Brandon complains about attendance in Blade

CapitalFalcon · Post by **CapitalFalcon** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:25 am

Come on guys! Let's get real for a minute. In an ideal world, you are right, we should sell out every week, especially with a relatively small stadium. But come on...Right now, it is definately about the opponent. If it isn't, then why is the Toledo, and now NIU, games almost always a sellout? Why are we predicting Marshall to be a sellout and not the Eastern or Western games???? It's all about the opponent.

People want to see good football...They don't want to see us run up 50-10 on some pokey program. Now, 50-10 over Marshall, Toledo, Miami, or NIU, that's different. Those are good programs, and victory is not guaranteed. People want to see good football teams and good competition. If it was all about winning games, why play Oklahoma or OSU? Let's just schedule 2-3 I-AA teams for the OOC!

Our problem right now is that unfortunately, we have to play a lot of "cream-puff" teams in our conference and we have been blowing them out. No one wants to see that. Just look at the postings on this board. What garnered more dialogue after the game, OK or Central Mich? Personally, I would much rather see us play big prgrams close and lose, than play easy teams and kill them!

For the MAC to matter in the area and borader in Ohio, there has to be consistent competition top to bottom. Next year, in a conference of 12, the top teams should be BG, Toledo, NIU and Miami, which isn't that bad when compared to other conferences. But look at the other 8 teams. They are struggling programs fighting to keep their heads above water. The three worst teams in the Big 10 this year have 6 wins combined...4 of those victories came against MAC teams. We need to increase the level of play in the MAC.

1987alum · Post by **1987alum** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:25 am

Warthog: Already do that one. For the Western game, kids 12 and under are admitted free.

Just for the record, I paid for Noah's ticket. I wasn't really sure about the kids free deal and the ticket office didn't offer any help, even though I made it clear that the second ticket was for my 7-year-old. Wouldn't matter much, though, I'm happy to add to the paid attendance. It was the same deal last year. The Kent game was NCAA Youth Day and kids were supposed to get in free, but we paid for his ticket. Of course, they probably would have let anyone with a pulse into that game!

cowboyjoe · Post by **cowboyjoe** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:36 am

I guess that Oklahoma won't have a big crowd when they host Iowa State this year because their fans don't want to see a "hokey" team and a blowout by their team...rediculous. When we were .500 back in the 90's then every game should have had big crowds because none of those games were blow outs by us and every game was very competitive.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:00 am

1987alum wrote:Warthog: Already do that one. For the Western game, kids 12 and under are admitted free.

Just for the record, I paid for Noah's ticket. I wasn't really sure about the kids free deal and the ticket office didn't offer any help, even though I made it clear that the second ticket was for my 7-year-old. Wouldn't matter much, though, I'm happy to add to the paid attendance. It was the same deal last year. The Kent game was NCAA Youth Day and kids were supposed to get in free, but we paid for his ticket. Of course, they probably would have let anyone with a pulse into that game!

1987, I screwed it up. It is the Eastern game next week that is "Take a Kid To The Game Night".

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 11:10 am

cowboyjoe wrote:I guess that Oklahoma won't have a big crowd when they host Iowa State this year because their fans don't want to see a "hokey" team and a blowout by their team...rediculous. When we were .500 back in the 90's then every game should have had big crowds because none of those games were blow outs by us and every game was very competitive.

You cannot compare us to the Oklahoma & Ohio States of the world. You just cannot do it when it comes to things such as attendance & fan following. Those are programs that have been built upon GENERATIONS of winning, and not just winning conference titles and motor city bowls either, winning on a national scale with national championships. Because of this winning they have huge fan followings on a national scale.

As a result it has become difficult to get a ticket to see games at Oklahoma. When people can finally get season tickets they jump at the chance. When they can get a single game ticket they jump at it regardless of opponent. I'm sure there are people that travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to see a single game for their team. In the end they fill the stadiums for even the crappiest of opponents because there is such a large contingent of fans that's just happy to see a game of their opponent.

On the other hand when people think about getting tickets to a Bowling Green football game, they know that we don't sell out very often. Many people are not going to go to every game, like it or not. Knowing that they can easily get tickets to any game on gameday or at the very least the week before they decide which game(s) they would most want to see. Most people would rather choose the game(s) that is/are going to be the most competitive: Miami, Marshall, NIU, or UT.

Like it or not people would rather watch a good game with national implications on TV than watch BG rout another conference cream-puff. Watching blowouts of teams that you are expected to blow out is not fun. It's boring. Major programs still get away with it due to the scarcity of their tickets in general, but even they have fans leaving early when the games get out of hand. Your average college football fan is not going to find enjoyment in watching the 3rd string tailback take it up the middle behind the 2nd string OL against a team who is already demoralized and emotionally out of the game.

You just cannot compare Oklahoma to BG because its apples to oranges. On the field we proved that we can compete with them, but there is a LONG line of history & tradition that we will likely never achieve.

NWLB · Post by **NWLB** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 12:45 pm

We are comparing apples, oranges, and pizza.

One walks a fuzzy line when looking at the success of major conference programs and seeking to apply what they do to our own little world here.

There are lessons to be drawn from why major programs draw as they do. But those lessons can not be applied directly. They must be seen in their original context, and interpreted for our situation.

We are different from most people we are speaking about. We are already sold on the product. We are bias in favor of wanting to attend games, regardless of the situation. We must be mindful of that, and learn to get inside the heads of people that have a very different views and priorities from us.

BGSU athletics in general, with the exception of hockey, has never had a deep grass roots connection with most alumni or locals. That is something that has to be developed, which speaks to the thread on enhancing the gameday experience, and the other on marketing.

Dakich and Urban sparked new focus and student support for their respective programs, which will bear fruit now and in the long-run.

In the case of football, Brandon is building on that foundation.

This isn't a case of having to start from scratch. We have made great strides from the past, and I think they are lasting changes. It remains for BGSU to attack the lingering areas that either take much longer to fix, or a more focused effort to engage.

Dayons_Den · Post by **Dayons_Den** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:51 pm

MotownFalcon wrote:Come on guys! Let's get real for a minute. In an ideal world, you are right, we should sell out every week, especially with a relatively small stadium. But come on...Right now, it is definately about the opponent. If it isn't, then why is the Toledo, and now NIU, games almost always a sellout? Why are we predicting Marshall to be a sellout and not the Eastern or Western games???? It's all about the opponent.

People want to see good football...They don't want to see us run up 50-10 on some pokey program.

Good points there Motown. . . see despite our differing politics we can still be objective. . .

dstubb · Post by **dstubb** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:36 pm

cowboyjoe wrote:I guess that Oklahoma won't have a big crowd when they host Iowa State this year because their fans don't want to see a "hokey" team and a blowout by their team...rediculous. When we were .500 back in the 90's then every game should have had big crowds because none of those games were blow outs by us and every game was very competitive.

No one wants to see the home team when they're a stinker, either. Look at the Indians attendance the last couple years. Even at the Big House they don't pack them in as much when they play weak out of conference opponents as they do once Big Ten play begins. At those schools going out to a football game is as much social as it is rabid fans.

CapitalFalcon · Post by **CapitalFalcon** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:11 pm

Yeee Haw Pardner! Sorry to burst your bubble out ther on the ranch, but I GUARANTEE you if BG was viaing for the National Championship, Every game would be sold out too. And there is a big difference between competitive games with the bottom teams of I-A and the I-A elite. If you are telling me that a game against Buffalo, Central Michigan, etc. will draw more of a home crowd than Purdue, USC, or some other big time program, your nuts!

CapitalFalcon · Post by **CapitalFalcon** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:12 pm

Dayons_Den wrote:Good points there Motown. . . see despite our differing politics we can still be objective. . .

Fo' Sho DD!

Schadenfreude · Post by **Schadenfreude** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:18 pm

MotownFalcon wrote:Yeee Haw Pardner! Sorry to burst your bubble out ther on the ranch, but I GUARANTEE you if BG was viaing for the National Championship, Every game would be sold out too. And there is a big difference between competitive games with the bottom teams of I-A and the I-A elite. If you are telling me that a game against Buffalo, Central Michigan, etc. will draw more of a home crowd than Purdue, USC, or some other big time program, your nuts!

Yeah, but the age of our program has a lot to do with it.

Miami (Florida) often plays in front of more empty seats than people. I tend to think the age of that program is the big factor. Before the 1980s, they weren't worth a damn.

factman · Post by **factman** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 3:31 am

It is not the quality of the football, but the hype and press surrounding teams and games. I am a firm believer that you could put USC (or any other team) in BG uniforms and BG in USC uniforms, and 90% of the people in attendance would not know the difference.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:35 am

factman wrote:It is not the quality of the football, but the hype and press surrounding teams and games. I am a firm believer that you could put USC (or any other team) in BG uniforms and BG in USC uniforms, and 90% of the people in attendance would not know the difference.

HAHA!

We have a good team, but if you honestly believe that we are on par in talent level with the USC's of the world you're kidding yourself.

We have some great players and some great athletes, but we have a LONG way to go to be equal in overall talent to a team like USC.

Dayons_Den · Post by **Dayons_Den** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:46 am

Someone call nurse Hatchet, Hammb missed his daily dose of Orange Kool-Aid. . .

factman · Post by **factman** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 10:14 am

Hamm, try reading it one more time. I never said we had the same talent level as USC. I said 90% of the fans would NOT know the difference if we changed uniforms!!! Ok, maybe 95%!!!!