I actually meant people are disgusted how brown left the program, and that was the same time the baseball team made their historic run in the 90's. I see a lot of fans that were big basketball fans and now I see most of them at the box.
Scrappy, I'm fairly new to this board, but I've posted very similar things on other sites, and also have wondered many of the same things that you have. To have 9617 show up for the SEC WEST LEADING LSU team, for senior day, for a Saturday game against a SEC bubble team, leaving almost third of the arena empty, is somewhat a slap in the face to the entire men's program. Various theories on why attendance is low have been proferred over the years of Brady. 1. Brady's style of play is boring (that has changed this year). 2. Brady's personality/history of transition rubs people the wrong way (agree with you, that should not deter fans supporting a school team). 3. This team has not CONSISTENTLY won (ok, maybe the Stro' team won more up front, and then sustained that winning throughout the SEC, whereas this team disappointed early and then came on strong, when people had written them off). 4. Men's basketball success has paled in the last decade to football, baseball, women's basketball, etc., and fans spread their athletic entertainment dollars to the winners. Perhaps being just league division leaders IS NOT good enough--I'd hope not. 5. School does not promote as much as it should, and Brady doesn't promote nearly as much as Dale did. 6. LSU is just not a basketball school (Daddy Dale era--note football medocrity during those days as compared to the Saban era--would disprove that). So, take your pick for the true cause(s). I believe ultimately, that #3 hurt this season, and #4 and to a lesser degree #5 also have a play in it. But, I'm hopeful that the Tigers with a strong post season showing, and even if they don't make the sweet 16--but perhaps win even one game, will enthuse the fans again. This is going to be a very talented team again next year, and the sophomores will be that much better next year. I'll also leave you with this note. Average PMAC (paid) attendance for the men's games have gone up each year since the Stro' year, and I'd be curious how this team stacks up in attendance to the Stro' year after it's all said and done. It's been a slow and gradual ascent back to glory for this team...:geauxtige I for one will say it here... THANK YOU ANTONIO HUDSON, XAVIER WHIPPLE, PAUL WOLFORT AND JOSH MARAVICH... FOR BLEEDING PURPLE & GOLD AND WEARING IT FOR YOUR COLLEGE DAYS!:grin:
good post. I just hate that those players didnt get to feel what it feels like to play in front of a packed house this year. They talk about the lack of consisten play during the Brady era is a big factor for why they dont come. Well, I dont buy that b/c if they packed it for Stro, then they coulda packed it here. Both were great seasons following sub par seasons. I just believe that unless a team is number 1, and if its not football then it wont be supported like it should. I understand football dominates so thats a no brainer. But, look at the support the women are getting. If they were not number 1 then they wouldnt have put in 15000 against Tenn. This isnt a knock on them, but I mean honestly, people were intrigued by the fact that they were number 1. If they were like the men, in the 25-30 rankings, then they wouldnt get near the fan support they do. Unless your absolutely the best at it, LSU fans dont seem to want it. I've always wondered this question, If the baseball team had never won a CWS title, but had made it there in each of those years, would the fan support be like it is now? Lets say they went to Omaha 5 times and never won it all. Would they still be averaging the best baseball attendence in America? It's just something that has puzzled me.
Drive east on I-12 after a game, I promise you that there many, many fans in the Florida Parishes that follow the program. I'm sure it's the same thing going both directions on I-10. It took Saban to jump start things, but like the state of Arkansas and their loyality STATEWIDE, LSU is the big dog, bigger than any sport team in Louisiana and people do care. So, no it's not your HOMETOWN team; it's your STATE'S team. LSU, however, needs to do some serious PR. Brown's scorched earth still hasn't been fixed. LSU hasn't packed the Assembly Center on a regular basis since Gert played. Maybe opening the season on the road for December might cure the problem. Come home with a plus .500 road record and see if the fish bite. LSU can not expect to put fans in the seats, in November, while football is making it's annual run, by playing directional Lousiana schools or one of minor saint colleges. Tim Floyd might bring USC this way, so that might be a possibility. Maybe a second Big 10 game (OSU will be in Columbus), or evil a$m. Why not try and shake up the rules and have a doubleheader with the the men opening for the women?
It seems that unless an LSU team is number 1 or close to it, it has a hard time getting interest. Football always has the built in audience. But, womens basketball is huge right now. Imagine if they were only 25-30 in the nation. They'd have a hard time getting a few thousand in there. They would have never gotten 15000 for the Tenn game. I hate to say it but its true. If the men were in the top15 im sure more would show up. It's not about the quality of play, its about the accolades a team gets. It's about how good they are as viewed by rankings or whatever the case may be. Also, I dont buy that the men can't get good crowds b/c of inconsistent play over the years. The Stro year the PMAC was rocking on a regular basis. That followed a poor year. The LSU fans just want number 1 or bust. I guess that thats not a bad thing to dream big. But, I mean sometimes its too far fetched. Heres my question, do you think if the baseball team would have gone to omaha 5 times and not won a CWS title, do you think the fanbase would be how it is? If this team was a team that wen to the CWS ever other year and had 5 appearances with no Title, do you think they'd have the best attendence in America? Would just appearances and no title generate buzz like that? I believe this is a fair question.
Lots of people-SabanFan included-will talk about shadow reasons of LSU not being a basketball school, or other similar excuses...But, truth be told, this team put on a huge show, YET AGAIN, of inconsistency...It just did it in an odd way this year... Having to put half-ass decent teams on the schedule early in the year caused the swoon to take place early. LSU wasn't allowed to feast on early season cupcake cannon fodder as in year's past, and they lost cred early as a result. They went on their streak, and haven't stopped yet...Which is divergent from year's past. The bottom line-however-remains: This program is inconsistent. One minute, you've got a coach whose players stand up and tell him face to face they hate him. The next minute, you've got "fans" who are touting him for coach of the year. A man who stalked around a bus in Houston traffic muttering and cussing like he was rounding the walls of Jericho... Inconsistency will breed a lack of interest. The years with Dale Brown always brought high expectations. They may not have lived up to it, but they always put talent on the court, and they always turned up the heat at home. Now, this team is actually undefeated at home, but the inconsistency that has plauged this program-and honestly reared its head again this year-is still plaguing this program today. Until he can eliminate the ups and downs, he will keep the program in a negative, uphill battle for support of any type from the media (which he'll never get unless he changes his attitude 180 towards them), as well as the fanbase... I doubt many of you think he can change his ways on any other matter, so why think he will now? Having said all this...Commence with all the, "You're not a true fan..." lines...I'm waiting, and I can't hold my breath any longer... LOL... Fool's Gold is still pretty to the eye, people...Remember that...
I dont buy the inconsistency thing. Everyone wants to cling to a winner. I think the fans make the game. They chose not to go for whatever reason or another and that is there choice. I think the product this year, atleast the last 8 games or so has bee consistent. Again, this whole consistency thing just doesnt work for me. The team won like 13 games the year before Stro and compaany went sweet 16. People packed it then. It's just peoples choice. To me, it's about those that play, not who coaches that should determine if you go to the game or not. If you take the coach so personally, thats your problem. Go for the guys that wear your colors that you so prouldy wear and proclaim to be a superfan of the school. Where in reality most are just fans of one of the many sports the school has to offer. Of course unless one of the other teams is number 1.
I'm not asking you to buy anything, scrappy, but if you're that ignorant of the typical MO of a John Brady coached team, I can't help you... Before this year, it's always been the same: Early season hype and a gaudy record built on the back of a Pillsbury Cupcake box of opponents. Stumbles in the early going of the conference schedule. Redemption, followed by another swoon... Late season run to scrape into the tournament. Flameout early. Tell me I'm wrong. I need a laugh...I've been following this program-and this staff and coach-since '99...and it's always the damn same...Even during the Sweet 16 season...Outside of this year when forced to play decent opponents early, of course...
I agree with you. It's basically like clockwork. Easy games early, tough start in conference, late push. I'm not disagreeing. By inconsistency, I mean that I dont think the people should stay away b/c of that. It's obvious that they came out for that team in 99 even though as you say, they were inconsistent.
No, that's not it... They ran out to a 12 or 13-0 start...Lots of hype built up towards the first big test at home against Tennessee and Slay, Yarborough & Company...They also had a dirty-as-hell point guard who was as fast with the ball in his hands pushing it up the court as anyone I've ever seen... They lost that game, but the buzz was already there, created by the early season run and a big tournament win in Hawaii with a W over Fresno State & The Shark... They finished the conference schedule as a four-way champion (amazingly, just like this team finished as a division co-champion) with KU & FU in the East & Auburn over here (AU tied but lost the head-to-head with our season sweep. We lost to UT & Vandy on the road, but that was it). I may be wrong, but that's how I seem to remember it. They turned out AFTER that team had run up an early season undefeated record and won a Hawaii tournament...The first "real" big game came against Tennessee...and the next one after that was the Arizona game...That was the nadir-or zenith-of crowds at the P-MAC that year, with the possible exception of the Auburn game against Doc & Chris Porter-one of last few of Porter's collegiate career. When they PROVED they were winners, they turned out...Not before...The best exhibition of basketball and dominance that year-outside of 'Zona was the Grambling game to open the year, and that place was 3/4 empty...We won 117-37, if I remember correctly, and it was like an All-Star game in the 2nd half...Run outs on the break followed by layups off glass for alley-oops and the highlight reels... Jabari broke out the fake behind the back slam he featured in the Zona game at the half in that first game of the year...
