Tuesday, March 29, 2011

STEP--A day later

So how are the numbers changing after 24 hours?

Not much.  There are 8 fewer total seats available.  There is about a 2% shift from $100 seats to higher levels-- a shift of 257 additional $100 seats are now available thanks to folks upgrading.



SECTIONSeats AvailableDonationSeats Available
3/28/20113/29/2011
WB341$400366
WC156$40098
WD246600-2000179
WE14600-200014
WF249600-2000180
WG134$400104
WH313$400337
WJ43$10039
NA46$10048
NB66$10074
NC43$10059
ND55$10055
NE75$10085
NF94$10094
NG41$10071
NH54$10074
NJ55$10069
NK45$10051
NL48$10048
EJ127$100126
EH552$400580
EG235$400209
EF248600-2000176
EE3600-20002
ED1044600-2000929
EC1099$400999
EB72$400103
WBU28$10034
WCU413$400443
WDU691$600691
WEU353$600324
WFU617$600623
WGU343$400349
WHU61$10054
WJU28$10076
NAU18100-40016
NBU29$10039
NCU44100-40051
NDU26100-40041
NEU54100-40060
NFU34100-40046
NGU22100-40016
NHU15100-40017
NJU23100-40033
NKU3$1003
NLU20100-4005
EJU78$10096
EHU96$100116
EGU750$400862
EFU819$600851
EEU694$600712
EDU1486$6001478
ECU1458$4001456
EBU8$1006
SAU19$10021
SBU31$10033
SCU26$10026
SDU40$10056
SEU32$10028
SFU16$10016
SGU11$10011
SHU15$10025
SJU26$10026
SKU22$10030
SLU28$10028
TOTAL1397513%1396713%
100164512%190214%
400586642%590642%
600+646446%615944%

Monday, March 28, 2011

STEP Central

The new STEP program kicked off for general seating last week.  The event was not without its technical difficulties, and some folks have been delayed in picking.  The process seemed to work well for the people with dislocated seats in January--I should know since I went through it--but apparently someone decided to change things and some new bugs arose.  I think they are worked out, but I am not choosing new seats at this time, so I can't say for sure.

But I did sign in and took a look around.  Here are the seat availabilities by section as of 9PM tonight (3/28/11.)



SECTIONSeats AvailableDonation
WB341$400
WC156$400
WD246600-2000
WE14600-2000
WF249600-2000
WG134$400
WH313$400
WJ43$100
NA46$100
NB66$100
NC43$100
ND55$100
NE75$100
NF94$100
NG41$100
NH54$100
NJ55$100
NK45$100
NL48$100
EJ127$100
EH552$400
EG235$400
EF248600-2000
EE3600-2000
ED1044600-2000
EC1099$400
EB72$400
WBU28$100
WCU413$400
WDU691$600
WEU353$600
WFU617$600
WGU343$400
WHU61$100
WJU28$100
NAU18100-400
NBU29$100
NCU44100-400
NDU26100-400
NEU54100-400
NFU34100-400
NGU22100-400
NHU15100-400
NJU23100-400
NKU3$100
NLU20100-400
EJU78$100
EHU96$100
EGU750$400
EFU819$600
EEU694$600
EDU1486$600
ECU1458$400
EBU8$100
SAU19$100
SBU31$100
SCU26$100
SDU40$100
SEU32$100
SFU16$100
SGU11$100
SHU15$100
SJU26$100
SKU22$100
SLU28$100
TOTAL1397513%
100164512%
400586642%
600+646446%

The percentages at the bottom are calculated as follows:

TOTAL -- this is the number of available seats on the site divided by the listed capacity of Beaver Stadium from the Beaver Stadium Pictorial (107,282.)  Basically, of the 107,282 seats in the stadium, 13% are currently unassigned to anybody.  When was the last time you can remember that many available seats in a single season?  The number of non-renewers is at an all-time high methinks.  And it appears that a large proportion of them were in higher end seats.

The second set of percentages is NOT based on total seat capactiy, but on total available seats.  So at the $100 level, 1645 is 12% of 13,975.  12% of the available seats are at the $100 level.

A number of people already selected before I could log on.  The total number of seats though is probably about the same, as they would have given up seats to get the new ones, although I suppose you could add seats to your account at this time as well.  I'm not sure about that.  If so, the total number of available seats could have been a little higher.

The results are slightly skewed toward the higher end seats because the majority of open seats were in the relocated student section (EB-ED.)  Most of these are $400-600 seats, and the lone $100 section, EB and EBU only have 80 seats between them left, compared to thousands of $400-600 seats.  In other words, of the available seats from the student section moving, most of the $100 seats are gone.  Most of the higher priced seats remain.

I am not surprised by this.  The vast majority of fans have gravitated to the lower end seats ($100.)  Of course, as the process continues, there will presumably be more lower end seats open up as people upgrade along the way.  I just don't see the numbers shifting that dramatically, though.  There is probably a portion of the people left to pick--probably at the end with lower NLC point totals, who will downgrade if they can. 

I do wonder what the University is going to do with a large chunk of higher end seats that could go untaken at the end of the process.  Anyone who is on a "waiting list" from other years is on that list because they failed to donate enough money to get off that list.  Are they really going to pony up $600-2000 per seat per year to now finally get seats?

We shall see.

I would be interested in seeing some responses from people who have gone through this process, will be going through it, or have chosen not to renew.  Let's hear from you!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Nature Channel

Here's a documentary . . .

Red Vest Cheaty Pants

Could this happen to a nicer program?

Apparently Ol' sweatervest knew things were wrong in Buckeye Land long before anyone else.  But he was afraid to do anything.

According to Patrick Rishe on a Forbes.com blog:
This incident will leave a “black-eye” on the program, lessening the ”Ohio State brand” and perhaps more importantly leaving a sour taste in the mouth’s of parents whose children are being recruited by Coach Tressel’s staff in subsequent years.


On Tuesday evening, Ohio State Athletics Director Gene Smith announced that the Buckeye athletics program have imposed self-sanctions on their football program after it was discovered that Coach Jim Tressel had withheld information received in April 2010.


The self-sanctions include (a) a public reprimand of Coach Tressel, followed by a public apology from Coach Tressel, (b) a 2-game suspension for Coach Tressel during the 2011 season, (c) a $250,000 fine for Coach Tressel, and (d) Coach Tressel must attend a compliance seminar.

During the press conference, the impression I received from the joint comments of both AD Smith and Coach Tressel was that Coach Tressel chose not to share information received in April 2010 because he was protecting his players. He mentioned that he was “scared”, and in light of earlier references in the press conference to past players that had been killed or involved with malfeasance, the implication was that somehow Tressel’s silence was motivated by his intention of protecting the safety of his student-athletes.


Killed?  Getting a free tat????  Are you serious?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

The latter was uttered by E. Gordon Gee Whiz, president of this fiasco, according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN.
Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee said he never considered firing Tressel.
"No, are you kidding me?" Gee said. "Let me be very clear. I'm just hoping the coach doesn't dismiss me."

Ohio State officials say Tressel broke NCAA rules because he didn't tell athletics director Gene Smith or the school's compliance office about e-mails he received from an attorney in April 2010, which indicated Buckeyes players were receiving improper benefits.


"I don't think less of myself at this moment," Tressel said.
How's that for looking in the mirror?
Please click the links and read all the details.  This is some good stuff. 
Oh, Dick Faust, where for art thou now???
 
Of course, will anything really come of this?  Does any non-Buckeye fan believe for a moment that sweatervest will not get his $250,000 back in some form or other of bonus or equal remuneration?  Are not the first two games against Akron and Toledo?  I think his team will be okay without him on the sideline.  It's as much a joke as the suspensions of the guilty players who will miss only one Big Ten game and still got to play in their bowl game--hey, bowl rings for sale!