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Post by goGopherBill on Dec 26, 2006 13:32:08 GMT -5
One of the truly great thing about volleyball is that it is a small group of knowledgeable players and fans.
If you travel with your team or get to go to the final 4 's you make friends and get to know the players as individuals...not just "stars".
You can talk to Stacy Gordon after a match...or if you are lucky get to know some of the coaches.
It used to be Fun ,cheap and spontaneous...warm personalities and pure sport.
I wonder if we need 18,000 at every match...large coperate sponsors we sell our souls to.
I like watching at small venues ...be it at BYU ...Minnesota or Northern IOWA.
Michigan is nuts...
I hope in our zeal to promote the sport we don't run into the pitfalls that other sports run into.Players feeling they are "special " and don't care about the fan base.
Coaches and schools that sell out turning VB into something where fist fights might break out in order to get ESPN exposure.
Does VB need that or is that what everyone wants?
I hope not.
Its nice to have players long gone from the program come up and talk to you...along with parents of players that developed into friendships.
I hope that Vb doesn't turn into professional football ..or basketball...in fact I wish it wouldn't reach the level of big time college football.
It was a fine sport before and I hope it remains...
Have a happy NEW Year from Gopher land.
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Post by beachman on Dec 26, 2006 13:40:39 GMT -5
Probably more help than is available! Hell, the WNBA would have never ever made it had not the NBA subsidized it for all of these years. Volleyball needs something like this in order for the sport to grow in a National Level.....remember what happened to our pro volleyball league....Volleyball attendance is terrific in areas where there is nothing else to do except watch it in the fall and winter, but it has to catch on in the big markets and so far that isn't doing very well....U$C attracted a total of 800 for two nights in the recent first round of the volleyball playoffs....UCLA didn't do much better either.....like all sports it needs MONEY, and it needs COVERAGE from the media, neither of which it has right now! Too bad cause it is a great, athletic, sport! These ladies are far better athletes than the female basketball players!
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Post by blastingsand on Dec 26, 2006 14:18:56 GMT -5
..like all sports it needs MONEY, and it needs COVERAGE from the media, neither of which it has right now! Too bad cause it is a great, athletic, sport! These ladies are far better athletes than the female basketball players! And far better athletes than those female golfers! How come they make soo much more than volleyball players? They get more media coverage and news. They get all those benefits, but we all know only the big golf fans really care. That's why volleyball can go big time and still have the players that care about their fans. |
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Post by Mix Breed-TEXAS,HI,LBSU on Dec 26, 2006 19:36:01 GMT -5
US needs a professional league.....It'll sell but It'll be risky also. I know that there was a Vball league couple years back but whatever happen to it...?
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Post by baywatcher on Dec 26, 2006 20:01:10 GMT -5
Why big time? I think it already is in some ways. At a Christmas party a snooty do it all family was giving my teen age daughter the work over, asking "did she play an instrument, "learn" (as opposed to study) a language, etc. They finally got around to sports and she said she played volleyball. The response was "Well, that's not a big time sport, is it?" actually, in terms of high school girl participation I think it's very big; up there with basketball in numbers, and soccer and softball would be the only other girls sport close. And the women's ssoccer championships did not get 17,000 attending this year (in the cold of Virginia) I'm pretty sure, nor does the softball world series get that many, I think, even with two guaranteed games for 8 teams attending. Could be wrong. But it's another example of a large participation sport for women that has not translated into an epic fan base of spectators.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2006 21:08:18 GMT -5
The primary reason volleyball has not caught on is because the media is predominantly male and they (for the most part) don't understand (or care to understand) the sport. They'd rather belittle women's golf, hockey and basketball than pay attention to volleyball. To them, it's just a "girl's sport". Like field hockey. Or softball. Not worth their time.
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Post by blastingsand on Dec 26, 2006 21:31:56 GMT -5
The primary reason volleyball has not caught on is because the media is predominantly male and they (for the most part) don't understand (or care to understand) the sport. They'd rather belittle women's golf, hockey and basketball than pay attention to volleyball. To them, it's just a "girl's sport". Like field hockey. Or softball. Not worth their time. I was about to say that too, volleyball primarily had been a female sport in the United States. When I moved to a place where a volleyball community does not exist the guys said that it was a "wimp sport" and it would not surprise me if the majority of males in the US say the same thing. With that said, maybe the sport needs to be big in the male side to be pro. They need to add even more well known schools to have men's volleyball. Like the Pac10s, Big10s, and Big12s. Sportscenter is the show that many sports fans follow, so if we can get volleyball mentioned there, i guarantee more people will watch it. |
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Post by beachman on Dec 27, 2006 0:51:22 GMT -5
Move to Nebraska!
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Post by Husker_fan_in_VA on Dec 27, 2006 15:36:22 GMT -5
Why big time? I think it already is in some ways. At a Christmas party a snooty do it all family was giving my teen age daughter the work over, asking "did she play an instrument, "learn" (as opposed to study) a language, etc. They finally got around to sports and she said she played volleyball. The response was "Well, that's not a big time sport, is it?" actually, in terms of high school girl participation I think it's very big; up there with basketball in numbers, and soccer and softball would be the only other girls sport close. And the women's ssoccer championships did not get 17,000 attending this year (in the cold of Virginia) I'm pretty sure, nor does the softball world series get that many, I think, even with two guaranteed games for 8 teams attending. Could be wrong. But it's another example of a large participation sport for women that has not translated into an epic fan base of spectators. Get your facts straight the soccer championships were in North Carolina! And Va has been very warm this fall and winter!  www.ncaasports.com/soccer/womens |
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Post by Wolfgang on Dec 27, 2006 16:02:53 GMT -5
The primary reason volleyball has not caught on is because the media is predominantly male and they (for the most part) don't understand (or care to understand) the sport. They'd rather belittle women's golf, hockey and basketball than pay attention to volleyball. To them, it's just a "girl's sport". Like field hockey. Or softball. Not worth their time. I, too, like to belittle women's golf. And men's golf. |
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Post by OverAndUnder on Dec 27, 2006 17:57:41 GMT -5
The answer to the question is, it doesn't.
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Post by clivehusker on Dec 28, 2006 15:42:42 GMT -5
Does it need to? No.
Would I like to see it go big time and succeed? Yes.
Why?
Because perhaps then it will get the coverage it deserves. I'd love to see Volleyball getting air time like College basketball.
And perhaps it would improve some of the support services I feel don't match up to other sports.
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Post by blastingsand on Dec 28, 2006 17:23:21 GMT -5
Does it need to? No. Would I like to see it go big time and succeed? Yes. Why? Because perhaps then it will get the coverage it deserves. I'd love to see Volleyball getting air time like College basketball. And perhaps it would improve some of the support services I feel don't match up to other sports. Good point, I'd also like to see it get more coverage. I like as much as the football's BCS (although I'd like to see playoffs more) and basketball's march madness. |
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Post by bigfan on Dec 28, 2006 18:53:47 GMT -5
I do not know if it will ever go "big time'...I just know it is my favorite sport to watch in person. BTW the WNBA has the most hostile fan base I have ever experienced......not a real comfortable feeling going to the games....it was posted that NBA is keeping that league alive....they are and soon the plug is going to be pulled.
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Post by baldyballer on Dec 29, 2006 0:40:50 GMT -5
Don't forget the countless coaches and jobs related to the sport that would like to see the sport grow so they can make a better living. For the most part, salaries are horrible and good people are forced out of the sport to get "real jobs". The players need a US pro league, coaches need more money, and fans need more excitement. That's why the sport needs to grow. Although I may be outnumbered on this, a 13th scholarship would help. That's hundreds more that would owe the sport, schools would have to commit more money- things that will make the whole pie bigger for everyone.
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