Finch for CAA; Best to connect CAA to a broader audience
February 9, 2010
Brandon Finch should get your vote today for president of the Carolina Athletic Association.
He has a broad, encompassing vision for how the organization should serve students.
And he understands that while the hard-core fans might be the loudest on campus, just catering to their needs alone won’t fill stadiums.
Engaging and thoughtful, Finch has been involved with the CAA since he was a freshman.
This year, he worked as secretary of the organization, an experience that gave him a useful perspective on the inner workings and management of the CAA.
As a bystander to men’s basketball ticket policy discussions, Finch saw how the current policy was developed and better yet, has solid ideas to fix it.
While suggesting solutions to the current policy, Finch strongly advocated a ticket policy task force, made up of undergraduates and graduates representing students from every corner of campus.
Finch is clearly an avid Carolina basketball fan, but he also understands fan commitment to other teams. From advocating P2P shuttles for softball games and tennis matches, to plans to increase attendance at Olympic sports games, he also incorporates Greeks and the Residence Hall Association to create an impressive, but manageable, platform.
Vote for Finch today because of his holistic and broad perspective. He knows what it takes to revive the Carolina spirit here on campus.
Why not Kuell
Simply put, Tom Kuell is an extension of the current administration. He does not represent the average Carolina student, nor did we find original, concrete ideas in his platform.
CAA President John Russell has failed to adequately respond to harsh ticket policy criticisms, favoring a minority of zealous basketball fans over the needs of the student body at large.
And like Russell, Kuell’s ticket proposal still does not address the problems with the current policy.
While a group option is a great step forward, the policy would still be based on single ticket distribution, which has proven a failure this year.
In short, it will not fill the Dean Dome, and his call for a campus-wide survey on the policy might not be feasible.
Kuell is certainly passionate about UNC sports and the CAA, but Finch offers a broader range of ideas that will appeal to the general student body.
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Also, by claiming there is "a
Also, by claiming there is "a minority of zealous basketball fans," you are implying the majority of basketball fans are not zealous, tending more towards indifference. Essentially you're conceding the majority of the student body as fair weather basketball fans -- a statement I wouldn't contend or try to extend beyond the sport of basketball. But would anyone expect what you defined as a fair weather fan to go watch "their" team play during one of the most underwhelming seasons in recent memory, regardless of ticket policy? Absolutely not. You know who's going to bring more fans in - Harrison Barnes. If you want experience and intimate knowledge of UNC athletics vote TOM KUELL - current CAA Vice President.
The current administration
The current administration has failed? Last year, 23 games into the season our soon-to-be National Championship team was 21-2, with 0 of those losses at home. Right now, our floundering team is 13-10 with 3 home losses. That's roughly a 34.7% drop in win percentage with a 100% increase in home losses. Admittedly so, attendance has dropped this year, probably around 10-15%, but quality of our team certainly has dropped disproportionately more. Nobody's excited about this years basketball team, so the notion that attendance should have either been maintained or increased for this years team compared to last years National Championship team is ludicrous. We do however need a consistent system in place for when our team is back playing at the level we're used to. Tom is by no means an extension of the current administration, but he is taking what works and improving upon it. The DTH is a fading excuse for a school newspaper this year anyways, so do the OPPOSITE of what it tells you to.
The above poster's rant
The above poster's rant embodies what is one of the greatest failings of the current CAA Administration: lack of attention to other UNC Sports. Yes, I know everyone on this campus lives and breathes Carolina basketball - but at the expense of ignoring some of finest NCAA teams in the nation (that don't happen to play in the Dean Dome). We all love basketball, or at least whenever UNC plays Duke, but you can't put all of your fan resources towards one outlet - diversification people! So what if Roy's Boys aren't the best this year? You're going to have to watch something else - and that something else is going to be better when the entire student body doesn't ignore them during championship years. Finch is consistently going to softball/baseball/soccer games and he knows his Carolina Athletics, of which basketball is only a part. Let him show this campus what he can do!
Finch is not the only
Finch is not the only candidate who goes to other sporting events. I am a part of Carolina Fever and consistently go to all different kinds of sporting events. I was one of the few who were present in Wake Forest as our Field Hockey team won the National Championship title. Being apart of Carolina Fever has helped me to get to know Tom Kuell. I've always seen him at all events from Field Hockey to Swimming and Diving and even to Lacrosse. Tom Kuell has a passion for all our athletics and even when we are not at our best and are struggling to get by, Tom still stands tall and cheers on our Heels. So before you go making statements that makes people think that Tom Kuell fails to care about Carolina sports other than basketball, get to know Tom Kuell. Maybe then you will realize how amazing he is and how passionate he is for all the athletic teams on this amazing campus!
It is not as if the current
It is not as if the current administration has not attempted to address what I agree is a major issue concerning CAA (lack of attention to other UNC sports), but the fact of the matter is people just don't care. Tom proposes to address these problems in unique and creative ways too, but it is not as if Tom or Brandon are wholly original in trying to broaden the attention spectrum of the student body to other fine UNC teams. How many women's soccer national championships do we have to win under different CAA Presidents before we become sadly aware that people are just totally apathetic. That's why the only line of criticism in this article and from 99% of student complaints towards the current administration and Tom concerns basketball ticket policy-- because unfortunately, that's the only thing people really care about.