TheGuttedOne Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 The Mabee Maniacs are the best thing this school has going for it. It absolutely infuriates me that I can look around the Mabee Center at any given time during the game and see EVERYONE sitting down except that Maniacs. This forum is full of hardcore ORU fans, so why don't we act like it. Why are the Maniacs the only ones who consistently show support for the team during games (Except for Isbig, of course )? Mike Carter and some select few of the ORU athletic department do a terrible job of hiding their disdain for the Maniacs and are constantly trying to give them the short end of the stick. They need to realize that if the Maniacs weren't there, the Mabee Center would be completely silent. Carter's brilliant idea of establishing "The Blue Crew" failed after one miserable season because he recruited students who could care less about ORU basketball. The true fans are already dressed up as Tinkerbell and possibly a giant bear, screaming their lungs out until the throw up. So if you were a true fan, everyone on this board would email Carter and tell him to quit trying to hold back the Maniacs. It's total crap that the Maniacs got the shaft for ORU's biggest game in 22 seasons so that the quietest people in the arena could sit on the first and second row while the Maniacs were told to not dress up and do what they do best while trying to make out the dots on the floor from the nosebleeds. I was ashamed of ORU that day for what they did to the student fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cornelius Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I think everybody needs to take a step back, a deep breath, and watch the trailer for the new Sam Jackson's new film SNAKES ON A PLANE... I say film and not 'movie' because films inspire us and broaden culture while movies only entertain... But I agree that the Blue Crew should be folded into the Maniacs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Wow, Doc, I'm looking forward History Channel doing an episode of "History or Hollywood?" on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VUFreak Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 #1 - It sucks that the students did not get tickets... ---HOWEVER--- ---IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE--- - In Valpo's last NCAA appearance (2004) we were sent to SEATTLE as a #15, when there was a pod playing in Milwaukee that contained a #15 seed from California. - The game was not on TV in our market for any students who did not have cable. We get CBS from Chicago and South Bend on our cable provider, but the South Bend feed does not come in over the air. Because DePaul was playing at the same time, we did not get the VU game. I understand that tickets were an issue, but they always will be. Feel blessed that you got to the tournament and were able to play in Dallas, only a few hours away....It could have been much, much worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oruvoice Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I understand that tickets were an issue, but they always will be. Feel blessed that you got to the tournament and were able to play in Dallas, only a few hours away....It could have been much, much worse. Great post VUFreak. Brings some perspective. There are many ways to look at the same issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blevins Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Here's another thing to keep in mind when discussing where the Maniacs sat in Dallas: At the Mabee Center, no one who actually PAYS for tickets sits behind, or in front of, the Maniacs. Do you really think the athletic department would ask people to pay $50 to sit BEHIND a group that never sits down, or in FRONT of a group that never shuts up? Again, the Maniacs were fortunate to get ANY tickets and should be very thankful for what they received. You could have all been at home hoping your local CBS station carried the game at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsSmith Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I've said on this board many times how much I appreciate the maniacs. Your enthusiasm is great. However, don't let it go to your heads. ORU basketball was here long before you got here and will still be here after you graduate. You really should read what you wrote on here again. Do you think you deserve some reward for supporting your school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyO Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Wow! You know, when I turned off my computer yesterday after posting about a response to Mount Baldy, I felt bad about what I had said because of the negative tone in which I wrote the post. In fact, the whole night I felt bad and after reading what I have just read, I feel worse. The fact is, Mike Carter and the administration have come leaps and bounds from when the Maniacs started. From my perspective, he has done a lot to keep the Maniacs going (even though they did try the Blue Crew). They offer a lot of benefits to the group and I believe that the could make it a living hell for the students if they wanted. Everyone comes from different perspectives and Mr. Carter and the Maniacs have ideas that do not necessarily go hand in hand all the time. He is a good man and his support for the Maniacs will continue to increase as they continue to prove that they are not out to embarrass the University. I have a lot of frustrations with how the Maniacs are treated and exploited at times, but I don't think it would be beneficial to go into that any more. It would be easy for me to continue to point out the bad, but I'll take the Mark McGwire approach and focus on the future instead of the past. I think that ManiacPrez's approach is good here -- they are not mad they got put up in the rafters, they just wish they would have known that's where they would be. Since it is up to the University where people sit, then if they want to put non-excitable fans in prominent locations, they can. I think that ORU basketball has been stuck in this place of complacency for a while and I think that the Maniacs predominantly as well as those of us on the board are turning that tide. My guess is that in five years, our crowd will be drastically different from what we saw last week. Personally, I appreciate the fact that the Maniacs were able to have access to tickets and wish they would have had a chance to impact the game. However, the fact remains that they were at the game and I think that's great. I am not trying to start anything bad or create tension between Maniacs and administration because that will go absolutely nowhere and will be quite counterproductive. Good job Maniacs. Good job administration. Let's continue to set aside our own agendas and work towards a common goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUBlue Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Here's another thing to keep in mind when discussing where the Maniacs sat in Dallas: The Maniacs were fortunate to get ANY tickets and should be very thankful for what they received. You could have all been at home hoping your local CBS station carried the game at all. Some of the quote! Can we use this on next years recruiting brochure for the Maniacs? Our family has been a season ticket holder since "1975." Maniacs don't ever........ever......shut up or sit down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyO Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Some of the quote! Can we use this on next years recruiting brochure for the Maniacs? Our family has been a season ticket holder since "1975." Maniacs don't ever........ever......shut up or sit down. I'm not sure I'm following... Do you want them to shut up and sit down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUBlue Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I'm not sure I'm following... Do you want them to shut up and sit down? Yes Joey I support the Maniacs 100% always have and always will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyO Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I must have had a brainfart. I didn't understand your post but went back and read it and get it now. I know that you of all people do -- you are one of the chancellors! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyO Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Sidenote: Hey brother. Hey brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 We need to keep a perspective of where we are and where we have been. The Athletic Department under Mike Carter has sustained and breathed life into a comatose program over the last decade. It has not been easy. Also remember that they play to a lot of different audiences: administration, donors, season ticket holders, sponsors, students, media, etc. That is quite a juggling act. The Maniacs have become an intregal part of the ORU basketball experience. It has been fun to watch the growth and expansion of the group - and their impact on the Mabee Center crowd. The GEC and Athletic Department certainly see the benefits (enthusiasm, energy, etc) that the Maniacs bring to ORU basketball - thus the efforts to underwrite certain road trips and purchase of tickets for the group. Are we where we want to be? No. But we are getting there. For those of us who have been around a while, the progress is noticeable and appreciated. Let's work to get better next year.... all of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blevins Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I hope the Maniacs never sit down or shut up, either. My point was that no student group at any University would be allowed to interfere with the viewing experience of those who paid for tickets, either directly or through donations/sponsorships. There's a reason the Maniacs congregate in the student section and not Section K. I agree with Mrs. Smith. It seems as though the Maniacs constantly want to be recognized and even rewarded for having school spirit. And that's where they begin to rub some people the wrong way. Show up for games because you love your school. Scream your head off because you like our players. Support the team because you want them to win and represent you and every other student in a positive manner. But don't try to BE the show. And don't get P.O.'d when certain people get better treatment than you because, last time I checked, you guys are all treated pretty well around here. BTW, someone please explain to me exactly how the Maniacs get exploited? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGuttedOne Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Well said Terry. ORU basketball continues to grow exponentially on a yearly basis. Let's keep it going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyO Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I agree with Mrs. Smith. It seems as though the Maniacs constantly want to be recognized and even rewarded for having school spirit. And that's where they begin to rub some people the wrong way. BTW, someone please explain to me exactly how the Maniacs get exploited? The purpose of my post was to say something that someone in the Maniacs had not said. Until I posted, I did not hear any complaints from the Maniacs about the seating arrangements at the game. I TOTALLY agree with you, Blevins, that when the entitlement attitude arises that it is unreasonable. There is no doubt that they should be there to cheer for the school and not for their own benefit. I wanted to point out what I viewed as injustice as a graduate of ORU and as a member of the Golden Eagle Club. Being exploited isn't inherently a bad thing. I was referring to the marketing pieces the school has used that feature the Maniacs. By definition (1 : to make productive use of : UTILIZE ), those marketing pieces are exploiting the Maniacs. To clarify that point, I think it is a GREAT thing that they school uses the Maniacs to advertise. They stand for excitement and camaraderie. I think that is great that the University exploits that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadAdder Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I think "exploited" might be the wrong word to use here. I don't think that the Maniacs are being exploited any more than the average ORU student who gets their picture taken and put in a brochure. It's every student's understanding (or should be) that if you go to ORU, they have the right to take your picture and use it however they want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.