Moody Morgue

[SMU Kilmer]

Clarence, Kevin, CURTIS... doesn't matter. It just shows that we throw those halftime events together the day before, and often times just go to local dance studios to let the 5 year old "hip-hop" star scuff up the Moody floor... I'm sick of it. Bring back Frisbee Dogs!

[DickerJames]

Went to the Paul Quinn game last night and have to say I am thoroughly disappointed in the game presentation.

This is supposed to be a new era with a more professional marketing push. If anything, we've regressed. Excuse me for whining, but there are so many things wrong with the Moody presentation.

First of all, the new floor is too dark. It makes the whole arena look dark. Where you can see the old floor peeking out underneath, it looks much brighter. There's also a glare on the new floor from the overhead lights. I sure hope that goes away with time, but I doubt it.

The scoreboard is a waste of money. No replays. No video production. Not even messages, like when the next game is. The best thing about it is the updated stats for the players on the floor, but as a video component, we're not maximizing its potential. Just lots of crowd shots of old people and bored little kids.

Well, we did have COMPLIANCE TRIVIA. Are you kidding me? That's something you would put in a Saturday Night Live skit of an SMU game, not in real life. We really have "Compliance Trivia?" I'm flabbergasted.

Why was the band moved to a prime seat location, right in the middle of where potentially a large number of fans would be sitting? It's not just the seats the band occupies, but those around them that are affected by the noise and obstruction. At the east end of Moody is a large, vacant space where the band used to sit on the bleachers. At one time they even had a red-and-blue bandstand, with sheet music holders like a 40's era big band. That's where the band needs to be. They can be as loud as they want and it doesn't get in anyone's way. Love the band, but who wants to have their eardrums blown out?

I'm told the new floor, because it was laid on top of the old one, doesn't permit the bleachers to be pulled out. The bleachers help fill in the look of the arena at floor level. It looks very bare without them.

We've also flipped the team benches. So I guess Doherty doesn't want the band in that end, anyway. Why did he want the team bench on the other end?

I saw someone passing out Pony Up signs. Please, let's cut our losses with this campaign. Let Pony Up die quietly.

Here's a real nitpick, but one that says a lot of about the current state of marketing: the magnetic schedules. I got one with my tickets, and you couldn't make the type any smaller. Is that supposed to remind me to go to a game, when I have to pull out a magnifying glass just to read it? As a whole, the magnetic schedule looks like it was slapped together by someone with no design schools. It's cheap and shows little forethought - like a lot of SMU's failed marketing efforts of the past.

Another nit-pick: The wooden risers where the overflow media sits aren't even painted. Just nailed together, bare wood.

Just the overall feel at Moody was somber. The only people having a good time were the Paul Quinn students. At least we had some cheer and pom squad members there. They should come out on the court during every timeout, not just one or two timeouts a half.

I didn't even check out the concessions, but nothing caught my eye so I'm guessing there's no change from last year. You can get better prices and selections at most high school games.

Obviously, it's only November and it was a small crowd. We could hire a production crew to get the scoreboard up to speed. But things like where to put the band, the overly dark floor, and the inability to pull out the bleachers are big problems that aren't easily solved. Maybe when Moody finally gets overhauled those things can get fixed. Or maybe we can play games in the Crum Center. I bet it will be a lot nicer.

I just don't think you can expect people to pay $20 for a reserved seat at Moody in its current state. This area has a sophisticated sports market. Not only do the Mavericks play in a palace, but a lot of high schools in the area have nice, new arenas that are much more functional and aesthetically pleasing than Moody. Moody used to be a great place to watch a game but now it looks like a mess. Despite the efforts to improve, it was a better game experience with the old floor, the old scoreboard and the band blasting from the east end.

My 2 cents on your complaints:

Love the new floor and don't think its too dark.

Agree that the new scoreboard has been a major dissapointment and is too big for Moody.

Couldn't agree more on "compliance trivia".

I like the bands new location, but I wish the bleachers were pulled out on the east end.

Moving the team bench makes sense because of new locker room location.

Pony Up campaign doesn't bother me.

Threw my magnetic schedules in the trash, couldn't read them.

Haven't noticed the media risers.

You are right about Moody being a morgue right now, but that is due to the losing record and competition.

The concessions are horrible.

I agree with KnuckleStang that these problems are magnigied by the record, but when your team is the SWAC's biatch then they need to be giving us something else for our money and time.

[mustangxc]

I agree, I think a lot of the things have nothing to do with budgets. If you get a scoreboard like that, use it correctly.

Get rid of the announcer please, his time has come.

All we are asking is for someone to pay attention. I don't think the things complained about are unreasonable. Most of us have been to other arenas and see what can be done.

Definitely not top 25 as Orsini keeps saying..

Good point on the announcer. Last night Detroit Tiger, Clarence Granderson, was the halftime guest. The announcer kept calling him Kevin.................And on top of that, they made him do stupid human pet tricks............

The Detroit Tiger's player is Curtis Granderson. Although the announcer apparently did use the wrong name it would be wise to get the facts before bashing the announcer.

[mustangnation]

The announcer is terrible. How about the Alabama State game when he only announced 4 players for each team's starting lineup.

[smupony]

Switching back and forth between the Mavs game and the Maryland game last night...Maryland has a floor similar to ours (in color) and the Mavs floor is what we use to have (in color)...Mavs floor looked terrible...Darker floor looked great and held up well on TV...The Mavs floor looked washed out and already dated...Darker stained floors have a great classic look...

[mr. pony]

The new floor looks great.

And the upcoming TCU game WAS adverstised on the new scoreboard screen, albeit at the game's conclusion.

[Longtime]

It all comes down to having the right people. And enough of them. We have neither.

I've said it before, SMU just doesn't have the staff to run a big-time event. And the staff we do have is underqualified. Nice people, I'm sure, but you can't make the mistakes we consistently make in promotions, game management and game presentation if you're good at this sort of thing.

We need a quality control person to oversee game management and presentation, to make sure the tickets aren't screwed up...AGAIN, to make sure that if we offer a magnetic schedule, it's something you'd be proud to display in your office, etc. Orsini seems to have great mind for business and organization, but he doesn't seem to have a lot of creativity when it comes to pleasing customers. Using a survey of Top 25 programs to make all your decisions shows little creativity or an aptitude for what would fit SMU's situation. Not every Top 25 program is the same and there's very little SMU has in common with most Top 25 programs, many of which are large public schools in relatively rural markets.

I'd like to know the average number of employees in a Top 25 athletic department and see if SMU has even half that. Or how SMU's budget compares to Top 25 programs. If you demand the fans be treated like a Top 25 fan base, I demand that we have an athletic department staffed and funded like a Top 25 program's.

SMU does have an advantage in that it's a small school in a major market. Because we're small, we can be much more fan-friendly and personable than the Cowboys or Mavericks could ever hope to be. While at the same time, we could use the pro teams' game presentation as a blueprint for what the Dallas-area customer expects. Instead, we seem to do everything but take advantage of our position. SMU has become increasingly impersonal ("Because that's what Top 25 programs do!") and expensive, while at the same time amateurish in our handling of concessions, promotions and fan amenities. This is what happens when you don't have enough qualified people to put out all the fires.

I'm hopeful that this will be resolved over time. The No. 1 thing is that our football and men's basketball teams win. Hopefully, that will bring in more money, which will lead to more staffing and a more experienced staff. My SMU friends and I have said for years that this is SMU's greatest fear - if we win, it will mean more work. That was definitely the attitude in the Copeland era. I can't say that I blame them, because I know how underpaid and overworked they were.

I was hoping the attitude would change under Orsini. I think it has, for better and for worse. But until we win big, there are a lot of little things, like I listed at the start, that SMU could do to make us at least appear to be a Top 25-worthy program. If you go to an SMU football game, and stay away from the concessions, you can see that we are indeed a Division I program. But there's no way you can attend an SMU basketball game, with Moody in its current hodge-podge state, and think that.

[Hoop Fan]

depressing. I hope I can even get "up" for the TCU game next week. what will the atmosphere be like? Kind of miss the pajama party schtick from a few years ago. As least it was something and the atmosphere at hoops games was fun. maybe in 6 years we will have something to look forward to.

[Pony_Fan]

depressing. I hope I can even get "up" for the TCU game next week. what will the atmosphere be like? Kind of miss the pajama party schtick from a few years ago. As least it was something and the atmosphere at hoops games was fun. maybe in 6 years we will have something to look forward to.

would you like some cheese with that

[ponydawg]

any of these things bother anyone last night?

Me neither.
Funny what a W can a good student showing can do.....

[Longtime]

Uh, yeah, there were some things that bothered people last night. Starting with the horrid halftime show.

It wasn't just winning and the students. The scoreboard was finally utilized for more than just live video.

[SC Pony]

I have been to Baylor, North Texas and TCU for away games and I didn't think that they were doing any kind of bang up job.

SMU is doing the right things. We hired a former national coach of the year as head coach. He is bringing in talent.

Is SMU doing everything right. No. But there is a difference between constructive criticism (concessions s*ck, rappers at halftime S*UCK), and just b*tching.

BTW, its subjective, but the floor looks awesome.

[ponydawg]

I could care less as long as we win.

[mathman]

depressing. I hope I can even get "up" for the TCU game next week. what will the atmosphere be like? Kind of miss the pajama party schtick from a few years ago. As least it was something and the atmosphere at hoops games was fun. maybe in 6 years we will have something to look forward to.

How time flies. Has it been 6 years already???

[SC Pony]

"Remember all the changes Cuban made when he first bought the Mavericks? You know, when they were the worst team in the NBA? You make the game presentation first-class, then when the team wins and the curious drop in, they're blown away and come back for more."

"Longtime has good points about Cuban, fixing the cosmetics first, then fixing the team."

Revisionist history.

Nellie, Dirk, Nash and Finley were here before Mr. Cuban bought the team and had gone well over .500 for the second half of the previous season and were not anywhere near the worst team in the NBA.

The truth is Ross Perot Jr. fixed the team and sold it to Cuban who put a cherry on top.