Ticket Line Procedures

[melissa]

wow. holy shit! that freaking sucks. sorry y'all. if the front of the line is composed mostly of clueless freshmen then lynah is going to suck big time this year.  i'm surprised that there were that many people around - even with last year's appearance at the frozen four. what i'm not surprised at is the incompetence of the ticket office yet again. the all should be fired and the sun should be bombarded with complaints. the sun can't ignore the masses and at the very least the AD should be embarassed and scolded publically.

[DeltaOne81]

Btw, for people who don't think cutting should be a major concern in a self-monitored line (or, at least, it could be self-monitored), I have these numbers for you...

Some people who got there and was 80 initially, ended up 280. Someone else who counted and said they were about 200 when they got there, ended up 450. I also heard a story from the unofficial line where some frat (sorority?) used one guy to hold a place for 30.

I think the only way to do it is to give out line number immediately. That way you can't have cutting. Anything else is a joke

[DeltaOne81]

Does anyone know if there's truth to the rumor that Athletics advertised heavily to the frosh?

... dumbasses

[DeltaOne81]

Btw, Sarge... I'm not saying you didn't mean it when you said it, but looks like what you said turned out to be total bullshit, huh?

[rhovorka]

For more quotes from Gene, here's a link to the whole Sun story:
http://www.cornelldailysun.com/articles/8963/

I have yet to hear a valid reason as to why the line can't be done like it was at RPI back in the day.  "It's contradictory to the mission of the University" isn't a valid reason or explanation to me.  These people are probably more concerned with liability than anything else.  If so, have the line members sign a release.  But this trend of Athletics setting a procedure, and then not following that procedure is getting tiring.  

If they're going to lie, they might as well make it interesting.  Tell everyone to line up in front of Bartells, then at 4:45 announce that the line numbers are waiting for them at Noyes, fire a shotgun in the air, and watch the "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" chase scene ensue.  
 ::nut::

[Will]

Yeah, so I got screwed over too, but potentially I'm getting screwed over even worse than the people who were told to go home.  You see, my group of people was cut right in half by the assignment of #800, effectively giving half our people the line numbers we need.  Somehow, we eliminated people who really didn't want to be there and also acquired some additional numbers ahead of us in line to make our new, reduced group work.  However, the numbers we were given suggest that, since there are 1528 student seats, only the first 764 numbers are guaranteed to get seats, since most likely most people will purchase two seats and have a rotation system where they don't have to be in Bartels 100% of the time.  We're basically hoping that (a)enough people only take one seat, and/or (b)enough people miss their line checks.  I heard a rumor that numbers 10 and 11 missed their first line check, which is good.  However, evil, evil Gene (I'm sorry I ever tried to defend that guy in the past) told me that last year, maybe 12-15 people actually missed their line checks, which doesn't make me feel any more pleasant.

Basically, the reason I feel the most screwed over is that I have to do all the waiting for a still very little chance of getting the tickets my group needs.  And, more likely than not, even if we do get the right number of seats, they won't be all together, probably strewn throughout F and G.  ::uhoh::

[Tub(a)]

[q]if the front of the line is composed mostly of clueless freshmen then lynah is going to suck big time this year.[/q]

Awwwwwww SEE YA! Assgoos!!!

 ::yark::

[pissed beyond belief]

not only did i go to all of the home games last year and spend a lot of money to buy tickets so i could cheer cu hockey on at the  froxen four game in buffalo... but i sat in my one stupid class today wanting to sprint out and run to lynah to get in line and stay there for 32+ hrs... but i didnt run out and instead waited through the class and then another hr after it because i stupidly half-listened to the warning about getting there before 4:45... i got there @ 3:15 and was probably around 1000th in line... by 5 when we were all told to go home there were probably another 1000+ behind me in line.... what is wrong with this picture?  someone messed up and now we're all paying for it by having to sit home instead of cheer on our favorite team this year :-(

[Section A]

Well I'll give my take/version of the unprecedented chaos and commotion that took place today - mostly for the benefit of those who weren't there to see it. When I showed up at 12:45, a list of approximately 350 people (unofficial, of course) had been created. Despite the odd fact that there were no more than 50 people actually present at this time, I signed the list anyway. While we were all standing around and talking/wondering what the afternoon would hold, a guy came up and motioned for the list, presumably to sign it. Then, to the surprise of everyone, he sprinted (and I mean SPRINTED) off with it to a getaway car (allegedly). It was quite a moment!

So, with the list gone, people began to form a line along the fence at the west end of the practice fields. By the time I ran back to my apartment to pick up my chair, books, etc. and came back to stand in line, there were NO MORE than 100 people in front of me in line. At about 2PM, a police officer came by and said to everyone that this line would be honored as legitimate, which I'm sure is a point of concern for those folks who showed up at 4:45. To the dismay of everyone behind them in line, the first 50-100 people did an awful job of policing the front of the line; there was hardly any sense of order, save for the voices of a few intelligent people (you know who you are - good job, I mean it.). Basically, it was like a bad Cornell version of Lord of the Flies. By the time 4:45 rolled around, approximately 130 people "cut" in front of me; indeed, a few assholes held spots for upwards of 20 people each. As Jordan said - "disgraceful." Line cutting happened all over the place though, moving people who initially would have had a line number of about 600 to well past 800 and without a chance of being able to stay the night - simply unfair, and I feel really really bad for people who showed up when they were supposed to. And indeed, there were probably about 2000 people there and probably was the largest crowd to ever watch a women's lacrosse practice (and is it in fact the largest number of people to ever show up the hockey ticket line?)

Well the bottom line is, they really really screwed this one up. I know I can't possibly be as angry/upset as those of you who can't get tickets this year, but I am nevertheless disgusted with how the Athletics department and the CUPD handled the situation today. The Sgt. who posted here said that even though he could not make it, he was confident that his peers would handle the situation well. They didn't and should be ashamed of themselves. And a lot of people aren't getting tickets because of them and because of the jerks - and I'm only referring to the people who showed up at 3 or 3:30 and weasled their way into the front of the line, not the people who legitimately were there before -  towards the front of the line. I'll stop JUST SHORT now of hoping that a puck hits you in your fucking heads while you're sitting in your undeserved Section B seat. I was lucky, but you ruined it for a lot of people further back in line.

Well my shift starts in the morning, so I'm off to bed.....

[Marcin]

Yeah... they could have just started handing out line numbers from the back of the line at 4:45, would kinda make sense too...

But anyway, I noticed a bunch of line cutting, and I was all the way at the back for a while.  I stood there, helpless, as perhaps ten or twenty people jumped infront of a friend.  What could I do myself?  I said that they should go to the back of the line, but nobody cared.  After the line stopped moving, I was still over by the track field, so I sat down and did some chem, all while the line cutters were talking about how dumb I was.  Oh well, they didn't get tickets either.

I'm a local myself, so I've been to a sufficient number of hockey games already (I'm a freshman too).  I'm quite saddened, though, that I won't be a part of the Lynah faithful this year.  I'm also quite saddened that at an institution that is able to produce extremely successful individuals, and that is able to crank out top-notch research, cannot find a way to make rules to sell 1,500 tickets and stick to them.

Well, there's always next year.

[Sgt12]

Not true.  We removed over 350 people from the "unofficial line" from Thursday night/Friday morning.  When I left campus at 10:30 am Friday morning we had just removed whatever was left of the line that had formed.  When I got back to campus at 4:00 pm I was very disappointed at what I saw.

One officer, which is what was hired by athletics, was simply not enough to deal with the crowd.  Remember, we didn't make the rules, we just tried to enforce 'em.  

The real shame is that those people who did follow the rules got penelized.  I half jokingly had mentioned that they should have started handing out the line numbers starting with the back of the line.  But reality is that would have started a riot.

One othr thing, President Lehmen had encouraged all the freshman to wait in line for the hockey tickets during one of the orientation sessions - hench my belief in the large contingent of the class of '07.

I'm dissapointed that some deserving and loyal fans got the short end - but there is another 364 days before the next sale and that leaves time for discussion and compromise so that it is not repeated.

[melissa]

for anyone looking to vent, here's the AD feedback site - let them have it.

http://cornellbigred.ocsn.com/feedback/corn-feedback.html

I personally would request having the line numbers invalidated and a new process reinstated for next weekend with someone hired by the AD to be there from now through then, giving out numbers as people arrive and doing a line check every 2-3 hrs. this way no one could cut line. it would also get rid of all the freakin bandwagoners. this is by far the worst mess ever made of the line procedure. the whole dept is composed of freakin morons. i despise them ... and i am 3 hrs away from the whole situation and had no intention of trying to get student season tix this year. I can't imagine how those of you who've been screwed by the system feel - esp poor fred.  

Screw the AD ... before they screw you AGAIN!

[Will]

Thank you Sgt. Gourley for at least some explanation.  True, we can always try to make it better next year (I'm sure a lot of us were discussing more 'perfect' systems throughout yesterday), but the question is, will Athletics listen?

I knew I wouldn't like President Lehman from the getgo...this just confirms it... ::screwy::

[melissa]

ok. so i got very little sleep, am up early and now find myself really frustrated for all of you who got screwed. having an immense dislike for the AD stretching back several years only makes me angrier. thus i composed the following and e-mailed it to the AD.

You guys messed up BIG TIME ... yet again. You make line rules and then make no efforts at enforcing them. Now you are left with a body of season ticketholders more into the line and socializing than the sport - mostly clueless freshmen out to party for the week-end with no idea of the tradition of fans at the game and no desire to watch the sport itself. All the loyal fans followed the stupid 4:45 rule - not wanting to risk having their ID noted and being forbidden from getting tickets at all. As a result, those following the rules and respecting the AD (why, no one really knows as past experience has all of us doubting your competency) got screwed. It sucks and is horribly unfair.

Hell has already broken loose. However, if you want to prevent the public backlash and lambasting that will most certainly ensue, I highly recommend invalidating the line numbers given out, setting the sale up for next week-end and hiring people (more than a single rent-a-cop ... only a complete moron would expect one man to control a crowd of 2000 and prevent line cutting, etc) to police the line from now till then. Numbers should be handed out as people arrive (yes - ARRIVE - thus cutting the line isn't an issue). Thus only those who really want the tickets and are willing to camp out long enough will be rewarded for their dedication and efforts. Then and only then will you truly have the Lynah faithful.

Everyone knows that the Lynah atmosphere is a great selling point when it comes to recruiting. Well recruiting this year was just made more difficult. Based on early evaluations of those composing the line and on the large number of faithful that have been sent home without a line number with the current system (if one can even call the unorganized mess that went down a system of sorts) I'm willing to hazard a guess that you just lost the special atmosphere. The clueless freshmen will lose interest after the first week-end and you'll have a half filled Lynah for most of the season ... so great work. Congrats on yet another completely unsuccessful line.

It isn't too late to fix the huge mistakes you've made. Please invalidate the numbers and sell again next week-end ...this time without a "don't line up before" time. Let the fans show you what being "failthful" really means.


I might forward the recruitung part to the coach ... cause it might certainly end uo being a valid point and at that point he really should step in. have a great day all.

[Shorts]

The Pepband and I will have the privilege of visiting the line later today, but based on what I've read here, I have some thoughts:

1) Giving the pikers and potential facetimers the benefit of the doubt, the reports of 2000 people in the line at 4:45 would equate to the Athletic department being able to sell 4000 season tickets just to students.  I think this speaks strongly for arguments that have been made in favor of getting a new, expanded rink.

2) Another way to fit more people into fewer seats would be this: sell separate sets of season tickets for Fridays and Saturdays.  Dedicated fans could buy both, while people with less interest or less money might buy just one.

3) If we want to take willingness to wait in line as a fair indicator of ones enthusiasm for the team, there is a way to measure this without having to deal with policing a pre-4:45 line.  Instead of having a set end time (when tickets are actually purchased) and a badly defined start time (when people start lining up), have a fixed start time, before which anyone interested in season tickets must report to, say, Barton or Newman Arena.

After the official start time, nobody else is let in, and ticket office people take a census of everyone there.  Over the next several days, the less dedicated people give up and leave, ticketless.  When they get down to 800 or so, Athletics starts handing out the equivalent of line numbers to people as they leave, in reverse order.  The people who wait the longest, therefore, get the best numbers.  If it goes on for a couple days, maybe they just assign everyone left random numbers.

A week later or so, once everyone has had time to recover, do the actual ticket sales, starting with the people who had waited longest.  There are lots of ways to do this--it could even be done by phone or online.

-Shorts