2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Planning failures ensure calamity before big game
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: Editorial/Opinion
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12/06/07 - Success and failure rarely go hand-in-hand, at least not on the same night. But the Ryan Center at the University of Rhode Island managed to complete both feats, catering to a sold-out crowd, while also managing to lose grip on student safety before the URI vs. Providence College men's basketball game even started Tuesday.
With 1,500 student tickets ready to be dished out all at once, it was no wonder why URI students found themselves among the throws of a violent crowd, eager to file in through a single door to claim their ticket. Closed doors were unhinged, security found itself overwhelmed and students were nearly trampled, some after standing in 25-degree weather for hours.
With a match up that not only involved a long-time in-state rival, but a Rhody team that was going in with an 8-1 record, selling out 7,657 seats was almost a sure thing. Last year, Providence steamrolled over Rhode Island with a 95-66 win. This year was supposed to be payback, but student fans got a little more than they bargained for. To have such a large quantity of tickets distributed at one time was bound to cause problems, and this is not the first time it's happened on this campus.
Ten years ago, 5,000 students crowded the entrance of the Keaney Gymnasium, in hopes of snatching up 4,000 tickets to an ESPN-televised Midnight Madness. One student found herself trapped inside a glass trophy case in the hall, while others were slammed into closed doors and trampled by the enormous crowd. Though the crowd at the men's basketball game this year was significantly less, one student had a panic attack in the middle of the crowd and had to be treated by EMTs. "Some" pushing and shoving got so bad that the Ryan Center staff and security started letting students in without tickets.
It's one thing when history repeats itself. It's another thing when URI doesn't learn from its mistakes, putting students in danger. Why wasn't there more security for one of the most anticipated men's basketball games of the season? And why did it take so long to get everything under control? The tickets were sold out within 30 minutes.
Yes, alumni from both Providence and Kingston have invested many years in watching the rivalry. And yes, to spectators who are new to the game or just in it to see a team with a hot streak battle it out, it's a wonderful and exciting treasure. But the students make up one of the most important parts of the fan base. They're there when the home team loses and they're there when the home team wins - that's where the fan base is born. The Ryan Center staff should think about that next time they decide to be irresponsible with student tickets.
With 1,500 student tickets ready to be dished out all at once, it was no wonder why URI students found themselves among the throws of a violent crowd, eager to file in through a single door to claim their ticket. Closed doors were unhinged, security found itself overwhelmed and students were nearly trampled, some after standing in 25-degree weather for hours.
With a match up that not only involved a long-time in-state rival, but a Rhody team that was going in with an 8-1 record, selling out 7,657 seats was almost a sure thing. Last year, Providence steamrolled over Rhode Island with a 95-66 win. This year was supposed to be payback, but student fans got a little more than they bargained for. To have such a large quantity of tickets distributed at one time was bound to cause problems, and this is not the first time it's happened on this campus.
Ten years ago, 5,000 students crowded the entrance of the Keaney Gymnasium, in hopes of snatching up 4,000 tickets to an ESPN-televised Midnight Madness. One student found herself trapped inside a glass trophy case in the hall, while others were slammed into closed doors and trampled by the enormous crowd. Though the crowd at the men's basketball game this year was significantly less, one student had a panic attack in the middle of the crowd and had to be treated by EMTs. "Some" pushing and shoving got so bad that the Ryan Center staff and security started letting students in without tickets.
It's one thing when history repeats itself. It's another thing when URI doesn't learn from its mistakes, putting students in danger. Why wasn't there more security for one of the most anticipated men's basketball games of the season? And why did it take so long to get everything under control? The tickets were sold out within 30 minutes.
Yes, alumni from both Providence and Kingston have invested many years in watching the rivalry. And yes, to spectators who are new to the game or just in it to see a team with a hot streak battle it out, it's a wonderful and exciting treasure. But the students make up one of the most important parts of the fan base. They're there when the home team loses and they're there when the home team wins - that's where the fan base is born. The Ryan Center staff should think about that next time they decide to be irresponsible with student tickets.