On Tue, 10 Jan 1995, Greg Berge wrote:
 
> The major factor in crowd response, I am more and more convinced, is whether
> there is a band.  90% of fans are only going to cheer when there is a big play:
> a goal, a big hit, an exceptional save.  The band helps keep the casual,
> facetime fans vocal even during periods of slow action.
 
I'd add a couple of qualifications to the band issue:
 
1.  If it's a good band (i.e., assortment of tunes, ability to carry same,
    etc.) -- there's nothing worse than a band that decides to start playing
    just as the PA announcer is trying to announce penalties and goals.
 
2.  I think a well-orchestrated student section can be just as (if not more
    than) effective as a band.  Visiting teams "hate" crowd noise more than
    music, and the student section seems to have the ability to get the old
    fogies (fogeys?) fired up between goals.
 
FWIW.
 
Debbie
 
 
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Debbie Somers                                NCAA Div III National Champs
UW-Stevens Point                        1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91,1992-93
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"The right to be heard does not include the right to be taken seriously."
                                    Hubert H. Humphrey