Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

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Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby AdamBC on Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:06 am

Heights Editorial Board has a point. Now that Skinner is out, we should hope Donahue is interested in doing Midnight Madness.

http://www.bcheights.com/opinion/editorials/midnight-madness-1.1594169

This Saturday, last Saturday, and countless Saturdays before, students descended from Upper Campus, rode buses from Newton, were coaxed out of the Mods, journeyed from Foster, South, and streets beyond, and otherwise perambulated from all points of the compass to Alumni Stadium to partake in Boston College’s oldest athletic tradition. Yet, football is far from the only sport here, and it is time to acknowledge that in substantative ways.

That is why this year, we encourage new basketball coach Steve Donahue, Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski, the athletics department, and University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., to reconsider the longtime ban on Midnight Madness and to reinstitute it or some similar event to mark the beginning of the basketball season.

Midnight Madness, for those who are not yet fans of college basketball, takes the form of a pep rally held at midnight on the very first day that NCAA regulations allow basketball teams to practice. At many schools where basketball has an established fan culture, these celebrations can become ornate and anticipated annual events.

This campus knows that the athletics department, when it comes to sports other than football, is engaged in a struggle for our hearts and minds. It seems that even the generous distribution of freebies and other marketing ploys still doesn’t get students somewhere they do not want to be. A vibrant fan culture cannot be created by hyperactive Jumbotron displays or even by chants of “We are BC!” Sports have to be something talked about at tables in the Rat, satirized in The New England Classic, and shunned by students who want to assert themselves as intellectuals.

The question remains – how do we bring attention to some of our less-appreciated sports? We think that the institution of a major annual event, one with music and pageantry and celebrity hosts, might be just the kind of thing to tip the balance toward active post-football fandom.

Our hockey and basketball programs deserve more attention, and not just from the student body. Everyone from the director of athletics on down says we need more of a fan culture around basketball and hockey, that these sports deserve our attention. There is already one Catholic school with the reputation of being a football powerhouse; BC could be the Catholic school that is an all-around athletic powerhouse.

We hope that this University will consider the return of Midnight Madness, or the institution of an event of equal pomp and circumstance. This year’s Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC) budget indicates that it has allocated funds for exactly such an event. May that money be well spent.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby ryrob on Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:51 am

AdamBC {l Wrote}:Heights Editorial Board has a point. Now that Skinner is out, we should hope Donahue is interested in doing Midnight Madness.

http://www.bcheights.com/opinion/editorials/midnight-madness-1.1594169

This Saturday, last Saturday, and countless Saturdays before, students descended from Upper Campus, rode buses from Newton, were coaxed out of the Mods, journeyed from Foster, South, and streets beyond, and otherwise perambulated from all points of the compass to Alumni Stadium to partake in Boston College’s oldest athletic tradition. Yet, football is far from the only sport here, and it is time to acknowledge that in substantative ways.

That is why this year, we encourage new basketball coach Steve Donahue, Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski, the athletics department, and University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., to reconsider the longtime ban on Midnight Madness and to reinstitute it or some similar event to mark the beginning of the basketball season.

Midnight Madness, for those who are not yet fans of college basketball, takes the form of a pep rally held at midnight on the very first day that NCAA regulations allow basketball teams to practice. At many schools where basketball has an established fan culture, these celebrations can become ornate and anticipated annual events.

This campus knows that the athletics department, when it comes to sports other than football, is engaged in a struggle for our hearts and minds. It seems that even the generous distribution of freebies and other marketing ploys still doesn’t get students somewhere they do not want to be. A vibrant fan culture cannot be created by hyperactive Jumbotron displays or even by chants of “We are BC!” Sports have to be something talked about at tables in the Rat, satirized in The New England Classic, and shunned by students who want to assert themselves as intellectuals.

The question remains – how do we bring attention to some of our less-appreciated sports? We think that the institution of a major annual event, one with music and pageantry and celebrity hosts, might be just the kind of thing to tip the balance toward active post-football fandom.

Our hockey and basketball programs deserve more attention, and not just from the student body. Everyone from the director of athletics on down says we need more of a fan culture around basketball and hockey, that these sports deserve our attention. There is already one Catholic school with the reputation of being a football powerhouse; BC could be the Catholic school that is an all-around athletic powerhouse.

We hope that this University will consider the return of Midnight Madness, or the institution of an event of equal pomp and circumstance. This year’s Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC) budget indicates that it has allocated funds for exactly such an event. May that money be well spent.


I stopped reading when the nerds used "perambulated," but yes, we could use Midnight Madness.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby twballgame9 on Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:16 am

ryrob {l Wrote}:
AdamBC {l Wrote}:Heights Editorial Board has a point. Now that Skinner is out, we should hope Donahue is interested in doing Midnight Madness.

http://www.bcheights.com/opinion/editorials/midnight-madness-1.1594169

This Saturday, last Saturday, and countless Saturdays before, students descended from Upper Campus, rode buses from Newton, were coaxed out of the Mods, journeyed from Foster, South, and streets beyond, and otherwise perambulated from all points of the compass to Alumni Stadium to partake in Boston College’s oldest athletic tradition. Yet, football is far from the only sport here, and it is time to acknowledge that in substantative ways.

That is why this year, we encourage new basketball coach Steve Donahue, Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Rombalski, the athletics department, and University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., to reconsider the longtime ban on Midnight Madness and to reinstitute it or some similar event to mark the beginning of the basketball season.

Midnight Madness, for those who are not yet fans of college basketball, takes the form of a pep rally held at midnight on the very first day that NCAA regulations allow basketball teams to practice. At many schools where basketball has an established fan culture, these celebrations can become ornate and anticipated annual events.

This campus knows that the athletics department, when it comes to sports other than football, is engaged in a struggle for our hearts and minds. It seems that even the generous distribution of freebies and other marketing ploys still doesn’t get students somewhere they do not want to be. A vibrant fan culture cannot be created by hyperactive Jumbotron displays or even by chants of “We are BC!” Sports have to be something talked about at tables in the Rat, satirized in The New England Classic, and shunned by students who want to assert themselves as intellectuals.

The question remains – how do we bring attention to some of our less-appreciated sports? We think that the institution of a major annual event, one with music and pageantry and celebrity hosts, might be just the kind of thing to tip the balance toward active post-football fandom.

Our hockey and basketball programs deserve more attention, and not just from the student body. Everyone from the director of athletics on down says we need more of a fan culture around basketball and hockey, that these sports deserve our attention. There is already one Catholic school with the reputation of being a football powerhouse; BC could be the Catholic school that is an all-around athletic powerhouse.

We hope that this University will consider the return of Midnight Madness, or the institution of an event of equal pomp and circumstance. This year’s Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC) budget indicates that it has allocated funds for exactly such an event. May that money be well spent.


I stopped reading when the nerds used "perambulated," but yes, we could use Midnight Madness.


You think they used a Thesaurus? I write thousands of pages of big words for a living, and I had no idea that word existed.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby eepstein0 on Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:21 am

TobaccoRoadEagle {l Wrote}:i think we should try to sell out more than 1 or 2 regular season games before we go adding additional events to the calendar

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how is this picture NOT in the hof?


Midnight Madness would be great, if more than 100 students showed up.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby eepstein0 on Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:44 am

TobaccoRoadEagle {l Wrote}:that's a big "if"

i've got another one... "IF these nerds can't be bothered with a 9pm acc conference game, why would they for a midnight scrimmage"


Another good point. Is a more exciting brand of basketball going to help?
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby claver2010 on Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:58 pm

TobaccoRoadEagle {l Wrote}:i think we should try to sell out more than 1 or 2 regular season games before we go adding additional events to the calendar

Image

how is this picture NOT in the hof?


I assume my check for use of this picture is in the mail, I have more from that game as well. My comp crashed a while ago wonder if they are still on it.

The game was my sophmore year against Maryland I believe, the best home game on the schedule.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby BC923 on Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:11 pm

i am all for a midnight madness, it's fun, it brings in fans, and it's a great recruiting night. we should really have one.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby Bryn Mawr Eagle on Tue Sep 14, 2010 8:11 am

I think this video from Villanova's 2009 midnight madness has been posted before, but it's worth a reminder of how much fun these events can be for the students and players:



I'm sure BC is working on something similar as we speak - but it's hard work. Do you know how tough it is to choreograph for "Buttercup" and "Sweet Caroline?"
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby Shredder on Tue Sep 14, 2010 9:41 am

Midnight Madness would work at BC. It is exactly what the weak student fans would go for--an event, free stuff, not an actual game--and with a new coach, this is the perfect time and also the most crucial for a basketball program to reignite interest.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby EagleManiac66 on Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:28 am

Shredder {l Wrote}:Midnight Madness would work at BC. It is exactly what the weak student fans would go for--an event, free stuff, not an actual game--and with a new coach, this is the perfect time and also the most crucial for a basketball program to reignite interest.


Agreed. If it doesn't work with the excitement of a "new beginning" I'd be really disappointed. A midnight crazy fest should empty the dorms. We should be able to show student support before we have a season where we win several tournament games.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby Cadillac90 on Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:46 am

TobaccoRoadEagle {l Wrote}:
EagleManiac66 {l Wrote}:
Shredder {l Wrote}:Midnight Madness would work at BC. It is exactly what the weak student fans would go for--an event, free stuff, not an actual game--and with a new coach, this is the perfect time and also the most crucial for a basketball program to reignite interest.


Agreed. If it doesn't work with the excitement of a "new beginning" I'd be really disappointed. A midnight crazy fest should empty the dorms. We should be able to show student support before we have a season where we win several tournament games.


welcome to the program. let me give you a tour of conte forum - clearly you've never visited here before...

you folks pushing for midnight madness are all drunk on :koolaid

unless midnight madness is billed as "unc" and the teams play "maroon" vs "carolina blue" the place will not exceed 20% capacity. and that would be depressing


I think they can get 20% of Power Gym filled. :cheer :elephant
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby apbc12 on Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:47 am

EagleManiac66 {l Wrote}:We should be able to show student support before we have a season where we win several tournament games.


So Midnight Madness starts in a few years, then?
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby b0mberMan on Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:48 am

I thought this was all moot because Fr. Leahy didn't want it. At least that''s what I thought I heard?
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby joemack13 on Tue Sep 14, 2010 11:51 am

I think Fr Leahy is firm in the 'nothing good happens after midnight' camp :whalepants
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby pick6pedro on Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:48 pm

Bottom line: This is a great idea, but it will fall flat on its face faster than Mark Sanchez.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby BCMcG on Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:52 pm

I totally disagree. Students are more interested in events like this than actual basketball games.

EDIT: Call it MIDNIGHT MADNESS, BITCH! and the place will be packed.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby Shredder on Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:44 pm

b0mberMan {l Wrote}:I thought this was all moot because Fr. Leahy didn't want it. At least that''s what I thought I heard?


I always remember hearing that it was Skinner that didn't want to do it.

I don't think it has to actually be at midnight either. Marquette Madness was in the early evening and I think other schools do that to keep their family friendly environment from being overrun by drunk college kids. Maybe the actual practice didn't start until midnight.

What could really power the event is having former stars like Craig, Dudley, Bell and some of the older guys come back to promote the team. It shouldn't conflict with the NBA schedule.
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby Bryn Mawr Eagle on Tue Sep 14, 2010 3:15 pm

Shredder {l Wrote}:What could really power the event is having former stars like Craig, Dudley, Bell and some of the older guys come back to promote the team. It shouldn't conflict with the NBA schedule.


Great idea, but unfortunately I think there would be conflicts. Doesn't the start of NCAA basketball practice happen in like the last week in October? That's approximately the same time the NBA regular season begins, not to mention the preseason games in mid-October. That being said, I'm sure you could get some of the former stars to attend.

And of course, **** ******** will probbaly be available soon. :)
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Re: Heights pushing for Midnight Madness

Postby BCEagles25 on Tue Sep 14, 2010 5:34 pm

The only thing roaming Conte at midnight are the spooky ghosts that inhabit it.
I like BC basketball.
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