***Washington State @ Iowa (in Moline) @ 7:30pm Tonight (11/15)***

[Stu Beagle]

Or just dump Fran and get a coach fans can get excited about again to show up

 

[douglasbader]

Honestly, it hasn't been the same since the Fieldhouse, a slow decline. The Fieldhouse was horrible for amenities and comfort, but damn it had character and was raucous.

When they built Carver-Hawkeye (and many other arenas), basketball was exploding in popularity and the drive was to have as big of an arena and as many seats as possible.

Now in 2024 there are a gazillion other entertainment options and every game is in HD on a minimum 75'' screen at home. The whole focus is back to an intimate atmosphere that has upgrades for food & beverage and corporate dollars. Carver-Hawkeye is the very very worst arena for this. Cavernous, people have to walk giant flights of stairs to get access to food and beverage and poor access and shitty parking.

They need to eventually re-create the Fieldhouse with 10k seats and modern amenities.

 

[douglasbader]

Or just dump Fran and get a coach fans can get excited about again to show up

Nope. It would be a very temporary band-aid and you would be gambling that whoever comes in can have Top 10 level teams year in year out to draw people back in. Even then, you still likely aren't filling up the arena on a consistent basis.

Everything is completely different in 2024 compared to even 2010 when Fran got here. You can't just switch out the coach at Iowa and hope fans return. Those days are long gone.

 

[Hawk&Balls]

It doesn't help that the seats are tight, cramped and original to the 80s in Carver.

 

[Alan Lomax]

Baylor’s new arena looks sweet. I’d like that.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Honestly, it hasn't been the same since the Fieldhouse, a slow decline. The Fieldhouse was horrible for amenities and comfort, but damn it had character and was raucous.

You remember the Fieldhouse? Damn how old are you?

 

[Kerky]

You remember the Fieldhouse? Damn how old are you?

Gonna be 62 in Jan. My sophomore year in Rienow, we were able to run across the street without coats to attend the games.

I will also add that there was a lottery system as I recall in those days for freshman and sophomores to get season tix. That was the difference in popularity.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

watched the second half this morning. Encouraged by some things I saw, namely Thelwell and Traore.

Dembele is awful. Im sure they see him as someone who can match the physicality of other teams but he really gives you next to nothing on offense.

Best lineup is:
Sandfort
Traore
Freeman
Thelwell
Dix

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

watched the second half this morning. Encouraged by some things I saw, namely Thelwell and Traore.

Dembele is awful. Im sure they see him as someone who can match the physicality of other teams but he really gives you next to nothing on offense.

Best lineup is:
Sandfort
Traore
Freeman
Thelwell
Dix

I was encouraged that that was Frans closing line-up (minus the broken Dix).

 

[AZmessDAWG]

I’m not ready to give up on Harding as I think he does some nice things. Just needs to learn the nuances of the PG position, esp being undersized.

He needs to develop a floater bc he can’t finish at the rim. Also needs to stop putting himself in bad spots with nowhere to go with the ball.

But he does do a nice job getting in the lane and hitting guys. Just needs to realize not every possession needs to have him with the ball in his hands the whole time.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Also, want to see Sandfort get more involved with midrange jumpers. Some sets that they used to run for Gatens.

 

[The Dad]

Gonna be 62 in Jan. My sophomore year in Rienow, we were able to run across the street without coats to attend the games.

I will also add that there was a lottery system as I recall in those days for freshman and sophomores to get season tix. That was the difference in popularity.

Damn Kerk. You should set up a fight on Netflix.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Or just dump Fran and get a coach fans can get excited about again to show up

like when Alford left?

 

[Kerky]

Damn Kerk. You should set up a fight on Netflix.

Well, I just bought this for my exercise regime:

 

[douglasbader]

Well, I just bought this for my exercise regime:

That will make a wonderful clothes and random stuff hanger in 3-4 months.

 

[Hawk24]

Maybe they should consider putting the curtains down for the boy Hawk games.

 

[Kamala]

There aren't any good options other than spending $500m+ building a new arena

Then that is what they should do

 

[Will McCoy]

That will make a wonderful clothes and random stuff hanger in 3-4 months.

Can confirm.

 

[Stu Beagle]

Carver sucks but Fran fatigue is real. Gambling on a new coach at least is something exciting.

 

[Revolver]

 

[Revolver]

The Hawks playing that D led by Thelwell and Traore was awesome to see. Those guys were both so pumped.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Carver sucks but Fran fatigue is real. Gambling on a new coach at least is something exciting.

Everyone said they would start going to games again once Alford was gone. Attendance actually got worse. People just don’t give a fuck.

 

[Kamala]

Everyone said they would start going to games again once Alford was gone. Attendance actually got worse. People just don’t give a fuck.

A significant portion of their games are against teams not in the top 200 that many fans have never even heard of. It’s hard to build excitement that way, and that’s on the university.
I’m not driving from the Metro! on a Tuesday to watch us play Howard and win by 50. There is nothing entertaining about that. I probably wouldn’t walk down the block to see it. Apparently most people agree with that.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

First game I ever went to was at the fieldhouse against Northern Illinois. Full house.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

In 2000, iowa sold out home games vs Milwaukee, Centenary, Chattanooga, and Tulsa.

 

[cloudhawk]

First game I ever went to was at the fieldhouse against Northern Illinois. Full house.

Steve Carfino?

Greg Stokes? Michael Payne?

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Steve Carfino?

Ronnie Lester

 

[kmurp]

Ronnie Lester

Golden era not just for us but the whole conference.

 

[Kamala]

In 2000, iowa sold out home games vs Milwaukee, Centenary, Chattanooga, and Tulsa.

It’s not 2000 anymore, and we don’t have a young Steve Alford bringing the fan base to a fever pitch with hope and optimism where the opponent doesn’t matter.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

It’s not 2000 anymore, and we don’t have a young Steve Alford bringing the fan base to a fever pitch with hope and optimism where the opponent doesn’t matter.

You’re missing the point.

 

[Kamala]

You’re missing the point.

I thought the point was that in today’s environment with more entertainment options than ever, the U of I needs to do a better job of creating excitement if they want to increase attendance.

So if that’s not the point, then I guess you are right

 

[Herbie2]

First game I ever went to was at the fieldhouse against Northern Illinois. Full house.

https://dailyiowan.lib.uiowa.edu/DI/1979/di1979-12-03.pdf

 

[Hawkstrat]

Dolph is something else.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Looks packed to me.

 

[brantshawks]

Dolph is something else.

That's fucking awesome.

 

[neshawk]

He was like whitezilla out there.

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

Dolph is something else.

 

[KitKatApples]

Looks packed to me.

Just like your fudge

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Just like your fudge

I was 7

 

[L. Wade Childress]

The fudge was a gift, Todd.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

I KNOW, Margot!

 

[KitKatApples]

I was 7

I meant tonight

 

[Uff Da]

First game I ever went to was at the fieldhouse against Northern Illinois. Full house.

I remember going to a few games in the fieldhouse, behind a beam in the upper section once.
My freshman year at Iowa, could only get half of the games with the student season ticket due to demand. Not sure I missed any games the last 3 years. I do remember the Amana Hawkeye Classic attendance being low since it was not part of the season ticket package.
Carver is a good place to watch a game and it can get loud.

The 1989 Double OT loss to Michigan is still the best game I saw in person. Horton doing Horton things was always entertaining

 

[YugoslavianMountainHound]

Dolph is something else.

Freeman dunks over two defenders like they're his ex-wife and a waiter!

 

[Herbie2]

I remember going to a few games in the fieldhouse, behind a beam in the upper section once.
My freshman year at Iowa, could only get half of the games with the student season ticket due to demand. Not sure I missed any games the last 3 years. I do remember the Amana Hawkeye Classic attendance being low since it was not part of the season ticket package.
Carver is a good place to watch a game and it can get loud.

The 1989 Double OT loss to Michigan is still the best game I saw in person. Horton doing Horton things was always entertaining

https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-com/2015/04/799d13a7-game_22.pdf

 

[Uff Da]

https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-com/2015/04/799d13a7-game_22.pdf

Great example of the Horton experience. Double Double. 10 turnovers and 3-8 from the line

BJ was giving him the WTF many times

Higgins was a killer in that game for Michigan

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Worst best game I ever attended was Iowa Michigan the year after C Webb left. Up 17 at half lose at the end. Russ Millard holding on to the ball bc he thought they were ahead.

 

[Herbie2]

Worst best game I ever attended was Iowa Michigan the year after C Webb left. Up 17 at half lose at the end. Russ Millard holding on to the ball bc he thought they were ahead.

Only 8 scholarship players available that game.

https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-com/2015/02/63c49f9d-game_11.pdf

 

[Uff Da]

Max attendance at the Fieldhouse must have been 13,365

Iowa was in the Top 15 of National attendance from 1979 to 2002, except 1999 at #17. The drop off started in 2003 and had come back some with Fran in the mid 2010's

 

[Stu Beagle]

The attendance is about what you would expect from a program who last won a conference championship 40+ years ago and last went to sweet 16 around 25 years ago