Web forum gives fans opportunity to chat
Nate Dougherty
Issue date: 12/6/02 Section: Sports
The Bandwagon's message board is not limited to just Bonnies basketball talk. Discussions range from talk of the strength of the Atlantic 10 conference, to political discussions, to banter about who was the best athlete ever to come from the Olean area. The Bonnies' recruits are one of many hot topics discussed. Long before the men's basketball team signed Dan Cage and Patrick Tatham for next season, they were the topic of rumors and speculation on the Bandwagon. On Wednesday, a fan posted Tatham's stats from his latest high school basketball game.
The Bandwagon is also a sponsor of the St. Bonaventure Pep Band. After hearing that the band was in need of sponsorship, Fox put a request on the message board asking for help in earning the $1,000 needed to sponsor the band. Within two weeks Fox received $1,200 in donations from alumni and fans.
Aside from the cyber sports bar of conversation on the message board, the Bandwagon also offers links to sites related to the Bonnies and Atlantic 10 basketball as well as links to local newspapers.
There is no television coverage for the Boston College game, so soon the Bandwagon's chatroom fills up with fans from throughout the United States and the world. Dunga, an alumnus who comes to the chat room to talk about the game, hails from Libson, Portugal. Fans from Atlanta, Ga.; Jackson, Miss.; and Midland, Mo., also meet in the chat room to discuss the Bonnies' game plan and senior guard Joe Shepherd's improvement over the past year.
At halftime, they take a break from the basketball banter to talk about each other's families and catch up on old times.
"For those that can't get the game on the radio or listen on the Internet, they can just check back on the Bandwagon, on the message board and you have someone putting updates on every couple minutes," Fox said.
The patrons of the chat room profess their devotion to the Web site.
When asked what the Bandwagon mean to them, Bonadona, a fan, responded, "You mean the Web site that I can't live without?"
After each game, Fox posts the box scores as the board becomes flooded with many fans who come to put in their two cents on the Bonnies' performance. The loss to Boston College has the fans lamenting the Bonnies' poor shooting and looking ahead to their upcoming battle against Alabama with wariness. Despite the loss, Fox quells growing fears and offers a message of optimism.
"Now let's build on this and knock off the No. 3 team in the country on Saturday afternoon," Fox posts.
The Bandwagon is also a sponsor of the St. Bonaventure Pep Band. After hearing that the band was in need of sponsorship, Fox put a request on the message board asking for help in earning the $1,000 needed to sponsor the band. Within two weeks Fox received $1,200 in donations from alumni and fans.
Aside from the cyber sports bar of conversation on the message board, the Bandwagon also offers links to sites related to the Bonnies and Atlantic 10 basketball as well as links to local newspapers.
There is no television coverage for the Boston College game, so soon the Bandwagon's chatroom fills up with fans from throughout the United States and the world. Dunga, an alumnus who comes to the chat room to talk about the game, hails from Libson, Portugal. Fans from Atlanta, Ga.; Jackson, Miss.; and Midland, Mo., also meet in the chat room to discuss the Bonnies' game plan and senior guard Joe Shepherd's improvement over the past year.
At halftime, they take a break from the basketball banter to talk about each other's families and catch up on old times.
"For those that can't get the game on the radio or listen on the Internet, they can just check back on the Bandwagon, on the message board and you have someone putting updates on every couple minutes," Fox said.
The patrons of the chat room profess their devotion to the Web site.
When asked what the Bandwagon mean to them, Bonadona, a fan, responded, "You mean the Web site that I can't live without?"
After each game, Fox posts the box scores as the board becomes flooded with many fans who come to put in their two cents on the Bonnies' performance. The loss to Boston College has the fans lamenting the Bonnies' poor shooting and looking ahead to their upcoming battle against Alabama with wariness. Despite the loss, Fox quells growing fears and offers a message of optimism.
"Now let's build on this and knock off the No. 3 team in the country on Saturday afternoon," Fox posts.
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