KeaneyBlue - The URI Basketball Forum

HELP WANTED: We're looking to name the Student Section for next yr at #RhodyMBB games. Send your suggestions to @GoRhodyRams
Any ideas?

"ThatRamBand"

Also saw them say on Twitter that "big changes" were coming for next year for the student section. Great news all around.

It would be cool if the name was centered around Hurley in some way.

keaneybluecrew

Or the Ryan Center, or something that more obviously relates to OUR basketball program.

Very happy to hear that the student section is getting reconfigured. Now's the time!

i hope it goes back to the original configuration (sorry to anyone with season tickets down there)

twisted3829 wrote:i hope it goes back to the original configuration (sorry to anyone with season tickets down there)

I think this would be great, but I can also understand the economic and non-economic reasons why they did it. A couple of times when I sat there as an undergrad, I did think that shit was going to go down between the URI fan section and the family members of the visiting team, since they were sitting practically right next to one another. However, why not put the rowdy URI fans in the section behind the URI bench? I think that would be more effective than the end zones, which I've always thought are the worst seats in the house.

When I was in and ran the mob there were hardly any problems between visiting fans and the students, the biggest thing is you may have to monitor who sits there. It would be a good place for "The Mob" or leaders of the student sections to sit.

In addition to re-naming the group, how about relocating the group, increasing its size, assign them more tasks and more perks, and have them elect a leader who would direct them similar to a symphony conductor. Also, the rest of the fans should get an opportunity to rate the group.

Hurley's Hobbits! Ryan Maniacs, Rhody Zealots, Rhody Extremists, Ryan Demons, Rhody Rascals, Ryan Addicts, The Rhody Fervor, Rhody Defenders. I don't think I'm good at this.

it sounds like they're getting rid of the mob and making all the students 1 giant group, and OB they are relocating the group

Yeah, ALL students who attend should act as ONE loud, organized noise, hype, and intimidation machine!!

The Ram Its

The Ramatics section.

being a current member of the mob, I can say I'm glad there will be changes coming. A new name, new seating and all will definitely be welcome. I hope the different seating will change the apathy of the students who would come and sit in the 201-202-215 section and stay seated and quiet the whole game. Too many times this year I'd be down in 102 yelling and cheering them on and look back and see students in the 200's sitting down quietly (esp the LaSalle Game; very noticeable). Hopefully a combination of new seating and new excitement about the basketball program will change that.

The Hurley Burley Zone

Misspelled, but tell me this isn't a perfect definition of what you want:


hurl·y-burl·y
[hur-lee-bur-lee, -bur-] Show IPA noun, plural hurl·y-burl·ies, adjective

noun
1.
noisy disorder and confusion; commotion; uproar; tumult.

adjective
2.
full of commotion; tumultuous

1st Choices (my favorites in bold):
Rhody Resistance
Kingston Cronies
Ryan Asylum
Raucous Rams

Spin offs:
Ryan Resistance
Raucous Rams
Kingston Asylum

The Herd. Maybe Hurley's Herd if you wanted to incorporate the coach's name and use some alliteration.

Ryan Rowdies

Just asking, would having the student section(s) relocated and including behind the team bench have impacts on the current radio perch of Steve and Don??

Ram Pound
Rhode Dogs
Keaney Krazies
Hurley's Hounds

I think I like Ryan Asylum the best so far but I don't think it fits the image admin. is going to be looking for.

section(105) wrote:Just asking, would having the student section(s) relocated and including behind the team bench have impacts on the current radio perch of Steve and Don??

I don't believe so they sit right next to the URI bench which I believe is where they have always been

A Bunch of Kids Who Show Up On Pink Out Night

Just got word on my suggestion.
They really like it, but they don't want
to identify with a specific coach.
So, anything with Hurley in it is out.

rodfromcranston wrote:Just got word on my suggestion.
They really like it, but they don't want
to identify with a specific coach.
So, anything with Hurley in it is out.

Uh oh, that means he's leaving right?

Yup, he's packed and ready to go. NJ Tech is his destination.After all, any Jersey school
is better than us.

As the unofficial leader of the student section, here are my humbly submitted ideas that I just brainstormed:

RHODE WARRIORS
THE RAMHORN
RAM'S DEN
RAM'S PEN
BATTERING RAMS
BIG BLUE
KEANEY ZOO
KINGSTON ZOO
BLUE ZOO
KEANEY BLUE CREW
RAM JAM
RYAN RUCKUS
RYAN ROWDIES
RHODY WAVES
KINGSTON KREW
RHODE DOGS
THE HERD

I like Rhode Warriors. BTW, where IS he?

Also Ram's Den.

I honestly don't care about the name - but I do like Ryan Asylum.

It needs to be an attitude change and become fresh.

When I did it it was fun because we weren't an extension of the athletic department, we were a bunch of loud assholes that took pleasure in saying uncomfortable things to players on opposing teams.

It's sort of turned into a red sox-esque scenario where traditions are slapped with a tax of some sort like having to do work for the athletic department, etc.

There should be one loud, active, visible leader - or none at all and allow kids to act like college kids - enough of this "no potty mouths, no having fun, stop yelling" ryan center that we have.

The 100 section should be full of students, and the 201 or 209 section should have the railing between that and the 100 level removed, and they should add in metal on top of the cement so it can make more noise.

They should also rip out the seats and replace all of that with metal benches. That will increase the seating capacity, and actually make a college atmosphere plausible.

As long as you can get security to back off and stop treating adults like 6 year old children and allow them to go wild, you can put a good experience back into that arena

At the pink out the Mob got out a couple of pink balloons to float around in the crowd, and they were confiscated within minutes. This mentality has to stop or else no one will want to be a part of any student section...

Well, I'm told that the idea is to put FUN back into being at the games.
Let's see what they come up with.
They're working with the staff on this one.
Maybe Bobby can clue them into how Duke did it.
Winning helps, of course.

Rhody Guy wrote:At the pink out the Mob got out a couple of pink balloons to float around in the crowd, and they were confiscated within minutes. This mentality has to stop or else no one will want to be a part of any student section...

Really? Soft beach balls (pink! no less) were confiscated?! That really IS piss poor.

All we need is a return of Shitty Jim

The 6th Ram.

....just wondering where all those students are coming from to fill those 100 sections.....I know more promotion(s) and winning will fill some of them........but I kinda think it will be look like Yankee Stadium on TV.....empty seats down low.......does coach Hurely want students directly behind the URI bench??......

Rhode crew

Or Section 8 if you just want to bring back the traditional name from keaney

It is embarrassing to give them a name that doesn't fit. Such as The Mob, when they don't show up. A better name would have been the Rhody Spirits (maybe they were there in spirit).

Ram Zone
Rhode Crew
Ramtastics
Ryan Rams
Ram Crew

Why do they have to have a name? Can't they just come to the games and have fun without it being organized and sanitized?

Well, Duke has the Cameron Crazies, and they're pretty good, so........

How about "Thorr's Hammer" oh wait.........

Cameron Crazies meet the Ryan Rowdies...

We called the section "The Zoo" back in Keaney when I was there.

I kind of agree with Ramulous. Let the name develop organically (did I just use that word? ugh!). We don't need to start with a name before any games are played next season.

The point is that attending a game as a student is INCLUSIVE, meaning all students comprise the ONE, UNITED Student Section, rather than what we've had with small "faux-elite" exclusive groups of students like Mob. Too many students look to the Mob to make the noise and initiate any chants.

In my biased opinion, the various single game promotions Athletics ran to attract students this past season (free food, shirts/souvenirs/contests etc.) went VERY well considering what we were working with. As someone who's entire job at these games is to entertain the crowd during lulls in the action, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wants to have a full Ryan Center every game more than me. But even I have to look at the cold hard facts:

Casual fans and students have had virtually NO motivation to come out and support this team over the past several seasons. No one who isn't a die-hard, lifelong fan wants to pay their hard earned money or spend free time watching a mediocre team that always falls short when it counts. Even with great promotion and innovative marketing, you can't build an engaged base of new, excited fans without wins.

The good news is that the changes made this past off-season not only re-energized this board and season tix holders but also created curiosity among students and casual fans once again. But as much fun as it was to watch a scrappy team hustle their asses off for 40 minutes every game this season and observe all the cultural changes that the Hurley's implemented along the way, the end result was still the same....a disappointing season with very few wins. That final score is all the fringe fans see in the paper & local news and all the students hear about on campus.

The better news is that the buzz next season will be much louder. We'll have more talent on the floor. All those 2-4 point losses this season turn into wins next season. And those wins turn into louder buzz and that louder buzz turns into a packed student section, that packed section turns into a full Ryan Center and a full RC turns into an exciting program that firmly establishes the idea that Rhody basketball is back and is worth experiencing in person.

What was that Field of Dreams line? "If you build it...they will come." It's really as simple as that.

I agree with the direction of the program to eliminate separation and make it one pool of students. Ok to name the section it shouldn't be a name for a set of students, it should be for the section they sit in.

Would prefer it come about organically but I understand what they are trying to do to build some excitement. Timing is curious as it might have been better to get people fired up in September at the start of the semester but maybe they have something in mind that requires a long lead time and need the name now.

Regardless, I hope they are also doing some outreach to not only the fanatics but average students with a passing interest to see what will get them in the door and then keep them. And more programs for Kids, coming to games as a kid with my dad not only sealed the deal for me to attend URI but that fanaticism also kept me going to every game in the dark ages of Jerry D.

Agree winning brings people in but I think also likable and talented players. 7-20 season was tolerable when you're watching Tyson and Cuttino and can see a bright future.

I agree pretty much completely with EZ's post. You can have the best marketing people in the world, but there's only so much they can do when the team has less than 10 wins two seasons in a row, and it's not like the Rams finished gangbusters three years ago. (Wasn't there a CBI home game with an attendance of about 500?)

Unless something goes REALLY wrong next year, this year should probably be considered the "base" or low of attendance during the Hurley area. However, crowds do tend to act savvy and rational when it comes to buying, so you're probably not going to see a big swell in attendance next year unless the Rams are a legitimate NCAA contender. (To compare to our neighbors to the north - PC, at least as of the end of February, has had a very slight dip of 400 per game from 2012 to 2013. It wouldn't surprise me if URI has a similar slight blip or slight upturn next year.)

I liked
"kingston krazies"
"hurleys hooligans"
"rams den"
"ram island"
"rhody nation"

From Ez buckets I like

BATTERING RAMS
BIG BLUE,
KEANEY ZOO
KINGSTON ZOO
RYAN RUCKUS
KINGSTON KREW
THE HERD

We do need a name though. Pc has one. "The friar fanatics" along with many other teams

Eternal RamNation!

I favor

Ram's Den
Rhode Crew

A group of sheep (or rams in our case) is called: a flock, a herd, or a Mob (hence the name.) I agree that it doesn't really fit and I don't think the average fan or student will make that connection.
Being at all of the games where there actually was a decent student turn-out, the enthusiasm is severely lacking. I can understand the excuses made just looking at the W-L column, but the games have been close and exiting to watch regardless of the outcome. Students don’t cheer, are on their phones, and leave after they get their bribe.
The culture will improve with a better team, but I think there is a more systemic problem then the student section’s name, or even the basketball team’s fans in general. The school needs to do a much better job in promoting and supporting school spirit in general. I graduated in 2006 and besides Greek Week, homecoming, and maybe oozeball I can’t remember anything that brought students to campus to have a good time and support the school. Part of the problem is how disjointed the campus is with half of the students living down the line, but additionally there needs to efforts made by the school and the students to put on events and create a better experience for the students and alumni in general.
You really can’t expect the students to get organized and excited for 16 home games (5-6 that are held during vacations) and then have nothing else to do to keep the momentum going rest of the year. They certainly aren’t coming out for the football team…

Once we become legitimately competitive again, there needs to be an organized event down the line to off campus students. Bus trips to the Ryan Center, pregaming for games ect. Ive never seen it done before but it would be GREAT. I wish I knew how to get the word out about it. That would certainly work. Ive lived down the line for 3 years and knoww how other students dont feel like driving to see a 7-20 team or whatever the record may be.