Post Homecoming, I have some thoughts about how we can improve the overall game experience. This is NOT edited. I wrote it on my IPhone while waiting to board my plane. With that said, please excuse the typos and grammar. 10 ways to improve the FAMU Homecoming game experience. 1. Convocation - All current players and coaches should be required to attend convocation with their jerseys on. This builds up the brand, allows the crowd to touch and motivate them, increases the players sense of urgency regarding the importance of this tradition (convocation) for alumni and kicks off the weekend on a unified accord. They should be seated between the band and the alumni on the floor, emphasizing their importance to the vitality of this annual occasion. The starting offense and defense should be introduced during convocation so that we can learn their names. Unlike PWIs, our players are virtually anonymous to alumni and current students. Before convocation ends, the entire crowd should strike in their direction as someone says a prayer over them. Maybe even have the starting QB or captain on program so that they can speak on behalf of the players. 2. Pre-game pep rally - There are no activities geared toward getting the football team hyped to let them know that the FAMUly is with them. Current students are so tuned out. We need to capitalize off of the energy and enthusiasm of the freshmen who are accustomed to the high school pep rally traditions. As a freshmen, we had a Bon fire before the game with players present. 3. Cheerleaders - Our cheerleaders did not move the entire day. There was a failed attempt to get a wave going. Ummm...they should have led that because the alumni present were ready to pop with excitement and it just fell flat. The cheerleaders need to move around and walk around to both sides of the field. 4. Pre-game pomp - We need more male cheerleaders. At least 2-3 more. It would be great to have the large orange and green flags that read F A M U and then another with the Rattler on it. Many schools and professionals teams do this for the player introduction. Having gone to a recent Buccaneer game, the pre-game was the spark to get the crowd excited about the game. 5. New Get Up song - This song was perfect and meets the excitement that the BCU Wildcat song conjures up for its fans. The band should play this song multiple times during the game, not just once, like they did on Saturday. Also, it would be nice to have the words appear on the jumbo tron to help us learn the words. We went to convocation so we had the words, but at the game, people were confused, even though they visibly loved the rhythm and hype of the song. 6. Student indoctrination - We need to do a better job of requiring the students to participate in the homecoming game. For starters, the game should not be free for them, even if they only pay a modest $5 to $10. They drop a ton of money attending HC parties so there is no excuse that they cannot afford it. Free things appear cheap and worthless to people. We cheapen HC by allowing them (this nonchalant generation) to get in free. If we continue building the brand, the demand will follow, which will cause them to clamor for tickets. The trade off is a higher, more engaged student body audience and a broadened revenue base. 7. Concessions - Many older alums cannot get up to go to the concession stand and the stands are right, so some will leave the game to patronize a street vendor. There were a group of alumni seated behind me and they remarked during the game that we (FAMU) could make mad money if someone was going around selling concessions. I second that emotion. Also, we strongly need to revamp our concessions because they are a joke. It looks more like a pop warner game instead of a top-notch college football game. That includes selling beer. This will provide a large revenue boom for athletics and also enable us to form a exclusive, strategic partnership with an beer manufacturer/distributor like Anheuser Busch. We have to step into the 21st century. I can imagine that the hesitance to sell beer is to ensure that underage individuals are not drinking, but to combat that, you can sell beer bands for $3 - $5. Anyone interested in drinking would have to purchase the beer band from a central location before the game. This would create a new revenue stream and enhance the overall concessions available. 8. Football player entrance way - Compared to the oversized BCU wildcat, our tunnel looks dated and small. We need to get a new tunnel that matches the largeness of our attitude! 9. Game entertainment - The game announcer or music tech was playing music when the band was playing and it was just noise. We need a better entertainment experience. When he wasnt talking over the band or playing music simultaneously, it was silent. Just plain uncoordinated and bad. Play music when the band isnt playing to keep the crowd hyped up and mix it up. Dont just play the current hip-hop songs, play some of the old school songs that gets everyone excited. Can you imagine if he would have played the wobble? The crowd was so ready to explode, but it never happened. Also, it would be awesome for the music man to play the sorority and fraternity songs. There are countless members in attendance and giving them a shot out would go a long way to getting them hyped up early in the game. For example, play Atomic Dog and the Ques go wild or To Be Real for the Deltas. 10. President Mangums Rattler Strike Chant - We have to make sure that our esteemed Madame President understands that for alumni, the Rattler Strike is something that we look forward to. She needs to coordinate it with the band or something to give the crowd a better cue, like the Lets Go chant with everyone striking. That extended episode on Saturday was effective in getting the crowd to chant. If we tee up the Lets Go song and get the crowd to start striking, that would be the perfect cue for her to go into the Rattler Strike. Also, she shouldnt rush through it, be deliberate and pace it based on the crowd hype. She did it at the wrong time yesterday and it appeared rushed. Many people in Section P were visibly irritated and made comments.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 14:49:31 +0000
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