Tech's Intervention

[rcarte3]

_ 15 k is what you Latextsers are likely to bring to the bowl game. The TV audience will be maybe 10 households outside the Ruston city limits and the cornfields of Dekalb, Illinois. _

If you read the orginial quote it was said ULL would bring 15 to 20K. I doubt Tech is bringing more than 10K at best. I am not a Latextser by the way. I don't think ULL would bring more than 10K either. What was your average attendance for a home game 15K? Using ULL logic that means that when LSU plays in the Sugar bowl all 90K plus fans will be at the game. Not true. The tickets are limited to each team no matter what two schools are playing. A lot of tickets are reserved for the people in the hosting city. Granted ULL would bring a lot of folks but I don't believe it would be the average of your home attendance.

[KAjunRaider]

My question is this-- Why did the Cajun Athletics Administration state that they never even received a return phone call from the I-Bowl ?

Apparently, the Cajuns had tried to get in contact with the I-Bowl even before the game on Wednesday.

Would that not have been before NIU had even entered the picture?

I am referencing the "UL Snubbed" article that came out in the Advertiser today.

That points to the I-Bowl would have taken anyone over a 6-6 SBC team.

They would have taken Bowling Green if NIU had gone elsewhere.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article...812080324/1006

Independence Bowl chairman Keith Bergeron and executive director Missy Setters could not be reached via cell phone seeking comment. The Huskies finished fourth in the MAC West Division this season at 5-3. They suffered losses to Minnesota, Western Michigan, Tennessee and Central Michigan by a combined 14 points. NIU's other losses came to Ball State and Navy.

Of those six teams, all but Tennessee advanced to a bowl.

"Our selection committee was asked to list order of preference of teams a few days ago," Independence Bowl media relations director Patrick Meehan wrote via e-mail. "Notre Dame was first, North Carolina State was second, Western Michigan was third, Northern Illinois was fourth and Arkansas State and (UL) tied at the bottom of the order.

"That's the best answer I can give why (UL) was not selected."

According to Walker, UL was never seriously considered for the Independence Bowl.

"We were contacted early on by the Texas Bowl, but we never heard anything from the Independence Bowl until I called them last week," Walker said. "We sent them some information, but we never got a return call or anything."

[Bankruptcyman]

_ looking for rhyme or reason in media markets, strength of the teams, or ticket sales will only frustrate you. This is very simple...

A former I-Bowl employee is now employed at NIU. He used his connections to get his team in the bowl. Simple as that. _

I understand, but come July the Indy Bowl is going to come back to the Louisiana legislature and ask for more of my tax dollars as a subsidy ($560,000.00 in 2008). That has to be the most short-sighted payback I have ever heard. How does the Indy Bowl feel their request for money will be received this Legislative session. They had a chance to do the right thing and make a sound business and political move but chose to pick a friend.

[CajunZ1]

_ I think your estimate of 15 to 20K is pie in the sky. What did you guys average during the sesaon in attendance at home?

Over 21k average attendence.

Arguing how many people would have gone is stupid, so I won't do it. Fine, we would have only brought 10k. Happy?

NIU will have orders of magnitude less people come to Shreveport. THAT is my point.

[ULtimateCajun]

_ There is a certain element among our fan base that is saying that. Their hate of you guys and the Sun Belt is irrational, but every Sun Belt school has an equal element that irrationally hates Tech. As for Tech backing out of a bowl: are you serious? We've won exactly one bowl game...ever. We've sat at home with 8 or more wins twice the last decade. There's no way in HELL Tech would back out of anything. We aren't exactly Notre Dame, and we're very, very fortunate to be bowling. The Big XII and SEC couldn't take care of business....that is the only reason we are playing in the Indy Bowl.



True dat. _

I should have been a little more specific about the "tech pulling out of the I-Bowl". I read numerous post on your message boards (yes I know that is a fan board and 80% of it is fiction, but apparently you guys have a member that is on the bowl commitee or is connected somehow. "Luminaire") that if the I-Bowl chose a Belt team that Tech would pull out and be able to go to Texas and play Rice. It sounds crazy, I know, but what's even crazier is that Tech would rather play a 7-5 MAC team in a 75% empty stadium than a belt team with a 70% full stadium and actually have something on the line. No one outside of Ruston will remember this game in 5 years whether you guys win or lose. BUT if UL had been selected, imagine how many people would remember the 2008 I-Bowl. It's all moot now so Good luck to you guys.

[Just1More]

_ If you read the orginial quote it was said UL would bring 15 to 20K. I doubt Tech is bringing more than 10K at best. I am not a Latextser by the way. I don't think UL would bring more than 10K either. What was your average attendance for a home game 15K? Using UL logic that means that when LSU plays in the Sugar bowl all 90K plus fans will be at the game. Not true. The tickets are limited to each team no matter what two schools are playing. A lot of tickets are reserved for the people in the hosting city. Granted UL would bring a lot of folks but I don't believe it would be the average of your home attendance. _

This has nothing to do with normal circumstances. UL brought 12k-15k to the Superdome for a regular season game with Tulane. I was there (oh, and I got a hotel room because I'm a responsible partier... Mr. Hotel Shreveport) and have a good handle on counting the crowd. With our first bowl in 38 years... there is no way we don't arrive in force in Shreveport. With the economy in the tank, the distance and flight issues for NIU, and it being Dec 28th... NIU is not going to be traveling in hords. This hotel talk is bogus. UL would have as many people in hotels as NIU. They may have 800 people at the game. I guarantee you they do not eat or out drink 15k Cajun fans. Indy Bowl people pulled a brain fart economically.

Another argument is that UL people may just like something they see in Shreveport and come back. I'm real curious how many NIU fans will be wanting to do business with, or take a weekend trip down to Shreveport in the next 5 years. What "marketing" is going to happen in Chicago that is going to help the "Chamber of Commerce" in Shreveport?

I absolutely assure you that the NIU guy and the Tech connections had far more to do with this than this purported economic justification. But, it certainly "sounds" better.

[DestinCajun]

_ If you read the orginial quote it was said UL would bring 15 to 20K. I doubt Tech is bringing more than 10K at best. I am not a Latextser by the way. I don't think UL would bring more than 10K either. What was your average attendance for a home game 15K? Using UL logic that means that when LSU plays in the Sugar bowl all 90K plus fans will be at the game. Not true. The tickets are limited to each team no matter what two schools are playing. A lot of tickets are reserved for the people in the hosting city. Granted UL would bring a lot of folks but I don't believe it would be the average of your home attendance. _

I did read your post which is why I figured you have to be a Latextser. Otherwise, you would know something about Cajun fans and how much they would support our team in a bowl game EVEN in place like Shreveport.

[rcarte3]

_ I did read your post which is why I figured you have to be a Latextser. Otherwise, you would know something about Cajun fans and how much they would support our team in a bowl game EVEN in place like Shreveport. _

How would you know how you would support a team in a bowl game? You haven't been to one in 38 years. In addition don't think for a second that bowl committees don't look at how fans attend their team's home games as a gauge as to how many will come. You have a 30K plus staduim and what have you averaged in attendance for the Bustle years 15K give or take a couple of thousand. I am NOT SAYING NIU gets bigger crowds than you do at their games therefore they will bring more fans but its preception by the bowl committees.

[Project10]

_ I should have been a little more specific about the "tech pulling out of the I-Bowl". I read numerous post on your message boards (yes I know that is a fan board and 80% of it is fiction, but apparently you guys have a member that is on the bowl commitee or is connected somehow. "Luminaire") that if the I-Bowl chose a Belt team that Tech would pull out and be able to go to Texas and play Rice. It sounds crazy, I know, but what's even crazier is that Tech would rather play a 7-5 MAC team in a 75% empty stadium than a belt team with a 70% full stadium and actually have something on the line. No one outside of Ruston will remember this game in 5 years whether you guys win or lose. BUT if UL had been selected, imagine how many people would remember the 2008 I-Bowl. It's all moot now so Good luck to you guys. _

Yeah, I realized later what you meant about us "backing out." Look, we are who we are...do you honestly think we had multiple bowl bids and were negotiating one against the other?...neither do I. I would've rather played you guys, no question. NIU (no offense, Huskie lurkers) is about as unsexy of an opponent that I can think of. At least a Tech-Cajun tilt would've put butts in the seats.

I also believe ESPN had some say in the decision. Considering the dire straits the Indy Bowl is in, I cannot believe they acted alone in picking NIU.

It will be interesting to see the bowl details as they become available (tickets that must be purchased, bowl payouts, etc).

[CajunSaint]

_ How would you know how you would support a team in a bowl game? You haven't been to one in 38 years. In addition don't think for a second that bowl committees don't look at how fans attend their team's home games as a gauge as to how many will come. You have a 30K plus staduim and what have you averaged in attendance for the Bustle years 15K give or take a couple of thousand. I am NOT SAYING NIU gets bigger crowds than you do at their games therefore they will bring more fans but its preception by the bowl committees. _

just some silly questions for you-why in the hell do you give a damn about us? what do you know about us? have you ever set foot in cajun field? are you a ul fan? do you attend our home football games on a regular basis? do you need to use more than one hand to count the cajuns' fans you consider to be close friends? do you have any idea what passion many of us here have for our football team? you have not furthered this discourse one damn bit. you are merely an antagonistic twithead. go post on a message board for a team you actually support, if there is one, and leave us the hell alone.

[DestinCajun]

How would you know how you would support a team in a bowl game?

I'm a long time supporter of UL football that's how. Despite being elite and in an elite conference and having elite fans like you, LaTex attendance is in line with ours. Not better - especially during squirrel season.

[ATXCajun]

_ An hour from Chicago's city center. Very close to the Chicago footprint.

I guess that's enough. There's really no arguing with the "market." It's obvious NIU has the advantage there. The argument lies in ticket sales, which UL would have bought orders of magnitude more than the Huskies. _

I always find this "market" argument kind of interesting. It doesn't matter how many people live near a university, especially if the game is being marketed to the whole nation. Just because there are a lot of people in Chicago doesn't mean that they are all going to turn the TV on to watch NIU and LaTech. Same goes for the rest of the country. Norman, OK and Gainesville, FL aren't exactly TV markets, but the whole country will be watching their game.