Where are the fans

[CajunChicken]

I am totally confused and need help from you fans. I packed up my family and headed East on I-10 in anticipation of a great crowd and a rowdy atmosphere and a great game. I expected about 3,000 UL fans to be there since it was on a Sunday afternoon with nothing to conflict the game and a game all us Cajun fans want to see, and a team that is so athletic we have a chance to win.

Wow how disappointing to see maybe 300 fans instead of 3,000, what an embarassment. We want to be big time and we can't muster more than 300 people to drive 60 miles, I just don't get it. Can some of you hard core cajun fans explain this to me. OH, I forgot the Saints were on TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are never going to be big time, because we can't bring the masses to support our team. While I'm on that topic can someone explain to me how we can get beat by University of Louisiana(Monroe).

I can't figure out why we can't beat teams like that, if we are supposed to be so much better! All the media experts say if you can't see the improvement in our football program then your an idiot. Well them I'm an idiot because how can we not be Idaho and University of Louisiana (Monroe) Please enlighten me

Frustrated in Lafayette

[Sonsissymia]

Chicken

this is absolutely nothing new; remember a few years ago, after all the trashtalking that we were LSU's big rival, they looked down on us unfairly, etc.---when we finallly got a chance to play them on the biggest stage we'll ever see[Tiger Stadium], i seem to recall we sent about 5,000 tickets back to the LSU athletic dept cuz we COULD NOT SELL THEM. one hour drive, with our boys playing before 90 thou plus, and almost no one went. disgraceful then and now.

[El Sidonio]

Cajun chicken,

I share some of your frustration with the football team. I think we've improved, but losses to Idaho and ULM frustrate me ALOT! All the improvement in the world doesn't mean a damn thing if it doesn't start translating into Wins, which is the only result that people really care about.

As far as attendance at the basketball game, there's several reasons. One, it's Sunday, a day of church, rest, family, and relaxation. Two, last time we played LSU in basketball, they basically walloped us. No one wanted to see that happen again. (And it didn't happen again, we played a very respectable game against LSU, but people just didn't wanna take a chance on seeing a game like the last one.) Three, it's very close to finals times for students, so many of us are very busy and can't afford to go even to BR for that much time.

To echo sonsissymia's sentiment,

we trash talk about being their rivals, and that'll get some of our harder-core people to the games. But, our football team being in the slump that it has been, do you think anyone REALLY wanted to go watch us get our a**es kicked by LSU in football?

God Bless

[Crawfish]

The hurricane we had in Lafayette 2 days before the football game could not possibly have effected our attendence, right? I think you are an imposter who is just here to stir the pot, if not you would realize that some things (like your home and family) are more important than a stupid football game, even one with your beloved cats.

[RaginFan2]

"we trash talk about being their rivals, and that'll get some of our harder-core people to the games. But, our football team being in the slump that it has been, do you think anyone REALLY wanted to go watch us get our a**es kicked by LSU in football?"


Not to mention the way the ticket sales were handled by our own athletic dept. I disagree a bit with sonsissymia about the fact that we couldn't more fans to go the BR for our FB game against LSU a few years ago. I know that was the big stink after the game about how few tickets we sold. But if you'll recall, our administration made the decision to try to tie sale of the LSU game tickets to our season ticket sales. Meaning that if you didn't buy season tickets, you couldn't buy LSU tickets from our athletic dept. That's why they sent back so many. There were a lot of UL people (including myself and several others I know personally) who got tickets through LSU, not UL. So the total number of UL fans at the game was higher (much higher, I believe) than the number of tickets sold in Lafayette. I think it was a huge mistake for the AD to not sell tickets in Lafayette and then send back so many tickets to LSU. It makes us look very bad. Also remember that was the week there was a hurricane (which affected the Lafayette area more than the BR area) so that had a negative impact as well.

BTW, I did make the drive to Baton Rouge yesterday from Mandeville. No there weren't 3,000 Cajun fans. If there were, we'd have been about equal to the number of Tiger fans. However, there WERE a significant number of UL fans in attendance, but we were scattered all over the PMAC. Speaking of low attendance, I think if you'll check the total attendance, it wasn't that great either (around 5,500 I think). So I guess some of the same excuses for Cajun fans could apply to Tiger fans as well!

[CajunCharlie]

Shame on me Chicken, but, up to now, I absolutely refuse to go to anything being held on that campus. I made my decision after the baseball regional brouhaha some years back. I refuse to sit there and be abused and practically spat upon by inconsiderate LSU fans. Who needs that nonsense. I know that I should "suck it up" and go support the Cajuns when they engage LSU, but I also know my temper. The last thing I need is to be an item in the BR paper.

Perhaps in the years to come I may change my mind and attitude. Better happen quick. I am no spring chicken.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by sonsissymia
...this is absolutely nothing new; remember a few years ago, after all the trashtalking that we were LSU's big rival, they looked down on us unfairly, etc.---when we finallly got a chance to play them on the biggest stage we'll ever see [Tiger Stadium] i seem to recall we sent about 5,000 tickets back to the LSU athletic dept cuz we COULD NOT SELL THEM. one hour drive, with our boys playing before 90 thou plus, and almost no one went. disgraceful then and now.

For me it has zero to do with Tiger Stadium, but I do agree with you, if you want to see how I felt about attending the game in 2002 click the LINK

And not that it was acceptable but only 2400 tickets were sent back. considering the contrary efforts I found that to be astoundingly few. I only thought that because I tracked all the ticket road blocks that existed, there were almost to many to mention and I left out the hurricane. LINK

[Cajun1997]

Originally posted by Turbine
For me it has zero to do with Tiger Stadium, but I do agree with you, if you want to see how I felt about attending the game in 2002 click the LINK

And not that it was acceptable but only 2400 tickets were sent back. considering the contrary efforts I found that to be astoundingly few. I only thought that because I tracked all the ticket road blocks that existed, there were almost to many to mention and I left out the hurricane. LINK

It is easy to understand why LSU will not play us at Cajun Field but have they ever (and if so how many times) played us at the Cajundome? What about Tigue Moore Field?

[Turbine]

Originally posted by SwampHound
It is easy to understand why LSU will not play us at Cajun Field but have they ever (and if so how many times) played us at the Cajundome? What about Tigue Moore Field?

Never at the CajunDome.
Yes at Tigue Moore Field (2002 last)
Yes Golf tourneys
Yes (I think) Track & Field

[Oldman]

here,here,i will never attend anything at lsu period!! and it has nothing to do with wanting to be "big time" as you call it...what is that? i don't base anything on what is at lsu and my reason is personal. also, if you don't think a team can improve unless it win certain game/s then you haven't been paying much attention..sorry! for your information we have improved and if you need to know what happen, why it happen, and proof simple..go and talk with coach bustle, he will talk to you and anyone anytime, if i have a problem i go to the source, so i gather you do not agree or understand what was in the paper again go to the head man and he will be glad to answer any questions. it appears that alot of people have forgotten where we were 3 years ago (jerry babb was coach's first signee guest what!!!!he's a soph and the others red shirt freshmans figure this out if you care too)and before, we had nothing or maybe you just don't understand and i am sorry for that, you see i believe in the process and i understand what is happening and believe me it's more than wins and losses at this time but that time will come sooner than you think or want to believe.

[CajunChicken]

Oldman
I understand about being better than when Jerry Baldwin was there and I understand that, hell you couldn't hire anybody worse than him. The program had to improve it can't get worse, but I'm trying to make the point that frickin lowly University of Louisiana (MONROE) should not beat us after Bustle's second year and neither should Idaho State. Do you think OLDMAN we are still supposed to lose those games? My God these are schools that we need to beat right now, and then in a couple of more years we should beat the Troy States, and North Texas. Why can the softball team, baseball team, and basketball teams do it. There is something wrong with the football program, and I don't have a clue, they seem to be spending more money, but we can't frickin beat UL MONROE!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe we should start by recruiting the kid from VC who won a state championship last year(Simon?) and this Touchet kid from STM, and some good quality running backs that have heart instead of these out of state kids who can't play. Why not take a chance at some local kids. Lets start beating UL Monroe, Nicholls State, McNeese Northwestern, Idaho State potatoes, so we can gain some respectability. With our facility and resourses there is no way we should continually lose to these people!!!!!!!!!!! Period.........................

[RaginFan]

and some good quality running backs that have heart instead of these out of state kids who can't play. Why not take a chance at some local kids.

chicken, take a look at our roster...several RBs look local to me.