Festivus Holiday Post: Airing of Grievances About the Mullins Center (aka The Bill)

[WillHerndonFan]

As you all many know, the Festivus Holiday will be celebrated on December 23rd,and I thought it would be a good time in anticipation of this holiday to conduct an “airing of the grievances” of not a person, but rather about the Mullins Center (a.k.a. Bill) which opened over 30 years ago. As a freshmen in 1988, I was lucky enough to watch all four years of basketball at the Cage even though I never got to see the original Cage where Dr. J. Played as it was renovated in 1984-1985. In the Spring of 1991, I was able to watch the beginning of construction of the Mullins Center from 20th floor in Washington and was excited to see it go up and I was there when it opened in February 1993 against West Virginia and have been to over 300+ games in that building. The Bill is getting older and something things have changed and some haven’t and with that being said what are your grievances against the Bill.

My Grievances Against the Bill:

1. Need to light the outside of the building up as you can see every building when you drive in except the Mullins Center.
2. Too much stimulation at the games with the excessively loud music, light shows, video scoreboards, promotions, etc..
3. Let the Pep Band Play Music during the game instead of blaring music at every break
4. Improve the concessions as you have the #1 Dining Program in the country and you mostly have Pub Food at the game.
5. Get Rid of the that God Awful Gold Curtain that covers the Banquet Room overlooking the court. It looks so much better without. This might be my #1 grievance.
6. Put the student section in the lower level (prime seating area) on the TV side (bench side) and offer a scholarships for every game to improve attendance. Students sat on the TV side at the Cage. And let the fans/students sit right before the floor on both ends with a walkway behind them.
7. Let students and ticket holders enter from any location. Every time I go to the game, my daughter needs to go to the opposite end.
8. I did hate the parquet floor, but you replaced it with a much better floor.
9. Return the HalfCourt $10k shot as this was a lot of fun back in the day. The whole golf shot promotion (which someone just won) seems out of place.
10. I did resent the fact you could couldn’t get a beer at the game, but you fixed it. However, put a real Pub on Campus so people can get a beer before and after the game on campus in the UMass Hotel Lobby or Top Floor of Campus Center. In late 80s/early 90s we still had the Top of Campus Bar and Hatch (Did not get to see the Blue Wall in its heyday).
11. Need to rethink the hanging of banners as it looks so scattered and unplanned. The view of the retired numbers is blocked by the hockey net!

[Juice Stand]

The Mullins Center definitely needs a facelift. My big gripe is that it is too big, and yes, I know if we were top 25 in the country and a perennial tournament contender it would be perfect, but we aren't and haven't been for a long time.

I would love to see them take out some seats and open up to the concourse, letting some natural light in and just generally giving it a more open feeling. I know that means that they would likely have to relocate some restrooms or concession stands, but half of the concessions are closed on game day anyways, so what's the big deal. Open the joint up, let some natural light in, and by doing so get the capacity down to 7,500 or so.

[wmmmfan]

Other than the games themselves, the band, be it the full band for football or the pep band for basketball and hockey is part of the college game day experience. Let them play!!!

[Acer71]

1) Keep band in center of student section but move students closer to the floor.
2) Let band play more instead of that godawful too loud sound system.
3) Let students in any gate (we check in electronically anyway)
4) Better traffic flow after the game (pedestrian overpass/underpasses or direct access to feeder by athletic fields).
5) How about a tailgate pub for aftergame visiting especially once team becomes a draw again (see 5 above)?
6) Get more youth groups to the bill.
7) Existing vendor selections: Really?

[Upstate10]

Youth groups is a very smart idea

[LS71]

If I’m not mistaken there aren’t any real cooking facilities in the building. Yeah they can warm hot dogs up and bake a pizza but a huge improvement to the quality of concessions could be realized if there was a way to add some.

At least burgers aren’t made elsewhere, pre-wrapped and sitting under a heat lamp this season. Fries…any fried food, for that matter, do no not hold up well that way….gotta be freshly fried!

[Floyd]

I wish the lighting was more directed to the court. If you sit in the lower levels, the lights angle up off the court a bit and can be a bit bright

I actually like the Bill. Just need more people in the place

[Quann]

It’s way too big for basketball, always has been. Good hockey arena though. Would love a 6000 seat basketball only intimate arena. Student section next to the court a la Cameron indoor. That’s all

[Juice Stand]

If I’m not mistaken there aren’t any real cooking facilities in the building. Yeah they can warm hot dogs up and bake a pizza but a huge improvement to the quality of concessions could be realized if there was a way to add some.

At least burgers aren’t made elsewhere, pre-wrapped and sitting under a heat lamp this season. Fries…any fried food, for that matter, do no not hold up well that way….gotta be freshly fried!

When I walked the concourse on Saturday, I was surprised to see one of the closed concession stands was converted into a mini kitchen. There was a guy freshly cooking the potato wedges they serve at the chicken tender stand. But overall, yes, I agree with your point. I remember going to a UMass game at Fairfield a few years ago and when I ordered a hamburger, somebody slapped it on the grill, let it sizzle, and served it up fresh. It would be nice to have that at our games.

[nv73]

Put in a Pub( like Dagger John’s at Fordham) that you can access pre-game, halftime and postgame.

[MakeMullinsGreatAgain]

I like what the women's team did last year when they played a weekday game during the day and the local schools had a field trip to the game. The players said that was the loudest they had heard the Mullins - I was there and there's no doubt it was the loudest in a long time. Not sure if the men could do this - might affect TV contracts so it may not be possible but I have to believe they could something similar on a Saturday game

[InnervisionsUMASS]

I like what the women's team did last year when they played a weekday game during the day and the local schools had a field trip to the game. The players said that was the loudest they had heard the Mullins - I was there and there's no doubt it was the loudest in a long time. Not sure if the men could do this - might affect TV contracts so it may not be possible but I have to believe they could something similar on a Saturday game

The Women's team does that every year, going back to at least the early 2000s. Field Trip Day.

[UMass'96]

The better challenge for this board might be to ask people what they are thankful for or, what they like about their game day experience. There never seems to be a shortage of complaints...

I'd actually like to hear what people like and keeps bringing them back to endure all the negative stuff that continues to be posted...

[Juice Stand]

^ tickets are cheap.

[Old Cage]

Hey, WillHerdonFan - You are showing your age. Our teams no longer play at "The Bill". Per everyone from Carvy to the ladies hoops team to random posters on twitter, we now play at "The Mully"!