Tim Brando: Answers to your I-Bowl questions

[DestinCajun]

A myth of Brando-size proportions. Just in... VP of ESPN ("World-wide" leader in sports)... "we picked NIU in the Indy Bowl... says who... we told the Indy that we didn't care who else was in it... send John, one microphone, one camera and that old ESPN sign Fred's daughter made... oh, and bring some tarps... oh, and make up some TV ratings... oh, and call Don... Dan... Dooley back and tell him... yes, we know you are Vince's son."

I'm looking at the weather forecast for Sunday evening and it's looking rough for BR. What conditions will they have in Shreveport? I dunno but I'm kinda thinking I won't be all that unhappy at the family Christmas party afterall.

[DestinCajun]

NIU is 67 miles from the heart of Chicago.

The only way there is any more than mild interest in NIU in Chicago is if NIU has a record like Boise or Utah and is playing in something like the Sugar Bowl. They have an ongoing "show" in Chicago right now that trumps everything on TV. lol!!!

The bottom line question here is -

How many fans from NIU will be at the game?

[California Cajun]

Any suggestion of NIU delivering the Chicago market for the Independence Bowl sounds like pure lunacy to me.

The only people interested in a minor bowl to me are the people putting it on and the fans of the teams involved provided they are close enough. No well-known team is going to go there unless they had a bad year.

If I'm an average NIU fan, chances are I'm not going to travel 900 miles to watch my 6-6 team get after it. If I'm an average UL fan, chances are I will travel 200 miles to watch my 6-6 team play a team my school has a long history with and has been flapping their gums of late about superiority.

If the announced crowd is 30,000 and you're hard pressed to see half that many there with dorky announcers calling the action, what is the future of that game? A lot of people are likely to watch a Home Alone rerun, play with the kids, or walk the dog because they lost interest. I'd think the best shot the game had would be if it held the attention of Louisiana audiences.

[4LSU]

_ I think it was all TV but I dont' agree with ESPN on how a school that draws interest from .002 percent of its market can suddenly pull in TV viewers.

Old rivals LA vs LA would have had a much higher national interest. _

Two things come to my mind. One, if there was no TV network broadcasting the I-Bowl, the Cajuns are a lock for this game.

Two, the network carrying the I-Bowl is thinking potential of exposure for advertisers to the greatest available market of sports fans in general and not to fans of any certain team. Which of their choices had the largest potential market of sports fans considering they might well see the La market as locked up already with a La team in the bowl?

As you say...jmo

[Turbine]

_ Two things come to my mind. One, if there was no TV network broadcasting the I-Bowl, the Cajuns are a lock for this game.

Two, the network carrying the I-Bowl is thinking potential of exposure for advertisers to the greatest available market of sports fans in general and not to fans of any certain team. Which of their choices had the largest potential market of sports fans considering they might well see the La market as locked up already with a La team in the bowl?

As you say...jmo _

I agree with your "juxtapose malleable opinion"

I just don't agree that simply felling a tree from a larger forest creates more buzz.

[cajun4life]

I do not know about most of you but I am sick and tired of hearing about us getting screwed by the I-bowl. Can we move past this? I mean, come on man! It's over and we need to focus on other things like basketball. I hate that we did not get into the game, but ESPN will own the bowl next year anyway so their committee screwed themselves out of a huge attendance. I am tired of all the _____ing about how we were screwed. We have always been the punching bag and that will more than likely not change. What we need to do is win 7 games next year, lead the Belt in attendance AGAIN and continue to support the program and help change the perception of UL. Right now we are perceived as whiners/losers who can't get it done. That needs to change in order for us to get respect within the state and the regional media. Lets just give it a rest. Good luck to NIU!!!! FCUK TECH!!!

[RaginFan2]

_ I do not know about most of you but I am sick and tired of hearing about us getting screwed by the I-bowl. Can we move past this? I mean, come on man! It's over and we need to focus on other things like basketball. I hate that we did not get into the game, but ESPN will own the bowl next year anyway so their committee screwed themselves out of a huge attendance. I am tired of all the _____ing about how we were screwed. We have always been the punching bag and that will more than likely not change. What we need to do is win 7 games next year, lead the Belt in attendance AGAIN and continue to support the program and help change the perception of UL. Right now we are perceived as whiners/losers who can't get it done. That needs to change in order for us to get respect within the state and the regional media. Lets just give it a rest. Good luck to NIU!!!! FCUK TECH!!! _

Thank you! Let's move on.

[snote]

I do not know about most of you but I am sick and tired of hearing about us getting screwed by the I-bowl.

whoaa i'm going to have to get one of those computers that comes with sound.. (smiles)

ps.miles ..

FCUK TECH!!!

so you're putting your money on lsu are you (winks)

[California Cajun]

_ I do not know about most of you but I am sick and tired of hearing about us getting screwed by the I-bowl. Can we move past this? I mean, come on man! It's over and we need to focus on other things like basketball. I hate that we did not get into the game, but ESPN will own the bowl next year anyway so their committee screwed themselves out of a huge attendance. I am tired of all the _____ing about how we were screwed. We have always been the punching bag and that will more than likely not change. What we need to do is win 7 games next year, lead the Belt in attendance AGAIN and continue to support the program and help change the perception of UL. Right now we are perceived as whiners/losers who can't get it done. That needs to change in order for us to get respect within the state and the regional media. Lets just give it a rest. Good luck to NIU!!!! forget TECH!!! _

I agree that the true problem was not having a winning record. But neither did NIU...

[RCAJUN90]

_ I do not know about most of you but I am sick and tired of hearing about us getting screwed by the I-bowl. Can we move past this? I mean, come on man! It's over and we need to focus on other things like basketball. I hate that we did not get into the game, but ESPN will own the bowl next year anyway so their committee screwed themselves out of a huge attendance. I am tired of all the _____ing about how we were screwed. We have always been the punching bag and that will more than likely not change. What we need to do is win 7 games next year, lead the Belt in attendance AGAIN and continue to support the program and help change the perception of UL. Right now we are perceived as whiners/losers who can't get it done. That needs to change in order for us to get respect within the state and the regional media. Lets just give it a rest. Good luck to NIU!!!! forget TECH!!! _

It is time to move on. I'm just a little mad that no heads rolled nor did Waters seem upset. I will be pulling and watching an NIU victory in the Indy Bowl with 30,000 Tech fans and some giant blue tarps in attendance.

I like the way Bustle maned up and took a little blame for not making a bowl.