2007 Football preview and offseason fan talk

[ShowDog]

_ Based on you remark, it seems like you would prefer we play in the Southland Conference. Maybe we'll set new attendance records?

I was at our homecoming game last season when the Cajuns went in at 4-2 and we had a fantastic crowd for Middle Tennessee. Too bad we got our clock cleaned because had we won it and been sitting at 5-2, I honestly believe local fan interest would have increased for the remaining homes games. Instead, the season and our fans went in a different direction. _

As the famous "Jim Mora" once said: "coulda, shoulda, woulda"

[shof]

_
No disrespect to anyone but playing McNeese is like playing Northwestern St. and Nichols St. _

Yes, and no. In the grand scheme of things a win or loss against McNeese is no different than it would be vs NSU or Nichols. But neither of those schools were ever the natural rival that "USL/McNeese" was back in the day. So in this sense, its a bigger deal for many older alumni and fans who supported our program 15-20+ years ago. I know I'll be there and looking forward to kicking some Coyboy butt!

[shof]

If it turns out that the McNeese game is seen as one of the more "exciting" games we have at home, then it seems our fans are not buying into our Sun Belt competition.

I'm looking forward to a GREAT Ragin Cajun Year! Geaux UL! _

Its tough to compare "rivalry games" when one has been played maybe 50+ times and the others less than 10. I don't think anyone is dissing the SBC games; just that many (most) of them haven't had the time to develop into natural rivalries yet. That's why so many of us still enjoy the opportunity to play LaTech too. We've been at it for almost a century!

[ULGrad@HOU]

_ Based on you remark, it seems like you would prefer we play in the Southland Conference. Maybe we'll set new attendance records?

I was at our homecoming game last season when the Cajuns went in at 4-2 and we had a fantastic crowd for Middle Tennessee. Too bad we got our clock cleaned because had we won it and been sitting at 5-2, I honestly believe local fan interest would have increased for the remaining homes games. Instead, the season and our fans went in a different direction. _

Maybe I stated it wrong. Just the opposite. I don't like playing the Div I-AA games at all. Maybe the $$$ will make this game worth it for our program if it is a big crowd. I prefer the home games like Okla State, Texas A&M, UH, or other better known football programs. I've attended all those I just mentioned. I also was there last year for the Homecoming, and agree that was the attendance killer for the year.

[RaginDave]

I bought my first preseason college football magazine today, this is a ritual I do every year at this time. I usually buy multiple ones, and while Phil Steele is my favorite, CBS Sportsline magazine, which I had not previously known about has us at #96 out of the 119 D-1A college football teams. They also predict us to win the SBC and play SMU in the New Orleans Bowl.

Lets hope that they are accurate!!!

Geaux Cajuns!!!!!

[DaddyCajun]

Yes it is time for me to go get my copy of Phil Steele. Time to do some research!!

DaddyCajun

[DaddyCajun]

Now that is a way to sell Season tickets, have a preseason Tailgaiting party and all you need is to have purchased your season tickets!

Well how about a fee to drive in to tailgate, say $10 per car load, or $5 per person. Donate the money to Recruiting! Have available seating areas at Cajun Field marked off for purchase! Live bands including the Pride of Acadiana!
Play highlights on the big score board all day attracting fans to the stadium and have coaches and players on the field next to the ticket purchasing tables.


DaddyCajun

[Cajun Express]

_ Now that is a way to sell Season tickets, have a preseason Tailgaiting party and all you need is to have purchased your season tickets!

Well how about a fee to drive in to tailgate, say $10 per car load, or $5 per person. Donate the money to Recruiting! Have available seating areas at Cajun Field marked off for purchase! Live bands including the Pride of Acadiana!
Play highlights on the big score board all day attracting fans to the stadium and have coaches and players on the field next to the ticket purchasing tables.


DaddyCajun _

We do not have enough parking at Cajun Field for people who simply want to get there a little while before the game starts. It is an absolute insult to a good fan who wants to attend a game and has to park at Blackham and hike almost a mile to the stadium while there are hundreds of parking spots taken up by people who have no tickets to the game, but like a good party.

The last thing a coach needs to be doing on game day is PR work, I would not want to be the coach who was glad handing people after any loss.

We should demand up until about 1.5 hours before the game that when you drive up you have a ticket for each person in your vehicle in order to enter.
Same thing for RV, if you do not have an RV permit you don't get in, period, drive to Blackham. For the whinny B it chy groups, there are multiple ticket outlets that they can access if getting in is important to them.

[rhineaux]

_ We do not have enough parking at Cajun Field for people who simply want to get there a little while before the game starts. It is an absolute insult to a good fan who wants to attend a game and has to park at Blackham and hike almost a mile to the stadium while there are hundreds of parking spots taken up by people who have no tickets to the game, but like a good party.

The last thing a coach needs to be doing on game day is PR work, I would not want to be the coach who was glad handing people after any loss.

We should demand up until about 1.5 hours before the game that when you drive up you have a ticket for each person in your vehicle in order to enter.
Same thing for RV, if you do not have an RV permit you don't get in, period, drive to Blackham. For the whinny B it chy groups, there are multiple ticket outlets that they can access if getting in is important to them. _

After talking to someone in the Athletic department, the idea of not allowing patrons onto the grounds without tickets had already been discussed with regards to continuing to meet the attendance regulations for the ncaa, but there were too many drawbacks to it, primarily with perception. I think they would be worried about some folks who never go to games much, and/or new cajun fans, and make an attempt to be a part of it, and then we turn them away, even if they only tailgate. the fact is that, MOST people who consistently go to Cajun Field on Saturdays will start going into the game. There are some that will stay out, but, can't really control what people do. Like they say, win and they will come.

Secondly, by doing that, you turn away ALL of your walkup crowd becasue the only place for them to buy tickets is within the grounds of the athletic complex. If they can't get in without a ticket, they'll surely never be able to by the ticket they wanted to buy.

[Cajun Express]

_ After talking to someone in the Athletic department, the idea of not allowing patrons onto the grounds without tickets had already been discussed with regards to continuing to meet the attendance regulations for the ncaa, but there were too many drawbacks to it, primarily with perception. I think they would be worried about some folks who never go to games much, and/or new cajun fans, and make an attempt to be a part of it, and then we turn them away, even if they only tailgate. the fact is that, MOST people who consistently go to Cajun Field on Saturdays will start going into the game. There are some that will stay out, but, can't really control what people do. Like they say, win and they will come.

Secondly, by doing that, you turn away ALL of your walkup crowd becasue the only place for them to buy tickets is within the grounds of the athletic complex. If they can't get in without a ticket, they'll surely never be able to by the ticket they wanted to buy. _

I will answer your second concern first. They can buy tickets at other locations unless they no longer have ticket master at the old Maison Blanc for example. I also did not keep people out that want to buy tickets at the last moment because my gate check would end about 1.5 hours before kickoff.

Your first argument is nutz regardless of who said it. No stadium should allow non fans in before all the football fans have a spot. For too long UL has walked on egg shells about not offending anybody. Heck they offend hundreds of ticket buying fans who see themselves walking so far while the grasshoppers party.

I think until you take your child by the neck he will always want his way. The sooner you do it the better. As a no nonsense parent I suffered short term pain only to gain long term respect by my children. Along with that respect I also had happier children who knew exactly the bounds, and we all enjoyed our live so much better. There are several members of this board I know who also practice no nonsense from their kids and they to have happier more contented children. Take firm and decisive action, and we will lose some forever. But if we really had a chance then they will not be lost forever.

I have been in closed door meetings and never ever heard the first argument as to a way to curb those who only want to party.

As for win and they will come, that does not create one new parking spot. In fact some of the most vocal fans against those who take up parking only to tailgate happen at Refineryville U. Surely they win enough to get um inside.

[CrazyCajun]

_ We do not have enough parking at Cajun Field for people who simply want to get there a little while before the game starts. It is an absolute insult to a good fan who wants to attend a game and has to park at Blackham and hike almost a mile to the stadium while there are hundreds of parking spots taken up by people who have no tickets to the game, but like a good party.

The last thing a coach needs to be doing on game day is PR work, I would not want to be the coach who was glad handing people after any loss.

We should demand up until about 1.5 hours before the game that when you drive up you have a ticket for each person in your vehicle in order to enter.
Same thing for RV, if you do not have an RV permit you don't get in, period, drive to Blackham. For the whinny B it chy groups, there are multiple ticket outlets that they can access if getting in is important to them. _

read the post! It says PRESEASON not pregame tailgate. The point is to have a big PRESEASON tailgating party with bands and the players and coaches trying to sell season tickets. to get people in the community involved. have things for the kids to do and it would be like a small festival a few weekends BEFORE the season. I think it could work. It would basically be like a pep rally but on a much larger scale

[Cajun Express]

_ read the post! It says PRESEASON not pregame tailgate. The point is to have a big PRESEASON tailgating party with bands and the players and coaches trying to sell season tickets. to get people in the community involved. have things for the kids to do and it would be like a small festival a few weekends BEFORE the season. I think it could work. It would basically be like a pep rally but on a much larger scale _

My bad. Actually it is a darned good idea. A giant cook-off with a great prize perhaps a pair of road tickets, travel, and hotel accomodations.