My original post on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CWUCrimsonC...type=3&theater
I am proud of the men's basketball team for putting together two quality wins last week, highlighted by a rivalry win vs. Western. However, despite the blowout win over the Vikings, last Saturday was a great disappointment to the legacy of the Central-Western rivalry. Some may argue that this rivalry has lost steam after WWU's football team folded. But if anything, that should only be a reason to further embrace the basketball rivalry if that is all we have left. On a Saturday night vs. Western, there should be zero excuse for not having a sellout with bleachers packed to the ceiling! So why was most of the upper half empty? This rivalry game is more than just a game, it is a local college basketball tradition. Historically this is the best college basketball rivalry in the Northwest. But this past Saturday, it certainly did not appear like it. This game is our one and only chance every year to turn Nicholson Pavilion into a wild party. It should be THE place in Ellensburg or around campus to be on a Saturday night. So where was everyone?
Half of the reserved seating was empty. For this rivalry, that seating should've been long sold out many days before the big game. Everyone in town and the Valley should want to be in attendance for this rivalry. Alumni from all around the state should want to be in town for this rivalry. This game should be a date circled on calendars. It should be a tradition to attend. So why did so many people miss this game? What is the University doing to keep alumni engaged and promote and advertise this big game around town? Obviously not enough!
Where were the students? Where was the giant standing student section that should bringing the energy and noise? Today's young students may not know of the long and exciting history of the Central-Western rivalry that includes the massive student sections with a long line forming before gates open, game-winning shots, and court rushes while on live television. Instead, Saturday's game featured a bunch of students sitting quietly disengaged. To those students, this was just another basketball game. More needs to be done to get the students hyped up and engaged aside from giving out free shirts. What is the university doing to reach out to students, particularly freshmen, to get them excited for football and basketball games like this? Where are the pep rally events in the SURC and around campus? The students are the heart and soul of any electric football or basketball crowd and they need to be better engaged and hyped up for such a rivalry game!
CWU Men's Basketball should be proud of how they competed and focused to take down their rivals. But CWU as a whole should be ashamed. This most recent Central-Western rivalry game should be a wake-up call to put more focus and effort into re-engaging the fan base including the students, alumni, and the local community. I urge CWU to not allow this great and historic rivalry to die and to keep the tradition going!
I am proud of the men's basketball team for putting together two quality wins last week, highlighted by a rivalry win vs. Western. However, despite the blowout win over the Vikings, last Saturday was a great disappointment to the legacy of the Central-Western rivalry. Some may argue that this rivalry has lost steam after WWU's football team folded. But if anything, that should only be a reason to further embrace the basketball rivalry if that is all we have left. On a Saturday night vs. Western, there should be zero excuse for not having a sellout with bleachers packed to the ceiling! So why was most of the upper half empty? This rivalry game is more than just a game, it is a local college basketball tradition. Historically this is the best college basketball rivalry in the Northwest. But this past Saturday, it certainly did not appear like it. This game is our one and only chance every year to turn Nicholson Pavilion into a wild party. It should be THE place in Ellensburg or around campus to be on a Saturday night. So where was everyone?
Half of the reserved seating was empty. For this rivalry, that seating should've been long sold out many days before the big game. Everyone in town and the Valley should want to be in attendance for this rivalry. Alumni from all around the state should want to be in town for this rivalry. This game should be a date circled on calendars. It should be a tradition to attend. So why did so many people miss this game? What is the University doing to keep alumni engaged and promote and advertise this big game around town? Obviously not enough!
Where were the students? Where was the giant standing student section that should bringing the energy and noise? Today's young students may not know of the long and exciting history of the Central-Western rivalry that includes the massive student sections with a long line forming before gates open, game-winning shots, and court rushes while on live television. Instead, Saturday's game featured a bunch of students sitting quietly disengaged. To those students, this was just another basketball game. More needs to be done to get the students hyped up and engaged aside from giving out free shirts. What is the university doing to reach out to students, particularly freshmen, to get them excited for football and basketball games like this? Where are the pep rally events in the SURC and around campus? The students are the heart and soul of any electric football or basketball crowd and they need to be better engaged and hyped up for such a rivalry game!
CWU Men's Basketball should be proud of how they competed and focused to take down their rivals. But CWU as a whole should be ashamed. This most recent Central-Western rivalry game should be a wake-up call to put more focus and effort into re-engaging the fan base including the students, alumni, and the local community. I urge CWU to not allow this great and historic rivalry to die and to keep the tradition going!
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