(2009) I'm the casual fan that has not been to Cajun Field in years

[Chop]

I’m the guy you love to hate, but at the same time I’m the type of person you have to have for a successful program.

You can either cuss me, or listen to what I have to say and maybe just maybe you will win us back again one day. Although I am just one person, there are at least 20K people in the Lafayette are just like me.

I am not one of the 8K people that will go to the game just because they are playing.
Like I said, I have not been to Cajun Field or the Cajun Dome in 10 years.

I don’t expect a National title contender, but I do expect the university to care more then me.

I have been a member of this forum for a while. I can’t say that I spend a ton of time here lurking, but I do spend enough time here to realize that the administration is not the only ones that has a problem.

I hate the attitude of some of the fans. Some of you act like your **** don’t stink because you go to the game to watch an inferior product, and when the people like me go after a 2 game winning streak you pretty much show the cold shoulder. You guys want people at the games, but when they show up you act like its some kind of privileged for us to be there like we are not worthy.

I remember the last game I tried to go to, it was a home game against LATECH. I showed up at 6:45. They had one girl in the whole stadium taking tickets. By the time it got to my turn in line it was almost halftime and the Cajuns were already down 3 TDS, yet they still wanted to charge full price for there incompetence. The next Monday I called Jay Walker about the situation and he blasted me for not showing up at 5PM. Hey DUDE!!!! I think they only had 16K people at that game!!! Why should I have to show up 2 hrs before a game when the stadium is only half full? I can go to a Saints game with 70K people 15 mins before start time and still make the opening KO. The problem is not me, it’s the 1 girl at the ticket window.

The tailgate thread was a joke. I have been tailgating a few times in the last 10 years, and if they ever kick me out once the game starts I promise you, me and thousands of others will never step foot inside the stadium even if they go 13-0.

During the Mitchell and Jake years I was at every game, I have the potential to go to every game again. But until the University and the fans start treating the casual fans with a little respect, I’m afraid you are going to have to live with 8K for football and 800 for basketball.

Robert Lee not getting canned is an insult.

I use to love going to the Cajun dome and watching Marty ball, but for some reason the cajunnecks down here never accepted him and ran him off.

Then Jessie came along, he was not perfect, but at least he brought some level of success to the program, once again the Cajun necks never accepted him and he left for a better job.

Its time to quit blaming LSU for all the problems. Do you know how childish that sounds?

LSU has zero to do with ULs success or failure.

Its time to quit blaming the SUNBELT conference for all of ULs problems. Why don’t you start dominating the SUNBELT first, then maybe just maybe you can make the case that you are ready to move onto bigger and better things.

The problem right now is the administrations no care attitude, and the Alumni and fans ____ poor attitude.


You can like me or hate me, the bottom line is you will never see 25K at Cajun Field or 10K at the Cajun dome without me sitting in one of the seats.

[CajunRed]

Stay home.

[UL_Cajuns]

I read your post with interest, you have some good points. Just curious are you a UL alumni?

[RaginWaldo]

well considering you werent at the southern game (40k)
considering you werent at the FAU homecoming (25+) or the homecoming last year (29+)

i find your statement BS about us never seeing that many fans if your seat isnt there, no one gives a **** about how you personally feel about the cajuns so stay home loser.

anyway i do agree with you about the LSU thing and how alot of people do try to blame everything else in the world but it does take Winning to get fans in the stadium regardless of the weather. the only reason why La Tech gets so much fans to their game in bad weather is cause there's nothing else to do up there haha

[Chop]

Ok guys, I will certainly take your advice and never support the UL program again.
You guys are too good for me, Im not worthy of being in your presence.
Sorry if I still had one little ounce of care left in me for the UL program. Enough care to at least make this thread. You just zapped that little bit of care I still had left in me.

Sorry for the constructive thread that I made in hopes letting people know the thoughts of over 20K people in the Lafayette area. You guys have it all figured out. You dont need the casual fan.

Cancel my membership to this forum.
Enjoy the basketball season. All 259 of you.

[Chop]

_ well considering you werent at the southern game (40k)
considering you werent at the FAU homecoming (25+) or the homecoming last year (29+)

i find your statement BS about us never seeing that many fans if your seat isnt there, no one gives a **** about how you personally feel about the cajuns so stay home loser.

anyway i do agree with you about the LSU thing and how alot of people do try to blame everything else in the world but it does take Winning to get fans in the stadium regardless of the weather. the only reason why La Tech gets so much fans to their game in bad weather is cause there's nothing else to do up there haha _

WOW!!!! It seems like you dont need us then.
Sorry for caring.

[KACajun]

I agree 100%...if you would go to the games you would see that our fan base is mostly 55+ and the other segment that is well represented is the 18-25 (students). I'm a 32 year old alumnus and former frat boy and I can assure you that 90% my friends are UL graduates that would rather go hunting, stay home, or head east on Saturdays. We lost nearly every 30 something and most of the 40 year olds in this town. I think you can get them back...but you have to make a statement and I think the administration is not interested in changing perception at this time.

[CajunZ1]

We need you and your money. My suggestion is to donate since the education you got pays your salary. Once a proper product is on the field, come enjoy it, and there can be no self-righteous claim that you had "nothing to do with it". I'm not being flip, btw. Joining the RCAF costs only 8 bucks a month.

Hope to see you at the games! It will mean we're winning!!

WOW!!!! It seems like you dont need us then.
Sorry for caring.

igeaux.mobi

[Chop]

_ I agree 100%...if you would go to the games you would see that our fan base is mostly 55+ and the other segment that is well represented is the 18-25 (students). I'm a 32 year old alumnus and former frat boy and I can assure you that 90% my friends are UL graduates that would rather go hunting, stay home, or head east on Saturdays. We lost nearly every 30 something and most of the 40 year olds in this town. I think you can get them back...but you have to make a statement and I think the administration is not interested in changing perception at this time. _

Yes, I happen to be in the lost age group of 30 to 40.
I still must have a little bit of care left in me, otherwise I would not have signed up for this site and started this thread.

But the attitude of the 1st 2 posters after my 1st post is a perfect example of the kind of people that I was talking about.

You guys are going to have to get over it.
Sometimes I feel like you want your 6K fans in the stands. You wear it like a badge of or something.

Time to quit thinking that your something that your not.
There are a lot of people in this town that would support this program with just a few changes.

It is a very fine line being a winner, and not being a winner.
I dont think the changes need to be wholesale.
I would support the team if they had Troys success in football or WKUs success in basketball. Im not asking for much.

[cajunlamprey]

_ Ok guys, I will certainly take your advice and never support the UL program again.
You guys are too good for me, Im not worthy of being in your presence.
Sorry if I still had one little ounce of care left in me for the UL program. Enough care to at least make this thread. You just zapped that little bit of care I still had left in me.

Sorry for the constructive thread that I made in hopes letting people know the thoughts of over 20K people in the Lafayette area. You guys have it all figured out. You dont need the casual fan.

Cancel my membership to this forum.
Enjoy the basketball season. All 259 of you. _

I'm curious what type of response you expected to receive. It sounds like you read this forum so you know that all the topics you brought out in your post have been debated ad nauseam. Plus, it's hard to talk about the ticket situation that occurred 10 years ago and call it constructive criticism. Let's just say that it's improved in the past couple years.

So now... as a fan that used to attend games in the past, but hasn't attended in 10 years what else has kept you away?
1. ticket situation - fixed
2. ?
3. ?

[Hammer58]

_ Im the guy you love to hate, but at the same time im the type of person you have to have for a succesful program.

You can either cuss me, or listen to what I have to say and maybe just maybe you will win us back again one day. Although I am just one person, there are at least 20K people in the Lafayette are just like me.

I am not one of the 8K people that will go to the game just because they are playing.
Like I said, I have not been to Cajun Field or the Cajun Dome in 10 years.

I dont expect a National title contender, but I do expect the university to care more then me.

I have been a member of this forum for a while. I cant say that I spend a ton of time here lurking, but I do spend enough time here to realize that the administration is not the only ones that has a problem.

I hate the attitude of some of the fans. Some of you act like your **** dont stink because you go to the game to watch an inferior product, and when the people like me go after a 2 game winning streak you pretty much show the cold shoulder. You guys want people at the games, but when they show up you act like its some kind of privaledge for us to be there like we are not worthy.

I remember the last game I tried to go to, It was a home game against LATECH. I showed up at 6:45. They had one girl in the whole stadium taking tickets. By the time it got to my turn in line it was almost halftime and the cajuns were already down 3 TDS, yet they still wanted to charge full price for there incompetance. The next Monday I called Jay Walker about the situation and he blasted me for not showing up at 5PM. Hey DUDE!!!! I think they only had 16K people at that game!!! Why should I have to show up 2 hrs before a game when the stadium is only half full? I can go to a Saints game with 70K people 15 mins before start time and still make the opening KO. The problem is not me, its the 1 girl at the ticket window.

The tailgate thread was a joke. I have been tailgating a few times in the last 10 years, and if they ever kick me out once the game starts I promise you, me and thousands of others will never step foot inside the stadium even if they go 13-0.

During the Mitchell and Jake years I was at every game, I have the potential to go to every game again. But until the University and the fans start treating the casual fans with a little respect, im afraid you are going to have to live with 8K for football and 800 for basketball.

Robert Lee not getting canned is an insult.

I use to love going to the cajun dome and watching Marty ball, but for some reason the cajunnecks down here never accepted hiim and ran him off.

Then Jessie came along, he was not perfect, but at least he brought some level of success to the program, once again the cajun necks never accepted him and he left for a better job.

Its time to quit blaming LSU for all the problems. Do you know how childish that sounds?

LSU has zero to do with ULs success or failure.

Its time to quit blaming the SUNBELT conference for all of ULs problems. Why dont you start dominating the SUNBELT first, then maybe just maybe you can make the case that you are ready to move onto bigger and better things.

The problem right now is the administrations no care attitude, and the illumi and fans ____ poor attitude.


You can like me or hate me, the bottom line is you will never see 25K at Cajun Field or 10K at the cajun dome without me sitting in one of the seats. _

You started your post claiming the admin and the fans are the problem. You claim the fans give you the cold shoulder. Yet you give no example of what the fans did. You do point out many problems with the admin not creating an impression that they want success. I don't think you will find many here that disagree. However, your indignation at having to pay full price when showing up late is laughable. Name one program that does that. As for going to a Saints game 15 minutes before KO and still being inside for the KO that is stretching the truth a bit as well. In fact I think much of your post stretches the truth.

BTW, tailgating is not meant to be a substitute for some festival or Downtown Alive. It is meant as a pre-game activity; the operative word being GAME. If you are staying outside you weren't going to the game and supporting the team anyway so why should we care if you vow to never come back?

And again, I ask for an example of getting "the cold shoulder". The only people I ever see getting the "cold shoulder" at UL tailgating are those wearing the latest tanktops from WalMart. If that applies to you there is your answer.

[USLJim]

_ WOW!!!! It seems like you dont need us then.
Sorry for caring. _

You have got to LOVE USL/UL for other reasons than SPORTS. I go because I love this University and for what it gave me. I am not from this area originally, North LA, but I fell in love with the People, Music, Food, and Atmosphere. All my best friends are here, gotten at UL. I support UL both academically and athletically. The people are passionate, just like other alum are passionate for their University. In UL's case, we lose alumni because of Athletics. That is the main reason I am aggravated with USL/UL alum. Some of my buddies refuse to use UL, I just look at them like dinosaurs and say, wake up and get involved.
Don't let someone on this board sway you from supporting UL, otherwise, I would have been gone along time ago.
Yes, we need more alum and friends of UL supporting both UL athletically and Academically.
Remember, " Sticks and stones, blah, blah. SO, If what I am saying is, IF you want to really Love UL, you will support this University regardless of what someone said on this SITE.
YOU either love or not.

Thanks for your comments

GEAUX CAJUNS.

[Turbine]

Chop you make some valid points but please don't let how one or two fans feels allow you to make up your mind. They have reasons for feeling the way they do that have nothing to do with you directly. So please don't take it personally, UL needs every fan it can get.

jmo

ps Remind me someday to state why Theater & Film need every sort of fan to make a movie successful.

[MissingMandy]

I feel sorry for you. You are missing alot. Come back and try it again...we have a great bunch of athletes that work hard for your entertainment. For nothing else...come for them. I also find it hard to believe that anyone ever gave you the cold shoulder during tailgating. I was a complete stranger 3 years ago and not one person has ever done that to me...perhaps you just got someone having a bad day.

[Big Buds]

Chop, I understand your frustration and I'm happy that you voiced your opinion. Don't give up on the Cajuns because we need all the support (no matter the size) Lafayette has it offer. I agree that Marty was run off in the 90's but I can promise you that Jessie was accepted by all REAL Cajun fans. He left for what he thought was "greener pastures" at USF. Take some time to think about this. If you need ten more years that's fine, just know that I will accept a casual fan with open arms in hopes that they will turn into a BIG fan that gives the University BIG $$$...lol. COME TO ANY GAME ANYTIME BECAUSE YOUR SEAT IS WAITING!!!