2/15 | Saint Joe’s | 12:00PM (CBSSN)

[Rhode_Island_Red]

I doubt the St Joseph’s game is down to so very few seats. Bad opponent. I’ll be surprised if 7800 people are there Saturday, or even over 7000.

The opponent doesn't matter as much as our own W-L record. In fact, the possibility of watching us hand the Joes (and that damn bird) an @ss-kicking might help attendance.

[TruePoint]

I doubt the St Joseph’s game is down to so very few seats. Bad opponent. I’ll be surprised if 7800 people are there Saturday, or even over 7000.

I don’t know what you mean by doubting it. You cannot buy two seats together anywhere in the building right now except in the last rows in the corners. I know, because I tried to buy two extras. I wasn’t in a hurry because I assumed I could get two near my seats basically any time for this game, but there is very little inventory now. It’s not a situation where they are holding the seats in the back until they sell the ones in front of them - all those seats are gone.

[Rhodyram]

The only reason that Dayton game is not sold out already is because of the 900 start- it’s not even debatable. It eventually will because theres a good chance they’ll come in ranked in the top 5 or 10.

[steviep123]

I doubt the St Joseph’s game is down to so very few seats. Bad opponent. I’ll be surprised if 7800 people are there Saturday, or even over 7000.

I don’t know what you mean by doubting it. You cannot buy two seats together anywhere in the building right now except in the last rows in the corners. I know, because I tried to buy two extras. I wasn’t in a hurry because I assumed I could get two near my seats basically any time for this game, but there is very little inventory now. It’s not a situation where they are holding the seats in the back until they sell the ones in front of them - all those seats are gone.

That is the question. Are they sold or just not yet available? How do we know? I mean it would be pretty dumb to make worse seats available, but then again, who knows?

[Billyboy78]

Saturday game. Probably a lot of youth groups sitting in the 300s.

[TruePoint]

I doubt the St Joseph’s game is down to so very few seats. Bad opponent. I’ll be surprised if 7800 people are there Saturday, or even over 7000.

I don’t know what you mean by doubting it. You cannot buy two seats together anywhere in the building right now except in the last rows in the corners. I know, because I tried to buy two extras. I wasn’t in a hurry because I assumed I could get two near my seats basically any time for this game, but there is very little inventory now. It’s not a situation where they are holding the seats in the back until they sell the ones in front of them - all those seats are gone.

That is the question. Are they sold or just not yet available? How do we know? I mean it would be pretty dumb to make worse seats available, but then again, who knows?

Sold

[steviep123]

I don’t know what you mean by doubting it. You cannot buy two seats together anywhere in the building right now except in the last rows in the corners. I know, because I tried to buy two extras. I wasn’t in a hurry because I assumed I could get two near my seats basically any time for this game, but there is very little inventory now. It’s not a situation where they are holding the seats in the back until they sell the ones in front of them - all those seats are gone.

That is the question. Are they sold or just not yet available? How do we know? I mean it would be pretty dumb to make worse seats available, but then again, who knows?

Sold

That's awesome!! Hopefully the people that own the tickets come out in full force!

[theblueram]

The team today is solidly in the NCAAT. They went on a 10 game winning streak and are a 8/9 seed projection. The train is rolling and people are hopping on. Not sure where all the negativity is coming from, but the team is playing great basketball. And there are only 3 home games left. LFG!!!!!!

[steviep123]

The team today is solidly in the NCAAT. They went on a 10 game winning streak and are a 8/9 seed projection. The train is rolling and people are hopping on. Not sure where all the negativity is coming from, but the team is playing great basketball. And there are only 3 home games left. LFG!!!!!!

Because it's in our nature?

[theblueram]

The team today is solidly in the NCAAT. They went on a 10 game winning streak and are a 8/9 seed projection. The train is rolling and people are hopping on. Not sure where all the negativity is coming from, but the team is playing great basketball. And there are only 3 home games left. LFG!!!!!!

Because it's in our nature?

That is so freakin true

[Rhody15]

Ah, another Koch tweet taking a shot attendance two whole days before the game even is.

The PC game wasn’t even sold out this far in advance.

This act is so old.

[ramster]

I don’t know what you mean by doubting it. You cannot buy two seats together anywhere in the building right now except in the last rows in the corners. I know, because I tried to buy two extras. I wasn’t in a hurry because I assumed I could get two near my seats basically any time for this game, but there is very little inventory now. It’s not a situation where they are holding the seats in the back until they sell the ones in front of them - all those seats are gone.

That is the question. Are they sold or just not yet available? How do we know? I mean it would be pretty dumb to make worse seats available, but then again, who knows?

Sold

I have seen this movie before. Seats open up on Friday or Saturday morning. Maybe held for groups then the groups didn’t need them all?
I’m surprised it’s about sold out knowing the opponent and knowing what I’ve seen in the 300 level thus season for the worst team in the 14 team conference.
Hope it’s 7800 but I’ll be surprised.

And as for some thinking this is negative thinking, I’m just the opposite. I wouldn’t want people making other plans because they think it’s sold out, then we learn only 7000 tickets actually sold.

[TruePoint]

People should follow Bill’s advice and not ask him questions about attendance. He can’t help himself from taking an unnecessary shot (still the most weirdly antagonistic thing between a writer and his audience that I’m aware of), and it’s also not even his beat. He’s not in charge of ticketing and has no better way to know the answer to this question than whoever asked it. You’re just setting him up to do his bit.

The bit, btw, doesn’t even make sense in this case because the attendance for the game on Saturday appears to be way way ahead of what anyone would have reasonably expected for a home team coming off a blowout loss playing a team that has failed to win a league game in 11 tries. It’s not shocking to me this team can sell out VCU or PC but if we sell out a winless Joes team it will be among the most impressed I’ve been by this fan base in terms of attendance.

ETA: ramster - you’re right that they frequently “hide” available seats, and there are legit reasons that they do that, but that isn’t what is going on here. There are several ways you can tell this, but the biggest is that when they do that they usually hold back the tickets behind the ones they want to sell first, then release moving away from the court as they sell those. Also, they hold back tickets in a more structured way than leaving sporadic single seats available scattered around the arena, which is all you can get in the lower bowl. The only place you could buy more than a single ticket as of this afternoon is in the last rows in the corners. They wouldn’t stick people up there if they could offer them better seats.

It does look like they have some tickets reserved as part of a family 4pack deal, but when I checked that out the best seat available that was was in Row G in the 300s.

To be clear, the game is not sold out as of now, so if anyone wants to go and doesn’t have tickets, you can still get them thru the Ryan Center box office. Seats are also always available on the secondary market (vividseats). Don’t not try to find tix because you heard the game could sellout - where there’s a will there’s a way.

[theblueram]

Ramster that's on Marketing. If the game is close to a sellout and the department isn't promoting that well that's one thing. If it's not and people can only buy last row seats in the 300 corners that another.

[ramster]

I agree with TP

It’s stupid to be asking Bill Koch ticket availability questions
If you get a stupid answer then consider you asked a stupid question. Call the URI Ticketing office

I’m also with TP in that I’ll be very surprised (pleasantly too) if we sell out this game to an atrocious St Joseph’s team that is (0-11) and (4-20). Posters talk about Fordham shouldn’t be in the A10, St Joseph’s is horrendous, worse than Fordham.

It makes no sense to me that this game will sell out. If we had upset Dayton? Yes, I would get it. But based on prior games this season on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s I’m amazed it’s sold out. Good news.

[bigappleram]

I agree with TP

It’s stupid to be asking Bill Koch ticket availability questions
If you get a stupid answer then consider you asked a stupid question. Call the URI Ticketing office

I’m also with TP in that I’ll be very surprised (pleasantly too) if we sell out this game to an atrocious St Joseph’s team that is (0-11) and (4-20). Posters talk about Fordham shouldn’t be in the A10, St Joseph’s is horrendous, worse than Fordham.

It makes no sense to me that this game will sell out. If we had upset Dayton? Yes, I would get it. But based on prior games this season on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s I’m amazed it’s sold out. Good news.


57E0DC6D-B89A-446A-9FEE-344D40B41D87.png

Ramster when people talk about booting Fordham they are talking about 25-30 years of futility, not throwing out a team bc they are having a bad season. Martelli left, all the players left, and Billy Lange walked into the job similarly to Hurley's first year having to piece together a team. St Joe's has a long and storied history as an A10 power. They have been to 6 NCAA Tourneys in the 2000s alone and until this year's Dayton team probably had one of the best A10 teams of all time with Nelson, West & Co. Even putting them in the same breath as Fordham is offensive. You know this league so not sure why you are even drawing a comparison between the two. Or making it like people want Fordham out bc they are having a bad year...they are having a bad last 3 decades.

[DC_Rams]

I agree with TP

It’s stupid to be asking Bill Koch ticket availability questions
If you get a stupid answer then consider you asked a stupid question. Call the URI Ticketing office

I’m also with TP in that I’ll be very surprised (pleasantly too) if we sell out this game to an atrocious St Joseph’s team that is (0-11) and (4-20). Posters talk about Fordham shouldn’t be in the A10, St Joseph’s is horrendous, worse than Fordham.

It makes no sense to me that this game will sell out. If we had upset Dayton? Yes, I would get it. But based on prior games this season on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s I’m amazed it’s sold out. Good news.


57E0DC6D-B89A-446A-9FEE-344D40B41D87.png

Ramster when people talk about booting Fordham they are talking about 25-30 years of futility, not throwing out a team bc they are having a bad season. Martelli left, all the players left, and Billy Lange walked into the job similarly to Hurley's first year having to piece together a team. St Joe's has a long and storied history as an A10 power. They have been to 6 NCAA Tourneys in the 2000s alone and until this year's Dayton team probably had one of the best A10 teams of all time with Nelson, West & Co. Even putting them in the same breath as Fordham is offensive. You know this league so not sure why you are even drawing a comparison between the two. Or making it like people want Fordham out bc they are having a bad year...they are having a bad last 3 decades.

Agree BAR,

That might be one of ramster’s worst takes to date.

[theblueram]

I agree with TP

It’s stupid to be asking Bill Koch ticket availability questions
If you get a stupid answer then consider you asked a stupid question. Call the URI Ticketing office

I’m also with TP in that I’ll be very surprised (pleasantly too) if we sell out this game to an atrocious St Joseph’s team that is (0-11) and (4-20). Posters talk about Fordham shouldn’t be in the A10, St Joseph’s is horrendous, worse than Fordham.

It makes no sense to me that this game will sell out. If we had upset Dayton? Yes, I would get it. But based on prior games this season on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s I’m amazed it’s sold out. Good news.


57E0DC6D-B89A-446A-9FEE-344D40B41D87.png

Why is it stupid? He's the one publicizing the attendance and questioning the fanbase support in tweets. If it is close to a sellout, I would expect a Bill Koch tweet about the enthusiasm at URI. If not, I would expect a tweet about the lack of such.

[Blue Man]

I agree with TP

It’s stupid to be asking Bill Koch ticket availability questions
If you get a stupid answer then consider you asked a stupid question. Call the URI Ticketing office

I’m also with TP in that I’ll be very surprised (pleasantly too) if we sell out this game to an atrocious St Joseph’s team that is (0-11) and (4-20). Posters talk about Fordham shouldn’t be in the A10, St Joseph’s is horrendous, worse than Fordham.

It makes no sense to me that this game will sell out. If we had upset Dayton? Yes, I would get it. But based on prior games this season on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s I’m amazed it’s sold out. Good news.


57E0DC6D-B89A-446A-9FEE-344D40B41D87.png

Ramster when people talk about booting Fordham they are talking about 25-30 years of futility, not throwing out a team bc they are having a bad season. Martelli left, all the players left, and Billy Lange walked into the job similarly to Hurley's first year having to piece together a team. St Joe's has a long and storied history as an A10 power. They have been to 6 NCAA Tourneys in the 2000s alone and until this year's Dayton team probably had one of the best A10 teams of all time with Nelson, West & Co. Even putting them in the same breath as Fordham is offensive. You know this league so not sure why you are even drawing a comparison between the two. Or making it like people want Fordham out bc they are having a bad year...they are having a bad last 3 decades.

Agree BAR,

That might be one of ramster’s worst takes to date.

I don't get how this isn't settled science yet. It's not even the bad 3 decades...like Duquesne has been on the same exact plane as Fordham but they FINALLY invested in their basketball program infrastructure to the tune of $45 million, are adding a practice facility, have a decent sized arena, and did so with half the student population and endowment size as Fordham.

Fordham sucks AND refuses to invest in their basketball program. They play in a dump. A tiny, high school sized dump comparable to Brown's Pizzitola center - but made worse with sky lights to disrupt shooters during day games.

They have a $730 million endowment. URI has a $129 million endowment. Fordham has the same shitty gym they've had since 1925. URI built 3 new gyms in that time frame. Fordham finally updated their floor in 2019. Wow. Major investment.

Athletics are clearly a priority for URI. They are not for Fordham.

The A-10 is a conference that prioritizes athletic competition. They do not belong here and fuck it up for everyone else by being here.

[Blue Man]

I agree with TP

It’s stupid to be asking Bill Koch ticket availability questions
If you get a stupid answer then consider you asked a stupid question. Call the URI Ticketing office

I’m also with TP in that I’ll be very surprised (pleasantly too) if we sell out this game to an atrocious St Joseph’s team that is (0-11) and (4-20). Posters talk about Fordham shouldn’t be in the A10, St Joseph’s is horrendous, worse than Fordham.

It makes no sense to me that this game will sell out. If we had upset Dayton? Yes, I would get it. But based on prior games this season on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s I’m amazed it’s sold out. Good news.


57E0DC6D-B89A-446A-9FEE-344D40B41D87.png

Why is it stupid? He's the one publicizing the attendance and questioning the fanbase support in tweets. If it is close to a sellout, I would expect a Bill Koch tweet about the enthusiasm at URI. If not, I would expect a tweet about the lack of such.

For the life of me, I will not understand the vitriol a few have on the internet for BK.

Why people who are supposed fans of our program, go out of their way to find something to criticize about our ONE SINGLE BEAT WRITER is beyond me.

They are also the same people who don't pay the $16 a month to subscribe to his paper, so I hope Bill brushes it off.

We are a historically underappreciated program that for some reason struggles to get out of it's own way and market itself.

We have a phenomenal and objective beat writer, who has the cache to work the beat for one of the most important teams in professional sports, who works at a media outlet that will send him to cover our games. We have other writers who are very good in their own right and at their own gigs - but they don't have the reach and resources Bill does.

Literally every criticism and negative tweet I've seen in response to something Bill said or didn't say - is something taken wildly and obviously out of context (the 19 point tweet the other night), or something that is TRUE.

The attendance stuff? Program support stuff? I literally have been coming on the internet and saying that same exact shit since this board was on the Projo and I worked in athletics.

Bill is an objective journalist. He's not a fanboy blogger. You want the former, not the latter, as someone covering your team and providing the window for the national audience to view this team.

If you're mad at anything related to attendance - be mad at our shitty fans who need the perfect opponent, date, time, day, temperature, moon position, equinox, seasonal alignment, and planetary retrograde to be bothered so fill up our arena and watch our NCAA-caliber basketball team.

How you're pissed at Bill for pointing that out is beyond me.

[theblueram]

I agree with TP

It’s stupid to be asking Bill Koch ticket availability questions
If you get a stupid answer then consider you asked a stupid question. Call the URI Ticketing office

I’m also with TP in that I’ll be very surprised (pleasantly too) if we sell out this game to an atrocious St Joseph’s team that is (0-11) and (4-20). Posters talk about Fordham shouldn’t be in the A10, St Joseph’s is horrendous, worse than Fordham.

It makes no sense to me that this game will sell out. If we had upset Dayton? Yes, I would get it. But based on prior games this season on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s I’m amazed it’s sold out. Good news.


57E0DC6D-B89A-446A-9FEE-344D40B41D87.png

Why is it stupid? He's the one publicizing the attendance and questioning the fanbase support in tweets. If it is close to a sellout, I would expect a Bill Koch tweet about the enthusiasm at URI. If not, I would expect a tweet about the lack of such.

For the life of me, I will not understand the vitriol a few have on the internet for BK.

Why people who are supposed fans of our program, go out of their way to find something to criticize about our ONE SINGLE BEAT WRITER is beyond me.

They are also the same people who don't pay the $16 a month to subscribe to his paper, so I hope Bill brushes it off.

We are a historically underappreciated program that for some reason struggles to get out of it's own way and market itself.

We have a phenomenal and objective beat writer, who has the cache to work the beat for one of the most important teams in professional sports, who works at a media outlet that will send him to cover our games. We have other writers who are very good in their own right and at their own gigs - but they don't have the reach and resources Bill does.

Literally every criticism and negative tweet I've seen in response to something Bill said or didn't say - is something taken wildly and obviously out of context (the 19 point tweet the other night), or something that is TRUE.

The attendance stuff? Program support stuff? I literally have been coming on the internet and saying that same exact shit since this board was on the Projo and I worked in athletics.

Bill is an objective journalist. He's not a fanboy blogger. You want the former, not the latter, as someone covering your team and providing the window for the national audience to view this team.

If you're mad at anything related to attendance - be mad at our shitty fans who need the perfect opponent, date, time, day, temperature, moon position, equinox, seasonal alignment, and planetary retrograde to be bothered so fill up our arena and watch our NCAA-caliber basketball team.

How you're pissed at Bill for pointing that out is beyond me.

Blue
you have it all wrong. Bill has gone after attendance many times. If this game is a sellout, I expect a tweet before the game from him.Especially if it's against the cellar dwellar St Joes. I don't bash Bill. I actually enjoy his write ups. But he brought the attendance tweets upon himself so when we have a sellout I expect a tweet.

[JoeCabrey]

With just 2 wins in their last 21 games & struggling almost as much as notable alum Delonte West, the Hawks look to pick up their first conference win.

I enjoy these previews, but have to take exception to the gratuitous cheap shot at Delonte West.

Thank you Rhode_Island_Red. Delonte has a 6 year old son, grew up himself in very difficult circumstances, is an incredibly gifted artist and was a fierce competitor as many of you witnessed first hand when his late game heroics at the Ryan Center kept our winning steak alive at 26-0 as that place was in an uproar hoping for the upset. I'm glad I was there. He is also terrific with kids and a very funny guy when his condition is regulated.

I am not glad Redz is struggling with his disease right now. There but for the grace of God go any of us.

[ramster]

I agree with TP

It’s stupid to be asking Bill Koch ticket availability questions
If you get a stupid answer then consider you asked a stupid question. Call the URI Ticketing office

I’m also with TP in that I’ll be very surprised (pleasantly too) if we sell out this game to an atrocious St Joseph’s team that is (0-11) and (4-20). Posters talk about Fordham shouldn’t be in the A10, St Joseph’s is horrendous, worse than Fordham.

It makes no sense to me that this game will sell out. If we had upset Dayton? Yes, I would get it. But based on prior games this season on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday’s, Saturday’s and Sunday’s I’m amazed it’s sold out. Good news.


57E0DC6D-B89A-446A-9FEE-344D40B41D87.png

Ramster when people talk about booting Fordham they are talking about 25-30 years of futility, not throwing out a team bc they are having a bad season. Martelli left, all the players left, and Billy Lange walked into the job similarly to Hurley's first year having to piece together a team. St Joe's has a long and storied history as an A10 power. They have been to 6 NCAA Tourneys in the 2000s alone and until this year's Dayton team probably had one of the best A10 teams of all time with Nelson, West & Co. Even putting them in the same breath as Fordham is offensive. You know this league so not sure why you are even drawing a comparison between the two. Or making it like people want Fordham out bc they are having a bad year...they are having a bad last 3 decades.

Agree BAR,

That might be one of ramster’s worst takes to date.

Wow. And that’s saying a lot

My point is St Joseph’s is horrible this year. So it really amazes me that we are talking about how there are limited tickets available.

I’m not part of the run Fordham out of the A10 gang as I don’t think it will ever happen. Fordham represents NY, been in the A10 for a long time and they perform well in many sports including women’s basketball, baseball winning the A10 last season, soccer, football in the Patriot league, softball , tennis. Just don’t ever see it happening unless Fordham wants it to happen. Is Siena a better option? To me it doesn’t matter unless someone leaves. Nobody’s going anywhere. More likely would be a Dayton, Saint Louis , UMASS to AAC, VCU or other good program moving out. Top out is much much more likely than bottom as the years since 1978 have demonstrated.

I also don’t want it construed that I want St Joseph’s out of the A10 either, nor LaSalle, nor Duquesne nor George Mason.

We way underachieved during the Baron years. Beautiful new arena, best arena in the east and got a mediocre Head Coach for a long duration. Women’s Basketball has been a bottom dweller for a long long time.

I’m simply surprised St Joseph’s this year is drawing a sell out crowd. It’s good but I’m in a “I’ll believe it when I see the 7,800 announced” mode.

[Obadiah]

Agree, as URI fans we should not be taking pot shots at other schools having bad seasons. Have we quickly forgotten the several single digit win seasons we have had in this century including the Jerry D years or the first and last year with Baron or Hurley's first year. When you direct it at St. Joe's, you pick on a program that has a better winning tradition than URI over the last 20 years.

[Blue Man]

Why is it stupid? He's the one publicizing the attendance and questioning the fanbase support in tweets. If it is close to a sellout, I would expect a Bill Koch tweet about the enthusiasm at URI. If not, I would expect a tweet about the lack of such.

For the life of me, I will not understand the vitriol a few have on the internet for BK.

Why people who are supposed fans of our program, go out of their way to find something to criticize about our ONE SINGLE BEAT WRITER is beyond me.

They are also the same people who don't pay the $16 a month to subscribe to his paper, so I hope Bill brushes it off.

We are a historically underappreciated program that for some reason struggles to get out of it's own way and market itself.

We have a phenomenal and objective beat writer, who has the cache to work the beat for one of the most important teams in professional sports, who works at a media outlet that will send him to cover our games. We have other writers who are very good in their own right and at their own gigs - but they don't have the reach and resources Bill does.

Literally every criticism and negative tweet I've seen in response to something Bill said or didn't say - is something taken wildly and obviously out of context (the 19 point tweet the other night), or something that is TRUE.

The attendance stuff? Program support stuff? I literally have been coming on the internet and saying that same exact shit since this board was on the Projo and I worked in athletics.

Bill is an objective journalist. He's not a fanboy blogger. You want the former, not the latter, as someone covering your team and providing the window for the national audience to view this team.

If you're mad at anything related to attendance - be mad at our shitty fans who need the perfect opponent, date, time, day, temperature, moon position, equinox, seasonal alignment, and planetary retrograde to be bothered so fill up our arena and watch our NCAA-caliber basketball team.

How you're pissed at Bill for pointing that out is beyond me.

Blue
you have it all wrong. Bill has gone after attendance many times. If this game is a sellout, I expect a tweet before the game from him.Especially if it's against the cellar dwellar St Joes. I don't bash Bill. I actually enjoy his write ups. But he brought the attendance tweets upon himself so when we have a sellout I expect a tweet.

That wasn't a shot at you at all. Just in general and what I've seen on Twitter and on here recently.

He's always fair and unbiased when it comes to the attendance stuff. He points out when it's a sell out, points out when it's not, and points out when it's incredibly disappointingly low based on the team's performance.

Almost like he's a reporter, reporting on an aspect of the team he's responsible to report for.

That said, you could probably count his "sell out" tweets on 1 hand because we've had 2 sellouts in the past 2 years. We've had 5 sellouts in the last 4 years. 2 were PC. In addition to that, we've eclipsed 7k once this year, once last year, 3 times in 2018, and 2 times in 2017.

So in the best of times at URI - with our team in and out of the NCAA tournament and having good teams, we've come "close" to a sell out, or sold a game out, 20% of the time.

That's pathetic, and imo should be a headline often because the program deserves better support.

You know who else mentioned the attendance a lot? Dan Hurley. Those paltry showings in the best of times probably didn't help his opinions on sticking around.

[Bill Koch]

Ah, another Koch tweet taking a shot attendance two whole days before the game even is.

The PC game wasn’t even sold out this far in advance.

This act is so old.

What's really getting old, 15, is that this is the third time in 10 days you've taken to this board and deliberately attempted to defame me.

UMass attendance -- no praise from me, right? No tweets? Trying to read between the lines of my preview? You were completely wrong.

Fatts from Tuesday -- I was taking a dig at him, right? 'Bad optics,' you said. The only bad optics there were your need to invent something to misrepresent what I said.

And now this, which wasn't meant as a criticism whatsoever. It was a genuine wish. I love working sold out venues with crazy crowds. Any sports writer does. I wish every night at the Ryan Center was like VCU or Dayton and that every ticket was sold from the day they're put on sale.

Your need to see the worst in me and your thirst to hate me -- a trait shared by many others who post here -- is unfathomable. It really is.

I'm willing to interact with fans on Twitter and folks here in good faith. It a great help to me to know what you're thinking and what questions you'd like to see answered. But this kind of repeated nonsense makes me question whether or not it's worth it at all.

[Blue Man]

Ah, another Koch tweet taking a shot attendance two whole days before the game even is.

The PC game wasn’t even sold out this far in advance.

This act is so old.

What's really getting old, 15, is that this is the third time in 10 days you've taken to this board and deliberately attempted to defame me.

UMass attendance -- no praise from me, right? No tweets? Trying to read between the lines of my preview? You were completely wrong.

Fatts from Tuesday -- I was taking a dig at him, right? 'Bad optics,' you said. The only bad optics there were your need to invent something to misrepresent what I said.

And now this, which wasn't meant as a criticism whatsoever. It was a genuine wish. I love working sold out venues with crazy crowds. Any sports writer does. I wish every night at the Ryan Center was like VCU or Dayton and that every ticket was sold from the day they're put on sale.

Your need to see the worst in me and your thirst to hate me -- a trait shared by many others who post here -- is unfathomable. It really is.

Me and BK in Brooklyn taking on all comers:

[TruePoint]

Blueman - I love Bill as a beat writer and am very thankful we get his coverage. I read all of it. And I like Bill on a personal level and think we have get along well. But I do find his bit re: attendance a little weird. Like, we have the fan base that we have. Anyone reading his tweets is likely not the problem. Just always feels like a shot of which the only possible recipients are his specific audience as a writer. Idk, I just don’t really get it but it doesn’t diminish my opinion of him at all. And in this case it seems especially strange because the attendance has been pretty good so far by URI standards and it appears it will be excellent all things considered on Saturday.

ETA - didn’t see when I wrote this that Bill is in the thread. Not trying to talk about you like you’re not here. You know I love you, but I do think the attendance talk comes off like it’s a shot at your readership.

[Rhody15]

Bill I love the coverage, more in depth than KMac, Donaldson, Reynolds and Will are / have been.

The attendance comments just get old, and I’m not the only one who has commented on them / thought the Fatts tweet was a weird coincidence.

[Taylor Swift]

And strangely there are tons of tickets left for the Dayton game. Is the Wednesday night 9:00 start scaring people away?

Yes. I am anticipating getting home after midnight that night and I’m 8 miles away. Can only imagine what it will be like for people who travel far. I’ve heard a few people already state they’re not going to make it.

[Blue Man]

Blueman - I love Bill as a beat writer and am very thankful we get his coverage. I read all of it. And I like Bill on a personal level and think we have get along well. But I do find his bit re: attendance a little weird. Like, we have the fan base that we have. Anyone reading his tweets is likely not the problem. Just always feels like a shot of which the only possible recipients are his specific audience as a writer. Idk, I just don’t really get it but it doesn’t diminish my opinion of him at all. And in this case it seems especially strange because the attendance has been pretty good so far by URI standards and it appears it will be excellent all things considered on Saturday.

ETA - didn’t see when I wrote this that Bill is in the thread. Not trying to talk about you like you’re not here. You know I love you, but I do think the attendance talk comes off like it’s a shot at your readership.

Brad making a rational statement but me having committed to the Dudley Boyz persona yelling to Bill at the bar in Brooklyn:

[TruePoint]

Lol

[PeterRamTime]

Can't blame people for calling out the attendance issue.

I also dont think we have earned the attendance we want yet.

The Baron years killed all the momentum of the 90's. We had a ton of disappointing losses in front of a packed house.

Even in Dan's early years we lost a lot of big games in front of big crowds.

The 16/17 team was really up and down until after Fordham.

People were slow out of the gates in 17/18.

Then last year was sooo bad at times it messed up a lot of momentum.

If you look at it, this year has been better than 17/18 overall.

It's just going to take more winning to keep people in the building.

We are getting there.

[theblueram]

Good Lord we need to take St Joes to the cleaners on Saturday. Wash the Dayton filth off.

[DC_Rams]

Can't blame people for calling out the attendance issue.

I also dont think we have earned the attendance we want yet.

The Baron years killed all the momentum of the 90's. We had a ton of disappointing losses in front of a packed house.

Even in Dan's early years we lost a lot of big games in front of big crowds.

The 16/17 team was really up and down until after Fordham.

People were slow out of the gates in 17/18.

Then last year was sooo bad at times it messed up a lot of momentum.

If you look at it, this year has been better than 17/18 overall.

It's just going to take more winning to keep people in the building.

We are getting there.

Woah, we haven’t earned it yet? Totally disagree.

[Rhodyram]

If this game sells out it is because of the success that the team has been having and the day/time of the game. Groups have had limited opportunities to get to a Saturday/Sunday game-students are on campus- many local schools are on break. The opponent (st joes)/performance against Dayton is not keeping people from attending. It’s ok to say that the game may sell out because the team is good and people want to see a game...

[Rhodyram]

And strangely there are tons of tickets left for the Dayton game. Is the Wednesday night 9:00 start scaring people away?

Yes. I am anticipating getting home after midnight that night and I’m 8 miles away. Can only imagine what it will be like for people who travel far. I’ve heard a few people already state they’re not going to make it.

When the schedule came out, I said there was no way I was taking my kid to the 900 Dayton game- especially on a school nite. We decided a couple weeks ago that she’s going. unfortunately , not all parents are open to keeping the kids out til 11:30 on a Wednesday. There sometimes has to be exceptions

[PeterRamTime]

Can't blame people for calling out the attendance issue.

I also dont think we have earned the attendance we want yet.

The Baron years killed all the momentum of the 90's. We had a ton of disappointing losses in front of a packed house.

Even in Dan's early years we lost a lot of big games in front of big crowds.

The 16/17 team was really up and down until after Fordham.

People were slow out of the gates in 17/18.

Then last year was sooo bad at times it messed up a lot of momentum.

If you look at it, this year has been better than 17/18 overall.

It's just going to take more winning to keep people in the building.

We are getting there.

Woah, we haven’t earned it yet? Totally disagree.

Well we all think we have, but when it comes to casual fans who mostly care about the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox (baseball is BORING) we havent won enough to get those constant sellouts.

[Rhodyram]

For the life of me, I will not understand the vitriol a few have on the internet for BK.

Why people who are supposed fans of our program, go out of their way to find something to criticize about our ONE SINGLE BEAT WRITER is beyond me.

They are also the same people who don't pay the $16 a month to subscribe to his paper, so I hope Bill brushes it off.

We are a historically underappreciated program that for some reason struggles to get out of it's own way and market itself.

We have a phenomenal and objective beat writer, who has the cache to work the beat for one of the most important teams in professional sports, who works at a media outlet that will send him to cover our games. We have other writers who are very good in their own right and at their own gigs - but they don't have the reach and resources Bill does.

Literally every criticism and negative tweet I've seen in response to something Bill said or didn't say - is something taken wildly and obviously out of context (the 19 point tweet the other night), or something that is TRUE.

The attendance stuff? Program support stuff? I literally have been coming on the internet and saying that same exact shit since this board was on the Projo and I worked in athletics.

Bill is an objective journalist. He's not a fanboy blogger. You want the former, not the latter, as someone covering your team and providing the window for the national audience to view this team.

If you're mad at anything related to attendance - be mad at our shitty fans who need the perfect opponent, date, time, day, temperature, moon position, equinox, seasonal alignment, and planetary retrograde to be bothered so fill up our arena and watch our NCAA-caliber basketball team.

How you're pissed at Bill for pointing that out is beyond me.

Blue
you have it all wrong. Bill has gone after attendance many times. If this game is a sellout, I expect a tweet before the game from him.Especially if it's against the cellar dwellar St Joes. I don't bash Bill. I actually enjoy his write ups. But he brought the attendance tweets upon himself so when we have a sellout I expect a tweet.

That wasn't a shot at you at all. Just in general and what I've seen on Twitter and on here recently.

He's always fair and unbiased when it comes to the attendance stuff. He points out when it's a sell out, points out when it's not, and points out when it's incredibly disappointingly low based on the team's performance.

Almost like he's a reporter, reporting on an aspect of the team he's responsible to report for.

That said, you could probably count his "sell out" tweets on 1 hand because we've had 2 sellouts in the past 2 years. We've had 5 sellouts in the last 4 years. 2 were PC. In addition to that, we've eclipsed 7k once this year, once last year, 3 times in 2018, and 2 times in 2017.

So in the best of times at URI - with our team in and out of the NCAA tournament and having good teams, we've come "close" to a sell out, or sold a game out, 20% of the time.

That's pathetic, and imo should be a headline often because the program deserves better support.

You know who else mentioned the attendance a lot? Dan Hurley. Those paltry showings in the best of times probably didn't help his opinions on sticking around.

On the bright side, if we draw 7k+ for the next 3 games(and we should) then we’ll have 6 games this season of more than 7k.

[Rhody15]

The Dayton game night/time combo could literally not be worse.

If it was a Friday / Saturday 9 pm tip it is no problem at all.

[RI_Bred]

With just 2 wins in their last 21 games & struggling almost as much as notable alum Delonte West, the Hawks look to pick up their first conference win.

I enjoy these previews, but have to take exception to the gratuitous cheap shot at Delonte West.

Thank you Rhode_Island_Red. Delonte has a 6 year old son, grew up himself in very difficult circumstances, is an incredibly gifted artist and was a fierce competitor as many of you witnessed first hand when his late game heroics at the Ryan Center kept our winning steak alive at 26-0 as that place was in an uproar hoping for the upset. I'm glad I was there. He is also terrific with kids and a very funny guy when his condition is regulated.

I am not glad Redz is struggling with his disease right now. There but for the grace of God go any of us.

That was a great game, we were there too. Sorry to hear of West's troubles. Have also heard he is not very accepting of help. Very sad.

[TruePoint]

Delonte’s brief time with the Celtics coincided with the end of Red Auerbach’s half century with the team, and the two had an unexpected but special bond. Delonte is one of the many guys who came thru Boston who really loved and embraced being A Celtic, and for that I’ll always have a place for him in my sports heart. Very saddened to see how his situation has deteriorated and hoping for the best for him.

[Taylor Swift]

Can't blame people for calling out the attendance issue.

I also dont think we have earned the attendance we want yet.

The Baron years killed all the momentum of the 90's. We had a ton of disappointing losses in front of a packed house.

Even in Dan's early years we lost a lot of big games in front of big crowds.

The 16/17 team was really up and down until after Fordham.

People were slow out of the gates in 17/18.

Then last year was sooo bad at times it messed up a lot of momentum.

If you look at it, this year has been better than 17/18 overall.

It's just going to take more winning to keep people in the building.

We are getting there.

Woah, we haven’t earned it yet? Totally disagree.

Well we all think we have, but when it comes to casual fans who mostly care about the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox (baseball is BORING) we havent won enough to get those constant sellouts.

THANK YOU. I find baseball incredibly boring. It takes a pitcher 9 minutes to twiddle around on the mound, scratch an itch, look around, and then decide what pitch to throw. No siree Bob! I need to see action.

Basketball all the way!

[PeterRamTime]

Woah, we haven’t earned it yet? Totally disagree.

Well we all think we have, but when it comes to casual fans who mostly care about the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox (baseball is BORING) we havent won enough to get those constant sellouts.

THANK YOU. I find baseball incredibly boring. It takes a pitcher 9 minutes to twiddle around on the mound, scratch an itch, look around, and then decide what pitch to throw. No siree Bob! I need to see action.

Basketball all the way!

LOVE IT.

I've met so many people who prefer baseball to basketball and it makes ZERO sense.

How can you possibly like all that standing around throwing every few minutes, ball, ball, strike, ball, foul ball etc. More than watching high flying adrenaline pumping basketball?

I mean when you see baseball highlights it is the same highlights over and over. ANOTHER DIVING CATCH WOW.

I mean I get why people like it, it's just insane to me how someone could love baseball and hate basketball.

[Taylor Swift]

Well we all think we have, but when it comes to casual fans who mostly care about the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox (baseball is BORING) we havent won enough to get those constant sellouts.

THANK YOU. I find baseball incredibly boring. It takes a pitcher 9 minutes to twiddle around on the mound, scratch an itch, look around, and then decide what pitch to throw. No siree Bob! I need to see action.

Basketball all the way!

LOVE IT.

I've met so many people who prefer baseball to basketball and it makes ZERO sense.

How can you possibly like all that standing around throwing every few minutes, ball, ball, strike, ball, foul ball etc. More than watching high flying adrenaline pumping basketball?

I mean when you see baseball highlights it is the same highlights over and over. ANOTHER DIVING CATCH WOW.

I mean I get why people like it, it's just insane to me how someone could love baseball and hate basketball.

Watching baseball at home is a snooze fest.

Watching at a ball park.... ehhh depends on who you’re with but pretty much you cheer like 4 times your team scores a run or catches a fly ball over the 4 hours of the game? It’s mostly paying $100 a ticket to watch idle playing time.

Also watching baseball at home and the camera pans to the dugout and all you see is some jabroni spitting out his dip or Big League Chew.

[steviep123]

Ah, another Koch tweet taking a shot attendance two whole days before the game even is.

The PC game wasn’t even sold out this far in advance.

This act is so old.

I asked the question because in the past he has mentioned on Twitter if a game was close to a sell out. Thought he might know.

I doubt it’s a dig. Both pc and uri have not always been the best at selling out other than a handful of games lately, so it’s not 100% unjustified. But attendance at the Ryan Center has been much better the last several years.

Edit. I also posted this before Bill’s and others responses. I have to agree. We’re lucky to have BK as our beat writer. I think some get annoyed that he’s not a fan boy. Those that are need to remember that’s not his job!

[NYGFan_Section208]

Fill the seats. Not so much for revenue, the look, or reputation, all great, but mostly fill the seats because...when you're 'there' and it's full...it's a waaaay better experience. Go Rhody.

[NYGFan_Section208]

Well we all think we have, but when it comes to casual fans who mostly care about the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox (baseball is BORING) we havent won enough to get those constant sellouts.

THANK YOU. I find baseball incredibly boring. It takes a pitcher 9 minutes to twiddle around on the mound, scratch an itch, look around, and then decide what pitch to throw. No siree Bob! I need to see action.

Basketball all the way!

LOVE IT.

I've met so many people who prefer baseball to basketball and it makes ZERO sense.

How can you possibly like all that standing around throwing every few minutes, ball, ball, strike, ball, foul ball etc. More than watching high flying adrenaline pumping basketball?

I mean when you see baseball highlights it is the same highlights over and over. ANOTHER DIVING CATCH WOW.

I mean I get why people like it, it's just insane to me how someone could love baseball and hate basketball.

Love them both - they're just different. Seriously. One of the best things about summer...there's our baseball team on TV...just about every single freeking night...all summer and more...I love consistency like that.

[LoveThoseRams]

Looks pretty close to sold out as of now. Only singles and very, very high up.
LFG!

[ramster]

THANK YOU. I find baseball incredibly boring. It takes a pitcher 9 minutes to twiddle around on the mound, scratch an itch, look around, and then decide what pitch to throw. No siree Bob! I need to see action.

Basketball all the way!

LOVE IT.

I've met so many people who prefer baseball to basketball and it makes ZERO sense.

How can you possibly like all that standing around throwing every few minutes, ball, ball, strike, ball, foul ball etc. More than watching high flying adrenaline pumping basketball?

I mean when you see baseball highlights it is the same highlights over and over. ANOTHER DIVING CATCH WOW.

I mean I get why people like it, it's just insane to me how someone could love baseball and hate basketball.

Love them both - they're just different. Seriously. One of the best things about summer...there's our baseball team on TV...just about every single freeking night...all summer and more...I love consistency like that.

Fun Fact, In the World there are 6 sports more popular than Baseball and Basketball