Our fan support is pathetic now
- Thread starter 57stratdawg
- Start date
I'm not trying to excuse it, but I think attendance was impacted when the league started monkeying with schedule so much. Used to be one midweek game on Tuesday night, all the rest on Wednesday, almost always at 7. Now you might play Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and you might tip anywhere from 6:00 to 8:00. Again, it's not an excuse but know you have to try to know when we play.
This^^
The SECN scheduling has absolutely killed us, here. Tuesday/Wednesday night games tipping at 730-8 virtually makes it impossible for folks outside the GTR to attend, unless they're retired.
The SECN scheduling has absolutely killed us, here. Tuesday/Wednesday night games tipping at 730-8 virtually makes it impossible for folks outside the GTR to attend, unless they're retired.
It is also heavily impacted by the fact that you can watch or stream any SEC game now. Hard to justify traveling up to Starkville and back on a weekday when you can watch it at home.
For the life
of me, I cannot understand being a student, w school out, and not being at the Bama basketball game...or an alumni within an hour and not going.
of me, I cannot understand being a student, w school out, and not being at the Bama basketball game...or an alumni within an hour and not going.
Got little kids now and live 2.5 hours away. It's hard to go to midweek games and they're all on tv.
Well, the women's team draws just fine.
The truth is that the men's team has stunk for a long time & there just isn't much excitement about basketball. After bending the fans & the program over for the past 6 years, it's going to take time to build it back.
The truth is that the men's team has stunk for a long time & there just isn't much excitement about basketball. After bending the fans & the program over for the past 6 years, it's going to take time to build it back.
It doesn't help that you can literally stream anything on TV now. In 2004 when the Hump was rocking, Hulu/YouTube weren't even things yet. What else was there to do on a Tuesday night besides maybe play Halo in the dorms?
It's as simple as that. Fans will come back when the team is better. Right now people don't believe the team is that much better.
I asked this the other day and I don't think there was an answer....is it safe to assume that women's tickets are easily obtainable at the window for most games? Is it also accurate that we sold a fair number of season tickets for men's, and many of the unused seats were tickets that were bought? Not refuting your point, just saying that in addition to the product on the court, people also have to have access to a ticket.
Ricky Ray set this program back 4-5 years. Give howland a couple more years we
start winning fans will come back.
start winning fans will come back.
Probably a couple of reasons for that ... the women have been nationally competitive for two or three years now and have developed almost a cult following. Not sure what tickets to the women's game cost, but don't think it's anywhere near $25. At one time you could get in free.
This^ He might just say "you won't support this team? 17it I'm outta here!" I doubt he wants to finish out his career at a school where a fan base can't support the program.
I understand that point. It is very fair and there is certainly truth there. I will say the team is better right now than at any point in the last 5 or so years. They do have a ways to go though.
However, as illustrated when Mullen took over for Croom, he made a sincere plea with the fans to attend. His quote to some extent: "the wins will come once the fans commit to attending." And if I remember correctly, we had very enthusiastic and full crowds during Mullens first year even though we had not won in a decade. He got the fanbase to buy in before he had a winning record. That is a fundamental component when building a successful program coming from dark ages.
The Hump was dead tonight. It was 50% capacity. It was a 730 tip on the opening night of SEC play. We have a frustrating team but they can be very fun to watch when they play. I think they have the mentality that would thrive on good environments. Tonight certainly wasn't that.
I may get blasted for it but the effort from our fanbase was pretty poor tonight. And it has been since Howland has been on campus. That said, I buy completely into what Howland is building here. He needs time....but more important than that....he needs support.
I was unhappy with some coaching decisions tonight. I was unhappy with some plays we failed to make tonight. But the attendance was the bit that disappointed me the most.
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Agree, 100%.
I understand folks being frustrated, but just waiting until we win is being a bandwagon fan. This team is very talented, but raw. They're fun to watch at times, when they play fundamentally sound and as a team. Losing last night sucked, but this isn't some Rick Ray crap we're talking about.
I understand folks being frustrated, but just waiting until we win is being a bandwagon fan. This team is very talented, but raw. They're fun to watch at times, when they play fundamentally sound and as a team. Losing last night sucked, but this isn't some Rick Ray crap we're talking about.
Well, I started watching, then when we were stuck at 11 (for what 6 min); I lost interest. Course I was also cooking supper and the 3 year old wanted to watch Paw Patrol.
Turned it back on and was tied at 42. Got excited, then we missed the dunk, and that ended my excitement.
Turned it back on and was tied at 42. Got excited, then we missed the dunk, and that ended my excitement.
Attendance will pick up .. WHEN this team gets better. But, honestly .. last night resembled a 'Rick Ray coached' BB team. There was very little 'team work' .. few screens, little if any 'block outs,' mostly just toss the ball around the perimeter and sling up a 3 PT shot with time running out on the shot clock.
We took 21 3PT shots. Which is great IF we are making a decent % .. we hit 19%. Kegler threw up 5 3PT shots that were not even close. We got out rebounded by 17. Q had a non-typical horrid night & was 1 of 6 from 3PT. We were out rebounded by 17.
The fan support will come back when we start winning again. I know that is not how it should be but it is. Cohen had to go through this same thing but he got the support back and so will Howland.
Ray sucked the life out of this program. And SS is squarely to blame for that. He should have had a better handle on who he could hire prior to getting rid of Stans. I was a huge basketball fan when I was a student from 04-08 but damn it's hard to watch now. I'm trying hard to get back in it but just can't seem to get back interested.
Ray sucked the life out of this program. And SS is squarely to blame for that. He should have had a better handle on who he could hire prior to getting rid of Stans. I was a huge basketball fan when I was a student from 04-08 but damn it's hard to watch now. I'm trying hard to get back in it but just can't seem to get back interested.
You're correct on some points....
That is a valid comparison with Cohen. It is also a fair point on Ray.
But remember, Mullen inherited a program that was dead (as did Howland and Cohen). We were the most boring product in college football. He got people out to support the program from day 1. Remember that spring game? Our fanbase bought in. We were setting records for attendance on the tail end of one of the worst stretches in MSU football. The wins came later. There has to be excitement surrounding the program. Our athletic department and Mullen created that excitement even in a losing season.
Our fanbase has bought in on Howland in terms of the players he brings in and the talent he can attract to this campus. But our fanbase fails to support them. I don't know why. We are a much better team right now than we were a year ago. We have some players that can become legitimate SEC talents. It is time for our fanbase to live with the frustrations, trust the process, and support the basektball team.
Do we need 10,500 each night? No.
But a solid 8,000 would go a long way in getting this process started.
That is a valid comparison with Cohen. It is also a fair point on Ray.
But remember, Mullen inherited a program that was dead (as did Howland and Cohen). We were the most boring product in college football. He got people out to support the program from day 1. Remember that spring game? Our fanbase bought in. We were setting records for attendance on the tail end of one of the worst stretches in MSU football. The wins came later. There has to be excitement surrounding the program. Our athletic department and Mullen created that excitement even in a losing season.
Our fanbase has bought in on Howland in terms of the players he brings in and the talent he can attract to this campus. But our fanbase fails to support them. I don't know why. We are a much better team right now than we were a year ago. We have some players that can become legitimate SEC talents. It is time for our fanbase to live with the frustrations, trust the process, and support the basektball team.
Do we need 10,500 each night? No.
But a solid 8,000 would go a long way in getting this process started.
The atmosphere in the Hump died when Flick was removed and students were relegated to the baseline. I understand the financial incentives in the idea, but it is failing in terms of practicality. We need to be creative internally in how "re-sale" tickets. I'm fine with people buying tickets and not showing up. I am not fine with people not exploring avenues to put those tickets in hands of people that want to attend. That system can be created pretty easily.
We have sucked for five years and it costs 25 bucks to watch a conference game from the top of The Hump. On a Tuesday. In early January. In a contest between two mediocre to subpar teams.
The women weren't drawing until they started winning. Sharon Fanning-Otis's last two years and Schaefer's first year were an utter disaster. We probably weren't drawing 300 a game in actual attendance and that was for conference games. We played Tennessee here in 2012 and they had as many or more fans here than we did.
Now that they are really good, it has become a niche sport for locals and you can watch a Top 5 team for five bucks. And usually get good seats.
People will come back when the men start winning again. Students will be here for our remaining home games so that will help too. I was there last night and I don't think it was as bad as some are making it out to be. Probably about 6K there, and it was an energetic crowd when we made our run to get back in it. I swear we had conference games with 1,500 people in attendance during the Ray era.
Our next two home games are against A&M next Saturday and Kentucky in two weeks. I think you'll see an improvement in attendance, but it would really help if we weren't winless in conference play going in to those two games.
The women weren't drawing until they started winning. Sharon Fanning-Otis's last two years and Schaefer's first year were an utter disaster. We probably weren't drawing 300 a game in actual attendance and that was for conference games. We played Tennessee here in 2012 and they had as many or more fans here than we did.
Now that they are really good, it has become a niche sport for locals and you can watch a Top 5 team for five bucks. And usually get good seats.
People will come back when the men start winning again. Students will be here for our remaining home games so that will help too. I was there last night and I don't think it was as bad as some are making it out to be. Probably about 6K there, and it was an energetic crowd when we made our run to get back in it. I swear we had conference games with 1,500 people in attendance during the Ray era.
Our next two home games are against A&M next Saturday and Kentucky in two weeks. I think you'll see an improvement in attendance, but it would really help if we weren't winless in conference play going in to those two games.
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Mississippi State is a weekend school. That is when we will draw our biggest crowds, in all sports. It has been covered in this thread, why it is hard to get people to come to a weekday game without a big time winner.
My solution? Incentives to students. Students make the atmosphere. We should apply this to baseball too for those sparsely attended weekday games against East Tennessee State. I don't know exactly how you do it but I think it's a legit plan. Get them there. $0.50 hot dogs, better seating, whatever. But get them there.
My solution? Incentives to students. Students make the atmosphere. We should apply this to baseball too for those sparsely attended weekday games against East Tennessee State. I don't know exactly how you do it but I think it's a legit plan. Get them there. $0.50 hot dogs, better seating, whatever. But get them there.
You are right on the mark with this thought. The women are winning, a ticket is cheap, and they are readily available. You should have seen the line to buy tickets at one of those dollar night games in December. Compare that with the men who have season ticket holders who seem to make little effort to attend games. Which makes no sense to me. Why buy them if you have no intention of attending very many games? I also didn't realize exactly how pissed some long time ticket holders were at how the reseating was handled. That is something Cohen has to address. Plus as has been stated many times it killed the atmosphere. We desperately need some sort of ticket exchange.
I'll say it, college basketball sucks.
How can anyone enjoy watching it outside of maybe a handful of elite teams? It's slow and boring. The refs are instructed to call too many fouls which disrupts the flow of the game. The players can't make free throws, blockout, make open jumpers, or execute basic offense. Why watch that? Watch a little NBA and you get tired of college basketball real quick. Watch a little NFL and you don't see the same product gap there is on the basketball side.
Something has to change. March is exciting, but nearly ever second of the season leading up to it is pure garbage.
How can anyone enjoy watching it outside of maybe a handful of elite teams? It's slow and boring. The refs are instructed to call too many fouls which disrupts the flow of the game. The players can't make free throws, blockout, make open jumpers, or execute basic offense. Why watch that? Watch a little NBA and you get tired of college basketball real quick. Watch a little NFL and you don't see the same product gap there is on the basketball side.
Something has to change. March is exciting, but nearly ever second of the season leading up to it is pure garbage.
I disagree
completely with college basketball sucking. When I was a student, there was nothing more awesome than going to a SEC game.
We can get back there, and Howland is bringing the talent to get us back, but at some point (as Hank suggested) the fans are going to have to trust the process and start supporting them. Live with the frustrations, because we are getting better.
Also, I understand last night was a Tuesday (late) night game, but there's plenty of folks living in the GTR to have at least 8000 people.
Otherwise, if we continue not supporting the team, Howland will be gone as soon as he gets another chance. Then we will be perpetually stuck in basketball hell.
completely with college basketball sucking. When I was a student, there was nothing more awesome than going to a SEC game.
We can get back there, and Howland is bringing the talent to get us back, but at some point (as Hank suggested) the fans are going to have to trust the process and start supporting them. Live with the frustrations, because we are getting better.
Also, I understand last night was a Tuesday (late) night game, but there's plenty of folks living in the GTR to have at least 8000 people.
Otherwise, if we continue not supporting the team, Howland will be gone as soon as he gets another chance. Then we will be perpetually stuck in basketball hell.
Bingo
nail>head
I can only imagine the frustrations Howland must have in regards to our basketball support.
He has landed 4-5 star talent. Has more coming. Inherited a program with zero talent. He is doing everything right. It is time for our fans to do their part....its past time.
nail>head
I can only imagine the frustrations Howland must have in regards to our basketball support.
He has landed 4-5 star talent. Has more coming. Inherited a program with zero talent. He is doing everything right. It is time for our fans to do their part....its past time.
We just need the team to go on a single run. Thusfar in Howland's tenure, there has never been a 4 game winning streak, and never a 3 game winning streak in conference. People seemed to be on the verge of being ready to really buy in last night, at least the ones I talk to -- and we came out with a total shitburger and a poor effort. Win that game and the next two in Baton Rouge and Fayetteville seem within reach. Win them and you've got rockin house and a pretty full Hump for aTm. I think this team is going to be better with adversity and the energy they should face being on the road. Think a couple of the freshmen are gamers. We'll see if that's true or not. But I think we're a couple of win streaks away from getting the people back. As of now, people still don't quite see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The reason those courtside seats are still empty is people that have them are wanting to keep them. They are holding them for the brighter days that they know is on the horizon. Howland will get the people back much easier than Cohen did. He doesn't have the hurt feelings and sabotage to overcome being the second guy after the guy. Just like Canni has it much easier than Cohen did also.
People came to the games more quickly with Mullen because he gave them something they had practically never seen at MSU and certainly not with consistency -- the promise of a good, creative offense. The fans got to see that payoff prettymuch immediately long before the wins started to line up. And the first couple of games still weren't sellouts.
The reason those courtside seats are still empty is people that have them are wanting to keep them. They are holding them for the brighter days that they know is on the horizon. Howland will get the people back much easier than Cohen did. He doesn't have the hurt feelings and sabotage to overcome being the second guy after the guy. Just like Canni has it much easier than Cohen did also.
People came to the games more quickly with Mullen because he gave them something they had practically never seen at MSU and certainly not with consistency -- the promise of a good, creative offense. The fans got to see that payoff prettymuch immediately long before the wins started to line up. And the first couple of games still weren't sellouts.
its not just Rick Ray. The meltdown in the last year of Stansbury and the fallout prior to Rays arrival alone would have set the team back 2-3 years even if Ray was a competent coach.
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