#361 ·
You guys are all making a huge deal out of nothing regarding the filming situation. There are actual professionals assigned to handle the official recording at a high level. Of course, you’re going to have fans and visitors snapping videos on their phones; you can't just root that out entirely, but that isn't really the point of what certain guys are trying to communicate here. Anyone with half a brain knows where to stand in the arena to catch a few moments for memory's sake, BUT SETTLING IN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUPPORTER SECTION IS DEFINITELY NOT IT!! Basically, anyone who camps out in the heart of the supporters' section is essentially declaring themselves an ACTIVE FAN by their very presence. And the job of an active fan is to cheer for the club for all 90 minutes and actually follow the rules and guidelines being shouted through the megaphones by the leadership. Back when we were at the Syracuse game, the supporter section was a bit of a circus—and look, I’m not against having a diverse crowd; in fact, that kind of variety is how you build a strong core following—but those first games are always the hardest, and most of the "newcomers" tend to show they haven't quite learned the ropes yet. The printed flyers (especially the larger ones discussing the blue boxes and the 🙏 filming) are great, but from what I saw, the flyer about pyrotechnics was handed out in front of the arena, while the much more important one (the other one) probably got less attention because people were already preoccupied with finding seats, getting through security, blah blah blah. My suggestion would be to hand out the smaller flyers right at the sector entrance, and save the larger, more vital ones for the area outside the arena while the crew is gathering. Secondly, taking an aggressive approach or trying to enforce weird schemes regarding filming won't achieve anything; it'll just backfire. I saw plenty of security staff out there, and I honestly think those guys—who volunteered to help management make sure everything looks good and runs smoothly—should be the ones ensuring the supporter section looks respectable too. For instance, looking at the back row in Syracuse or that railing where a lot of people were congregating, it's the perfect spot for 3 or 4 security members to stand; they basically have the whole section in the palm of their hands and can spot where things are going sideways. If you place another 3 or 4 security members along every edge of the section, you effectively surround the group, giving you maximum control over the crowd and individuals. As soon as a mistake happens, you react immediately and explain to those people that what they're doing is wrong and that there’s no place for that behavior in a dedicated supporter section. Over time, that kind of approach will foster a sense of culture within the group, which is the primary and most fundamental thing we need to work on. Cheers ☕
