14,945

[Turbine]

I dont need to be an Indian to be a Cleveland Indian or Washington redskin fan. You dont have to be a Seminole to be a FSU fan, cajuns is our moniker. Acadiana is our home and African Americans are every bit a part of our unique culture as everyone else and no one is claiming any different.

Legend has it that people of all races have even been known to identify with Banana Slugs, or so I've been told.

[basinbear]

Legend has it that people of all races have even been known to identify with Banana Slugs, or so I've been told.

Anteaters too....."ZOT"!

[cajun4life]

You guys keep asking the question why attendance is so poor but refuse to listen to the answer or just don't like the answer that you are getting. Props to the local kids for doing what they did this past weekend. The reality is that things like that don't happen too often with Cajun football. You, MAT and the rest of your ilk talk about "purging" Cajun football of casual fans and all that the Cajuns have to do is win on a consistent basis and the fans will fill the stadium. Let's say that the Cajuns go on a 4 year run where they win the Sun Belt each year. Do you think that that will be enough to draw an additional 25,000 fans to Cajun Field on a consistent basis for every home game? Where are these fans going to come from? What your seeing now attendance wise for football is the reality of things as the way it will be from now on. The attendance might jump up a few thousand per game depending on who the Cajuns are playing. But unless oil gets back up to $100/barrel again and drilling in the Gulf kicks off again big time, this the reality for football no matter how many "professionals" you have running things.

The answer is 100% yes. Let’s say the Cajuns run off 3 straight and upset App or Troy in the championship game and win the Sun Belt in year 1. They also go on to win their bowl game and finish 9-5. Then we follow that up with 10-4 (Belt Champion &Bowl loss), 11-3 (Belt Champ & bowl win). You better believe the Cajuns will have an average attendance of over 25,000.

[CajunJeaux]

Let’s stop it with the oil industry and no money in those peoples pockets...how many people here know a single person in the oil industry who gave up hunting and fishing because the industry was/is in the tank...every single guy I know who shares a ridiculously overpriced duck lease who is in the oilfield still went this past weekend...and will every weekend moving forward

[LaCajunsFan]

Speaking of student attendance, here is a picture from 1924 showing the line of freshman waiting to get into to a game....don't know which one. Also, note the beanies.
I think this was taken in front of Foster Hall, given that the football field (then called "Girard Field") was in front of it.

[HelmutVII]

Notice all the guys are at one end of the line and the girls are at the other. All of the dresses the girls are wearing are the same length. It looks like about mid calf. All the guys are wearing bow ties or ties.

[CajunDreDog]

I see BOOMER!!!

[Tripple Threat]

To be honest with you, and I think this is a sentiment that many others have, I just don't find UL football entertaining and would prefer to sit in my La-Z-Boy chair and watch better quality games on TV. I do find UL basketball and UL softball entertaining so I make it a point to attend those particular sporting events.

They would be more exciting if the crowds were bigger. It's a vicious circle...

[Tripple Threat]

I keep seeing people complaining about the F Trump video but I ask what about the African American crowd that can't identify with being called a Cajun so that's a wash in my book. I feel until we get the butts in the seats that were already paid for by season ticket holders we shouldn't complain about the casual fan not showing up. I sit on the visitors side and I am disappointed every game I look across at the chair backs and half are empty. We need to take care of our own house before we invite others in it. The other problem is the parking put a product on the field that people will pay $10 to park and see along with quality out of conference competition. Just watch how our basket ball attendance goes down because of that same combination.

I forgot about that video already, that was another time. It's a different cULture now...forgive and forget.

[anhil8tor]

Tell me this:

Is tailgating sold out? If not, why don't we auction the unsold spots off? Let people bid on which game they want to tailgate for. Give them a D lot pass with it.

[Cajunfanatico]

You guys keep asking the question why attendance is so poor but refuse to listen to the answer or just don't like the answer that you are getting. Props to the local kids for doing what they did this past weekend. The reality is that things like that don't happen too often with Cajun football. You, MAT and the rest of your ilk talk about "purging" Cajun football of casual fans and all that the Cajuns have to do is win on a consistent basis and the fans will fill the stadium. Let's say that the Cajuns go on a 4 year run where they win the Sun Belt each year. Do you think that that will be enough to draw an additional 25,000 fans to Cajun Field on a consistent basis for every home game? Where are these fans going to come from? What your seeing now attendance wise for football is the reality of things as the way it will be from now on. The attendance might jump up a few thousand per game depending on who the Cajuns are playing. But unless oil gets back up to $100/barrel again and drilling in the Gulf kicks off again big time, this the reality for football no matter how many "professionals" you have running things.

If you're going to call me out, mention my "ilk", at least get it right. I haven't called for the purging of anyone, nor even wondered why attendance is so poor. And even when MAT does recommend a purge, I suspect he's trolling you, and doing so quite successfully.

As I told Vic in another thread, and will tell you here, I'm not an AD, don't know the industry from an insider's perspective, nor do I intend to moon-light in it to learn it either. I don't know what the future holds for Cajun athletics as far as for how many fans will ultimately attend games, but I do believe that with the "professionals" we now have running the operation, whatever the maximum that can be attained in the current environment for athletic programs and in a city of Lafayette's size and makeup, this group is most likely to reach that maximum. I can't ask for much more than that.

And while I agree that Lafayette has long been heavily dependent on the oil industry, it has also diversified significantly over the last 20 years or more. As someone else pointed out, and having been heavily reliant on the oil industry myself, through all the ups and downs, I never felt the need to scale back on my hobbies. I'm convinced that the money is there, that Lafayette and the surrounding parishes are large enough to support an athletic program operating at the next level.

Having said all that, I'll slot you into category 3 as I believe that's your ilk.

[USL1970]

In addition to attendance, the athletic department should post "game day revenue" or some monetary equivalent.