1-1 with Todd Stansbury. What should I ask him?

travgt01

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
559
Location
Buckhead
He should probably cancel his meeting with you and focus on fixing the ridiculously long lines to get into BDS for MLS and concession stands that have people waiting in line for over an hour.
 

CuseJacket

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
19,627
If only there was someone on this board who's been to the Carrier Dome a few times... or maybe 200+.

The Carrier Dome is on campus. Beer has been sold there going back at least to the 80's. Was there ever an
NCAA rule against it?

(I think I average ~4 posts/year trying to dispel the on-campus beer sales myth.)

Screen-Shot-2015-10-16-at-1.19.23-PM.png


https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/beer-map-shows-trend-stadiums-selling-beer/
 

Techster

Helluva Engineer
Messages
18,397
If only there was someone on this board who's been to the Carrier Dome a few times... or maybe 200+.

The Carrier Dome is on campus. Beer has been sold there going back at least to the 80's. Beer has been sold there going back at least to the 80's. Was there ever an NCAA rule against it?

(I think I average ~4 posts/year dispelling the on-campus beer sales myth.)

Screen-Shot-2015-10-16-at-1.19.23-PM.png


https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/beer-map-shows-trend-stadiums-selling-beer/

Supposedly one of the reasons why the lines were so bad last Sunday for the Atlanta United game was alcohol (beer & wine) were being sold at BDS. The concession workers were not use to that (the concession workers working my section had GT unis on). I would assume the same workers work the FB games as well.

I looked at the offerings on the concession menu and was thinking "Oh, they have beer at BDS...." From my observations, 40% of the people in line ordered alcohol. That's A LOT of $$$ GT could make in extra concession revenue if they ever decide to start serving beer and wine at games.
 

decatur jacket

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
121
Location
Decatur, GA
No, not when gt gets a cut of the concessions. And when it's gt/BDS employees scanning tickets/security/providing concessions.

Are we sure that they are GT employees? It seems to me that at most FB games, the concession workers are there making money as part of a group (HS basketball team, etc).

Also, shouldn't GT's AD be more concerned with GT things rather than the plaything of a billionaire who's stadium is behind schedule? I realize there is a opportunity to pick up sidewalk fans and we ought to put our best foot forward, but to what end? I've never had a gameday experience like you have described even on the full sellout games. There must be an external reason for the problems encountered. As mentioned above, alcohol sales could have been a part of it. I have some friends that went to the game and it sounded like not all the gates were open like a typical FB game. That could be GT's doing or AU or MLS.
 

travgt01

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
559
Location
Buckhead
Are we sure that they are GT employees? It seems to me that at most FB games, the concession workers are there making money as part of a group (HS basketball team, etc).

Also, shouldn't GT's AD be more concerned with GT things rather than the plaything of a billionaire who's stadium is behind schedule? I realize there is a opportunity to pick up sidewalk fans and we ought to put our best foot forward, but to what end? I've never had a gameday experience like you have described even on the full sellout games. There must be an external reason for the problems encountered. As mentioned above, alcohol sales could have been a part of it. I have some friends that went to the game and it sounded like not all the gates were open like a typical FB game. That could be GT's doing or AU or MLS.
So events going on at gt athletic facilities aren't "GT things"? Sounds like you've been brainwashed by the gtaa and their typical ah **** it attitude.
 

a5ehren

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
485
I'm pretty sure GT contracts out most of our gameday ops. I'd guess someone along the line cheaped out and tried to get away with less staff, not counting on a sellout.
 

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,247
If I were meeting with TS, I'd ask him to consider partnering with all the youth organizations in the metro area: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Big Brother and Big Sister, Church youth groups, middle and high school community service organizations, etc. Select at least one game a year, against an opponent we know we'll have trouble filling the stadium, and offer reduced group rates in the sections most likely to go unused.

Two huge benefits come to mind:
1. A much fuller BDS at those games
2. Sewing the seeds of loyal fandom in the youth of our city. Cultivating sidewalk fans is an investment. From my pov, it's not even a big one doing this.
 

decatur jacket

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
121
Location
Decatur, GA
So events going on at gt athletic facilities aren't "GT things"? Sounds like you've been brainwashed by the gtaa and their typical ah **** it attitude.

Well, considering TS has a multitude of actual GT sports to worry about, yes, MLS is not a "GT thing." I don't have an ah **** it attitude. I just think our AD shouldn't be worried about a temporary event that is about to move into a billion dollar palace in 8 weeks.

You suggested that TS cancel his meeting with a current student to spend his time on a MLS event. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but you might want to look more to the guy you are paying for your season tickets to rather than the guy he is renting the venue from.
 

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
Messages
9,095
Location
North Shore, Chicago
Well, considering TS has a multitude of actual GT sports to worry about, yes, MLS is not a "GT thing." I don't have an ah **** it attitude. I just think our AD shouldn't be worried about a temporary event that is about to move into a billion dollar palace in 8 weeks.

You suggested that TS cancel his meeting with a current student to spend his time on a MLS event. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but you might want to look more to the guy you are paying for your season tickets to rather than the guy he is renting the venue from.
I think this approach is extremely short sighted. Let's take a deeper look at the situation...

GT has a relatively small alumni base within reasonable driving distance from Atlanta. So, to fill the stadium--to generate more revenue, to fund additional improvement efforts, etc.--we need to attract side-walk fans. We all know this; we've known this forever. There are many, many sidewalk fans who are major contributors to this forum. So, we have an opportunity to fill our stadium by hosting a series of athletic events on campus, attracting sports-enthused people, who most likely are not GT fans. We have an opportunity to impress potential sidewalk fans with a great venue, excellent service and a fantastic experience. If we fall down, then we're missing/blowing a tremendous opportunity to market our brand to a lot of people. There are 30,000 season tickets sold. That's 30,000 people who will be visiting our campus at least 6 times for a sporting event in BDS. Then you have all of the single game attendees.

To look at this as anything other than an opportunity to reach and impress a target market we've been trying to tap into for years is extremely short-sighted. So, if TS doesn't cancel his meeting with a current student to spend some of his time on an MLS event, then he's not the right guy for this job. He should be pulling out all stops to market GT and our athletics brand to anyone stepping on campus. This is also a perfect opportunity to test certain strategies without alienating our existing fan bases.
 

decatur jacket

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
121
Location
Decatur, GA
I think this approach is extremely short sighted. Let's take a deeper look at the situation...

Travgt said that he should focus on the lines to get into the stadium as well as the lines for the concession stands. We have had FB sellouts as well as other high profile sold out events (Rolling Stones) in the stadium and have never had this kind of problem. I am suggesting that the cause of the problem may lie on ATLUTD's side instead of GT's. Maybe Arthur didn't pay for a fully staffed event? If that's the case, why should TS drop everything to try to fix the problem?

I realize that we have an opportunity to put our best foot forward to appeal to sidewalk fans and we absolutely should. It just seems to me equally as shortsighted to brush off a meeting with a current student to discuss improving the gameday experience for those that use it the most, to put all of your effort into a temporary event. Let's do the absolute best we can for MLS with what we have been given but focus on the future of GT Athletics and the GT experience.
 

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
Messages
9,095
Location
North Shore, Chicago
Travgt said that he should focus on the lines to get into the stadium as well as the lines for the concession stands. We have had FB sellouts as well as other high profile sold out events (Rolling Stones) in the stadium and have never had this kind of problem. I am suggesting that the cause of the problem may lie on ATLUTD's side instead of GT's. Maybe Arthur didn't pay for a fully staffed event? If that's the case, why should TS drop everything to try to fix the problem?

I realize that we have an opportunity to put our best foot forward to appeal to sidewalk fans and we absolutely should. It just seems to me equally as shortsighted to brush off a meeting with a current student to discuss improving the gameday experience for those that use it the most, to put all of your effort into a temporary event. Let's do the absolute best we can for MLS with what we have been given but focus on the future of GT Athletics and the GT experience.
I think there are ways to accomplish both. I don't think TS has to put out fires directly, but he does control those who do.
 
Top