Why didn't the Big 4 Classic work?

[NoCreativity]

@isufbcurt

Yeah, go ahead and dislike it, if you arent from Des Moines I wouldnt expect you guys to understand, but its actually enjoyable when Iowa State comes to Des Moines for a game once a year and you only have to drive 5 minutes to see them play.

 

[isufbcurt]

@isufbcurt

Yeah, go ahead and dislike it, if you arent from Des Moines I wouldnt expect you guys to understand, but its actually enjoyable when Iowa State comes to Des Moines for a game once a year and you only have to drive 5 minutes to see them play.

I disagreed because I think it's stupid to want a team to give up an huge home court advantage to play 30 minutes down the road at a venue that is not on par with their home venue.

I'm not sure what being from Des Moines has to do with anything. I lived in Des Moines for a while, currently live in Newton and drive to every home basketball game. If the drive from Des Moines to Ames is what is keeping you from going to a game you have bigger issues than this board can help you with.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

@isufbcurt

Yeah, go ahead and dislike it, if you arent from Des Moines I wouldnt expect you guys to understand, but its actually enjoyable when Iowa State comes to Des Moines for a game once a year and you only have to drive 5 minutes to see them play.

Which is the basic meat of the disagreement, and is covered in a comment I made to capcity a couple of pages back. For the most part, the people in this thread that are vigorously defending WFA are people who live in the metro. The Sprint center deal for KU/KSU is probably successful because A) the arena is better designed for basketball and B) the KC metro is a couple hours drive from tiny Manhattan and tiny Lawrence, and there are a large quantity of fans there that can't/won't make a 2 hour trek, while the DSM metro Cyclones have a much easier jaunt to an arena jam-packed with fellow Cyclones. Notice I'm not going to address the issue for Iowa; Mad Fran and his fanbase are on their own.

 

[VeloClone]

Which is the basic meat of the disagreement, and is covered in a comment I made to capcity a couple of pages back. For the most part, the people in this thread that are vigorously defending WFA are people who live in the metro. The Sprint center deal for KU/KSU is probably successful because A) the arena is better designed for basketball and B) the KC metro is a couple hours drive from tiny Manhattan and tiny Lawrence, and there are a large quantity of fans there that can't/won't make a 2 hour trek, while the DSM metro Cyclones have a much easier jaunt to an arena jam-packed with fellow Cyclones. Notice I'm not going to address the issue for Iowa; Mad Fran and his fanbase are on their own.

I would add, you are giving up a game in the arena that you own to put on a game in a for profit arena that you don't own. It definitely affects the bottom line.

 

[NoCreativity]

I disagreed because I think it's stupid to want a team to give up an huge home court advantage to play 30 minutes down the road at a venue that is not on par with their home venue.

I'm not sure what being from Des Moines has to do with anything. I lived in Des Moines for a while, currently live in Newton and drive to every home basketball game. If the drive from Des Moines to Ames is what is keeping you from going to a game you have bigger issues than this board can help you with.

Fair enough, I guess maybe Im in the minority here, but its exciting every year for big time programs to play a few minutes away. Same thing with the NCAA tournament this year, I think people from Des Moines would be alot more excited that its at Wells Fargo than if we had to drive up to Ames for the tourney.

 

[cycloneG]

Fair enough, I guess maybe Im in the minority here, but its exciting every year for big time programs to play a few minutes away. Same thing with the NCAA tournament this year, I think people from Des Moines would be alot more excited that its at Wells Fargo than if we had to drive up to Ames for the tourney.

Apples to oranges. The NCAA tournament is one weekend a year for the host city. Iowa State has 16 home games.

 

[NoCreativity]

I would add, you are giving up a game in the arena that you own to put on a game in a for profit arena that you don't own. It definitely affects the bottom line.

But if that was the only way to get a good program to play you why wouldnt you take the neutral site game? A neutral site game over a solid Power 6 program would look better than a win in Hilton on our resume.

If Iowa State wants to be a big time program it should be willing to take on games like this. Iowa on the other hand is going the other direction of avoiding games like this because Fran is scared of losing to UNI and with the 20 game conference schedule now their odds of a bad loss go down.

Another thing is that Des Moines has a huge Iowa State fanbase, there are times when the weather is bad or other obligations come up that people just arent going to drive to Ames. I remember a couple years of the HY-Vee Classic the weather was absolutely terrible, there was no way people that had tickets to that event from Des Moines would have driven up to Ames that day.

 

[everyyard]

But if that was the only way to get a good program to play you why wouldnt you take the neutral site game? A neutral site game over a solid Power 6 program would look better than a win in Hilton on our resume.

If Iowa State wants to be a big time program it should be willing to take on games like this. Iowa on the other hand is going the other direction of avoiding games like this because Fran is scared of losing to UNI and with the 20 game conference schedule now their odds of a bad loss go down.

Another thing is that Des Moines has a huge Iowa State fanbase, there are times when the weather is bad or other obligations come up that people just arent going to drive to Ames. I remember a couple years of the HY-Vee Classic the weather was absolutely terrible, there was no way people that had tickets to that event from Des Moines would have driven up to Ames that day.

Weak sauce. I drove to the KU game a few years back during a snowstorm from Decorah and was the only car on the road. Drove home that night. Would have loved to have a maintained interstate with 1 way traffic and only 35 miles.

 

[NoCreativity]

Weak sauce. I drove to the KU game a few years back during a snowstorm from Decorah and was the only car on the road. Drove home that night. Would have loved to have a maintained interstate with 1 way traffic and only 35 miles.

Lol, good for you! You want an award for winter driving skills? Im simply pointing out, alot of people from the metro are excited that this comes to Des Moines every year.

I agree, its not the same as the game experience in Ames, but theres nothing wrong with rewarding you fanbase in the largest city in the state with 1 game every year. Like I pointed out before, numerous power 6 programs do this kind of thing at least once a season.

 

[cycloneG]

Lol, good for you! You want an award for winter driving skills? Im simply pointing out, alot of people from the metro are excited that this comes to Des Moines every year.

I agree, its not the same as the game experience in Ames, but theres nothing wrong with rewarding you fanbase in the largest city in the state with 1 game every year. Like I pointed out before, numerous power 6 programs do this kind of thing at least once a season.

This would be a valid point if Ames wasn't so close to Des Moines.

 

[NoCreativity]

B) the KC metro is a couple hours drive from tiny Manhattan and tiny Lawrence, and there are a large quantity of fans there that can't/won't make a 2 hour trek

What are you talking about? Lawrence is 40 miles outside of Kansas City and a 15 minute drive from the western suburbs. It takes just as long for me to get to Ames than it would if I was driving from Lawrence to Kansas City for a game.

 

[NoCreativity]

This would be a valid point if Ames wasn't so close to Des Moines.

So Kansas shouldnt play in Kansas City? I don't get the hate for this thing, I love it and have went every year in existence. Besides, a bigger arena, neutral site game, and a mixture of fanbases is good experience to get them ready for the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments.

 

[CyTwins]

I wouldn't say it didnt work. The main reason its over is crybaby Fran was too scared to play UNI anywhere but Iowa City right?

Living 10 minutes from the arena Ive been to the classic every year. I think its a great thing for the city of Des Moines. Up until the last year or 2 the crowds were great, alot of that has to do with the teams being down also.


I think it definitely had some negatives though, the crowds Drake and UNI brought could barely fill one section. I would say in my experience the crowds have been 60% Iowa State. The atmosphere in there is lacking also compared to Hilton. This may come as a shock to some of you, but fans of the four teams normally get along at this thing. Ive never seen one incident in 6 years and I enjoy talking basketball with fans of opposing teams.

I'm personally sad to see it go, it would be great though if Iowa State could still get a yearly game here and possibly bring in a good opponent. I think I remember them playing Ohio State and Bradley in the early days of WFA.

You wearing Iowa or ISU gear this year? Or both?

 

[cycloneG]

So Kansas shouldnt play in Kansas City? I don't get the hate for this thing, I love it and have went every year in existence. Besides, a bigger arena, neutral site game, and a mixture of fanbases is good experience to get them ready for the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments.

They were in Maui this year and will be in the Battle for Atlantis next year. Both are far better experiences than playing in DSM.

 

[NoCreativity]

You wearing Iowa or ISU gear this year? Or both?

Cyclones, want my seat assignment so you can come over and say hi? I have to warn you though, this is going to be a huge shocker.......but I might actually be getting along and talking basketball with fans of other teams.

 

[jsb]

So Kansas shouldnt play in Kansas City? I don't get the hate for this thing, I love it and have went every year in existence. Besides, a bigger arena, neutral site game, and a mixture of fanbases is good experience to get them ready for the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments.

Who cares what Kansas does?

We have an elite home court. Why would we give that up?

I think your view is much more about you being an Iowa fan.

 

[NoCreativity]

They were in Maui this year and will be in the Battle for Atlantis next year. Both are far better experiences than playing in DSM.

Playing in a prestigious early season tournament and playing a neutral site game in a neighboring city arent mutually exclusive.

 

[NoCreativity]

Who cares what Kansas does?

We have an elite home court. Why would we give that up?

I think your view is much more about you being an Iowa fan.

Lol, what does Iowa have to do with anything? If you think its because I want to see Iowa also thats fair, there are alot of people on both sides who stay for both games and will cheer for both teams. I've been to it with Iowa State and Iowa fans both, everyone gets along.

I personally think its cool to get to see all four state schools in one afternoon. The years when we had 3 tourney caliber teams competing on the same court made for great basketball those years.

 

[cycloneG]

Playing in a prestigious early season tournament and playing a neutral site game in a neighboring city arent mutually exclusive.

Correct but the experience gained from the early season tournament is so much greater that it makes the other experience almost meaningless.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Lol, what does Iowa have to do with anything? If you think its because I want to see Iowa also thats fair, there are alot of people on both sides who stay for both games and will cheer for both teams. I've been to it with Iowa State and Iowa fans both, everyone gets along.

I personally think its cool to get to see all four state schools in one afternoon. The years when we had 3 tourney caliber teams competing on the same court made for great basketball those years.

This couldn't be any farther from the truth. The lack of fans attending both games is the main reason why the event seems so stale.