Thompson Boiling underrated??

[Freak]

Gary Lundy wrote this article in the KNS today about how TBA is underrated. He compares Buzz's record at the Arena to our record the last 10 years we played at Stokley. The winning percentages are pretty close.

Here is the link: Gary Lundy - KNS Article

Lundy has a couple of good points in the article but yet TBA is a terrible place to watch basketball. It's just too big. It's better for concerts and Truck rallies than basketball games. The fans should be closer to the court and the students should all be in the lower level. With that said, I don't think a different arena would make much difference because the biggest problem is the fans. Our fans get fewer every year and they get quieter every year. And I am not just referring to basketball here, this goes for football as well.

 

[LadyinOrange]

People tend not to yell, cheer or get excited unless they have something to yell, cheer or get excited about. 1998 was the last time I remember being REALLY excited about any team. When UT gives me something to get excited about, I will.
Don't take me wrong, I am LOYAL to the end. I love the Vols, win or lose, but being loyal to a team you love is one thing. Getting excited about that team is another.

 

[Freak]

I agree to some extent LIO but I think it's a give and take relationship. If you are at the game you might as well be loud and try and help the team, even if they are not playing well.

 

[Gatorhater]

TBA is a HORRIBLE basketball arena. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE. I'm not calling for a return to Stokely but a similar setting would be nice. I don't know how you can recruit when you bring h.s. kids to the games and there's like 11 people in the stands to watch. We don't have the market to fill a 24,000 seat basketball arena, and never will - regardless of the hoops team sucess from year to year, this is a football city and we will never, ever sellout TBA on a regular basis, even if we become a perennial top 10 team.
TBA is a mistake we'll be paying for in more ways than one for years - sure it's great for concerts/WWF/monster truck events but that's about it - we need a nice, 12-14,000 seat stadium that is built around the court. I don't know if any of you have visited or seen the basketball court at New Mexico (or NM State, I can't remember), but it's called The Pit - the building is one level from the outside but you walk in on top level of the seats and the court is straight down below you - when you stand on the court, it looks like the bleachers rise practically to heaven and next to Cameron, it probably gives the greatest home court advantage in the country.

 

[Freak]

I don't really think attendance is the problem. We always rank pretty high in the SEC in attendance. The problem is when you get 12-15 thousand people there the place is still half empty. I would like to see 14,000-18,000 seats in the arena. And it's not the same to just put a curtain around the upper level.