Cajuns hoops crowds top SBC

[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.

[Hudsheen#Fired]

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.

I guess my memory is terrible but I remember getting poured on pretty much the whole game

[Turbine]

I think the LSU/Cajun Dome question was hypothetical to prove certain opponents will help attendance.

The reality quality opponent will do the same on a smaller scale.

[BirdofParadise]

Tennessee. Ranked in the top ten.

A little over 5,000

[Turbine]

Tennessee. Ranked in the top ten.

A little over 5,000

The "Lady" Vols 10,375

It helps to have an identity.

[Just1More]

The primary component of building up our attendance is when we establish a perception that our program is exciting again. To get back the people that used to go on a regular basis, we need to bust a year with 25 plus wins and be a threat in the NCAA or NIT. I do believe better opponents yield more attendance, at certain times. I don't think it's much of a cure to focus on right now. It would be "nice" to play better competition... but I think having an across the area feeling that Cajun's MBB is exciting at the dome and a great way to spend your evening... is with an overpowering program. It may be a little of the chicken and the egg... but we're actually past that analogy... MBB has to blow it out to get the interest re-established. And of course... as I mentioned... the Fabulous Cajun Chicken must also return.

[CrazyCajun]

The primary component of building up our attendance is when we establish a perception that our program is exciting again. To get back the people that used to go on a regular basis, we need to bust a year with 25 plus wins and be a threat in the NCAA or NIT. I do believe better opponents yield more attendance, at certain times. I don't think it's much of a cure to focus on right now. It would be "nice" to play better competition... but I think having an across the area feeling that Cajun's MBB is exciting at the dome and a great way to spend your evening... is with an overpowering program. It may be a little of the chicken and the egg... but we're actually past that analogy... MBB has to blow it out to get the interest re-established. And of course... as I mentioned... the Fabulous Cajun Chicken must also return.

Getting exciting again means getting better players, better players want to know they are playing tennessee, umass, miss state, even latech, soutgern miss, tulane, houston etc are more attractive to fans and players than exhibitions and teams nobody has heard of.

[Just1More]

Getting exciting again means getting better players, better players want to know they are playing tennessee, umass, miss state, even latech, soutgern miss, tulane, houston etc are more attractive to fans and players than exhibitions and teams nobody has heard of.

That's why I used the chicken or the egg reference. But it works both ways. You can't just schedule better programs and beat them with lesser talent. If we want to get the party started, it has to be with dominating the schedule we have. That's my opinion. I do like the idea of challenging the AD to find ways to get more exciting OOC opponents on the schedule... that's just plain smart. But I think athletes think of way more than who we play. Fans are way more interested in who we play OOC than our basketball recruits.

[CajunEXPRESS]

IMO the recruits do want to play the most competitive teams they can gather. The more attractive the prospect the more he wants to compete against stronger opponents.

We are poised to have a break out year. IMO it will be UL, Ga State, and even ULM at the top of the conference. We will be better than the sum our parts if Coach Marlin can get them all together early. No doubt there will be challenges. All the SBC teams have an opportunity to be very good this year and all will suffer for having two non division one teams on their schedule. Next year they will be allowed only one if my memory serves me correct.