Our fan support is pathetic now

[Palos verdes]

Don't give me that "students aren't in town" **** either.

Agree with this.

 

[KurtRambis4]

Why in

the world are they sitting at home?

****, when I was a student I went home for about 3 days during Christmas break.

The rest of the time, I was in Starkville, living the dream and hanging out with friends.

I cannot fathom staying at home for an entire month, plus.

 

[Bulldogg31]

the world are they, sitting at home?

****, when I was a student I went home for about 3 days during Christmas break.

The rest of the time, I was in Starkville, living the dream and hanging out with friends.

I cannot fathom staying at home for an entire month, plus.

Same here, maybe it's different now but I know several students who aren't back on campus until this weekend. A couple are working, one is on a mission trip, some just eating their parents food and sleeping till noon.

I'm sure there are a lot back by now, but with the seating of the hump you'll never see them on TV. All I see is a sparse collection of older fans sitting down the whole game and waiting for something to happen.

 

[CoolDawg]

I have been a season ticket holder since sometime in the late '80's. I live within an hour's drive from Starkville. I skipped out on the Rick Ray error and for various reasons didn't make a game last season. Before anyone criticizes me too much, I have always tried to give my tickets away to others than might want to attend. At any rate, last night was the first time in about 5 years that I have attended an MSU basketball game. I had really forgotten how much I enjoyed basketball because the late Stansbury years and all the Rick Ray years sucked the life out of the program. The team is young, but the potential for future years in very good. At the present time, the atmosphere in the Hump is dead. There were times last night when you could have heard a pin drop. It is really sad considering what it was like during much of the tenure of Richard Williams and Rick Stansbury. My observation of the crowd is that most of them were in their 50's or older, except for some students that are already back in town from Christmas break. The athletic department is working hard to get the students involved, offering various games and promotions to students that attend. I wish they would make an equal effort to get the non-student fans back to the games. I hope that very soon that the Hump can again be a very intimidating place for opposing fans to play basketball. It starts with fans such as myself.

 

[BiscuitEater]

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.

Some qualification is due. Yes, there was a 'meltdown' during Stan's last year. They 'never' reached their potential. Stans lost control.

BUT, like Stans or hate him, and even with all the 'issues,' we WON 21 games, had a 8-8 conference record and played in the post season. People were at the Hump for games. NOTHING, since has come close .. period.

 

[Grisismyhero]

Same here, maybe it's different now but I know several students who aren't back on campus until this weekend. A couple are working, one is on a mission trip, some just eating their parents food and sleeping till noon.

I'm sure there are a lot back by now, but with the seating of the hump you'll never see them on TV. All I see is a sparse collection of older fans sitting down the whole game and waiting for something to happen.

Dorms are not open. Until you turn 21 and go to bars after 10:00pm, Starkville is NOT much fun.
The cops wonder around in the bars just looking for fake IDs. Girls have nowhere to go and hang out, drinking or not.
There is no place in Starkville like the square. Kids trying not make the papers can stay home, sleep to noon or go to Orange Beach, Nola or Destin.

 

[KurtRambis4]

When I

was in school, I sure as **** would have rather (and was) been in Starkville than my folk's, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

The bar really had nothing to do with it. Hell you could grill out and throw parties every day, till school started. I think my best times in Starkville were during winter/summer breaks.

 

[archdog]

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.

Are you me? That sounds exactly like my household typically. Last night I took the 3 year old to the game.

I am probably the most critical of our fanbase. Everyone can see Howland is building it to be sustainable, but we have to show up and actually cheer.

 

[mount lefroy]

was in school, I sure as **** would have rather (and was) been in Starkville than my folk's, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

The bar really had nothing to do with it. Hell you could grill out and throw parties every day, till school started. I think my best times in Starkville were during winter/summer breaks.

Thank you for this post. As a Starkville resident, I love my hometown and folks just don't understand how good it is in the busy times as well as the "down" times. Yea, it ain't Memphis, Nashville or Birmingham. But if you know how to have fun without having to have it delivered to you it's awesome.

I will say that msu BB suffers from a community that has neither the money or work schedule to support it on a weeknight schedule.

Baseball and football are different. They are outdoor grilling out social events that focus on weekends.

I love basketball and support women's and men's teams when I can, but I live just off campus and also have two highschool boys to support.

I hate I don't have the means to attend all games. But I love the university.

When the basketball seats moved from locals to the big donors in the years following the final four, so went the bigger midweek crowds.

This is the price of prosperity.

 

[DAWG61]

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.

This is the answer to our problem. That and totally get ride of the reserved seating. Make the Hump first come first serve. Throw a 17ing block party outside and give every student that attends a free pass from class in the morning. Sell $10 tickets to everyone and turn that place into a 17ing Zoo. As soon as you get 5,000+ students to attend you'll get 5,000+ alumni showing up just to watch the party.