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Post by Wormtown Railers Fan on Sept 28, 2022 15:10:08 GMT -5
The $55 parking is only if you want to tailgate, which probably takes up multiple parking spots. I think the population of Worcester is getting used to the idea of paying to park. People are realizing they live in a city, not in a suburb. Of course, there is still a sizable portion of the population that wants free parking directly in front of their destination. The Spag’s mentality is slowly slipping away.
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Post by Tom on Sept 29, 2022 10:07:30 GMT -5
$55 to park in one of the lots? Wow! Actually $55 for the only advertised tailgating lots. The other options mentioned are "sort of tailgating lots". No grilling allowed
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Post by hcgrad94 on Sept 29, 2022 13:42:24 GMT -5
For the second year in a row, why do people make this game more complicated than it needs to be? There are plenty of places to eat, drink and be merry before, during and after the game. If you went last year and didn’t enjoy the experience, then you might want to seek professional help.
If you are like HC87 and have some sort of childhood trauma that makes you not want to watch football in a baseball stadium, then you might want to also seek professional help.
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Post by ndgradbuthcfan on Sept 29, 2022 13:51:58 GMT -5
Who said that there were not plenty of places to eat, drink and be merry.....? I went last year, enjoyed the game, and especially the result, but not the sideshow. If we were playing a better opponent, I'd probably go again.
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Post by Crucis#1 on Sept 29, 2022 18:06:49 GMT -5
For the second year in a row, why do people make this game more complicated than it needs to be? There are plenty of places to eat, drink and be merry before, during and after the game. If you went last year and didn’t enjoy the experience, then you might want to seek professional help. If you are like HC87 and have some sort of childhood trauma that makes you not want to watch football in a baseball stadium, then you might want to also seek professional help. I’m still traumatized from the Yankee Stadium game in 2016.
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Post by hc87 on Sept 29, 2022 18:09:26 GMT -5
For the second year in a row, why do people make this game more complicated than it needs to be? There are plenty of places to eat, drink and be merry before, during and after the game. If you went last year and didn’t enjoy the experience, then you might want to seek professional help. If you are like HC87 and have some sort of childhood trauma that makes you not want to watch football in a baseball stadium, then you might want to also seek professional help. I had plenty of childhood trauma, mostly Red Sox induced, but I'm just not seeing the great appeal of an HC game at Polar Park. Fenway, Yankee, Wrigley? Different story. I get it, community outreach etc but I think Greatahh Woo would rather tailgate and watch a very good HC team at their historic home, Fitton Field.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Sept 29, 2022 18:18:07 GMT -5
^
35 years ago when the entire city cared about HC - yes.
In 2022 after HC basically doing squat to engage the community for a generation until relatively recently - no.
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Post by gks on Sept 29, 2022 19:33:25 GMT -5
It boggles my mind that people complain about this game. If you were there last year you saw what a great night it was for Holy Cross and Worcester.
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Post by cruskater31 on Sept 29, 2022 21:20:23 GMT -5
To me, this game is a nice little thing to do in the Worcester community with lights and (in last year's case...a packed house). I neither have a strong aversion to it or a great love of the event. Just win baby!
PS. Still love to see HC vs. a traditional foe at Fenway (unless NDSU or SDSU wants to come out.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 29, 2022 21:51:57 GMT -5
To me, this game is a nice little thing to do in the Worcester community with lights and (in last year's case...a packed house). I neither have a strong aversion to it or a great love of the event. Just win baby! PS. Still love to see HC vs. a traditional foe at Fenway (unless NDSU or SDSU wants to come out. That might be one of the few hooks to get them to come East. HC would have to pay a guarantee I assume.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Sept 29, 2022 22:02:55 GMT -5
To me, this game is a nice little thing to do in the Worcester community with lights and (in last year's case...a packed house). I neither have a strong aversion to it or a great love of the event. Just win baby! PS. Still love to see HC vs. a traditional foe at Fenway (unless NDSU or SDSU wants to come out. Wouldn’t Fordham be the logical foe for that game, as a return for our visit to Yankee Stadium? Of course it would be designated as a home game for Fordham….
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Post by alum on Sept 30, 2022 5:20:11 GMT -5
Can’t have the same party every year. After a few times, the gimmick wears off. Play at Polar once every four years. Have a night game once in a while. LBJ taught us that you have to do something offbeat to attract crowds. He would approve of having Matt Sluka arrive at midfield in a helicopter.
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Post by Tom on Sept 30, 2022 8:44:52 GMT -5
There has been comment that this game is not selling as well as last year. Last year was a perfect storm. I have to believe that a significant percentage of the attendance last season was tied into Parents' Weekend. Mom and dad were in town looking for something to do with their kid. That is not in play this year. Last year the park was brand new. As Alum says, last year was a novelty. Lots of people came from outside of Worcester to be part of the event.
Way back in 2011, the state university came to Fitton Field under the lights (for the first time in many years) for the inaugural Ring of Honor induction. Another perfect storm and a great event. They rented lights for a game the next year and the attendance was less. In the third year, attendance was about half what it was the first year. The novelty was gone. There wasn't a fourth year.
Last year at Polar was a great event. My fear is that if it is an annual thing, it will be less of an event and kind of just another football game. I will be there next week. I am not complaining about the game. Just sharing my thoughts on the practicality of life and the law of diminishing returns
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Post by football44 on Sept 30, 2022 9:24:28 GMT -5
It boggles my mind that people complain about this game. If you were there last year you saw what a great night it was for Holy Cross and Worcester. Totally agree gks! it was a great game and a great environment. Lots of fun and the folks at the city of Worcester and the WooSox did a great job and were fully vested in cheering on the team.
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Post by cruskater31 on Sept 30, 2022 10:51:45 GMT -5
There has been comment that this game is not selling as well as last year. Last year was a perfect storm. I have to believe that a significant percentage of the attendance last season was tied into Parents' Weekend. Mom and dad were in town looking for something to do with their kid. That is not in play this year. Last year the park was brand new. As Alum says, last year was a novelty. Lots of people came from outside of Worcester to be part of the event. Way back in 2011, the state university came to Fitton Field under the lights (for the first time in many years) for the inaugural Ring of Honor induction. Another perfect storm and a great event. They rented lights for a game the next year and the attendance was less. In the third year, attendance was about half what it was the first year. The novelty was gone. There wasn't a fourth year. Last year at Polar was a great event. My fear is that if it is an annual thing, it will be less of an event and kind of just another football game. I will be there next week. I am not complaining about the game. Just sharing my thoughts on the practicality of life and the law of diminishing returns Great insight Tom! Totally agree!
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Post by sader1970 on Sept 30, 2022 11:11:01 GMT -5
Agree we are likely to see diminishing returns but considering they decided to name this the Edward Bennett Williams Classic and how much he and his wife donated/left to Holy Cross, it is highly unlikely we'll see this stop being an annual event for the foreseeable future unless the WooSox pull out. It'd be a slap in the face to the Williams family if HC ever did it. And with all the $$$$$ they donated, we could afford to lose money on this for many years before it'd be a break even.
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Post by alum on Sept 30, 2022 12:56:46 GMT -5
Agree we are likely to see diminishing returns but considering they decided to name this the Edward Bennett Williams Classic and how much he and his wife donated/left to Holy Cross, it is highly unlikely we'll see this stop being an annual event for the foreseeable future unless the WooSox pull out. It'd be a slap in the face to the Williams family if HC ever did it. And with all the $$$$$ they donated, we could afford to lose money on this for many years before it'd be a break even. That's true and as I am sure most know EBW was Lucchino's mentor at Williams and Connolly. If I recall correctly, EBW had Lucchino working on his sports franchises' matters and, when Larry returned from cancer treatment, put him in charge of the Orioles. That relationship is important and the College will certainly have to find a way to keep Lucchino and the Williams family happy. They have certainly earned our gratitude and respect.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 30, 2022 14:36:04 GMT -5
HC football isn't in danger of becoming the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, but playing in a shrine to college football like Fitton Field for only four games a year now, the burden should be on Polar Park and the city to make each game downtown spectacular to make up for HC giving up 20% of it's games at Fitton.
Every year that passes Polar becomes more ordinary and Fitton more historic.
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Post by rgs318 on Sept 30, 2022 17:51:45 GMT -5
Does the tribute to EBW have to be at Polar Park? The location does show we are trying to bring in fans from Worcester. Perhaps that is worth a slightly smaller crowd if the numbers drop slightly.
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Post by longsuffering on Sept 30, 2022 20:18:19 GMT -5
That is a sensitive area while Lucchino and the Williams children are with us. Would an EBW Classic pitting HC vs Georgetown in baseball at Polar Park be an acceptable substitution?
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Sept 30, 2022 20:36:27 GMT -5
No
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Post by Tom on Oct 1, 2022 9:16:08 GMT -5
Agree we are likely to see diminishing returns but considering they decided to name this the Edward Bennett Williams Classic and how much he and his wife donated/left to Holy Cross, it is highly unlikely we'll see this stop being an annual event for the foreseeable future unless the WooSox pull out. It'd be a slap in the face to the Williams family if HC ever did it. And with all the $$$$$ they donated, we could afford to lose money on this for many years before it'd be a break even. Fair point, although I don't see the WooSox puiling out. The local adult baseball league had a game at Polar earlier this year. Organizers were only expecting about 200 people, but Polar went ahead. They had limited concessions (one food stand and one beer stand - none of the "specialty" stands). If Polar will open its doors for a game with 200 anticipated fans, I don't see a day when HC football draws so few that the WooSox would toss them out.
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Post by CHC8485 on Oct 1, 2022 9:27:41 GMT -5
Don't compare Polar Park this year to Polar Park Last year or Fitton Filed in General. Compare Polar Park this year to Fitton Field on any Fitton game during Fall Break. Average attendance of 10 games held on either weekend of the Columbus break = 5,658 If you drop the 2 games against Harvard (which may have been Homecoming games) and that number drops to 4635. Year | Date | Opponent | Attendance | 2021 | Oct 16 | Georgetown | 4518 | 2020 |
| COVID |
| 2019 | Oct 19 | Harvard | 10381 | 2018 |
| Away Both Weekends |
| 2017 | Oct 7 | Monmouth | 4484 | 2016 | Oct 8 | Bucknell | 6184 | 2016 | Oct 15 | Harvard | 9115 | 2015 | Oct 10 | Brown | 4673 | 2014 |
| Away Both Weekends |
| 2013 | Oct 12 | Bucknell | 3318 | 2013 | Oct 19 | Colgate | 6213 | 2012 | Oct 6 | Bucknell | 3297 | 2011 | Oct 15 | Dartmouth | 4392 |
I don't know where the break even point comes, but if they get 7,000 at Polar Park, that's in the neighborhood of 2,000 more people in the seats, 5000 people paying a higher price on average than at Fitton and the intangibles of the community outreach. If they continue to hold this game on one of the Fall break weekends, you are looking at a roughly $125,000 increased revenue plus the good will generated with the city and its residents. From that perspective it works out pretty well for HC.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Oct 1, 2022 9:39:33 GMT -5
What do we pay to use Polar Park? Do the WooSox share in ticket & concessions revenue or is it just a rental situation?
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Post by efg72 on Oct 1, 2022 10:48:41 GMT -5
I would think the purpose for Holy Cross to play at Polar is to promote local businesses and support the Worcester community, so sharing expenses is most likely-but just a guess.
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