Meh. i dont see what the big fuss is, we still did what we normally do anyway. I figure if your complaining about how annoying the roving MC was then you werent loud enough, because you wouldnt have heard her. but thats just me. Thankfully there is two weeks until the next game, my voice needs recovery time!

Perhaps the time to get a new 'thing' started (e.g., standing up until the first score of the game - as done in Perth and NZ) is at the height of a crowd's involvement (third quarter) rather than at a cold start?

Given the troubles with the speakers/acoustics, a roving MC is a bit of a risk. Allan (courtside announcer) has a good voice that is easy to understand in there and he could do more in the way of announcements?

Obviously the plan needs change of some sort, but hopefully the fact that the majority of complaining is about the MC suggests that at least the coach and team got it right this time.

The only thing i understood her say
was when she announced Perth scored at one point because we were not loud enough.

why bite the hand that feeds while play is ongoing?
MB girl, you are better than that.

Like nails on a blackboard, that detracted from my game night experience.

Please stop yelling at me and telling me to do things.

The crowd will be louder without a roving mic person, regardless of who it is. NBA and college games in the States have well thought out game formats that allow the crowd to do their thing.

An example is if you want a defense chant, they don't have someone yelling the chant into a microphone. They play a sound effect that prompts the crowd. Yelling into a mic will only make it quieter as most people will say, well she's doing it for us, I'll just sit here. Others, like myself, were just plain embarassed for her and that kept me very quiet.

If you want "Let's go Sixers, let's go! (clap clap)" then play the organ music to lead the crowd. That will have a much better effect than having someone yelling it.

And another thing. If we are on a roll and the opposition call a time out in the 4th quarter, don't draw the raffle! Play Sandstorm, Twilight Zone, Rock and Roll Part 2 etc (you know the pump up the crowd songs that every crowd in the world knows) and let the crowd go nuts for a minute. That's a smart game format.

Please, good point about a sound/music to get the crowd going instead of a chant. Thought when it's needed, leave it to Allan who does a good job of it too.

Skip, did I miss you playing Moscow? Needs to be in there! ;)

I played Moscow!

Funny how people talk about Europe crowds being 'crazy loud'. They are like Australian crowds, some places are loud, some are loud only when the team is on a roll and others are a library.

More Alleyoops to Winder = Loud Noises!

Agree with most of the above comments re the court announcer - she was just annoying and it simply is not necessary to have a roving court announcer when Allan can take care of the announcements.

I heard Moscow Skip! It wasn't played for that long so probably why Isaac missed it.

With regards to atmosphere, I went to a Miami Heat game in April and ithe atmosphere was roughly the same as yesterday. Fairly flat. My theory about yesterday was being the first game and not really knowing the players it took a while to get into the game. As for the roving mike she had a great voice for the print media and a condescending attitude that got on my goat, but not nearly as much as my son.

The Sixers organisation presentation of the game is as good as any I have seen. We, the crowd have always been reluctant to go away from the tried and true. The last successfull attempt at organising the crowd was the synchro intro by Paul Barton back in the Apollo days.

What would have gone a long way to resolving this problem is someone who knows about PA systems and changing the EQ for the mic, perhaps even testing it before hand to make sure it works.

I think it is obvious that either who ever is running the mixer has no idea, or has never got off their seat to realise it sounds very different at just about every location in the stadium.

I think change is a good thing, but that bombed. Get a hold of Kojo Productions - they look after all the Super Screen stuff at AAMI stadium and do a damn fine job of it.

Our group was definitely not a fan of the roving mic. Detracted from game day experience as we were busy trying to figure out exactly what was being said. They sort of looked like two people that had jumped out of the crowd and snagged the mic....... Definitely not inspiring to join in the chants etc. Agree with previous comments re using sound bytes and music to inspire crowd participation.

Sorry Skip - obviously missed it.

can we put this issue to bed now.. please!!?

Yeah, sorry but I have to say that the Roving MC was just a bad idea.

That and the fact that this is another reminder how outdated the sound system is for the Dome; hopefully a stellar year of FTA basketball encourages the venue owners to buy an updated cube and speaker system.

Don't think Adelaide needs a hype man, we just need a team that can make the finals again. Performance will do the trick.

Like most innovations, it at least needs some tinkering with if it's to work properly. Most of the time I could barely make out what she was saying from my seat seven rows back behind the Sixers bench. The worst thing was, she missed the entrance of the Sixers on to the court before the game because she was saying something else instead of something like (to quote last year's emcee) "A-a-a-a-a-a-nd now - welcome on to the Brett Maher Court - YOUR team - the Adelaide Th-i-i-i-i-r-r-r-r-r-r-ty Sixer-r-r-r-r-r-r-s!!!". I almost missed seeing them run out because I was facing the other end of the court watching the Perth boys warming up. But whatever the club does, we'll all be split between those who love it and those who don't. The bloke with the guitar at half-time was quite good, for mine, but I doubt everyone will agree.

I felt bad for her. It was real awkward to watch. She has to go, seriously.

The music needs to be a touch loader too...just a little.

The product that is game night is pretty good and our team will be enjoyable to watch....but gimmicks we dont need.

The roving MC has to go, everyboby sitting close to me was saying the same. Her voice is annoying and we do not need to be treated like kindergarden kids.
People were actuly shouting at her to sit down and shut up which does not look good especially for any new supporters who we would like to encourage to come and fill the stadium which will create more atmosphere

The fact is we dont need any sort of gimmick. If the product is good, that is enough. Get our team winning and playing good basketball and the rest will take care of itself. Fix the sound system, and get someone who knows what they're doing with the EQ settings and we'll be well on our way.

I can assure you, I dont attend basketball to be prompted into cheering when told. Our crowd will make noise, thats a fact.

There's a reason that place has been pumping over the years, and it has nothing to do with court announcers.

yeah.. sorry I'm another who has to agree. I found myself thinking to myself "if this is going to go on all season i honestly don't know if I can put up with it...".

I see what they were trying to do.. but it didn't work, and won't work (at least in that same format with the same audio).

Couldn't understand near 1-word. At one point it degraded into some form of indistinguishable screaming that smashed through my brain like an ice-breaker while trying to concentrate on the game. I didn't like it. Not one bit.

I also don't want to stand up until the 1st point. I find the notion irritating (now that I actually know what they were trying to do - yesterday I had no idea and assuemd it was for the national anthem or something), and I CBF'd putting my arm up in the air etc on home player free throws and going "oomph" or whatever is was either.

I'll stick to stamping my feet, clapping loudly and chanting when chanting is due thanks. I also think that these simple things are a lot easier for the quieter ones amongst the crowd to take up.

I don't wish to go to a game to perform some regimented set of USA based rituals when someone I can't hear decides it's a good time to do it. Why try force the Adelaide crowd to lose it's own built-up identity? I find it strangely offensive even.

ohhhhhh.....is that what that standing up thing at the beginning of the game was?? i seriously had no idea what was going on then. i thought the leagues scrapped the national anthem at the beginning of every game. So lost on that one. i do agree with ShaneD just because other states may or may not stand up until the first point, why should we? i dont see how it serves any purpose?

I think everyone is being a bit harsh on her. She was trying her best but was a bit to enthusiastic.

The crowd seemed to want to stand until a basket was scored but she made them stand like 4 minutes before the game which was too long. So everyone sat down way before the start of the game.

Also it didn't help her cause that the sound system is hopeless.

I agree that her talking during the game was wrong.

I think the kids would have appreciated her chants of defense so that they could get more involved (The court announcer could do this). Also her trying to get people interactive during foul shots could have added to the enjoyment of kids.

People yelling "Get off", "No one likes you", "Shut up" really wasn't necessary.

I think she can stay if she limits her involvement and doesn't try so hard. I think we should appreciate the idea for what it was worth

I agree with the harshness of comments stated by King James. at the end of the day she was only doing the job she has been paid and expected to do. It would not be easy doing what she did at all. I personally didnt really notice though as we just go to the standing section and up there we couldnt hear a thing from that speaker system.

i do agree the music needs to be louder and IMO it needs to be a bit more modern. more basketball styled songs. although im sure there are some licensing issues here where it costs money to have the music they have. i could be wrong?

.. I do not agree with anyone holding her personally responsible. Not her fault that the audio was so poor she felt she had to squeal like a banshee. Remember the other person was just as hard to hear. Someone should have stepped up and asked her / them not to persist after the 1st half (if not sooner), regroup and try again.

I just think the whole notion was poorly thought through and poorly executed. I do appreciate the idea for what it was worth, given it's mine any everyone elses dollar we give to the club that goes in to these sorts of reources. Unfortunatley in this instance the idea is seemingly worth about 5c (given copper is no longer in cicrulation).

I don't normally care too much about this aspect of game-day, as it's normally resonably unobtrusive, and I like to concentrate on the game itself, however when things start to impede on your enjoyment of and abiltiy to take-in the game, it's a pretty clear sign things are not right.

Hopefully they can make some reasonably whoelsale changes to the off court aspects for the next home game so we can all take only positives away from sensational Basketball games like yesterday's.

I loved seeing the players going into the stands after the game. Extremely good thing!

The kids (and ladies) loved it. Winder had a small posse of kids following him everywhere. The kids wont forget it in a hurry, might even be a good enough memory to play hoops, and not footy.

That was indeed a nice touch, and I hope it continues.

I think the main problem was the EQ for the Mics, DB had the bottom end too hi and his sister had her hi range too hi for her voice. (how cool was her outfit!)

With the PA sorted out properly and a little bit less chanting I think it wouldn't be too bad. Anything is better than Luke Wesley

So when you say you dont hold her responsible, you believe that Patronising the crowd is a way to get us involved???

I found it very hard to hear her, yes, but her attitude at that break was disgusting. Didn't win her any fans from that point on no doubt.

^ Good point. I forgot about the "be-cause- you - are -hav-ing so- much- troub-le - hear-ing -us" incident. It did come across as patronising (not entirely sure if she meant it to come across that way.. I'd like to assume not).

Please insert patronising in my rant above. It is a feeling that fits with the others experienced yesterday.

someone must have been watching some college games as it looked like they were trying to get that same atmosphere. perhaps it would have been better of the you could here the audio system

I was waiting for our 'We will rock you' stomp and clap for the start of the game now thats a SIXER THANG!

+1 to remove roving MC all together.

Monique Bowley is a great person and gave it 200%, she is funny, a lovely person and have the courage to stand and give it a go to entertain us.
Unfortunately at this time it did not work, she could hardly be heard and the crowd are not use to a female voice talking to them..unfortunately for those who have stood on the court with a microphone it is hard to hear yourself with the positioning of the speakers....Bonz can confess to this himself, when he first started we were reading complaints against him, but he soon worked out to stand in the tunnel or to the side of the court and the acoustics worked better. Unfortunately, with 16 home game and 5 months on waiting fans are not as patient and forgiving, maybe have the court announcer send us our messages and Monique run the competitions etc, this is how it worked back in the Mark Robinson (Robbo) days back in the early 90's as he had the best voice. His wife Toni Tenaglia came on to the floor and also a legend at the old SAFM but the fans did not like Toni's voice on the court.... but credit to Monique she gave it a go at entertaining us and those that know Monique know that if the suggestion had come up whether or not she would be a great court announcer we would have all put our hand up and voted her in as she is a legend at entertaining us in most environments!!! The club now has to look at maybe restructuring the floor a little differently if they are to keep her, she has her strengths and i think with a little juggling, trial and error, it will work!! How great though to have a players perspective on how they want us fans to contribute...lets get behind her and the club with some constructive critisism (T).

The whole standing before a score thing is terrible IMHO. I have kids sitting behind me and when I stand they can't see. I sit to get out their way and then I can't see. And so it goes on...

I didn't like the MC like most others.

I didn't like the fact that they have no beer there. I only have 1 or 2 beers there with old work mates that I catch up with only at the bball.

Apart from that... I am so happy the season is underway and I think the 36ers are looking more promising than the last 4 or so years and the NBL may finally get back to being a top sport again with the fta coveraage

(Mod: Blatant sniping.)

winitinaminute....if you want to take a personal attack on people then take it up with then personally, its fine to hold people responsible but you dont have to condemm them behind a forum facade!

wasnt there - watched on ONE HD and must admit i was wondering what the womans voice was all about - didnt come across on tv as too bad but ??
if i at game i dont need MC trying to get me up - the players / game does that -
i can read update the scoreboard that be the solution

MB TRIED, but she didnt know enough about the crowd she was working with. The GUY was just horrible, he didnt look like he wanted to be there and mumbled himself into oblivion.

If MB is to stay she needs to realise the crowd will get into the GAME, and you need to have a reason to make us all stand up!!! The old lady behind me was fuming she suddenly couldnt see anymore, kids infront of me couldnt see anymore..just not a good idea.

My suggestion is to work a few games, try to get the crowd going at pivotal points in the game, not when were waiting for the game to start, or a time out. Slow yourself down let the crowd get to know you and THEN try some new things.

Pointing towards Skip, if you play the favourites buddy that involve hands clapping, you get that. But I guess throughtout the off-season, a few people have wanted new music. The older generation dont listen to anything but 1395 5AA, so they arent into that.

As for the roving MC, it didnt work but good work anyhow. Maybe its worth exploring at Lightning games.

Winitinaminute, no problems with expressing your disapproval of the Bowley experiment (neither of them would've been happy with how it went either), but your personal attacks are exactly what this forum needs less of.

There was a blog about it here quoting many of you anonymous snipers posters.... but it has been taken down.

Who's choice to remove?