Cajuns hoops crowds top SBC

[Cajunsmike]

Totally agree. Kansas State on a Friday night got us, what 18K. Southern gets us capacity crowd. That doesn't mean we should schedule I-AA teams to maximize the crowds.

In 2009, we beat Southern on the season opener with over 40000 people attending. The following week, the opponent was Kansas State. The game was on a Saturday night, not on a Friday night. However we only drew 18000 which was the most disappointing Cajun crowd in years (and still is). Major reason is the fact it rained all day. I remember driving in and seeing more people leaving the stadium from tailgating than were entering to see the game. LSU was on TV that night and many people would rather sit in their living rooms and watch that vs coming see us. Really sad part is that the rain stopped right at game time. Those that saw the game barely got wet. I understand many women and children do not stay in bad weather. Note they do in Baton Rouge and many of the other P5 programs. We will need to beat some big time programs before we get that kind of dedication.

As far as improving basketball attendance goes, that is quite a challenge as the culture in Acadiana has changed to the point where people are just not that interested in the sport. I believe we will need to finish a season strong with an NCAA or NIT appearance followed by a strong start the following year to have increased support. That way attendance will improve for the conference portion of the 2nd year. If we pull an upset at either UCLA or Miami this coming pre conference season, we may see improvement in the 2nd half of the year.

[CrazyCajun]

Getting people seated closer to the court will improve the atmosphere and gane experience which I think would help attendance.

[moorecajun]

Getting people seated closer to the court will improve the atmosphere and gane experience which I think would help attendance.

I agree with you but we are a year away from that.

I think we will have good crowds that continue to grow during the season. This is the first season under Coach Marlin that we have a good nucleus returning; I am hopeful that is a prelude to a very good season.

[CajunEXPRESS]

Mike we have been marginalizing basketball for years if not decades now, you will not get huge bumps in attendance without investing in the program, improve the out of conference teams, get an upset or two, and yes create excitement before the SBC season starts. If we lose to lower level Southland teams, play non division one teams what are we selling? Why would the non passionate UL fan bother?

Coach Marlin has the makings of a very good team that can pull an upset, sweep lesser opponents, and unfortunately has the burden of non division one teams to beat up on. This year could be Marlin's equivalent Shipley's in the sophomore year with Bo Lamar after Winkler had departed. Lets play up tempo, score in the upper seventies and defend in the mid fifties.

LSU on the other hand will have the No. 1 prospect in the country, and will persecuted if they do not play more front line P5 teams.

[anhil8tor]

Jay,

You don't think if LSU, Tulane or the like comes in before January 1st that our attendance would be better?

[CajunEXPRESS]

LSU will never play in the Cajun Dome period, and I do not expect even with financial inducements we would ever get any of the elite teams in the P5. That is not true of lesser P5 teams, Missouri Valley, Big East, and many others.

The Lamers will never play us at home as long as we are in the SBC.

Let's focus on the doable, not pie in the sky.

[Just1More]

If we don't get the Fabulous Cajun Chicken back to basketball games... we'll never revitalize the glory days of Cajun basketball attendance and excitement.

[CajunEXPRESS]

I here the chicken may need a walker. ;o)

Those days are long gone my man, maybe he could do a cameo.

Can you teach what he does? Keaton claimed that MGM stole all his stuff for the likes of Laural and Hardy, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye. The TNT oldies provided evidence they did in fact steal, or borrow some of the stuff Keaton made funny.

Maybe the school could pay the Cajun Chicken for the identity and he could mentor the replacements. The replacements would absolutely need to be a serious fan, not a student who will need to be replaced every three or four years.

[Just1More]

I here the chicken may need a walker. ;o)

Those days are long gone my man, maybe he could do a cameo.

Can you teach what he does? Keaton claimed that MGM stole all his stuff for the likes of Laural and Hardy, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye. The TNT oldies provided evidence they did in fact steal, or borrow some of the stuff Keaton made funny.

Maybe the school could pay the Cajun Chicken for the identity and he could mentor the replacements. The replacements would absolutely need to be a serious fan, not a student who will need to be replaced every three or four years.

I seriously wish he would train a replacement of his choosing. People act like it cannot happen. It can. There are other people with similar skills and personalities that could establish a similar, yet new version of the Fabulous Cajun Chicken. We need it. There are only certain carryovers from the past that are timeless. The FCC is timeless.

[Cajunsmike]

LSU will never play in the Cajun Dome period, and I do not expect even with financial inducements we would ever get any of the elite teams in the P5. That is not true of lesser P5 teams, Missouri Valley, Big East, and many others.

The Lamers will never play us at home as long as we are in the SBC.

Let's focus on the doable, not pie in the sky.

CajunExpress, no argument with the above posts or the one you generated immediately prior. We are investing in the program this summer by supporting a few of our guys who will play overseas on Christian collegiate travel teams.