JoeyO Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Please refer to the definition of "exploit". We are getting caught up on semantics here. By definition, "the average ORU student who gets their picture taken and put in a brochure" is also being exploited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac prez Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 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 didn't get on here and start going off about the seats. I had already spoken with the Ath Dept about our misunderstanding and everything is fine, I simply responded to things being said on this board. There were people posting on the board last night who aren't even Maniacs because of other obligations that they have. The students who posted on this board were upset because they were mislead or they felt that we got screwed, not because we got seats in the ceiling, but because we were made to believe differently, which lead to a possible conspiracy theory or two being posted. Let me clarify something, we are trying our absolute best to grow this club as much as possible and to do things the right way, by working with the Ath Dept and Admin in making sure all or our i's are dotted and t's crossed. The Ath Dept has been amazing, they have gone above any expectations that we had coming into the year. We don't expect to get things like tickets, we don't expect to go on a trip to IUPUI or Valpo, we don't expect those things. I never said that we deserved tickets, or that we did some great thing and needed recognition. The Ath Dept went above and beyond the call of duty and got us tickets. We thank that Ath Dept for what they did. The problem came from miscommunication, where we thought we would be w/you guys and not in the ceiling. If we had known that, we would have let the Ath Dept sell the tickets to someone else, and we would have bought cheaper tickets at the doors (like my friends...) and then traded with Arkansas fans like we did; we just would have done everything the same, but for much cheaper. That is the only thing I ever wished. Also, we never complained about the University ?exploiting? us, never. In fact, we love it and welcome it. It is more pub for us, hopefully bringing in more and better freshmen the next year. We love all of the pub we get. Some of us simply told Baldy that we are used by both the Admin and Ath Dept, which he didn?t seem to believe for some reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac prez 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. Blevins, I think that you should watch a Duke or Michigan game. The students encompass the entire court, they are on every side! They line the first 5 rows of each bleacher, and they all jump around and yell all game. 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. I don't know if you graduated from here or if you are a sports writer from OKC, I can't figure it out, but this is for anyone who graduated from the school. Just like blevins told us to show up and scream because we love our school, it would FANTASTIC if more than just the 100 of us would too. That would give us a real home court advantage. I honestly don't believe that we do much for the game, but heck, if we could even 1000 of us to do some yelling at the game, to leave with a little bit of a soar throat, then we could make a difference in the game. That is the reason why I do this, is for the hopes of someday having 1000 students yelling and clapping and cheering. You have to start somewhere... but in the meantime, it would awesome if we could get some help in supporting our team with something other than giving the ath dept money. And blevins, I'm sorry if you think that we are trying to be the show. I promise that myself and any other officer this year or any year past has not had that as their motive. I promise you that we beat that into the heads of our leaders, and though there may be some that want attention, it is not me, and it is not my club leaders, I promise you that. Side note: It would also be awesome if our school president would at least wear school colors (a blue vest or something!!!) to our first NCAA tournament in 22 years. Maybe everyone's school spirit would go up a couple of points or something if our administration didn't seem to be embarrassed by our school or something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUBlue 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? Cris, don't the Maniacs pay for the NCAA tickets and pay their way there? If so, why not dress and act they way as they did all year? My point..... why do we interfere with their NCAA viewing experience? We want them to be fans for life. Our family has waited 22 years to get back to the dance and if someone stood up in front of me I certainly would have joined in. There is no room between the roll seats anyway so I stood up anyway. By the way Maniacs if I would have known where my seats were going to be before I got there (nosebleed) we would have given up our seats to pursue others. But don't get me started on that.... lesson learned. We all have had a part in getting the program to this point. Lets learn from this year and.................. MANIACS keep up the good work and most of all CONTINUE on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac prez Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Thanks Blue, btw, I'm not Chris, he was last year And yes, we did pay our own way, and we could have dressed however we wanted if not for a call from administration saying that PRob had personally called and said that he didn't want us doing our normal practices... When PRob does his best to get ahold of me, I sort of have to listen, no matter how far off base I think he is. And... since we're goin dancing next year, my lesson has been learned, we had fun, but we'll know how to do it better next year! Thanks for the support Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUBlue Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Thanks Blue, btw, I'm not Chris, he was last year And yes, we did pay our own way, and we could have dressed however we wanted if not for a call from administration saying that PRob had personally called and said that he didn't want us doing our normal practices... When PRob does his best to get ahold of me, I sort of have to listen, no matter how far off base I think he is. And... since we're goin dancing next year, my lesson has been learned, we had fun, but we'll know how to do it better next year! Thanks for the support maniac prez it was for Cris Blevin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac prez Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 gotcha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniacs '06 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Just wanted to clarify... we were the best freshmen, it will never get better than us... cause thats just how we do. You can say good freshmen... but better wont work. Haha sorry prez, just got bored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieoru Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 I've wondered if the "Maniacs" alienate the rest of the students to come to the games. The idea that if im not a maniac then whats the point of coming to the game. Now, all you maniacs don't jump all over me, because I think the Maniacs are a GREAT addition for us to any game. I DO think you guys make a big difference at all the games you guys are at. While I was there 98-02 it seemed like we had a lot more students that came out to the games and we didn't have an organized maniacs group yet. There were students who sat in the same "Maniac" seats which were hardcore though. I'm just wondering if anyone else thinks that the maniacs might be alienating the rest of the students. And if so, what can be done about it? And once again I love the maniacs and don't ever want to lose them, you guys do a great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orumom Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 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? Mrs. Smith, again, let's agree to disagree. 5 years ago we didn't hardly have any students at the games and we would do anything to bribe them, including PRob saying if they reached a certain attendance level there would be no dress code the next day. And.......it didn't work. What has worked is getting students involved in the maniacs! They have worked their tails off. I hope that after they graduate they will still be part of ORU basketball for the rest of their lives. If they are paying the same amount for their tickets and paying for their trip, they should be able to get loud and show school spirit. (unlike people who couldn't wear the school colors for 3 hours.) Without them and other younger people becoming boosters after graduation, the program will return to it's previous state of disarray or will prove you wrong and there will no longer be ORU basketball. The Maniacs are our Gold Eagle Club of future years. The recent surveys show that alumni giving had a direct relationship to satisfaction relating to the student experience. Only around 5% of our alumni support the school after they leave. That tells me we need to let the students who are making themselves responsible for having a great student experience receive a reward! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieoru Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Mrs. Smith, again, let's agree to disagree. 5 years ago we didn't hardly have any students at the games and we would do anything to bribe them, including PRob saying if they reached a certain attendance level there would be no dress code the next day. And.......it didn't work. What has worked is getting students involved in the maniacs! They have worked their tails off. I hope that after they graduate they will still be part of ORU basketball for the rest of their lives. If they are paying the same amount for their tickets and paying for their trip, they should be able to get loud and show school spirit. (unlike people who couldn't wear the school colors for 3 hours.) Without them and other younger people becoming boosters after graduation, the program will return to it's previous state of disarray or will prove you wrong and there will no longer be ORU basketball. The Maniacs are our Gold Eagle Club of future years. The recent surveys show that alumni giving had a direct relationship to satisfaction relating to the student experience. Only around 5% of our alumni support the school after they leave. That tells me we need to let the students who are making themselves responsible for having a great student experience receive a reward! Ok both sides are valid points in that Mrs. Smith is correct about the donators giving the money probably saved the school since in 94-95 the school almost went defunct. My brother was scheduled to start at ORU in 94-95 it was a little scary to think the school which he was going to in the fall might not be there. I know he appreciates the donors. And ORUmom is right that the maniacs could be the new donors to the school which can keep it going for years to come. So, your both right and that makes everyone a winner Maniacs got the shaft on their tickets being so high up, that is true, but you guys are wheeling and dealing guys that can and did make the move to some lower seats. If you put the donors up there I don't know if they are as creative in getting lower seats than the maniacs could. Next year at the tourney we will make sure to figure out where all the seats are as to not have this happen again. And if PRob asked me to not paint up and hollar I would probably have done the same as you guys did. You guys can be really scary all painted up and doing your usual stuff to people that don't know you are a good christian group of kids, and could get the wrong idea. I hope the maniacs are as strong next year or stronger as they were this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maniac prez Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Thanks guys! And yes, I think its safe to say that many of us will be around long after we graduate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsSmith Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 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. Sorry mom - I guess I was a little insulted by this post. Maybe you should be too since you also attend the games. The Mabee center would be completely silent without the maniacs? Most of the posts from the maniacs have been reasonable. This one went a bit overboard. My son's fraternity is the one that dresses crazy for the OU football games. They are on camera a lot. Do they get ANY reward from the university? Not a thing. At OU even the students have to pay for their football and basketball tickets. If they want to go to the bowl game they are just like any other student or fan. They have an absolute blast though. Granted ORU is a different school and we aren't to the point OU is with our athletics. I want the maniacs to have fun and we have supported their trips, but they need to be there because they want to. I don't know how much $$ the maniacs have raised from the GEC, but it seems that a lot of us support them (including the administration). I would have liked for the maniacs to have been in the lower section (as I said in another post), but I wouldn't have given them my seat. We will all learn from our experience this year and hopefully we will all be back next year. It sure was fun. And speaking of "working their tails off" as Mom was. The athletic staff were some of the people down in the lower rows at the tournament. Those people work tirelessly behind the scenes for all of us to enjoy ORU athletics. I was very happy to see some of them actually sitting down during an ORU game and enjoying the experience. And just a little perspective here for TheGuttedOne: Athletics are important, fan support is important, but imo the Mabee Maniacs are NOT The BEST thing ORU has going for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praetorfenix86 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 ORU has a terrible student body at supporting athletics. The maniacs are a good thing for the atmosphere inside the Mabee Center, but it is just sad that we can't get students to walk five minutes to go to a free basketball game and support the university they attend. Props to the students who go, but I'm always disappointed in student turnout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 ORU is not the only school with a problem concerning student involvement at athletic events. It is a situation endemic to modern university life. Some have said it is a result of too many entertainment choices or ESPN overload.... who knows. I applaud the Maniacs for trying to build enthusiasm and participation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenEagleAg Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 In my experience, the reason ORU has relatively little student support is that the students who are REALLY excited to be there don't care about sports in general. A lot of the sudents who love sports didn't grow up caring about ORU, and they bring their prior allegiances with them. Add to this the fact that a lot of students don't even feel as if it was their choice to attend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bballmangc Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 richieoru wrote I've wondered if the "Maniacs" alienate the rest of the students to come to the games. The idea that if im not a maniac then whats the point of coming to the game. Now, all you maniacs don't jump all over me, because I think the Maniacs are a GREAT addition for us to any game. I DO think you guys make a big difference at all the games you guys are at. While I was there 98-02 it seemed like we had a lot more students that came out to the games and we didn't have an organized maniacs group yet. There were students who sat in the same "Maniac" seats which were hardcore though. I'm just wondering if anyone else thinks that the maniacs might be alienating the rest of the students. And if so, what can be done about it? And once again I love the maniacs and don't ever want to lose them, you guys do a great job. I don't think the Maniacs alienate, if there were no maniacs I don't think more students would be there than are already going now. There has to be some way to get other students involved. I went to the TU OU game this year at TU and all of the students received a shirt from TU to wear and they had some (not tons) of pizza before the game bout 45 minutes early. ORU either needs to have some incentives or promotions to get more students to the game. We swipe our cards at every game so there is a way to keep track of attendance and maybe we could give students something....maybe an extra absense or extended curfew or extra credit or something....Personally my feeling would be to have some pizza at the game at like 6:15 for 7:05 game the early students there could get some pizza provided that they are wearing a blue shirt (we could even sell student section shirts not maniac shirts for like 5 dollars) that way students would get into the game free be able to have a little food since they probably would have to skip the cafeteria and they would be wearing a navy blue shirt for the game. All in all something must be done to get students to want to come to the games Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praetorfenix86 Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 Best way to get students to show up: Give chapel skips Show up to five games, get a chapel skip. Just like the Christmas Special right before Christmas break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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