Tonight was perhaps the best atmosphere in the history of the Schott - for two reasons.
1. The UD fans who - by their own actions - challenged the
OSU fans to make noise. And thanks in particular to that annoying "Goooooo Dayton Flyers" cheer. (Drowned out only when
OSU fans - not the pep band or cheerleaders - took the initiative of starting the loudest O-H-I-O cheer in the Arena's history).
2. The nature of NIT games which do not allow time to allocate seats by status and must instead accommodate those fans who want it the most.
With two days notice we had a sell out. Every seat in the house full.
Well, not every seat. Not the luxury suites.
At least 12 of those were dark. And none that I saw could be categorized as full - or even close to full.
I hate luxury boxes. But I understand the reality that big programs run on big money and big money wants special treatment. So if you are Daddy Big Bucks I am OK if you want to take a tour of the facility, pick out the choicest seats and say - "Those two are mine. No, Make it four, because sometimes I want to bring friends."
And when they roll out the buffet you eat first. Take the choicest cuts. Take all you want. But please, don't take more than you can eat because there are folks at the end of the line who aren't going to eat at all.
And if you gave enough money and you want 6 or 8 or even 20 seats - I will grudgingly grant you that. But however many sets you take, fill 'em up. And if you can't do that or aren't going to show up at all call the folks who run the Schott and tell them to open up seating to the general public. The great unwashed. The students even. You can fumigate later. We aren't that bad.
Is it unreasonable to include a clause in the seat/suite license agreement that you will actually use the seat/suite? Can it be that hard to measure with our little scanners how often tickets associated with those suites actually enter the arena?
This isn't Marie Antoinette telling the starving to eat cake, but it is the same mentality.
Fans of the world unite!! Off with their heads!
P.S. - Hats off to the Dayton fans who loudly cheered their team and endured considerable abuse for doing so even though 90% of them rooted for the Buckeyes in every other game this season.
P.S.S. - As loud as it got it can't touch St John.
