The eldest of the million-heirs attends tOSU and is in their pep-band, so the Queen and I ventured to C-bus for our annual basketball game and the 5-minutes we actually get to see our son. The fact that it was Senior Day at the Schott and that tOSU Buckeyes are having a great and unexpected season gave me the hope/impression that this would be a great opportunity to compare My Arena to the Schott...who was I to know there really is no comparison. Let me explain:
Parking: We had a reserved parking pass so it was convenient and easy...for tOSU standards. FWIW, if you have a parking pass for UD, the worse spot is Golden compared to the vast majority of reserved spots at the Schott.
WINNER: UD ARENA
Seating: We had some hoity-toity lower arena Huntington seats...last row (J) in a corner section behind the Rutgers bench. It's comparable to Row E of the wall-side 300s at UD. Everything is set so far back from the court that you don't feel like you're part of the game...just an observer.
WINNER: UD ARENA
Food/Drinks: The choices at the Schott are amazing and everywhere. Anything you want is within 100 feet and no line was more than 2 minutes. It's amazing...but expensive.
WINNER: tOSU
Game Experience: We had reserved parking, great seats and it was Senior Night. tOSU is ranked 16th and preseason was predicted 11th in the BIG so you'd think the place would be rocking. Nope. Everything is so Corporate that you can't help but feel like you're a prop as opposed to a fan. No passion in the crowd.
When Seniors were introduced (7:00 - 4:30 as the clock wound down) maybe, and this is a BIG maybe, the stadium was 20% full. It's f'in Senior night...your team is ranked...and the place is a mausoleum. Shocking.
WINNER: UD ARENA
Pep Band: TOSU pep band and student section are separated...students behind the benches, band behind the baseline. No coordination between them at all...complete disconnect. Willie could teach tOSU a couple things about loosening the starched collar and having some fun. God Bless the UD Pep Band...they are Golden to My Arena!
WINNER: DUH?! UD ARENA
Non-Game Entertainment: The Schott uses their big screens better than UD...very clever little things like zooming in on a fan and superimposing funny things like "show us your golf swing" or little bubble thoughts about pizza or cheerleaders(!!!!) keep things interesting.
WINNER: tOSU
Leaving Arena/Getting on the Road: Despite private parking privileges, we were directed out and away from the highway that was maybe a couple hundred yards from our lot. We had to go 3 miles in the opposite direction to get on 315 adding about 18 minutes to our drive. We were 30 seconds from the closest on-ramp...leaving basketball games there is as bad as leaving a football game. I think C-lot and B-lot exiting is easy at UD Arena...Lot A is always a disaster...but not even close to as bad as leaving the Schott.
WINNER: UD Arena
SENIOR NIGHT: tOSU will win this by a mile. After the game they brought out each senior and gave him the microphone to say a few words, and it was worth hearing how much these kids LOVE wearing OSU across their chest. Strangely enough, every senior had already graduated, including Bates-Diop who was honored despite being a junior. All the players were gracious and well spoken. The one and only change I'd like to see UD adopt from tOSU is to do the same thing on March 3rd...invite the fans to stay so they can hear our players thought's on their experiences playing for me...I mean us...I mean UD!
I think it would be an eye opening touch of class for everyone. And for those who know me, I'm all about showing class!!!
WINNER: tOSU
So what's my point of this thread? I hope the powers-at-be for the MyArena upgrades aren't trying to emulate what they may see at larger Universities or Arenas. UD Arena has it's flaws, but the experience you have at a meaningless games like St. Louis is 100X greater than what you'll ever experience at a huge game at tOSU. Imagine My Flyers coming out of nowhere to be ranked...imagine combining that with Senior Night...at tOSU you get an atmosphere void of anything except piped in noise and an announcer who likes to yell. At UD you get hoarse and drunk.
WINNER: UD ARENA
That's it!
King Rollo the Critic...OUT!