A Friday Game: UL vs Oklahoma State on ESPN2

[LFTCajun]

Just hope that the Lafayette area populace learns how to dress warm during any "misunderstood" global warming at Cajun Field. Show up and get the heck out of the parking lot and into the stands.

[dperrin]

_ Why do the people of Lafayette owe it to UL to show up to this game? If I lived in Baton Rouge I would not go to a game between LSU and FIU. If I lived in Austin I might not go to a game between Texas and Troy. If I lived in Starkville I would not go to a game between MSU and any other team.

Why was there not 5000 people at the softball game between UL and Arizona when they came here a few years ago? We had the #1 team in the country here and it could be said that it is sad and pathetic that every "UL fan" was not at all three games. The answer is because they are not all UL fans or softball fans.

I'm at as many UL sporting events as possible with the exception of UL Basketball (because of my stance on Robert Lee). I even occasionaly attend ladies basketball, and have even seen a volleyball match. I'm a UL fan, but I don't hold it against others who are not UL fans. If I was curious, and the game is on TV, I may even choose to stay home and watch it on TV.

If UL wants US to go to the game they better start doing a better job of taking care of the fans that go to the games. It will be us that bring in other people. We will be the ones talking it up as an EVENT TO ATTEND. UL does a poor job in game manegement. UL does a poor job in promotion. UL allows connsession people to gouge our eyeballs out. UL could boost attendance for a big game like this by having "Scout night" or "little league football night", or "middle school football night", or "junior cheerleader night", or "senior citizens night". Will they do anything like this? Probably not, and then they will tell us that we lest them down.

We were there for several big crowds this year. Why? Because we were there for "the EVENT". UL better market this one right, but let's not tell people that if they don't go to the game that they are sad and pathetic. Let's make sure that if the crowd is not there that Dr. Savoie understands that UL marketing is sad and pathetic -- and then we can clean house and get off to a fresh start! _

Dude,

First off, what is so wrong about my previous posts? What is the matter with me wanting the biggest crowd we can at Cajun Field so we don't completely embarrass ourselves on national television? Because that is all I meant, that if we can draw record numbers for games against Southern, Mickey Neese, and FIU, why the hell can't we do it for Oklahoma State from the freakin' Big 12!

And let me just say, for the record, that I am NOT a UL administration apologist or sympathizer, in fact I am far from it. I believe UL sports marketing is poor, that game management needs total overhaul, and that the entire mindset UL uses in its athletics department needs to be re-examined. But this can all be discussed in other treads that I am sure are on its way soon.

So yes I do want UL to better market this game, and ALL home games for that matter, than they have in the past. That is waht I wrote. But do I want them to go knock on your door, roll out the red carpet, and hold your hand to Cajun Field? NO. I am not advocating that UL demands you to attend any game because you owe them anything either. You are a free American and can choose to attend any game you want, I don't care. You have the right to spend your hard working dollar any way you so choose. But just don't come back and complain that UL can't get good teams scheduled to play here or why don't UL have any money, or why do we look so bush league on ESPN. Because its exactly how people who don't vote shouldn't complain about who won.

I believe UL athletics extrremely resembles the chicken or the egg theory. Success in UL athletics will never come if both parties are not fully on board. It requires an engaged administration that has a master plan open to the public for improving the quality of athletics and what they need from us fans to get there. The administration should continuosly ask themselves "How can we keep improving UL athletics". It also requires a loyal fanbase that is moderately patient, but yet still challenging and demanding on the administration for clear results.

But if for not for any of these reasons that I have mentioned, the most important reason for showing up is for the actual players themselves. These are 18-23 year olds that have made their commitment to this program and University for 4-5 years. They above anyone deserve our support because its not Bustle, Walker, Savoie, or Farmer whose on the field, its OUR players. They give their time, hard work, sweat, tears, and heart to play for this team. They still play every down whistle to whistle even when only handfuls are watching. And even though if you ask any player if this bothers them, they'll quickly deny but you know deep dow it does affect them because wouldn't it affect you? I know they have to hate seeing other students wearing lsu and other garbage on campus, thinking what a slap in the face for all their hard work.

Go back and read what I wrote, I never once called the fans sad or pathetic. IT is sad and pathetic for a University with over 16K enrollment and the size of alumni to have a half filled stadium for a BCS team that we beat in our house. And I still stand by that statement. Whether it be the administrations fault or fair weather fans, it doesn't matter, we all need to get on the same page. Like I said earlier, lite weather and high school games are weak excuses. Those who can be there, be there, those who can't, can't, and for those who aren't sure, you still have over 6 months to plan.

[dperrin]

_ Again, the stage for which they will compete and the caliber of the opponent is what makes the "stage" and defines it as an "event". That is certainly how ESPN is looking at it as they are not in the habit of putting the cajuns in primetime television. Why should UL HAVE to use "Scout Night" for a primetime event? You should not be able to have such a promotion because you are expecting too many people to allow it. There were no special promotions that were required to have Southern here besides having their band and the first home game of the season against an instate school. I think the previous posts were directed towards the fanbase that might find it more convenient to go to a high school game or stay home rather than support the program for which they seem highly critical of. _

Thanks Zephyr, I see that you GET IT.

[dperrin]

_ i just don't get it. why is there any debate over this at all? big 12. at cajun field. the deuce. and we have people on a ragin cajuns" message board biotching about high school football? it's a slam dunk. case closed. debate over. i don't care what sorry arsed excuse you can come up with, i.e., "just because i live in starkville..." what kind of shat is that! and any other __________. anybody else said or says! good grief. sometimes things just get pretty pathetic around this place. geaux cajuns! beat the cowboys! spread the word. pack the house. _

Exactly!

[dperrin]

_ dperrin,

I'm sorry if I was harsh after your post. It just really hit me in a strange way. I go to the games for several sports. I go just because I love UL. I have been a huge Cajun fan since the 70's. I'm just tired of being told that "People should...".

I "go" because I love my school. I "give" because I want our school and the teams that represent it to be better than they currently are. I'm just tired of what is going on with several of our teams right now. WE deserve better. THEY owe it to us. If THEY don't start to produce a better product those of us who have been frustrated die hards for 30+ years will all start to sound as frustrated as I did in my earlier post.

Again, I apologize to you if my post sounded disrespectful. I just think that if enough of us cry loud enough often enough eventually the administration will hear us and make a bigger effort to give us a better product. _

Now I wish I would have seen this post before I made my harsh post! And I completely understand your frustration, because you seem to feel alot like my older brother does about the whole situation. He too is ready to walk away, and he has already told me that he's getting a big box to pack every single cajuns item he has and ship it to the AD!I understand that sometimes we need to vent our frustrations to the admin because the sad reality is that there aren't enough of us lighting the fire under the chairs of Savoie, Walker, and sometimes Farmer. But we also need to step back from the ledge and realize that this is a great opportunity. We as fans do need to make a great showing beacause a.) we're on tv b.) our players feed off the crowd c.) it means more revenue and the list goes on and on. Maybe its because I'm only 19 and haven't been around long enough but I'm a tad more optimistic than a few others.

[zephyr]

_ Special promotion = First game of the season against an in state school.

Next year the game in question is on a Friday night after 4-5 games. The Kansas State game was the second game of the season and we had 16000+ at the game. Being that the game next season is on a Friday night several weeks into the season, and those that do not want to give a lot of effort can stay home and watch it on TV, we will need a special promotion to get 16,000 into the stadium.

I hate to be negative, but UL currently has no idea how to market this game. _

Sorry, I just got done beating my head against that brick wall. If you feel that this university needs to creatively "promote" this game then you should just hang up your fan shoes right now. You are funny man. Talk about some people in their lives must just live miserably. Let me state this...Again, you have Oklahoma State coming in regardless of the night to our own turf on ESPN 2 with the chance to knock off a major BCS school on national T.V. and our biggest competition that night will be High School football and we need a special promotion? My point earlier was to the effect that if people who are supposedly cajun fans will actually have to consider which they choose to go to, then in my mind, they have no right to complain about anything UL athletics again. If it takes a promotion to attract cajun fans to the game over a H.S. game that evening, they may not be cajun fans.

Now, does "marketing" this game hurt? Obviously not. However, marketing is often an ambiguous term and to me, if you're talking about promotion of your team and a particular event, this should start weeks ahead of not only the game but the season. Marketing is typically more effective over a longer period of time IMO. It just makes me laugh when you talk about the administration having to market huge games because I don't see where a big, grand event needs the promotion that a smaller lesser known event needs. The biggest factor that will lead us to a sellout crowd will be that we don't have to compete with LSU or any other collegiate event on that evening and its a Friday night versus any other day of the midweek.

[Turbine]

_ Sorry, I just got done beating my head against that brick wall. If you feel that this university needs to creatively "promote" this game then you should just hang up your fan shoes right now. _

I was told students will not be on campus the week of the Oklahoma State game. It is break.

[dperrin]

Hey you can count this student on being there! And I hope many others will be too.

I was told students will not be on campus the week of the Oklahoma State game. It is break.

igeaux.mobi

[CAJUNryan4]

_ Hey you can count this student on being there! And I hope many others will be too.



igeaux.mobi _

gunna on the 35 yard line like always!!!!

[BirdofParadise]

I seem to remember (but I could be wrong since Ive slept since then) a Friday night game a few years ago.

We offered free admission to anyone with a HS ticket stub, because HS football fans could get to UL for the second half of the game if they wanted to do both.

They can do it again this time if they wish, since this game will be an 8:10 kickoff.