twk said:

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It would be helpful if more people outside 203* realized they could yell, scream, stomp without someone else starting it.

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You're preaching to the choir. Patrick, over in 102, and I kind of alternate on getting the folks downstairs on the first base side to clapping at appropriate points.

It's the fossils on the 3rd base side who you need to talk to.

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I found that out when I sat on the berm on that side for a Friday game this season. It's dead over there. Well, it wasn't that night. I can be quite motivational.

dermdoc said:

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BrandoC said:

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DYou fix that by not allowing people to buy season tickets and barley show up all year (empty seats behind home plate are the worst), expand BBP by 4-5,000 chairback seats down 1st and 3rd base lines, add grilling areas/outfield berms in outfield and allow beer to be sold throughout the stadium. Until then BBP is a small bland stadium with the Reggie's that's it.

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Cool. So how do we pay for that? And how do you "force" season ticket holders to come to games? And if we already have empty seats now, what happens when you add 4-5 k extra seats? And honestly I would love for what you propose to happen.

We have spent over 600 million on Kyle Field, softball, and track. In comparison, Miss State spent 58 mill on Dudy Noble and nothing on anything else to my knowledge. Arky and LSU have not spent anything like that on any facilities to my knowledge. In fact, no other SEC school has.

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Dermdoc, I agree with everything you said. My biggest gripe about Aggie season ticket holders, in any sport, is when they sell their tickets to the opposing team's fans.

It always tended to be much quieter over there but what else do you expect from 3rd base line regulars.There is something not quite right about those people

The first base lower deck (at least those seats right on the visitor dugout) have always been loud and constantly chirping at the opposition. And those folks would take it on the road also. It was always fun when the crowd mic would pick up K-Man or twk in those B12 venues in which crowds tended to be sparse.

Yuuuuuuuup

jkag89 said:

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You do realize that equivalent seats at the Box, Baum or Dudy Noble are not GA and probably reserved for season tickets?

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We are talking about the atmosphere. Cut our a bunch of Raggies.

clem93 said:

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This was an amazing atmosphere:

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Isn't that the late Cliff Broyles '71, venerable SA Express-News sports writer, at 1:13? Good man.

Yet somehow those parks where equivalent seats are likely premium season tickets have an excellent atmosphere. Nothing prevents anyone from being loud from the berms, anyways true Raggies make sure they get to Olsen early enough to get a spot upstairs. Additionally if we have further expansion to Olsen, the upper deck GA is likely to go away.

And I will cry the day it does. It's my absolute favorite spot to sit.

trouble said:

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twk said:

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ordRV80 said:

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I would submit that both MSU and LSU and possibly Ark are much more intimidating than BBP.

I am a season ticket holder and love the traditions and the hilarious Raggie action but sometimes, when it really matters, you need just rockus loud, chanting, hell raising crowd.

We do not have that, at all, until the last at bat, when it may be too late, and the Raggies go to stomping the bleachers.

Need this all the time.

Flame away if you must, then admit that I am right.

MSU......that is baseball fun right there.

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To be fair, the Raggies have been much better about increasing the energy level than they were a few years ago. They are trending in the right direction. I think if we had any kind of a pulse at the plate, it would be more noticeable.

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It would be helpful if more people outside 203* realized they could yell, scream, stomp without someone else starting it.

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We are outside of 203.

And I hear you all the time. The only real problem with where you sit is that the only person in front of you to be motivated is blue.

Here's a contrary opinion: I like Blue Bell fine the way it is. It will surely grow in the future as it has before and that will bring higher prices, more parking hassle, and the other down sides to having larger crowds.

As for crowd noise levels, I also like ours just as it is. I like being able to visit with the people around me and they mostly seem to be of the same mind. It is quieter on the 3rd base side unless something is going on. I like it like that. It's great when the crowd really gets into a good play or a rally. The atmosphere when the team is playing well is special but I don't need or want yell leaders and constant hell raising at a baseball game.

The big win at Disch-Falk this year was not improved at all by the beer and liquor sales all over the park. What is worse than an obnoxious teasip? A drunk obnoxious teasip. The only thing worse than that is a drunk obnoxious winning teasip. Fortunately, they tend to leave as soon as it starts looking bad for the home team. Lots of happy aggies when it was over.

The raggies are fun and they get the crowd going, even on the 3rd base side when something is happening, but it would not improve the experience for me at all if that was constant. I'd hate to sit in front of the vandy whistler and I'd not particularly enjoy sitting among the raggies, either. Glad they're there. I do enjoy listening to them enjoying themselves, but don't want to be surrounded by that for 9 innings.

My college ball park experience is limited to Blue Bell, DBU, Disch-Falk, and Plainsman Park in Auburn. I'm looking forward to seeing more in the future, especially the SEC ballyards. One of the things I enjoyed about Plainsman was that the crowd was a bit more sedate like Blue Bell midweek. Very nice people at Auburn. They have a Howdy culture there. People say welcome to Auburn. Hope it stays that way there and I hope it stays that way here, too.

I much agree with you.

zagman said:

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All those who are trying to sell their tickets on the outside market for $6 should post on TexAgs Ticket exchange and get an immediate sale for face. It would be wonderful to have Olsen be intimidating again and maybe with the next remodeling if atmosphere is given consideration it will be.

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I did both. In fact, I put my tickets for $6 on StubHub (StubHub won't let you list for any less) and listed the same ones for less on the TexAgs ticket exchange. Hardly ever got a sale on StubHub and never got any interest from the ticket exchange.

Secondary sales on this board have always been better than the ticket exchange. I don't know why staff decided to start moving the threads this season.

Luke The Drifter said:

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It's all relative. By national standards, Olsen is one of the best. By SEC West standards, one of the worst.

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definitely truth here

PhatMack19 said:

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I wonder how much style of play factors in.

a couple of years ago I tried watching some of the Fullerton-Long Beach super-regional, but it was so, so boring. All pitching and defense and small ball...and more pitching and defense and small ball.

LSU, State, and Arkansas usually provide a lot of hitting

W said:

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Luke The Drifter said:

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It's all relative. By national standards, Olsen is one of the best. By SEC West standards, one of the worst.

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definitely truth here

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One of the worst might be overstating it a bit. I haven't been to Oxford for baseball, but I've been to Fayetteville, Starkville, and Baton Rouge. They have their moments when they really get up for the game, but it's not like you saw on TV for the super regional every weekend. I was in Starkville in 2016 when the series coincided with their spring game and had 15,000 in attendance for the Saturday game. Even with the big crowd, they weren't all that amped up. LSU can get wound up when they are rallying, but get ahead of them, and that place becomes pretty quiet.

I was really frustrated a few years back with the Raggies and what they were (or weren't) doing to rally support from the team, but they have responded in a positive manner. I think any lack of atmosphere that we've experienced the last several years has been down to the anemic offenses. A team that can score a lot never seems to be out of the game, and can get the fans revved up. On the other hand, and team that relies on pitching, with anemic hitting, always seems to be on the edge, and rarely gives the fans a chance to feel positive energy.

You posted as I was typing.

MOGA!

twk said:

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W said:

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Luke The Drifter said:

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It's all relative. By national standards, Olsen is one of the best. By SEC West standards, one of the worst.

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definitely truth here

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One of the worst might be overstating it a bit. I haven't been to Oxford for baseball, but I've been to Fayetteville, Starkville, and Baton Rouge. They have their moments when they really get up for the game, but it's not like you saw on TV for the super regional every weekend. I was in Starkville in 2016 when the series coincided with their spring game and had 15,000 in attendance for the Saturday game. Even with the big crowd, they weren't all that amped up. LSU can get wound up when they are rallying, but get ahead of them, and that place becomes pretty quiet.

I was really frustrated a few years back with the Raggies and what they were (or weren't) doing to rally support from the team, but they have responded in a positive manner. I think any lack of atmosphere that we've experienced the last several years has been down to the anemic offenses. A team that can score a lot never seems to be out of the game, and can get the fans revved up. On the other hand, and team that relies on pitching, with anemic hitting, always seems to be on the edge, and rarely gives the fans a chance to feel positive energy.

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As there are only 7 teams in the SEC West, I would say Olsen is one of the worst. You could easily make an argument that Arkansas, LSU, MSU, Ole Miss, and Auburn have better facilities/atmospheres than we have at A&M. Hence, Olsen is one of the worst in the SEC West.

However, on a national scale, you could only add maybe 2 or 3 (or less) facilities/atmospheres to the list.

A&M/Olsen is probably the 5th or 6th best facility/atmosphere in the SEC West...and probably the 7th or 8th best facility/atmosphere in the nation.

And all of the things you used to describe MSU and LSU atmospheres (amped up at big moments, quiet at other times), is *EXACTLY* how I would describe Olsen. To. A. Tee.

The berms were a bad idea. Who the hell yells when you are laid up on a blanket in the outfield? Not moving the field location away from the railroad tracks has completely killed aggie alley with no hope of seating expansion in the outfield.

The facade of Olsen looks nice from the outside but other than that there wasn't a significant amount of bang for your buck with the blue bell reno money in improving atmosphere.

. Plus having a bunch of hitless wonders in your lineup doesn't produce much excitement in the stands.

If the goal is to completely kill aggie baseball then they are doing a masterful job of it. Just chalk it up to another Bill Byrne abomination.

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You could easily make an argument that Arkansas, LSU, MSU, Ole Miss, and Auburn have better facilities/atmospheres than we have at A&M. Hence, Olsen is one of the worst in the SEC West.

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Um no on Ole Miss and Auburn. Ole Miss may be on par with Olens but does not surpass it. Auburn absolutely not at any level. Maybe you meant Bama which is essentially a brand new park but absolutely comes nowhere close in atmosphere.

jkag89 said:

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You could easily make an argument that Arkansas, LSU, MSU, Ole Miss, and Auburn have better facilities/atmospheres than we have at A&M. Hence, Olsen is one of the worst in the SEC West.

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Um no on Ole Miss and Auburn. Ole Miss may be on par with Olens but does not surpass it. Auburn absolutely not at any level. Maybe you meant Bama which is essentially a brand new park but absolutely comes nowhere close in atmosphere.

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Ah...correct. Should not have put Auburn on that list, but I do believe Ole Miss has a better facility than we do. Alabama's new park is nice, but their atmosphere isn't anything to get excited about. Maybe because Bama is bad at baseball right now, but their new park is just window dressing.

But even if what you say is correct, we are...at best...the 4th best facility/environment in our own division. Again, on a national scale...we are tremendous. On an SEC West scale, middle of the road, at best.

I would agree with middle of the road. Although I've been to Oxford for football, and have seen the park, I haven't been to a game there, so my experience is mostly limited to television and 2nd hand reports. They have more seats than we do, but other than that, I don't think their park has a large edge on ours regarding fan facilities (unless you are fan of berms--they do have a big outfield berm). They just added some new player facilities, so they may have a small edge on us there, as having the very latest.

I think State easily has the best facility in college baseball, but even with spending $68 million, they cut some corners and did some things in the renovation that they would not have done if building from scratch.

twk said:

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I would agree with middle of the road. Although I've been to Oxford for football, and have seen the park, I haven't been to a game there, so my experience is mostly limited to television and 2nd hand reports. They have more seats than we do, but other than that, I don't think their park has a large edge on ours regarding fan facilities (unless you are fan of berms--they do have a big outfield berm). They just added some new player facilities, so they may have a small edge on us there, as having the very latest.

I think State easily has the best facility in college baseball, but even with spending $68 million, they cut some corners and did some things in the renovation that they would not have done if building from scratch.

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Agree. And I still can not believe they let people stand behind the club seats just to make more money off of alcohol sales. I would be pretty ticked off if a bunch of say LSU fans were standing behind my club seats.

jah003 said:

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Potentially unpopular opinion...

I attended nearly every A&M home baseball game from 2000-2010 or so. Since then I only go to a few series a year. I always make it a point to sit in GA. I've noticed that GA has become much more of a "This is what we do and you better do it too" environment. A great example was a series I went to this year. A bunch of fans decided to start clapping on 2 strikes with 2 outs and were really in to the game... 203 lost their ***** Why? Let them clap if they want. Just because it "isn't what we do" doesn't make it wrong.

When I first stared going to games people just yelled whatever the hell they wanted. Yea... there was Ball 5 and get out of the box. However, Olsen wasn't policed at all and it was great. I still remember Jimmy hanging over the railing and yelling non stop at the opposing team for 9 innings. I used to print out player Bio's for every single series. We made several players for Kansas cry one year... IMHO, we need to bring back the chaos.



Oh... and... Parker's #1.

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Ragging, for the most part, has been reduced to yelling the pitcher's name over and over again, and singing the pitcher's name over and over again. I've maintained for a while that, if all you do is sit there and yell the pitcher's name...especially when they're just mowing us down...you're essentially cheering for the guy, and it looks like the opposing players are starting to agree....

Also, what I'm sure will be an unpopular opinion: The bubbles are played out. Come at me.

jah003 said:

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I've noticed that GA has become much more of a "This is what we do and you better do it too" environment. A great example was a series I went to this year. A bunch of fans decided to start clapping on 2 strikes with 2 outs and were really in to the game... 203 lost their ***** Why? Let them clap if they want. Just because it "isn't what we do" doesn't make it wrong.

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I tend to agree with you on the first part.

Clapping with 2 strikes and 2 outs for the last out usually does not work, and a lot of people kind of consider it to be self defeating. Personally, if I was a pitcher, I really wouldn't want to be reminded what a high-stakes situation I'm in. But I don't think people should go crazy trying to stop it, either.

It also tends to amp up the umpires. The plate seems to get a little bigger for some of these guys when they've got the chance to make the dramatic punch out.

twk said:

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It also tends to amp up the umpires. The plate seems to get a little bigger for some of these guys when they've got the chance to make the dramatic punch out.

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That too.

It just seems to me to work against us more than it works for us. I have not, of course, quantified it. Maybe that'd be a neat thing for me to keep track of next season.