I have written for several websites over the past few years so from time to time I receive PR e-mails or requests to check out another person’s website, etc. that I usually archive and forget about. This morning, however, I had an e-mail waiting for me that piqued my interest as Paul Swaney, president of Stadium Journey, contacted me (as well as a few others) to let me know that their website had just published a review of the Liacouras Center.
The reviewer gave the arena a 3.3 out of 5 rating which I think is about right. Two things jumped out at me in the review. First off, I was shocked that no mention was made of the center court scoreboard as that thing is beyond awful. If I were wealthy enough I would make a contribution today specifically earmarked to upgrade it as it clashes with the otherwise ultramodern arena.
As for the second point, I will let the words of the reviewer do the talking:
Going to a midweek home game, like I did when the ranked Owls hosted the 6-16 Fordham Rams, doesn’t exactly inspire conference in the Temple fan base.
The student section, as I said earlier, certainly has some spirit (especially when the Owls are playing well, which is the norm), but the alumni did quite a bit of sitting on their hands. For example, when Fordham was down 20 at halftime but rallied to within 3 points, there was some supportive applause…but nothing more. Most stadiums would be on their feet to support their team, maybe realizing they needed a bit of a boost, but the Owl alumni just didn’t quite give the support the team needed. Hopefully as Temple graduates more alumni who feel like Owls, that arena will fill up—and then this home court could have a very dangerous advantage.
The empty seats/wine and cheese crowd conundrum has been debated ad nauseam in various other forums so I’ll keep it brief. I will go to Temple basketball games whether they are playing Duke or NJIT as I am there to support the players who represent my alma mater. Too many Temple ‘fans’ worry about who their team is playing on any given night as opposed to the team itself. Just some food for thought.
ANYWAY, I would definitely recommend keeping an eye on this website as it grows. The Liacouras Center was the first Atlantic 10 arena to be reviewed so I am certainly interested to see how it stacks up against UD Arena and the Cintas Center in the eyes of the people who make that site go.
Related posts:
- Gameday preview: Temple welcomes UMass to the Liacouras Center on Senior Night
- Gameday Preview: Temple Welcomes Duke to the Friendly Confines of the…Wells Fargo Center?
- The First Ever Super Duper Official OwlsBlog.com Student Section Rankings
- A firsthand account of the Temple-St. Bonaventure game
