[fsn32]

Good discussion though. I think we are all in one accord here.

Can we make it an Escalade? The Accord is crowded.

[A.G.]

You all are right on with the conference games. Look at what the change to the ACC has done to Va Tech's attendance in basketball--all-time highs--and Tech had some very good teams back in the old Metro 7 and A-10 days. However, when LU wins, and there are some good rivalry games, the fans turn out. I remember, too, back in Myers days when Radford games were rowdy, and there were even raucous crowds against teams like Asheville.

[PAmedic]

Good discussion though. I think we are all in one accord here.

Can we make it an Escalade? The Accord is crowded.

a funny, funny man you are.

[Sly Fox]

I think we saw how well W&M travelled when they came to our place. Unfortunately our team was awful at the time and our crowd was weak as a result. I think with a competitive team we could travel well to other schools within a a reasonable distance and vice versa. I think we all agree that longterm scheduling with JMU, W&M and Richmond are top priorities. It appears we have made great strides with the first two and perhaps our new AD can make some headway with the Spiders.

As stated before, UVa & VT are in a different galaxy than us. But indirectly we are in competition with them for the affections and buying power of the Lynchburg area. We have to give the community a product they can identify with and embrace. That remains a significant hurdle to our future growth. I still think we need to make an effort to reach them through local churches. As has been mentioned many times on our boards, the local Christian community often feels disconnected from LU. We need to have athletes & coaches getting into these churches and creating a relationship.

[Stevev]

It is going to be hard to convince the outside community to come to our sporting events when we have teams as bad as they are right now. There is no reason people should have to shell out $ and take time out of their busy schedule just to see us get humiliated game in and game out. Maybe these people did come and got fed up with all the crap that has been going on. I guess the solution is simple. Get our teams to a respectable level and then try to reach out. Easier said than done of course. I just can't recall our "money sports" ever doing this bad in a one year for both football and basketball. We had better teams back in the early 80's when we were NAIA than what we have now even with the increase in scholorships and the nicer athletic facilities.

[RedDog]

That is where the new coach and athletic director has to canvas the community with the message that they are there to turn it around and get the people to believe ... I believe with Rocco's and Barber's credibility, that at least the people will listen because the administration has shown that they want a change made for the better ... Let's support these guys and see if they can deliever ...

The marketing and fundraising approach will be different and thus will be better ... With Kevin Keys, Mickey Guridy and Bob Good, the new AD and coach has an outstanding staff to work with and will able be to come up new ideas that Liberty hasn't had in years ...

Give the basketball team a break ... They are having a bad year ... Even Duke and North Carolina have had one bad year ... Keep supporting the basketball programs .... Look what women's basketball has done, Carey picked up the mantle that Rick Reeves left and has taken the program to even greater heights ... Give Randy another year to see if he can make true to his promises before your ready to toss him out the door.

[Chris Lang]

As for traveling fans, at this year's W&M game, I saw very few Liberty fans there. A handful at best. I know the team was awful, but I expected at least a couple of dozen to make the trip. More LU fans made the trip to High Point for women's hoops the other night.

Just a question for you all: What would it take to make people in Lynchburg care about LU? Sly's idea of sending athletes out to local churches is a good one, but I sense that there's a great deal of disconnect between LU and Lynchburg (and I've only been here seven months, so take that FWIW). It's not even the I-A versus I-AA thing as much as that Liberty draws from such a national base of students that Lynchburg feels no real kinship to the school. I've only been through South Bend once, so I don't know how Notre Dame and the community up there relate to each other, but the situations seem similar on a basic level.

Both are religious schools who draw students nationally that exist in areas with large state schools.

Just thinking out loud here ...

[TIMSCAR20]

Chris, it was more than just Sly trumpeting community outreach and "bridging the gap between the LU Community and Lynchburg ....Traveling to W&M after what they did to us in Lynchburg is too long of a drive to get killed like that! I have been around when we would take 5 or 6 buses to games for Basketball. We used to pack out Radford for hoops. This community will travel to see a good game. They are not going to travel to watch us get humiliated. Back in the old Mason Dixon Conference days, Longwood would have been standing room only! Wild times for sure. Fights, tearing down banners, public apologies etc... To answer your question about what it would take to get Lynchburg to care, there is no easy answer. The situation has existed for too long and perceptions are skewed from reality but as we know people react based on their perception. My suggestion is to reach the younger generation and hope to build a solid fan base and pride in their Divison 1 institution in their own back yard. It is sort of like racism in a way. As late as the 1980's it was illegal for a black person to marry a white person in the State of Virginia! Even at Liberty you had to get permission from the White parent (I am not making this up) to date interracially. Well we all know how silly both of those things are now but the perception was real back then about race relations. As some of the older generation moves on, the younger generation's attitudes have changed and there is more acceptance of people of other races. I am not saying that "We have Overcome" or on a soap box about race but my example is applicable. Reach the younger generation for Liberty Athletics and eventually there will be pride about this institution in the Lynchburg community down the road. Things just don't happen overnight or on our timetable. We just need to keep taking the right steps and making the right decisions and improving on the playing fields and eventually changes will take place as far as community support.

[Stevev]

Concerning the William and Mary game, I believe that the LU Flames club was to take a bus to watch the game and seemed to promote it pretty well. I got a letter in the mail. But who in there right mind would want to travel halfway accross the state to watch a team who was outscored 100-0 in the previous 2 games and it was almost a certainty that we would get the crap kicked out of us. And who wants to waste money on gas (at that time it was $3.00 a gallon) to see that shenanigans on the field.


I remember a few years ago they took a bus to JMU to watch the home opener up in Harrisonburg and I think that they brought about 2 thousand. The result a 49-7 butt whooping. I guess a lot of people still remember that one.

[bigsmooth]

SCAR, that dating law was struck down by the supreme court in 1967, but that is neither here no there. anyway, bridging the lynchburg community with LU is a tough thing to do. a prime example is this apology from the city on this bridge thing. i think many locals think jerry tries to rule lynchburg by strong arming businesses that are not "a good fit" for the area, or the instance of how long it took LU to build the ramp off the campus to 460 west on the dorm circle. LU had said they would do it, but it took way longer, and really the school did not live up to it's end of the deal. that leaves a sour taste for many b/c LU is a christian school. now on the other hand without LU, lynchburg would really be just another small town with little to no economic development. all the ideas stated are great, but it is not an easy answer. LU is clearly a tough sell, but i think if a winner can be built in football, the fans will come out, and it may energize the basketball programs too. reaching out to the churches is a great idea, connecting to the black community is great too. LU athletics need to be promoted as an event, not just the actual game itself.

[TIMSCAR20]

I know that it was unlawful Smooth (btw 1967 was a great year ) but as I talked about earlier, perception vs reality. It was believed that the law existed and I knew people that actually were "coerced" to make sure it was ok to date certain people....But you are right, Liberty is a tough sell in Lynchburg and I wish the new AD well. I was at the DPO grill downtown last night on a date with Mrs. SCAR and we were the youngest folks in there it seemed. I think it was full of the Boonsboro crowd (old money) but I wanted to ask how many of them supported Liberty athletics. I bet I would have heard crickets if I did. That is why I think reaching a new generation for Liberty Athletics is the way to go. Use the facilities like the Ice Hockey arena, the game atmosphere and above else, winning programs to gain support.

[bigsmooth]

i get you on the perception/reality thing. yes i think the ice arena will go a long way in bridging the community with LU. so far it has been a great success, but the key will be sustaining it. in cities like lynchburg something new is always packed for the first few months and then it tails off. that is why i think jeff barber will be a great hire. im sure he is already getting his wheels going and will implement some great ideas to make LU athletics stronger.

[Sly Fox]

For those of you ont he mountain, has anyone heard about anything he may already be working on our behalf as he closes things out down in Columbia?

[V88]

Sly...there is an interview with Barber at www.wrvlfm.com. Click on the FSN link and then the audio features section. Barber doesn't go into specific ideas but he does talk about creating an SEC type atmosphere at a smaller program. He also comments on reaching out to the area community to build relationships and promote athletics. Hope that helps.

[Sly Fox]

Gracias. He has his work cut out for him.

[bigsmooth]

if barber can pull that off, he should be athletic director of the year! i wish him the best and hopefully things will get turned around.

[RedDog]

I've been to many SEC games at Alabama and Tennessee and if he can build the excitement, tailgating, the band, dance squads, etc., like they have (maybe not the dance squads) at those places, I'm all for it ... If he reaches into the community and get all the sports teams to go with him and canvas the community and represent the U, then you will see things that have never happened at that place before ... I hope he makes that happen ... Good luck to him!!!

[A.G.]

It won't matter a lick what they do in the community unless MBB and Football put WINNING teams on the field. No one wants to support a loser. I recall Va Tech having a hard time filling Lane Stadium in the early years of Beamer Ball. If LU can make some noise in I-AA, then the community will rally--but not until.

[thesportscritic]

I think we have a great hire in the new AD but I guess only time will tell. I think he will do well.

[PAmedic]

or very close to one month. Any word how Jeff is doing, or what has been going on in the AD's office?

Is Mickey still running the day-to-day affairs, or has AD Barber stepped in and grabbed the reins now?

[TIMSCAR20]

Actually Medic I think he started last Monday is starting today. We are interviewing him at halftime of tonights game. I am not sure if Ray will do it or me but we will get to meet him. Ray got to do the Rocco interview so he might do this one too because I get the coaches going in and coming out of the locker room. Can't wait to hear what he has to say though.

[Hold My Own]

After being able to talk to him for a little bit, I'm real excited about the hire, b/c he's well rounded in a lot of sports...I had no idea he had the past he has in baseball and was actually well on his way to be a GM at the big league level...


As far as the Ice Rink...I think it's well known that it wont be a huge money maker, although right now it's doing great (even though it is the honey moon phase)....bottom line is, they just need to make 10k a month or make enough to off set slow months....I'm interested to see how it does in the summer, some say great some say not...we'll see!

[BJWilliams]

I was at the game last night and he actually stopped over to the band section where I was sitting with some of my friends (my face was painted with the flag of England because we had decided to do flags with the school colors in them) and he wants us to help him with figuring out how to get students to be more interested in coming to the games (besides the obvious put a winning team out on the floor reason that I KNOW is going to be mentioned)

[A.G.]

He has a baseball background? Good--perhaps he can see the things wrong with our program--like all the turnover year after year. Yes--I know, give EXAMPLES. Yes, I know, 36 wins (and we all know that winning covers a mulitude of sins).
All he has to do is have serious heart to heart with the players.

[Hold My Own]

agreed is about all I can say!