Cyclone Alley Survey (Long)

cstrunk

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Mar 21, 2006
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My opinion is that winning cures everything. Students wouldn't be complaining or wanting to change much if ISU were winning a ton of games. But besides that, I think that they should keep Cyclone Alley to the arena (lower) parts and the parquet behind them should go to donors. They just don't fill those seats for a majority of the games and it looks terrible. Make those arena seats behind the basket "Cyclone Alley" where you have to wear the certain shirt...first come first served until it is full. The rest of the students go to center court upper level general admission. Those are still great seats and the people sitting there now move down to the parquet seats behind the students.

That way, the seats are always full and the students that don't want to be part of Cyclone Alley still get great seats to watch the game.

Like you said, winning cures everything. I agree. Next year when we're winning games (meaningful games), those student seats won't be empty. I promise.
 

Wesley

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Apr 12, 2006
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This thread has finally convinced me we do have a problem in Cyclone Alley. Thank goodness we will have better teams in the future.

And another thing, I believe we need a lot of giant players faces waving during free throws. It makes us look like a more high tech school like K State.
 

FarminCy

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Nov 14, 2009
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I agree with both Aeroclone and jtd. My final year at ISU CA was half-and-half. Now, I'm a little biased because I was in the non-CA section, but it always seemed rowdier, louder, and filled quicker. Not to mention more interesting to look at. If I would have known how entrenched CA would become I would have spoken out. Today, I kick myself for not speaking out at that time (because I was on Senior Class Council, a member of SALC, etc.).

If you talk to Jeff Johnson, he loves CA! Problem is, he didn't see Hilton in the 90s when there was no CA and it was a crazy environment. Now, I think it is entrenched and it will be very difficult to scrap it. The only thing that could stop CA is student-led campaign to disband it (or at least half of it).

My hunch is Hilton would come back stronger if CA was at least partially scrapped.

Spot on. As a season ticket holder I always thought the non CA side was crazy and the CA side seemed like they stood around alot. The non CA side was louder, crazier, and more creative and it wasn't even close. Alot of people that sit around us thought the same thing. I was pretty po'd the first year that CA got both sides.

And yes I would love to see it go back to half and half. That would be a step in the right direction.
 

RustShack

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I think everyone should sit down during free throws. And one guy should stand up dancing in a thong.
 

IcSyU

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Nov 27, 2007
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The thing they really need to do if they want a good sized student section at every game is making tickets cheaper or even free. I know a lot of schools don't charge and just take the first so many students until they are full. Although I don't think this will happen.
There aren't a "lot" of schools that do this. Nothing is free. UNI is "free" because its included in their student fees.
The leaders need to stop being people trying to add to their resume and start being people who have one task: get Hilton as loud and fun as possible.
I know enough people on CAC and not a single one is on it for a resume builder. They're on it because they're Cyclone fans. The "resume builder" is a tired excuse. Maybe if you were a marketing major it would matter, but no one cares if you were on Cyclone Alley Central.
Actually, as far as I know, all the schools that have "free" student sections where students are adminited to capacity (schools like TT for instance) require ALL students to pay for the tickets through a fee on their university bill. And actually, ISU does this too, part of the reason we have discounted student tickets is because the Gov't of the Student Body gives (or "pays" however you want to look at it) the athletics department a huge chunk of change out of the fees they collect on all student's UBill.
I wasn't aware GSB cut the AD a check? Total BS if they do. Raise the damn thing $40 more and give everyone free tickets.
cyclone alley is just from the floor to the concrete ring, so you can still sit in the lower bowl section without being in CA
Wrong. Parquet = CA and east upper deck = CA. Ushers "check" shirts at the top of the parquet for this reason.
Cyclone Alley won't be any different next year and no one will complain because we will be winning.
I'll bet this is correct. People can compare CA now to the student section 10 years ago, but one major element is missing....winning. I'm going into my 5th year and haven't seen Iowa State beat a ranked team at home. I wouldn't get tickets if I was a fringe fan either.

Also, anyone ******** about creativity is a moron. I've gone to games painted up, overalls, etc. and never had an issue getting into CA dressed up without my CA shirt on.

Lastly, if people actually think the "distractions" do squat, you're nuts. The shooter isn't even seeing the people in the lower level if they're focusing on the rim like most shooters do.
 
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cyclonez7

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Apr 11, 2006
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I wish they would stop making us pay $30 for a couple of t-shirts and lousy props that look like they came with a happy meal from McDonald's. It's a complete waste of money. They should spend it on better things or not make us pay at all. Cyclone Alley is not necessary and boring.
 

cs6804

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Nov 2, 2009
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Cyclone Alley won't be any different next year and no one will complain because we will be winning.

Yea well back in my day the team would win better. I would not have to wear the same god damn **** that guy next to me has on. :jimlad:
I wish we had a way to compare the sound at floor level (the only place where the sound level matters) when the students where spread out and now with them behind the baskets.

The way i see it is that people think its not as loud now because they have the same seats they had 20 years ago, but are now a lot further from the students. People are always going to think it was louder when they where next to the students compared to 100 ft away.

until we have some proof, the old guys will say it was better back in the day, and the current students will say its better now.
 

cs6804

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Nov 2, 2009
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Yea well back in my day the team would win better. I would not have to wear the same god damn **** that guy next to me has on. :jimlad:
I wish we had a way to compare the sound at floor level (the only place where the sound level matters) when the students where spread out and now with them behind the baskets.

The way i see it is that people think its not as loud now because they have the same seats they had 20 years ago, but are now a lot further from the students. People are always going to think it was louder when they where next to the students compared to 100 ft away.

until we have some proof, the old guys will say it was better back in the day, and the current students will say its better now.

so god damn does not get the **** but shirt does? (note i may of missed the r)
 

IcSyU

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Nov 27, 2007
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until we have some proof, the old guys will say it was better back in the day, and the current students will say its better now.

Current student...its not better now. Not even close. However, I don't blame students for a second for skipping games when we haven't beaten a ranked team at home in 4+ years.

And I really do hope the Alumni Association goes and ****s themselves for packaging the SAA membership as a "benefit" to CA. Give me CA for $12.50. Don't give me that worthless **** known as SAA for another $17.50. You know its bad when they have to FORCE you to buy it because otherwise they know no one wants it.
 
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cs6804

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Nov 2, 2009
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Current student...its not better now. Not even close. However, I don't blame students for a second for skipping games when we haven't beaten a ranked team at home in 4+ years.

And I really do hope the Alumni Association goes and ****s themselves for packaging the SAA membership as a "benefit" to CA. Give me CA for $12.50. Don't give me that worthless **** known as SAA for another $17.50. You know its bad when they have to FORCE you to buy it because otherwise they know no one wants it.


I could really care less what happens to CA, I only joined this year so i could get some good seats for cheap. (Grad student that was done in Dec) But if people would look at the SAA card that comes with it they could get that 17 bucks back in a couple of weeks. Hell just use the Papa Juans buy one get the same free twice, that is 20 bucks if you get a large each time.
 

IcSyU

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Nov 27, 2007
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I could really care less what happens to CA, I only joined this year so i could get some good seats for cheap. (Grad student that was done in Dec) But if people would look at the SAA card that comes with it they could get that 17 bucks back in a couple of weeks. Hell just use the Papa Juans buy one get the same free twice, that is 20 bucks if you get a large each time.

That's all fine and dandy, but I have zero use for it. I'd rather have my $18 up front. Its the principal of the matter. They know no one wants their product, so they essentially "hide" it in the cost of Cyclone Alley because they can. I can honestly say because of that, I will never willingly give a penny to the Alumni Association. They can screw me as a college student, but once I get out of here, screw you.
 

cycfan1

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Nov 27, 2006
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My suggestion: If you think CA is so great of organization - make one side CA and one side non-CA. Let the students decide what is better.

Bet this never happens because they are afraid of the results and then they will lose the support they have garnered for SAA by having students indoctrinated into joining CA.
 

Doc

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Aug 6, 2006
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Spot on. I was a student when there wasn't a Cyclone Alley, when it was half and half, and when it was full on CA. Every step change... the atmosphere changed for the worse with it.

There was something about a first come, first serve student section. It created an atmosphere from the get go and you were pumped to have scored a seat as close as you could get. That energy carried over all the way through the game. T

I sat on both sides that first year. The only game I remember well is the game I sat on the non-Cyclone Alley side so we could yell at David Harrison all throughout pregame warmups. Things did get worse as Cyclone Alley advanced. I'd say it's not just the poor bball teams that did it either.
 

cayin

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Apr 11, 2006
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To those that think winning will cure the ills of CA, I think you are mistaken. We want Hilton to become on environment that wills the team to victory. In the current setup and energy level coming from the students in CA, that is less likely to happen. I actually think winning will make an entity like CA even more complacent.
 

MNCyGuy

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Jan 14, 2009
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I don't think Cyclone Alley is some evil group that is to blame for all of the shortcomings of the ISU game atmosphere, but it does make me sad because there is a lot of untapped potential there for it to be A LOT better, and they have shown zero interest in taking steps to improve it.
 

Cydog04

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Jan 18, 2011
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I agree with you about cyclone alley being weak. Before Mcdermott it was good. Mcdermotts style of ball killed the crowd cause it gave you nothing to cheer about. And our record the last 6 years hasnt helped. Winning will help get people back in the stands and excited. You have to have something to cheer about! And wining will do that along with our new style of play. I agree we need new cheers and I think better music would help to.

I do strongly disagree with you on a couple things. I love the same colored shirts. It looks good on tv and even in the stands to see that solid yellow or red sea of students behind the basket. Just looks cool! I even liked the pink out cause it looked cool on tv. And the white out the women did this year was AWSOME! That looked impressive that the whole lower level was white. And the whole thing about the shirts is so they dont have to check you tickets they just look to see if you have the cyclone alley shirt. So I totally disagree with you on the shirts. Also the free throw thing. The whole point to everyone moving the same way is to try to move the background behind the basket to throw the shooter off. Im not saying it works but everyone doing random things actually helps cause the background as a whole doesnt change. The only thing that would help is having all the foam sticks going crazy in the background.

I have been very disappointed with cyclone alley but I am confident that winning and a more exciting style of play next year will help. Just wait till next year before you say we need to change everything. And if you feel this strongly about it then become a cyclone alley leader and do something about it.
 

Cydog04

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Jan 18, 2011
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Just so I understand you correctly: Shirt color contributes to legitimacy? I'm wearing a grey ISU shirt right now, but grey isn't a school color. Am I legit?

Dude stop being stupid! Everyone in the same color shirt looks good looks organized. Its the first thing that stands out on tv when you see that sea of yellow behind the basket. Dont care who you are you have to admitt it looks good. And they do the shirts so they dont have to check you tickets. So give it up on the whole shirt thing.
 

cycloneted

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Apr 19, 2006
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I agree with most of the complaints in this thread about Cyclone Alley, but let me add one I haven't seen yet.

One of my biggest problems with Cyclone Alley is cronyism.

I graduated in 2006, never missed a home game, and to this day still see the same people sitting in the front row I regularly saw during my time at ISU. Anyone recognize a group of guys that wear red and yellow foam 10 gallon cowboy hats? I'm almost certain they got those hats in Manhattan, Kansas when we had that awesome comeback in the 4th Quarter. I was there and got the same hat at a Pace Picante Salsa giveaway. When was that, 2004? And it isn't just the 10 gallon hat wearers, I recognize people I sort of knew at school and from around Central Iowa who I know are my age who show up in the front row of Cyclone Alley with the powers-that-be time and again.

Now, maybe these people are on the good ol' 10-year graduation plan or are getting their MBA or some other advanced degree, but I think the much more likely conclusion is some Cyclone Alley Central cronyism.

A and B were on it, got their friends C and D on it when they left, who got their friends E and F on when they left. Now A, B, C and D all go back to Cyclone Alley, after graduation it seems, and sit in the front seats, usually for the big games.

I'm glad the hypothetical fans A - D continue to support the Clones, but am not happy they continue to do it in Cyclone Alley.

Maybe I'm way off base here, but I've been thinking this for a while now.

Go Cyclones!!!
 

isudizzle13

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Apr 15, 2007
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:biglaugh: never going to happen.

Actually, as far as I know, all the schools that have "free" student sections where students are adminited to capacity (schools like TT for instance) require ALL students to pay for the tickets through a fee on their university bill. And actually, ISU does this too, part of the reason we have discounted student tickets is because the Gov't of the Student Body gives (or "pays" however you want to look at it) the athletics department a huge chunk of change out of the fees they collect on all student's UBill.

Not true. The athletic department collects a mandatory fee of $24.50 per semester from each student to go toward athletic scholarships and the programs. I don't know whether or not the AD uses any of that money to discount tickets, but it's not coming from the GSB. The GSB doesn't give any money to SAA, SALC, Cyclone Alley, or the Athletic Department. Or at least this is how it was for my 5 years there (2005-2010) and the 2 years I was in charge of the finances.

Sorry just a pet peeve of mine.