[Knucklehead]

So I finally talked a girl from town that loves football but not really a big LU fan into coming to a game. Her whole family are big VT fans. So she and her daughter and a friend had great seats on the town side. Her quotes to me were: "So boring that we left after the 1st quarter", "The atmosphere was dead", "Noone jumping around", "It's more exciting at an Amherst Lancer game". I asked her about the student side and she said they were boring too, not enough energy.

I tried to talk sense with her about it, but it wasn't happening. So, my questions are:
Do we need townsfolk who have no affiliation with LU to keep growing?
Is it a concern that they think we are boring?
Do we care what they think?
How can it be more exciting?

I explained to her that you should have seen it when I was in school, and we're still young. It is leaps and bounds above the pre Barber Rocco era. She didn't care.

thoughts.

[LUconn]

not much you can do about that. She obviously just doesn't want to like it. We scored 24 points in the very quarter she thought was boring! And the Ahmerst comment is laughable. Watching a bunch of High Schoolers is no comparison.

[ATrain]

Well, if its going to be more exciting, its going to be energy that'll have to start on the student side and transfer over to the Old Hag (aka Baptist) side. The Student Side came a long way this year, but still needs some work. More unison in cheers, and trying to get the other side involved (Like an "L" from the students and then "U" from the Baptist, get everyone chanting "Defense" *clap,clap* at the same time). What also needs to happen...students need to take the bottom few rows of the old hag side and stand up, forcing the rest of the old hags to stand up.

[LUconn]

I really think it's important that you care about the team as well. It's not everything, but I'd probably be bored at a VT game after the initial excitement of "bigtime football" wore off 5 minutes later.

[Knucklehead]

I think you're right that she just wanted to hate it. She said: "why did they keep doing the stupid another Liberty first down thing over and over. Can't they say anything else?"
I think the 24 points that easy is also what turned her off. She said it wasn't even a competition. Her daughter said that Amherst could have beaten VMI!

[El Scorcho]

Football fans can appreciate watching our team.

Football fans cannot appreciate our fans.

Some people love watching the sport and some people are just more addicted to a gameday experience. Ideally we'll have both working for us, but right now we're only part of the way there. I'm not sure what it will take to get people out of their seats, if it's even possible. At first I thought a close game or two would do the trick, but then I remembered that most of them won't even stand up for the team when they run out of the tunnel.

[Knucklehead]

Football fans can appreciate watching our team.

Football fans cannot appreciate our fans.

Some people love watching the sport and some people are just more addicted to a gameday experience. Ideally we'll have both working for us, but right now we're only part of the way there. I'm not sure what it will take to get people out of their seats, if it's even possible. At first I thought a close game or two would do the trick, but then I remembered that most of them won't even stand up for the team when they run out of the tunnel.

Lets start kicking them out when they don't stand for that!

[LUconn]

Also, let it be known that VMI would not get beat by Amherst. Was Amherst even concidered good before they won that chapmionship? Not from around here so I don't know. They're like the James Madison of High School football.

[Knucklehead]

Also, let it be known that VMI would not get beat by Amherst. Was Amherst even concidered good before they won that chapmionship? Not from around here so I don't know. They're like the James Madison of High School football.

Not really heard of until last year really.
I think Amherst could beat Notre Dame this year though!

[ATrain]

If you want the fans on the non-student side to stand, stick some standing students on the first couple of rows and then they'll have no choice but to stand if they want to see the game.

[Knucklehead]

I really think some students should infiltrate and lead cheers and jump and stuff.

[DutchyNY]

town fan is prolly a lu hater...haters speak the truth we kool aid drinking lu fans sometimes don't want to hear
the student section is still pretty weak...we got em in the stands finally but they have no clue how to act at a football game
all we really have right now is the best trash talkers in the big south sitting in the front row being more of a pest than a presence
face it flames football is still the 2nd favorite team of most in the stands...the atmosphere will come around when the student body stops making collective comments like the one im sure we have all heard at lu...."at a real football school"...and start believing that we are a real football school
another thought...our games are not the parties that pretty much all other college football games are bc of the lack of alcohol... face it drunks are louder and for the most part more entertaining

[SuperJon]

the student section is still pretty weak...we got em in the stands finally but they have no clue how to act at a football game
all we really have right now is the best trash talkers in the big south sitting in the front row being more of a pest than a presence

That's just dumb.

[Rocketfan]

town fan is prolly a lu hater...haters speak the truth we kool aid drinking lu fans sometimes don't want to hear
the student section is still pretty weak...we got em in the stands finally but they have no clue how to act at a football game
all we really have right now is the best trash talkers in the big south sitting in the front row being more of a pest than a presence
face it flames football is still the 2nd favorite team of most in the stands...the atmosphere will come around when the student body stops making collective comments like the one im sure we have all heard at lu...."at a real football school"...and start believing that we are a real football school
another thought...our games are not the parties that pretty much all other college football games are bc of the lack of alcohol... face it drunks are louder and for the most part more entertaining

Can i nominate this for dumbest post ever? I think we should start a thread with stuff like this.......

Edit : Unless this is Karcher himself, then i would understand pretty much everything you said.....maybe you still need to watch the game film of the students then....

[Schfourteenteen]

Seriously you lost all credibility with this one. Maybe you should have stopped by 2 years ago when 4000 people showed up and all the students were sitting.

With that said last I checked Our favorite Mr. Bennett said we are some of the loudest fans hes ever coached against. If you talking about the student atmosphere, were doing alot better than before, and although we arent "there" yet, we still probably have top 20 to 25 fans in FCS, if not better.

A PEST????? Which game did you go to? Please give me a break its our job to be the 12th man and if you and your Bingo club have a problem with it get over it, we want LU to win and will do whatever it takes to help our boys out.

[El Scorcho]

town fan is prolly a lu hater...haters speak the truth we kool aid drinking lu fans sometimes don't want to hear
the student section is still pretty weak...we got em in the stands finally but they have no clue how to act at a football game
all we really have right now is the best trash talkers in the big south sitting in the front row being more of a pest than a presence
face it flames football is still the 2nd favorite team of most in the stands...the atmosphere will come around when the student body stops making collective comments like the one im sure we have all heard at lu...."at a real football school"...and start believing that we are a real football school
another thought...our games are not the parties that pretty much all other college football games are bc of the lack of alcohol... face it drunks are louder and for the most part more entertaining

The student sections is weak? Pest than presence? It's quite apparent you weren't at the last two football games this season.

If it takes alcohol for the games to feel like a "party" then I guess we'll just be content with what we have. That's a terribly lame and immature thing to say.

[SuperJon]

Ask anyone who's ever gone to a football game and been in my section if they've ever had more fun at a game. There's a reason no one likes coming here to play.

[bigsmooth]

they are hokie fans....nothing beats their atmosphhere according to them the amherst comment laughable, the comment about our student side .....it just shows their ignorance. no doubt the "baptist" side should be better, but it takes time for the cutlure to change. it has improved dramatcially from last year. it does stink they though this stuff, but a true football fan would appreciate our product. nothing would change those people's minds.

[ALAFlamesFan]

The reality is as we play better competition at home and establish rivalry games with in-state opponents the atmosphere in the stands will improve. Bottom line, not too many town folk will get excited unless we can give them a reason or a story that they can be passionate about.

We are on the right track. I think the town we continue to get more and more LU friendly as time goes on.

[PAmedic]

We are on the right track. I think the town we continue to get more and more LU friendly as time goes on.

+

recruit

local

kids

[FlamingChick]

So I finally talked a girl from town that loves football but not really a big LU fan into coming to a game. Her whole family are big VT fans. So she and her daughter and a friend had great seats on the town side. Her quotes to me were: "So boring that we left after the 1st quarter", "The atmosphere was dead", "Noone jumping around", "It's more exciting at an Amherst Lancer game". I asked her about the student side and she said they were boring too, not enough energy.

I tried to talk sense with her about it, but it wasn't happening. So, my questions are:
Do we need townsfolk who have no affiliation with LU to keep growing?
Is it a concern that they think we are boring?
Do we care what they think?
How can it be more exciting?

I explained to her that you should have seen it when I was in school, and we're still young. It is leaps and bounds above the pre Barber Rocco era. She didn't care.

thoughts.

I can understand her comments. Yes, to someone who is not a big LU fan, what's really exciting about watching one team thrash another? Especially if you dont know much about the two teams. 24-0 in the first quarter hardly signifies a dynamic game between two opponents. For the LU fans, well, we're just happy watching our guys--who cares about the competition?

I will agree that the home side was pretty dead on Saturday. It wasnt even as loud as usual during the opening L-U chant. I do not agree that the students were boring though. The students have a tremendous amount of energy over there that I wish were contagious to the folks who sit over on the home side so that I dont look too much like an idiot when I'm jumping up and down screaming.

As for the Amherst game, yes, they have a great program and their fan base is great, and yes, they may have a little more excitement than our homeside, but I think LU students have them beat


One thing I think LU can try is the "most spirited fan contest" at every home game, but instead of just for the students, make it for all of the fans. Maybe give out the prize in the 3rd quarter, but mention the contest throughout the game. I doubt that will help much, but it's worth a try.

[badger74]

Being a bit older, I prefer to actually sit most of the game except on big play downs or when the game is really tight. Standing just to stand is not for the general public. At most Wisconsin games only the students stand most of the game and our fans are all pretty enthusiastic. It's just not realistic to expect older and casual fans to stand.

[El Scorcho]

Being a bit older, I prefer to actually sit most of the game except on big play downs or when the game is really tight. Standing just to stand is not for the general public. At most Wisconsin games only the students stand most of the game and our fans are all pretty enthusiastic. It's just not realistic to expect older and casual fans to stand.

I wouldn't expect them to stand the entire game, but when people can't stand up for the team running out of the tunnel or after a touchdown, something is wrong. I do realize that we've scored a lot of TD's this season, so by the fourth quarter some people are over it. However, at the end of 2001, when people are still sitting it really bothers me.

[badger74]

I agree. Wisconsin still has an open date 9/20 next year. Want a $$$ game? This year we played Citadel which I think is comparable to LU in talent. You would enjoy the trip (does that no drinking thing apply to away football games??)

[olldflame]

I agree. Wisconsin still has an open date 9/20 next year. Want a $$$ game? This year we played Citadel which I think is comparable to LU in talent. You would enjoy the trip (does that no drinking thing apply to away football games??)

Pretty long shot, but I would make the trip for that one! Both my parents are Wisconsin alumni and I was born in Madison while my dad was working on his doctorate. I have an uncle in Racine I could stay with.