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Indy Classic outdraws Hoosier Classic

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Remember when IU fans talked about how they carried the Crossroads and it couldn’t exist without them?

Attendance at the Hoosier Classic (at Gainbridge Fieldhouse) on November 20: 8,737 (link to box).
Attendance at the Indy Classic (at Gainbridge Fieldhouse) on December 17: 9,242 (link to box).
 
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Only 9,242 in attendance, in what, a place that holds 18k? That's not really something to brag about.
Not bragging about it. But we were told repeatedly by the gaptooths that the Crossroads only existed because of their fans. Yet when both schools hosted their own events at the same venue, Purdue outdrew them (and did so on a much busier weekend for most people, I might add).
 
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Only 9,242 in attendance, in what, a place that holds 18k? That's not really something to brag about.
I was looking at that during the game. There was a whole row of gray seats right behind the Purdue bench that was empty the whole game.
 
Quite frankly the attendance total is pretty embarrassing considering we are the #1 team in the country and its practically a home game.

I'm actually quite surprised at the low attendance.
We had Christmas with out of town family this weekend.

Plus I much prefer games at Mackey over Gainbridge, especially with such a meh opponent.
 
We had Christmas with out of town family this weekend.

Plus I much prefer games at Mackey over Gainbridge, especially with such a meh opponent.
I was just hoping there’d be enough Boilermakers in Marion County to fill it up.
 
Not sure why they scheduled that game @ 6:15 pm local time. Would attendance have been better for an earlier tip? I did figure/though it was a larger crowd than the announced attendance and at least Painter and Edey thanked/acknowledged the crowd support when asked about it post-game.
 
Duke plays neutral site games against the lower instate NC schools (Elon, Davidson) and draws under 10k. These type of games are just not going to be a big draw when they aren't tied to a season ticket package.
 
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I was there Saturday night. It sure didn't look like there were 9,000 in attendance. The whole upper bowl was empty. Buddy and I both commented on how disappointed we were with the turnout. I really thought with the #1 ranking and ease of getting a ticket there would be a better crowd. Full disclosure, I loved the Crossroads and went every year, so maybe a chance to see the Boilers in Indy is great for me, but not enough others agree with that.

I'm hoping we can get a big name opponent for Indy next year. Elliot had eluded to that possibility on the CMP radio show a couple weeks ago. For us it's a great way to hit a few bars before the game or after (sometimes both) and see friends and Boilers play around the holidays.
 
I would have loved to have went, but it was far to cost prohibitive for my family. When they priced the tickets, don’t think they considered the current financial issues this country is facing, everything costs a ton more than it did just a few years ago. That is just reality and I am not going to argue the politics behind it on this forum.

If they wanted this event to be well attended, they should have priced it as such. Say they made all upper level tickets no more than $10 each, with fees and taxes, they would probably still cost $20 each. Think about how much more in concessions they would have made. Yes I know that the concessions are probably done by a third party, but I imagine the promoters get a percentage of those.

In my opinion, this should be an event that strives to reach new fans and current fans that just don’t typically have much opportunity to see Purdue play. The high prices just make that very difficult for many.
 
I live here and will not go downtown for any reason until they get it cleaned up where good people can enjoy an evening on the town without crime.
That isn’t the reason we didn’t go, but I TOTALLY get that. I have no idea what the solution is, but they have to get the crime/homeless thing figured out.
 
I have traveled a lot in my life and have been in most major cities in the U.S. I have been downtown Indy at least 40 times for sporting events and I have never once felt unsafe and that includes this past weekend. Everyone can have different experiences but to say that Indy is unsafe for going to a sporting event seems unfair. JMO
 
I have traveled a lot in my life and have been in most major cities in the U.S. I have been downtown Indy at least 40 times for sporting events and I have never once felt unsafe and that includes this past weekend. Everyone can have different experiences but to say that Indy is unsafe for going to a sporting event seems unfair. JMO
2021 and 2022 had the highest murder rates in the city's history. Violent crime rate is higher than Chicago.
 
2021 and 2022 had the highest murder rates in the city's history. Violent crime rate is higher than Chicago.
Does that mean it's unsafe downtown during a major sporting event? I used to go to the old Chicago Stadium for Bulls games. Would I have gone in that area when there wasn't a game? No, I wouldn't. Same thing for the White Sox games on 35th and Shields. Taking crime rates and applying them universally to a city seems a bit disingenuous when the discussion is specifically about a part of the city during a major sporting event. As I said before, each person can have a different experience. If people didn't come to the game Saturday because they feared for their safety, I can't say they are wrong. I can only say I have never felt any fear in downtown Indy and that includes with small children with me.
 
I live here and will not go downtown for any reason until they get it cleaned up where good people can enjoy an evening on the town without crime.
You said it.My wife has to use a walker or wheelchair when we go any where ,and we would be sitting ducks for any punk with a gun just about any where any more.Life has gotten scary.
 
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Does that mean it's unsafe downtown during a major sporting event? I used to go to the old Chicago Stadium for Bulls games. Would I have gone in that area when there wasn't a game? No, I wouldn't. Same thing for the White Sox games on 35th and Shields. Taking crime rates and applying them universally to a city seems a bit disingenuous when the discussion is specifically about a part of the city during a major sporting event. As I said before, each person can have a different experience. If people didn't come to the game Saturday because they feared for their safety, I can't say they are wrong. I can only say I have never felt any fear in downtown Indy and that includes with small children with me.
Interpret it as you please. I have no agenda. Multiple people in this thread expressed concern, including people who live there. It wasn't always like this -- fairly recent, in fact. But if you look at a map of where murders are occuring, they are all over the city, including around the arena. Nothing disingenuous about it.
 
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Does that mean it's unsafe downtown during a major sporting event? I used to go to the old Chicago Stadium for Bulls games. Would I have gone in that area when there wasn't a game? No, I wouldn't. Same thing for the White Sox games on 35th and Shields. Taking crime rates and applying them universally to a city seems a bit disingenuous when the discussion is specifically about a part of the city during a major sporting event. As I said before, each person can have a different experience. If people didn't come to the game Saturday because they feared for their safety, I can't say they are wrong. I can only say I have never felt any fear in downtown Indy and that includes with small children with me.
Downtown Indy is not as safe now as it was 3 years ago. I still go downtown, but I know lot of folks who don’t. Riots scare people.
 
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Duke plays neutral site games against the lower instate NC schools (Elon, Davidson) and draws under 10k. These type of games are just not going to be a big draw when they aren't tied to a season ticket package.
Not sure where you're getting that. Duke's only neutral non-conference games in the last 6 years have been tournaments or the usual marquee doubleheaders or marquee games at MSG. Never against the small schools.
 
I live here and will not go downtown for any reason until they get it cleaned up where good people can enjoy an evening on the town without crime.
Am I missing a VERY recent development? It’s not going to seem like Main Street in the middle of nowhere, so it’d be absurd to have that as your standard … but Indianapolis has one of the nicest and cleanest Downtowns I’ve ever been in…? My sister lived downtown for years and loved it, and I have had a great time every time I’ve visited (most recently last year for the Big Ten Championship).
 
Am I missing a VERY recent development? It’s not going to seem like Main Street in the middle of nowhere, so it’d be absurd to have that as your standard … but Indianapolis has one of the nicest and cleanest Downtowns I’ve ever been in…? My sister lived downtown for years and loved it, and I have had a great time every time I’ve visited (most recently last year for the Big Ten Championship).
As posted, Violent crimes are way up the past 2 years, at record rates, and worse than Chicago. Not so many years ago I would not have believed it. Many businesses had to move their businesses from downtown because of the crime.
 
Does that mean it's unsafe downtown during a major sporting event? I used to go to the old Chicago Stadium for Bulls games. Would I have gone in that area when there wasn't a game? No, I wouldn't. Same thing for the White Sox games on 35th and Shields. Taking crime rates and applying them universally to a city seems a bit disingenuous when the discussion is specifically about a part of the city during a major sporting event. As I said before, each person can have a different experience. If people didn't come to the game Saturday because they feared for their safety, I can't say they are wrong. I can only say I have never felt any fear in downtown Indy and that includes with small children with me.
There were 2 separate “gun events” DURING the BT Champ football game a couple of weeks - on the circle and near the stadium.
I’ve lived here 35 years.
It’s much much worse than it’s ever been.
 
There were 2 separate “gun events” DURING the BT Champ football game a couple of weeks - on the circle and near the stadium.
I’ve lived here 35 years.
It’s much much worse than it’s ever been.
Damn, that is really unfortunate to hear. I live in Chicago and love it for all of its pros and cons, but it always struck me how remarkably clean and nice Downtown Indianapolis felt every time I visited ... it had a very "white collar" feel, especially for a Midwestern city.
 
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Damn, that is really unfortunate to hear. I live in Chicago and love it for all of its pros and cons, but it always struck me how remarkably clean and nice Downtown Indianapolis felt every time I visited ... it had a very "white collar" feel, especially for a Midwestern city.
Agreed. I have a lot of family there, and they stopped going downtown. Used to really enjoy going to some of the restaurants and just walking around downtown. Also have a friend who had a store downtown that he closed and moved after the riots. That was the last straw for him.
 
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Damn, that is really unfortunate to hear. I live in Chicago and love it for all of its pros and cons, but it always struck me how remarkably clean and nice Downtown Indianapolis felt every time I visited ... it had a very "white collar" feel, especially for a Midwestern city.
I mean, it’s still reasonably safe in my opinion, but definitely not what it was before Covid and the riots.
 
I have traveled a lot in my life and have been in most major cities in the U.S. I have been downtown Indy at least 40 times for sporting events and I have never once felt unsafe and that includes this past weekend. Everyone can have different experiences but to say that Indy is unsafe for going to a sporting event seems unfair. JMO
Lots of ignorant people who think that homelessness is a crime. All big cities have homeless and pan handlers, hell even the burbs like Avon, Greenwood, etc. have them. But DoWNtoWn Is dAngErOuS
 
Lots of ignorant people who think that homelessness is a crime. All big cities have homeless and pan handlers, hell even the burbs like Avon, Greenwood, etc. have them. But DoWNtoWn Is dAngErOuS
Homeless and panhandlers' are not criminals. Let's not go down the path of tying them together. It is most inappropriate.
 
No one said homelessness is a crime. Why are you tieing them together?
One of the posters (New Pal Boiler) said "they have got to get the crime/homelessness thing figured out", so it was not I who tied them together. And frankly your obsessing about "violent crime" is misinformed, because if you look at the distribution, it's spread out all over the city, but mostly on the east side or south of 38th Street, as well as other areas that are more impoverished, sadly. Downtown is not unsafe, as I have lived there for years and I've gone out more during those years than most will visit in their lifetime, and yet I've never had any issues with violent crime.
 
One of the posters (New Pal Boiler) said "they have got to get the crime/homelessness thing figured out", so it was not I who tied them together. And frankly your obsessing about "violent crime" is misinformed, because if you look at the distribution, it's spread out all over the city, but mostly on the east side or south of 38th Street, as well as other areas that are more impoverished, sadly. Downtown is not unsafe, as I have lived there for years and I've gone out more during those years than most will visit in their lifetime, and yet I've never had any issues with violent crime.
My words: "But if you look at a map of where murders are occuring, they are all over the city, including around the arena."

Comprehend much?
 
My words: "But if you look at a map of where murders are occuring, they are all over the city, including around the arena."

Comprehend much?
When did I quote that post? Maybe you should reassess your own comprehension.

I mean honestly if getting murdered in broad daylight downtown is your reason for not going to a Purdue bball game, I don't know what to say. Probably should avoid getting in a car anytime soon.
 
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