2008 Woodie Awards
Games in Winchester a good way to alienate fans
Moving games to far-off county will take away team's home field advantage
Chris Martin
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: Sports
Come support the Winchester, Tenn. Blue Raiders as they take on the Tennessee Volunteers on April 15 and the Mississippi State Bulldogs on May 6 through 7.
Not familiar with the Winchester Blue Raiders?
Well, most of the season they are known as the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, but the MT Department of Athletics has decided to change the location of MT's home games against SEC competition from Reese Smith Field to Loel E. Bennett Stadium, most likely in order to offer more seats for the visiting devotees.
"We are expecting large crowds for all three games, which could present a capacity problem at Reese Smith Field due to our on-going construction," Chris Massaro, MT Director of Athletics said.
What a paradoxical quote. In order to house the expected increase in attendance, the school is moving the game 59.53 miles and one hour and 10 minutes (according to mapquest.com) away from campus.
I won't get into the whole issue of still having a stadium under construction 25 games into the season, that's another column for another time, but doesn't it seem that moving the games so far away might decrease attendance? Not that the Blue Raiders are filling the ledge above the nosebleeds at Floyd Stadium, anyways (that's right, to watch baseball games, spectators must either stand at the top of the football stadium and stare down or view from the open-air stairwells).
Over the past six home games, MT has brought an average of only 223.8 fans to the Floyd Stadium skyline, but maybe the big names of SEC opponents will draw more viewers to the stadium in Winchester. What better way to alienate your diminutive fan base than to play three of your biggest remaining games more than an hour away from campus.
Now, the Department of Athletics does have its hands tied when it comes to trying to convince people to watch the games from the football stadium, but why Winchester? This seems like a very last resort, and if there truly was no other venue available, it did what it had to do.
However, this move will most likely further diminish MT's already miniscule home-field advantage it has enjoyed this season. If fewer than 225 fans already show up to watch the Blue Raiders play baseball at home, how many are going to make it to South Tenn.?
This is clearly a move to accommodate the UT and MSU fans-not the MT fans. So why not just play in Starkville, Miss. or Knoxville? Playing in Winchester is just going to decrease the ratio of Blue Raider supporters to Bulldog and Volunteer supporters.
Perhaps it is not all for naught. According to Massaro, there is another added bonus to playing baseball in Franklin County.
"[Playing in Winchester] is also a great opportunity to showcase Middle Tennessee athletics and engage our surrounding counties to Blue Raider baseball, particularly to the South of Murfreesboro," Massaro said.
You're welcome Winchester, enjoy the showcase.
Not familiar with the Winchester Blue Raiders?
Well, most of the season they are known as the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, but the MT Department of Athletics has decided to change the location of MT's home games against SEC competition from Reese Smith Field to Loel E. Bennett Stadium, most likely in order to offer more seats for the visiting devotees.
"We are expecting large crowds for all three games, which could present a capacity problem at Reese Smith Field due to our on-going construction," Chris Massaro, MT Director of Athletics said.
What a paradoxical quote. In order to house the expected increase in attendance, the school is moving the game 59.53 miles and one hour and 10 minutes (according to mapquest.com) away from campus.
I won't get into the whole issue of still having a stadium under construction 25 games into the season, that's another column for another time, but doesn't it seem that moving the games so far away might decrease attendance? Not that the Blue Raiders are filling the ledge above the nosebleeds at Floyd Stadium, anyways (that's right, to watch baseball games, spectators must either stand at the top of the football stadium and stare down or view from the open-air stairwells).
Over the past six home games, MT has brought an average of only 223.8 fans to the Floyd Stadium skyline, but maybe the big names of SEC opponents will draw more viewers to the stadium in Winchester. What better way to alienate your diminutive fan base than to play three of your biggest remaining games more than an hour away from campus.
Now, the Department of Athletics does have its hands tied when it comes to trying to convince people to watch the games from the football stadium, but why Winchester? This seems like a very last resort, and if there truly was no other venue available, it did what it had to do.
However, this move will most likely further diminish MT's already miniscule home-field advantage it has enjoyed this season. If fewer than 225 fans already show up to watch the Blue Raiders play baseball at home, how many are going to make it to South Tenn.?
This is clearly a move to accommodate the UT and MSU fans-not the MT fans. So why not just play in Starkville, Miss. or Knoxville? Playing in Winchester is just going to decrease the ratio of Blue Raider supporters to Bulldog and Volunteer supporters.
Perhaps it is not all for naught. According to Massaro, there is another added bonus to playing baseball in Franklin County.
"[Playing in Winchester] is also a great opportunity to showcase Middle Tennessee athletics and engage our surrounding counties to Blue Raider baseball, particularly to the South of Murfreesboro," Massaro said.
You're welcome Winchester, enjoy the showcase.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
T
posted 4/03/08 @ 11:29 AM CST
I think Massaro has it right. It is a chance to grow the program in a town that normally wouldn't have the opportunity. While the town may not show up to see MT, the games will likely be the biggest thing going in the town that night. (Continued…)
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