NJDuck Moderator No. 1 Share Posted March 22, 2023 (edited) Dana Altman called me on Wednesday morning. He’d cooled off. “I’m not leaving,” he said, “unless they want me to.” The University of Oregon men’s basketball coach sounded miserable on Tuesday night in the wake of the Ducks season-ending NIT loss in Eugene. His team lost 61-58 to Wisconsin. Only 3,358 fans showed up to see it. “I was mad at the world,” Altman said. “It was end of the season. We gave away the game at the free-throw line. We didn’t execute. I blew off some steam. I usually don’t do that. I did last night.” Canzano: Dana Altman is fuming... but he's not leaving Oregon WWW.JOHNCANZANO.COM Ducks basketball coach follows up after rant. Here is the article that was posted earlier today. Goes along with Canzano's piece in his conversation with Dana Altman: 'If it's me, then get rid of me;' Dana Altman airs out frustration on lack of fan support ‘If it’s me, then get rid of me;’ Dana Altman airs out frustration on lack of fan support | Ducks Wire DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Frustration over a season of poor play and poor attendance has been building for Dana Altman. On Tuesday night, he let loose. Edited March 22, 2023 by Smith72 capitalize titles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikethehiker No. 2 Share Posted March 22, 2023 I'm good with Altman sounding off here. The Ducks put in a great NIT effort and should have been rewarded with fans to cheer them on. Understand the year long issues, but I thought he was also speaking to the athletic department, ticket sales, social media, and promoters. That's not Dana's job apart from leading a pep rally. Oregon athletics should have found a way to get fans in there, especially with Wisconsin in town. 2 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCati855 Moderator No. 3 Share Posted March 22, 2023 On 3/22/2023 at 12:55 PM, mikethehiker said: I'm good with Altman sounding off here. The Ducks put in a great NIT effort and should have been rewarded with fans to cheer them on. Understand the year long issues, but I thought he was also speaking to the athletic department, ticket sales, social media, and promoters. That's not Dana's job apart from leading a pep rally. Oregon athletics should have found a way to get fans in there, especially with Wisconsin in town. For the most part I agree. But, this team seemed to be just going through the motions all season. Its hard for a fanbase to get excited when the players don't even seem to care. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 4 Share Posted March 22, 2023 I don't mind it at all, I want him to gripe about the season, it was a bad season, the stuff about the fans is fine as well, it is embarrassing to only have that many fans, personally I think the reason for this is because games are just not as fun as they used to be. Maybe I'm just nostalgic, but I just don't find going to the game as fun as when we were in Mac Court, I get annoyed by the kiss cam, the emoji cam, the dog cam, whatever else cam they have, while blaring music from a speaker. If they had the band playing, with the cheerleaders, and the Duck I might be more enticed to actually go and see a mediocre team. I still love going when we have a great team because it's more easy to focus on that, but when you are putting out a mediocre product (even if they play hard), then I want a college environment, not a minor league type feel to the game. 2 1 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 5 Share Posted March 22, 2023 Bill Oram: If Dana Altman wants fans in the stands, he has to give them a reason to show up It was the inattention to detail, the missed free throws, the lazy defense that led to the game-winning, season-ending three-pointer. Dana Altman was mad about all of it. And rightly so. An unspectacular Oregon Ducks men’s basketball season ended in spectacularly sloppy fashion Tuesday. But what Altman can’t be mad about, not really, is the fact that so few people were there to witness his team’s season end with a 61-58 NIT quarterfinal loss to Wisconsin. Bill Oram: If Dana Altman wants fans in the stands, he has to give them a reason to show up WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM The Oregon coach called the attendance for Tuesday's NIT quarterfinal "embarrassing," but the blame for that falls on the... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babyjesus615 No. 6 Share Posted March 22, 2023 On 3/22/2023 at 1:37 PM, spartan2785 said: Maybe I'm just nostalgic, but I just don't find going to the game as fun as when we were in Mac Court Hell, Mac Court games often felt like Big 10 games. That places was loud and shaking (sometimes unsafely so) nearly every game! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haywarduck Moderator No. 7 Share Posted March 22, 2023 I'll just say I look forward to what he puts on the floor next season. At least one of the players playing last night seemed to be trying to earn a spot on the floor next season, a 7 footer from a small town in Oregon. I look forward to a couple more from Oregon seeing the floor next fall. That team needed the heart and soul Dana tries to instill every night. I actually wouldn't mind seeing some of the players transferring out. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirklandduck Moderator No. 8 Share Posted March 22, 2023 I can't say I blame him. He's human and everyone gets frustrated at times. He was obviously frustrated at his team's play through the season and particularly against Wisconsin. Plus, it's not like he was pulling a Bobby Knight and throwing chairs onto the court! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastBayDuckDad Moderator No. 9 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Altman is a throwback to an earlier era. Coach young men up for at least 2 or 3 years. Push for accountability and personal work ethic. Demand that the student-athletes (yes, I said that) expect more out of themselves and put in the extra work to excel. And have one or two true leaders to hold their teammates to task. He named them: Pritchard, Brooks and Ennis. This new era of NIL, social media, transfer portal, one-and-done and 5-star egos is not Coach's forte. Grinders that have talent that can be developed is. It's possible he'll join the list of old timer coaches that end their careers, like K, Boeheim etc. I understand why he was frustrated. He tiptoed around it but laid some of it back on the team. He may lose someone to the transfer portal or an ill-advised early NBA exit. Hopefully it will sink in and both he and the 'dog' core of the team will return in 2023-24. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonDucks No. 10 Share Posted March 23, 2023 (edited) The Oregon men's basketball team has been hard to watch the past few years. I think Altman is a great coach but if he wants to fill the stands, he needs to put better, more competitive/entertaining teams on the court. I have no desire to drive 2+ hours, each way, and drop a couple of hundred dollars to watch this team play (heck, I can hardly stand to watch them on TV). Oregon would have beaten Wisconsin, if they made their free throws (4/12 is not going to win you many close games). Also agree with others about Matt Court. It has no character and whomever designed it missed a golden opportunity to replicate what made Mac Court so special. If I had a few billion dollars lying around, I'd demolish it and retry. Edited March 23, 2023 by OregonDucks 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 11 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Listening to people wax nostalgic about Mac Court is like listening to people who want to clone their beloved dog with the expectation that they’ll get the same results. Life doesn’t work that way. It moves on and changes. No, Matt will never be Mac, but that doesn’t mean it can’t intimidate opposing teams. It can. We’ve seen it happen. It just takes more of us — and more effort. In other words, exactly what Dana was saying. Sometimes you just go because you’re a Duck and you support the team irregardless of how you feel about the current edition. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DUCKED No. 12 Share Posted March 23, 2023 On 3/22/2023 at 6:32 PM, EastBayDuckDad said: Altman is a throwback to an earlier era. Coach young men up for at least 2 or 3 years. Push for accountability and personal work ethic. Demand that the student-athletes (yes, I said that) expect more out of themselves and put in the extra work to excel. And have one or two true leaders to hold their teammates to task. He named them: Pritchard, Brooks and Ennis. This new era of NIL, social media, transfer portal, one-and-done and 5-star egos is not Coach's forte. Grinders that have talent that can be developed is. It's possible he'll join the list of old timer coaches that end their careers, like K, Boeheim etc. I understand why he was frustrated. He tiptoed around it but laid some of it back on the team. He may lose someone to the transfer portal or an ill-advised early NBA exit. Hopefully it will sink in and both he and the 'dog' core of the team will return in 2023-24. Excellent take. Several valid points. Student-Athlete? C’mon. Maybe Athlete-Student. Maybe. If you’re in the band are you a Student-Trombone player? Ridiculous. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie No. 13 Share Posted March 23, 2023 One easy update to Matt Court arena would be to put up all the banners from all the past seasons. The one and only one up there looks lonely, and is barely visible. Current players may not know about past achievements, but many current fans do, and would probably enjoy seeing the reminders. 6 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 14 Share Posted March 23, 2023 On 3/23/2023 at 1:25 PM, Annie said: One easy update to Matt Court arena would be to put up all the banners from all the past seasons. The one and only one up there looks lonely, and is barely visible. Current players may not know about past achievements, but many current fans do, and would probably enjoy seeing the reminders. It's ridiculous, the way I look at it, it's like saying the only achievement that counts is a national title, we have a rich history in multiple sports, but don't want to celebrate it. I like the basic design of the arena, but there are soooo many things they could do to improve the experience if they wouldn't lean so much into the fake enthusiasm bits, it's like they have to micro manage every bit of the game. Does anybody go to the basketball or volleyball games in order to get on the big screen? Seriously does anybody really do that, how does that help to get people to go. I think it keeps people away, you had better attendance when the games were in a cramp, badly lit, hot, and generally uncomfortable arena because it felt authentic and real, plus the prices weren't outrageous. I get that it's a different world compared to 20 years ago, but I just don't generally feel like I'm watching a college game, I feel like I'm at a minor league venue half the time. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonDucks No. 15 Share Posted March 24, 2023 On 3/23/2023 at 2:59 PM, spartan2785 said: soooo many things they could do to improve the experience if they wouldn't lean so much into the fake enthusiasm bits, it's like they have to micro manage every bit of the game. Oregon does the same at football games. It’s obnoxious. They used to just let the band play during breaks. Am I the only one here who hasn’t been recognized for something during a TV timeout at Autzen? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 16 Share Posted March 24, 2023 Welcome to ‘Selfie World’ where you celebrate yourself just because it’s you! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllOregon No. 17 Share Posted March 24, 2023 Microcosm but my UO kid normally goes to games with a dozen friends. ZERO of them could attend the Wisconsin game because of being in middle of heavy finals week (they are all juniors & seniors) plus the high % of bad virus going around campus. Does not explain non-Students staying away though… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennsylvania Duck Moderator No. 18 Share Posted March 24, 2023 Oregon looking to enhance fan experience at MKA with new job posting within Athletic Department Three days after Dana Altman blasted the lack of fan support for his basketball program following the end of Oregon's season, the University of Oregon Athletic Department has already stepped up in an effort to try and improve fan support and engagement. The University of Oregon has posted a new job posting within their department that will be "responsible for the marking and gameday entertainment for men's basketball, women's soccer, and lacrosse - tasked to bring new and fresh elements to enhance fan experience." The official job title is listed as "Associate Director Promo & Gameday Experience. You can view the job posting here. This new position will not work under Altman or be part of his official basketball staff but will instead report to the Director of Promotions & Gameday Experience Rachel Doyle. Oregon looking to enhance fan experience at MKA with new job posting within Athletic Department 247SPORTS.COM After Oregon head coach Dana Altman complained about lack of fan support Oregon's Athletic Director Rob Mullens has already... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
