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OT: Received unexpected call from Rutgers athletics today

Fat Koko

Fat Koko

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Nov 28, 2022
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Kevin from the ticket office called me this afternoon.

He was responding to a ticket inquiry I made - 52 days after I inquired about buying court side seats to the December 20 Penn game.

Anyway, since I had Kevin on the phone, I asked how the mood in the department has changed with Keli Zinn as AD after a couple of interims. He said the common theme inside the department today is, "win." Tate's favorite buzzword seems to have permeated the department.

I told Kevin I wrote Keli suggesting Rutgers add 32 premium court side seats at Jersey Mike's by shrinking the scorers table, citing St. John's at MSG, and add bathrooms. He said that wasn't something he was in charge of but Keli is looking at everything at Jersey Mike's, which aligns with Keli's response to my letter.

Of course I asked about One Piece and Kevin said One Piece's people made it happen with the "sponsorship people" but I'm not sure who the sponsorship people are.

Kevin was super. I hope Keli is empowering everyone up and down her staff to take initiative and win at their roles.
 
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Caliknight

Caliknight

Hall of Famer
Sep 21, 2001
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We are close to landing sponsorship deals like we've never had before. Keli is a pitbull. If you meet with her, get ready to open your checkbook. That includes companies. Hell, she's convincing companies we have deals with already to give more. Pretty impressive so far.
 
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H

Hrdcorhays

Junior
Feb 5, 2003
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Fat Koko said:
Kevin from the ticket office called me this afternoon.

He was responding to a ticket inquiry I made - 52 days after I inquired about buying court side seats to the December 20 Penn game.

Anyway, since I had Kevin on the phone, I asked how the mood in the department has changed with Keli Zinn as AD after a couple of interims. He said the common theme inside the department today is, "win." Tate's favorite buzzword seems to have permeated the department.

I told Kevin I wrote Keli suggesting Rutgers add 32 premium court side seats at Jersey Mike's by shrinking the scorers table, citing St. John's at MSG, and add bathrooms. He said that wasn't something he was in charge of but Keli is looking at everything at Jersey Mike's, which aligns with Keli's response to my letter.

Of course I asked about One Piece and Kevin said One Piece's people made it happen with the "sponsorship people" but I'm not sure who the sponsorship people are.

Kevin was super. I hope Keli is empowering everyone up and down her staff to take initiative and win at their roles.
Click to expand...
MSG added 16 courtside seats by splitting the scorers table into one large section and 2 smaller 4 seat sections. There's 8 seats on each side between the main table and the aux tables. And then bumping the team benches out a bit further and adding more team seating to the 2nd row. I don't believe that can be done at JMA.
 
RUBob75

RUBob75

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2003
1,005
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Hrdcorhays said:
MSG added 16 courtside seats by splitting the scorers table into one large section and 2 smaller 4 seat sections. There's 8 seats on each side between the main table and the aux tables. And then bumping the team benches out a bit further and adding more team seating to the 2nd row. I don't believe that can be done at JMA.
Click to expand...
All we need to do is add those seats and Mike Repole!!
 
Fat Koko

Fat Koko

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Hrdcorhays said:
MSG added 16 courtside seats by splitting the scorers table into one large section and 2 smaller 4 seat sections. There's 8 seats on each side between the main table and the aux tables. And then bumping the team benches out a bit further and adding more team seating to the 2nd row. I don't believe that can be done at JMA.
Click to expand...

I was at the game yesterday sitting behind the end of the Maryland bench.

Yes, JMA can fit in the 16 court side seats plus the 16 seats behind them.

Move the Gatorade containers and team managers deeper back. No reason Gatorade containers need to sit court side.

See MSG image showing locations of 16 recently created premium seats, the shrunken scorers table, and Gatorade containers.

The trophy cases in the JMA corridors look sorry. Carnesecca Arena does a nice job. See image.

Simple, obvious common sense improvements for a change would be welcome at JMA.


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H

Hrdcorhays

Junior
Feb 5, 2003
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Fat Koko said:
I was at the game yesterday sitting behind the end of the Maryland bench.

Yes, JMA can fit in the 16 court side seats plus the 16 seats behind them.

Move the Gatorade containers and team managers deeper back. No reason Gatorade containers need to sit court side.

See MSG image showing locations of 16 recently created premium seats, the shrunken scorers table, and Gatorade containers.

The trophy cases in the JMA corridors look sorry. Carnesecca Arena does a nice job. See image.

Simple, obvious common sense improvements for a change would be welcome at JMA.


View attachment 1189081
Click to expand...
So there's at least 8 people in the 2nd row behind the SJU bench that used to sit on the bench before they added in the courtside seats and shrank the bench. MSG felt (rightfully so) that they could charge more for the 8 courtside seats, especially since they were on camera. I will agree There are probably folks at the scorers table that could move elsewhere, and just sell those as seats would be a simpler solution. Those tables cost several hundred thousand dollars to just order another one.

The problem at JMA is there's no 2nd row available to team personnel without displacing more fans.
 
Fat Koko

Fat Koko

All-Conference
Nov 28, 2022
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Hrdcorhays said:
So there's at least 8 people in the 2nd row behind the SJU bench that used to sit on the bench before they added in the courtside seats and shrank the bench. MSG felt (rightfully so) that they could charge more for the 8 courtside seats, especially since they were on camera. I will agree There are probably folks at the scorers table that could move elsewhere, and just sell those as seats would be a simpler solution. Those tables cost several hundred thousand dollars to just order another one.

The problem at JMA is there's no 2nd row available to team personnel without displacing more fans.
Click to expand...
You are right. No space exists between the team seats and the first row of stands to add a second row of team seats.

Rutgers has 24 guys sitting court side plus 5 managers. Rutgers needs 10 seats for players, 6 for assistant coaches, and the rest can find somewhere else to sit or stand so paying fans are not displaced.



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K

kupuna133

All-American
Jul 13, 2015
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Fat Koko said:
You are right. No space exists between the team seats and the first row of stands to add a second row of team seats.

Rutgers has 24 guys sitting court side plus 5 managers. Rutgers needs 10 seats for players, 6 for assistant coaches, and the rest can find somewhere else to sit or stand so paying fans are not displaced.


+ get from stands to court.
View attachment 1189235
Click to expand...
Restore the student section to its previous dimensions. No need to have 20+ feet from stands to court.
 
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Fat Koko

Fat Koko

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kupuna133 said:
Restore the student section to its previous dimensions. No need to have 20+ feet from stands to court.
Click to expand...
Yes. Move the court 10 feet closer to the student section. This frees up real estate at the other baseline. Add two rows of floor seats or two rows to the floor loge.

Common sense changes that don't cost a lot, improve the game day experience, and brings in some revenue too.
 
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e5fdny

e5fdny

Heisman
Nov 11, 2002
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kupuna133 said:
Restore the student section to its previous dimensions. No need to have 20+ feet from stands to court.
Click to expand...
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that change done (like the Alma Mater) by one person and on their own?
 
R

RU Cheese

All-Conference
Sep 14, 2003
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Only 52 days to call back - fantastic customer service. I suppose it's nice Kevin talked to you but lost in this is an awful job by him.
 
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Hrdcorhays

Junior
Feb 5, 2003
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Fat Koko said:
You are right. No space exists between the team seats and the first row of stands to add a second row of team seats.

Rutgers has 24 guys sitting court side plus 5 managers. Rutgers needs 10 seats for players, 6 for assistant coaches, and the rest can find somewhere else to sit or stand so paying fans are not displaced.



View attachment 1189235
Click to expand...
The staffs nowadays are insane. I was talking to a guy from Baylor once - they had the team and coaches lined up on the free throw line for the anthem, and then a whole other line of people in front of them just as long. I asked the guy who all these people were. He said basically, they figured out that while the NCAA only allows two graduate assistants, there is no limit on student managers. And grad students can be student managers. So they had 12 more GAs, one assigned to each player.
 
Fat Koko

Fat Koko

All-Conference
Nov 28, 2022
3,738
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Hrdcorhays said:
The staffs nowadays are insane. I was talking to a guy from Baylor once - they had the team and coaches lined up on the free throw line for the anthem, and then a whole other line of people in front of them just as long. I asked the guy who all these people were. He said basically, they figured out that while the NCAA only allows two graduate assistants, there is no limit on student managers. And grad students can be student managers. So they had 12 more GAs, one assigned to each player.
Click to expand...
Steve was up to 24 student managers last season. That is up from 12 team managers in Pike's first year at RU.

This season's media guide does not include a student manager page.
 
J

JL23

Junior
Oct 4, 2005
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Good
Freaking tired of losing - it sucks
Way too much in-state talent to be terrible or pedestrian in most sports

A wise man once said the following...
First you lose big
Then you lose small
Then you win small
Then you win big

Let's hope that comes to fruition here OTB
 
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