Leaving early and parking

[SoonerfanTU]

TU, but your original point that fans leaving do not impact the game is debunked now. Yes, the fans weren't the only reason he missed but the influence fans have on games in undeniable. I've heard it directly from Gerald McCoy during the A&M basketball game, when the team was struggling late, Gerald told the student section to get loud cause believe it or not the players do feed off the fan's energy at times. Not saying fans always leave a mark on the game but to act like if all or a large portion of the fans walked out with the game still in question and there would be no impact on the game itself is off based. Why do you think it is always so difficult to win on the road?

I never said fans don't impact the game. I just don't think you can point to a missed FT and say the fans did that. Jerrels could shoot 10 FT's in that exact same situation, and he is probably going to make them at the same clip he shoots it on the year, or very close. What, on the misses the fans affected him, and on the makes they didn't? That is ridiculous. That isn't how fans affect games at this level. They create energy. They don't cause turnovers in hoops.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

Our JUCO might have filled 50% of the gym most nights, if it suddenly dropped to 25% under two minutes left in a tight game, I sure didn't notice...wasn't what I was focused on.

Exactly what I said, coming from a former player. Instant credibility. :clap

 

[quick release]

its even more lame to leave a game that hasnt been decided yet early. i could understand if it was 8-10 point game, but not a 2 point game. why even bother to show up if youre going to leave right when it gets good. people have the right to do so i guess, but that doesnt change the fact that they're bad fans.

 

[Hollisp]

I never said fans don't impact the game.

"OU isn't winning or losing games b/c of what the fans are doing the last 2 minutes of the game."



Im confused as to what you are saying. Maybe it is semantics but, Fans do or do not effect outcomes of games? Yes or No?

 

[SoonerfanTU]

"OU isn't winning or losing games b/c of what the fans are doing the last 2 minutes of the game."

1. Can fans not impact the other 38 minutes of the games?

2. Is 5%, or 10% of the fans leaving, most of which are still in the building during close games, really change the atmosphere THAT much? Not IMO.

I mean really. During close games, you are probably talking about a couple hundred, or even a thousand folks out of what, 10k+ that might leave? I'm sorry, but that "change" in atmosphere isn't going to affect the game. Adding one fan doesn't change things. Either it's loud and the team is feeding off the crowd, or it isn't. It's not like the team plays better and better as the crowd gets bigger and bigger, or louder and louder. That isn't he way it works. At is illogical.

 

[Sam]

I never said fans don't impact the game.

This is what you said originally, I took it to mean fans do not have a impact late in games. Guess I must have poor reading comprehension or I just read it wrong. Sorry.

People can do what they want. I don't make a habit of leaving sporting events early, especially basketball, but I've left plenty of football games a few minutes early.

I just don't understand complaining about it. And if I ever left a game early, and another fan "called me out", I'd lay into him. Ridiculous. OU isn't winning or losing games b/c of what the fans are doing the last 2 minutes of the game.

I just don't think you can point to a missed FT and say the fans did that. Jerrels could shoot 10 FT's in that exact same situation, and he is probably going to make them at the same clip he shoots it on the year, or very close. What, on the misses the fans affected him, and on the makes they didn't? That is ridiculous. That isn't how fans affect games at this level. They create energy. They don't cause turnovers in hoops.

I am willing to bet if the game had taken place in Waco and he had a nice quiet arena to take those two free throws he hits at least one of those two. Got nothing to prove it but that is just my assumption.

 

[sooner333]

This is what you said originally, I took it to mean fans do not have a impact late in games. Guess I must have poor reading comprehension or I just read it wrong. Sorry.

I am willing to bet if the game had taken place in Waco and he had a nice quiet arena to take those two free throws he hits at least one of those two. Got nothing to prove it but that is just my assumption.

He probably does make one...or at least is more likely to. But, I do agree with TU on the premise that the few hundred people who leave are not likely to make a big difference.

 

[campbest]

I think this is a dumb argument regarding crowd noise and free throws...during the UNLV and UNM game a few weeks ago, some guy who shoots mid 60's calmly sank two free throws with The Pit going bonkers to ice the game.

It goes both ways.

 

[Hollisp]

1. Can fans not impact the other 38 minutes of the games?

2. Is 5%, or 10% of the fans leaving, most of which are still in the building during close games, really change the atmosphere THAT much? Not IMO.

I mean really. During close games, you are probably talking about a couple hundred, or even a thousand folks out of what, 10k+ that might leave? I'm sorry, but that "change" in atmosphere isn't going to affect the game. Adding one fan doesn't change things. Either it's loud and the team is feeding off the crowd, or it isn't. It's not like the team plays better and better as the crowd gets bigger and bigger, or louder and louder. That isn't he way it works. At is illogical.

Ok, so we ARE dealing in semantics. I agree with you that its probably not that big of a deal for a few hundred to leave. But, if you accept my argument that fans can effect the outcome, ie Baylor last year, then those few hundred that leave are only gong to help correct?

 

[DenverSooner]

Yes, I know this has been discussed before...

I get to a few home games each year (3 home and 8 total last year). Saturday was the first home game I'd been able to attend this year. Again I was amazed at the amount of Sooner fans who took off before the buzzer. 20% may be accurate. The lady in front of us had been yelling hysterically all game, but was gone at the one minute mark.

Well, we stay until well after the OU Chant has been sung and the team has left and hit the lot. I usually park in the SW corner, Saturday we parked in the SE corner. We sat for 15 minutes and did not even move. Finally my buddy just illegally hopped the curb and made a left onto Jenkins.

There HAS to be a better way to do this. Why there are not cops directing traffic at all four corners of the arena is maddening. (There was just the regular operation of the light on Jenkins, and there is never a cop helping direct traffic towards Chataqua from the SW corner.) I thought having the outlet to Chataqua on the NW side would help, but I don't think it has.

I really do think the parking situation is a deterrent to the casual fan and means that players and fans aren't able to enjoy the celebration of a big win. Yes football traffic and parking is a problem too, but people expect it and are more likely to make a day out of a football rather than hoop game.

Parking/traffic was never a problem for me when I used to go to the games. I always backed into a spot in the back of the lot on an aisle that went directly to the exit (so that you are pulling forward towards the exit). When people forgot to be polite and rotate cars, we just had a person get out and stand in front of a car, pull in and then get the guy in the car. You don't have to leave 1 second early if you do that.

 

[BigTime]

One suggestion that I have for those that just can't stand waiting in traffic (like me) would be to stay until after the game is over and listen to Coach Capel's postgame on the loudspeakers. After Coach is finished, you get to walk out into an empty parking lot and drive home traffic free. I am really not all that convinced that you get home too much later than if you had left right after the buzzer sounds or at the 1 minute mark.

Just a thought....

 

[Sam]

I think this is a dumb argument regarding crowd noise and free throws...during the UNLV and UNM game a few weeks ago, some guy who shoots mid 60's calmly sank two free throws with The Pit going bonkers to ice the game.

It goes both ways.

I agree on that but I am willing to bet in general teams shoot a lower percentage from the line on the road, especially at places that are known for being "rowdy". Don't have any numbers to back it up so I could be wrong but that is just my natural assumption from watching college basketball.

 

[ben]

I hope TU doesn't punch me someday =(

 

[flyou11]

To the OP. I go to almost every game and stay the entire time. The texass game was one of the most difficult times I have ever had getting out of the parking lot.

My typical route is park on the side of the lot that you will be leaving from. For me that is the North side. I park as close to the center of the lot (center being where the buses shuttle people to the university) on the East side. I back into the parking lot at the last row. Then on exit I pull out onto Imhoff, left on Jenkins right on Constitution. Gone in 10 minutes.

This last game took me about 30 minutes. I think that it was a number of factors. We had an exceptionally large crowd. Most of the crowd I felt stayed till the end compared to usual. Most likely because 1.) It was texass and 2.) it was a close game and 3.) we pulled a huge upset. So there were more people all leaving at the end of the game.

I do agree, however, that traffic could be managed better after the game. When I leave my route there is always an officer at the Imhoff and Jenkins controlling the light manually. However, I think there should be an officer at all 4 corners of the LNC. Also, all the lights on Highway 9 should be timed to remain green for a long time heading to the highway from the LNC (especially during OU Football games. Honestly, I have no idea if they do this or not. Only my 2 cents.

 

[Crimson King]

To the OP. I go to almost every game and stay the entire time. The texass game was one of the most difficult times I have ever had getting out of the parking lot.

My typical route is park on the side of the lot that you will be leaving from. For me that is the North side. I park as close to the center of the lot (center being where the buses shuttle people to the university) on the East side. I back into the parking lot at the last row. Then on exit I pull out onto Imhoff, left on Jenkins right on Constitution. Gone in 10 minutes.

This last game took me about 30 minutes. I think that it was a number of factors. We had an exceptionally large crowd. Most of the crowd I felt stayed till the end compared to usual. Most likely because 1.) It was texass and 2.) it was a close game and 3.) we pulled a huge upset. So there were more people all leaving at the end of the game.

I do agree, however, that traffic could be managed better after the game. When I leave my route there is always an officer at the Imhoff and Jenkins controlling the light manually. However, I think there should be an officer at all 4 corners of the LNC. Also, all the lights on Highway 9 should be timed to remain green for a long time heading to the highway from the LNC (especially during OU Football games. Honestly, I have no idea if they do this or not. Only my 2 cents.

I agree with pretty much everything. The one cop at Jenkins/Imhoff just controls that light; they need to put four cops out there directing traffic. Ditto the NW side turning left onto Imhoff and at the light at Chataqua and on Highway 9 as well.

I think we more passionate fans on message boards tend to underestimate how many casual fans there are out there who won't go to games or leave early due to the "hassle" factor of stuff like this. I know there are a lot of fans like that. The worst thing is, it's not impossible to take these steps to improve things.

 

[Edmond_Sooner]

I personally have never had any problems with traffic in the two yrs ive had season tickets...I am with BigTime, just be patient and hang out for a few minutes after the game...I have to drive up to Edmond and it's always smooth sailing...I bet I wouldn't get there much earlier if I left right when the game concluded or left early...

 

[LochBox]

I went to the Texas game
and
I may have verbally accosted a few people (15-20) leaving with five minutes left in the game. They didn't say anything back to me because they are weak and have no soul or passion. If they did, they would not be leaving early.

Am I an jerk? Probably, but everyone else around me got a kick out of it and seemed to agree. (Is this my instant credibility?)

Traffic wasn't bad - I exited out the west side and was on I-35 in 15 minutes. I'm not sure what the people that left early gained versus what they lost leaving early.

 

[SoonerfanTU]

I may have verbally accosted a few people (15-20) leaving with five minutes left in the game. They didn't say anything back to me because they are weak and have no soul or passion.

Internet tough guy. :clap

 

[playmakr]

Internet tough guy. :clap

If only you could "lay into" them through the computer.

 

[LochBox]

Internet tough guy. :clap

Don't know how that makes me an internet tough guy.

I just got a little over passionate and couldn't believe people were leaving. What's wrong with asking people where they are going that's more important than the game? Is that not weak and soul less?