, including some cheer information and pointers about arriving early and not leaving before the end of game salute, standing for the Alma Mater, etc. at "Line Night." For those that may not be familiar with "Line Night", it's all that's left of the hockey line Lynah sleep-in. One Friday night a couple of weeks ago the students showed up at Lynah, at a designated time, based on their line number, to select their seats. The players were there, giving out pizza. The original plans were for the band to be present as well, and for the cheer information to be distributed, and with the band's assistance, to some extent, "taught" to some of the new season ticket holders. For some reason the administration did not allow this.

My understanding is that one way or another, and possibly in modified form, some aspect of the cheer information is likely to be distributed at the first home game on Saturday.

[KeithK]

I imagine the administration did not want to be seen as offering official approval to the information that might have been handed out. I'm not surprised at all.  Then again, it's better to have these things done unofficially.

Good to hear that they've sold more tickets this year.  It's a little sad that they would need to hirpeople to sell them, assuming you mean sell in the sense of salesmanship as opposed to ust doing the administrative work involved.  Regardless, more tickets sold hopefully means more people in the rink which would be a good thing.

[LGR14]

I'm coming to this thread a little late, but have some info that may be of interest.

There are a total of 190 returning undergrad and 76 returning grad ticket holders, holding numbers for a total of 355 tickets (less than 10% of Lynah). I have no idea how this compares to the past but it's not inspiring.

My daughter, who is a senior at Cornell this year, and has been going to games all her life, accepted a part time job with the athletics department this semester selling season hockey tickets to students. As of today they have sold over a thousand student season tickets. They hadn't sold over a thousand the last five years. Last year they sold about eight hundred student season tickets.

There had been plans to distribute some information, including some cheer information and pointers about arriving early and not leaving before the end of game salute, standing for the Alma Mater, etc. at "Line Night." For those that may not be familiar with "Line Night", it's all that's left of the hockey line Lynah sleep-in. One Friday night a couple of weeks ago the students showed up at Lynah, at a designated time, based on their line number, to select their seats. The players were there, giving out pizza. The original plans were for the band to be present as well, and for the cheer information to be distributed, and with the band's assistance, to some extent, "taught" to some of the new season ticket holders. For some reason the administration did not allow this.

My understanding is that one way or another, and possibly in modified form, some aspect of the cheer information is likely to be distributed at the first home game on Saturday.

This is great. I've always thought that the first couple home games should have a few people from Section B going over to D to lead the new students. I was in B for four years, but I was shocked when my friends came over from D and had no idea about "Screw BU" or some of the other less-prevalent cheers.

Also, the last time they did the seat selection in Lynah was Fall 2010. Since then, it had been held in the Ramin Room and was pretty low-key. But I remember in Fall 2010, the band was there, and the players had a skills competition. Made for a fun introduction.

[Trotsky]

There had been plans to distribute some information, including some cheer information and pointers about arriving early and not leaving before the end of game salute, standing for the Alma Mater, etc. at "Line Night." For those that may not be familiar with "Line Night", it's all that's left of the hockey line Lynah sleep-in. One Friday night a couple of weeks ago the students showed up at Lynah, at a designated time, based on their line number, to select their seats. The players were there, giving out pizza. The original plans were for the band to be present as well, and for the cheer information to be distributed, and with the band's assistance, to some extent, "taught" to some of the new season ticket holders. For some reason the administration did not allow this.

This actually resembles the old days of The Line more closely than one would assume. In Fall '81 we waited 48 hours outside (as freshmen, we basically had to to get in the building at all).  There were both good parts to this (esprit de corps, memories for a lifetime, a fair amount of pairing off, talking to older fans and learning cheers) and bad parts (unpleasant temperatures at least one night, frat douches blatantly cheating and reserving whole blocs for brothers who showed up a few minutes before attendance, too many drunks in one place hence lots of dumb displays of testosterone) but the big takeaway (other than the uncomfortable ground) was constant cross-fertilization between upperclassmen and lowerclassmen learning cheers and traditions and stories of yore.  By the time we got to the first actual game, we knew a whole helluva lot about Cornell hockey.  I missed '82.  '83 was the first time they pulled the Line indoors on camp out night, in the indoor baseball practice facility, and the long administration march to destroy the tradition began.

[andyw2100]

I missed '82.  '83 was the first time they pulled the Line indoors on camp out night, in the indoor baseball practice facility, and the long administration march to destroy the tradition began.

I don't remember the baseball facility. But I definitely remember sleeping inside Lynah at least twice out of the three years '83, '84, and '85. One of those years was the "Elmo" year. (Anyone else remember Elmo?)

This is great. I've always thought that the first couple home games should have a few people from Section B going over to D to lead the new students. I was in B for four years, but I was shocked when my friends came over from D and had no idea about "Screw BU" or some of the other less-prevalent cheers.

I had an idea along those lines that I passed along to my daughter. It was probably too complicated to be implemented without a lot more lead time, and perhaps just too complicated. (I think she deemed it too complicated to even attempt pitching it.) But I really think the idea has some merit.

We all know that the best way to introduce someone to Cornell hockey is to get them to a game. My idea was that for the first couple of games, when Lynah wasn't going to be sold out anyway, there could be a special promotion for student season ticket holders: they could bring a friend for free, as follows.

Student season ticket holders in reserved sections--I think that would just be A and B this year--would turn in their ticket to the game or games they wanted to bring a friend to (again--the promotion would probably be available for just the first two games) and be given two general admission tickets for the same game. Their really great seats in the middle of the student section could then be sold to students who wouldn't ordinarily get to experience a game from those sections.

This winds up having positive benefits on a few fronts. The students who get to sit in A and B get the real Lynah experience, and may well choose to purchase season tickets.

The students that the season ticket holder brought to the game will be introduced to Cornell hockey by a friend who is already excited about Cornell hockey, and may choose to purchase season tickets.

The season ticket holders who moved from their reserved seats to general admission seats for a game will certainly be vocal during the game, which will help the new students in the general admission sections learn the cheers, and learn what's what.

There's not any real cost in lost ticket sales if the game wasn't going to sell out anyway, and there's a chance of increased revenue if more of the A and B tickets can be sold than general admission tickets would have been sold.

The real revenue increase comes from increased season ticket sales that result from the students exposed to Cornell Hockey who wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to it.

[Trotsky]

If I had infinite resources I'd endow free buses and lodging to road games.  Going to home games made me a Lynah fan, but it was the first road trip that made me a lifelong Cornell hockey fan.

[RichH]

If I had infinite resources I'd endow free buses and lodging to road games.  Going to home games made me a Lynah fan, but it was the first road trip that made me a lifelong Cornell hockey fan.

This. In recent years, as a person living near the geographic center of the league who can go to a lot of road games easily, it's very obvious that students (outside of the pep band) just don't travel anymore. To be fair, our futuristic technological paradise allows easy access to road game video without the cost, hassle, or mind-numbing excitement of driving through such locales as Greater Gouverneur or Schoharie, NY, but it still saddens me not to have a wild pocket of undergrads marching in and taking over Meehan. In a little piece posted on the ECAC website, they have a Q&A with the winner of the Lynah t-shirt design contest:

Q: What Cornell hockey games have you attended?  (e.g. MSG, away games, years of undergrad tickets)

A: I've been to both MSG games and I plan to go again. It's quite exciting to see the Big Red play at such a big venue. Last year, I went with my friend from Penn State who had never seen a hockey game in her life. Now she's a huge Penn State hockey fan! I've never been to an away game, but it's definitely on my list of things to do, especially the Harvard away game. This is my third year as a season ticket holder and I've only ever missed a handful of games.

[David Harding]

There had been plans to distribute some information, including some cheer information and pointers about arriving early and not leaving before the end of game salute, standing for the Alma Mater, etc. at "Line Night." For those that may not be familiar with "Line Night", it's all that's left of the hockey line Lynah sleep-in. One Friday night a couple of weeks ago the students showed up at Lynah, at a designated time, based on their line number, to select their seats. The players were there, giving out pizza. The original plans were for the band to be present as well, and for the cheer information to be distributed, and with the band's assistance, to some extent, "taught" to some of the new season ticket holders. For some reason the administration did not allow this.

This actually resembles the old days of The Line more closely than one would assume. In Fall '81 we waited 48 hours outside (as freshmen, we basically had to to get in the building at all).  There were both good parts to this (esprit de corps, memories for a lifetime, a fair amount of pairing off, talking to older fans and learning cheers) and bad parts (unpleasant temperatures at least one night, frat douches blatantly cheating and reserving whole blocs for brothers who showed up a few minutes before attendance, too many drunks in one place hence lots of dumb displays of testosterone) but the big takeaway (other than the uncomfortable ground) was constant cross-fertilization between upperclassmen and lowerclassmen learning cheers and traditions and stories of yore.  By the time we got to the first actual game, we knew a whole helluva lot about Cornell hockey.  I missed '82.  '83 was the first time they pulled the Line indoors on camp out night, in the indoor baseball practice facility, and the long administration march to destroy the tradition began.

In '69 and '70 we camped in Barton Hall.

[Jim Hyla]

There had been plans to distribute some information, including some cheer information and pointers about arriving early and not leaving before the end of game salute, standing for the Alma Mater, etc. at "Line Night." For those that may not be familiar with "Line Night", it's all that's left of the hockey line Lynah sleep-in. One Friday night a couple of weeks ago the students showed up at Lynah, at a designated time, based on their line number, to select their seats. The players were there, giving out pizza. The original plans were for the band to be present as well, and for the cheer information to be distributed, and with the band's assistance, to some extent, "taught" to some of the new season ticket holders. For some reason the administration did not allow this.

This actually resembles the old days of The Line more closely than one would assume. In Fall '81 we waited 48 hours outside (as freshmen, we basically had to to get in the building at all).  There were both good parts to this (esprit de corps, memories for a lifetime, a fair amount of pairing off, talking to older fans and learning cheers) and bad parts (unpleasant temperatures at least one night, frat douches blatantly cheating and reserving whole blocs for brothers who showed up a few minutes before attendance, too many drunks in one place hence lots of dumb displays of testosterone) but the big takeaway (other than the uncomfortable ground) was constant cross-fertilization between upperclassmen and lowerclassmen learning cheers and traditions and stories of yore.  By the time we got to the first actual game, we knew a whole helluva lot about Cornell hockey.  I missed '82.  '83 was the first time they pulled the Line indoors on camp out night, in the indoor baseball practice facility, and the long administration march to destroy the tradition began.

In '69 and '70 we camped in Barton Hall.

In the mid 60s we were outside.

[Rosey]

There had been plans to distribute some information, including some cheer information and pointers about arriving early and not leaving before the end of game salute, standing for the Alma Mater, etc. at "Line Night." For those that may not be familiar with "Line Night", it's all that's left of the hockey line Lynah sleep-in. One Friday night a couple of weeks ago the students showed up at Lynah, at a designated time, based on their line number, to select their seats. The players were there, giving out pizza. The original plans were for the band to be present as well, and for the cheer information to be distributed, and with the band's assistance, to some extent, "taught" to some of the new season ticket holders. For some reason the administration did not allow this.

This actually resembles the old days of The Line more closely than one would assume. In Fall '81 we waited 48 hours outside (as freshmen, we basically had to to get in the building at all).  There were both good parts to this (esprit de corps, memories for a lifetime, a fair amount of pairing off, talking to older fans and learning cheers) and bad parts (unpleasant temperatures at least one night, frat douches blatantly cheating and reserving whole blocs for brothers who showed up a few minutes before attendance, too many drunks in one place hence lots of dumb displays of testosterone) but the big takeaway (other than the uncomfortable ground) was constant cross-fertilization between upperclassmen and lowerclassmen learning cheers and traditions and stories of yore.  By the time we got to the first actual game, we knew a whole helluva lot about Cornell hockey.  I missed '82.  '83 was the first time they pulled the Line indoors on camp out night, in the indoor baseball practice facility, and the long administration march to destroy the tradition began.

In '69 and '70 we camped in Barton Hall.

In the mid 60s we were outside.

And in the mid 10's, you're old.

Well, so am I, just to a different degree. I'm kind of glad things change: it makes noticing the passage of time easier.

[Trotsky]

I'm kind of glad things change: it makes noticing the passage of time easier.

So does a bad back.

[dag14]

In 1976 I had to wait outside for my season tickets but the difference is....I still have them!  Remembering my undergrad years [68-72], I knew townie tickets would be a hot item so I dragged my non-alum spouse to Teagle Hall sometime before dawn to wait until the ticket office opened at 9:00 a.m.  My memory is that we arrived about 5:00 a.m. and I was psyched that we were 4th in line.  We got great tickets in Section N back when Cornell was on offense for two periods at the closed end of the rink.  We enjoyed those seats occasionally but more often than not, we would arrive early to claim spots on the rail.  What I miss most about the new rink design is the elimination of standing room in Lynah Rink.