Poll on NC State arrival and departure.

[Stinger92860]

I am very disappointed in the UConn Nation. In another thread, someone said we have a fan base of about 10K. Where is everyone else? Why can't we all be in our seats when the guys come out? This game should have been 40K. Why are so many chair-backs not used at all? Please donate your tickets if you cannot go. I have 3 season tix and I keep inviting 'new' fans.

 

[RedSoloCup]

There are a lot of fickle fans, and fans that have no clue. The classic yesterday was the guy trying to fire the crowd up when we were going for it on fourth down...

We are also seeing that the event is more important than the game. But, as much as we rail, there is no good answer. People are what they are, you try and convert whoever is willing to come and get them into the game.

That 10K is the base that WM needs to think about expanding, and needs to find the way to keep happy.

I used to tailgate with about 12-16 guys, that original groups is down to 4-6, and I have added a great bunch of new folks that are interested in then game as much as the tailgate.

I just keep trying to bring them in, it's all you can do.

 

[gars44]

I am very disappointed in the UConn Nation. In another thread, someone said we have a fan base of about 10K. Where is everyone else? Why can't we all be in our seats when the guys come out? This game should have been 40K. Why are so many chair-backs not used at all? Please donate your tickets if you cannot go. I have 3 season tix and I keep inviting 'new' fans.

Look, there is no sense complaining about fan behavior. People are going to do what people are going to do. Two thirds of CT fans come for the tailgate, social event, not for the football. Be thankful for that, because if just real football fans were allowed in, the place would be 2/3 empty. I've been in the blue seats since the Rent opened. Never miss a game. But I can usually spread out due to all the openings around. People buy single game tickets near me. This week we had a bachelor party who came in a bus. They left in the third quarter to go back to the bus and party some more. They arrived sometime in the first quarter. Group of 12. Never saw they before, prolly never see them again. Good guys.

Until the quality of the football improves dramatically, you are never going to change this fan culture. The last few years have been hard to watch. And no sense bringing it up on the Boneyard, anyway. We are the good guys. We're the true believers who are in our seats when the game starts.

 

[bigAbruns]

I say they let off a few of those TD fireworks an hour before the game...maybe that will get everyones attention and they will head to the stadium early.

 

[gandydancer]

I came to CT from the NJ-NY metro area , in the 70's, where we had rabid fans for the four major sports (we always considered hockey a major sport). I went to school in a city with terrible fans. Not that they didn't support the teams, but you risked a beatdown if you didn't. With the arrival of coaches C and A and the emergence of UCONN basketball there was a honeymoon period in which small successes led to an outpouring of support. However, over the years it became obvious to me that except for a hardcore fan base in bb and fb (with some overlap) CT fans were front runners. It was fashionable to support a winning team, but they couldn't be bothered to root for a loser. I think one of the main reasons for this is that there have never developed any instate rivalries on the professional or major college level. We don't have any pro teams- if you mention the Sox or anyone else you miss my point- and UCONN is unchallenged. In my youth we had many college and pro teams with which to form an alliance. I have season tickets in two sports and value loosing seasons because my seats get better the next year. I think at this point there is an unfortunate ingrained mentality in CT and only winning teams will generate a larger fan base. Not being able to fill arenas when even big time programs come to town (in bb as well as fb) is a sad comment on our populace.

 

[gars44]

gandydancer, thanks for the insights, but where I differ is, I don't think it is a "sad comment on our populace." It's just the reality, not sad or happy. People around here have a lot of choices that people in rural Alabama or Louisiana don't. I find it more odd that people travel for hours to have a cook out in a field with a lot of cars, and watch a football game, and then wait for hours in traffic to get back home. It's a weird ritual, if you ask me. I'm all for it, but I think it's weird. Yes, you have to win to create something. See: New York Yankees, New England Patriots. Win and they will come.

 

[BugsyCT]

If you want to see our fan populace's true potential for apathy & embarrassment on display, wait 'til Michigan comes to town next year.

 

[tduconn]

Myself and my group has always been in the stands prior to pregame and stayed to the end......regardless of having our as kicked or doing the kicking ourselves. Whether UConn played at Div 1-a or 1-aa, or whatever the correct designatios are or have been.

I believe some points have been made why others don't adopt the same supporting attitude, but I think the best commentary about Connecticut fans, regardless of the sport can be coined by George C Scott's line in the movie Patton .......something like "Everyone likes a winner.......no one tolerates a loser"

If we had a program like Louisville, Cincinnatti, or especially W. Virginia.......the fans would be at the games ......start to finish.

I hope to see the day when more than 2 or 3 offensive plays out of a "multipage play book" is offered to its fans........that may help put fanny's in seats ......win or lose!

 

[SAMCRO]

People in the south and the midwest have "choices" too. They, generally speaking, choose to support their local teams. People in the northeast, generally speaking, choose not to. It's a different culture, but IMO it's not b/c they have more or less choices.

 

[huskymedic]

Yup - real lack of entertainment options in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex or greater Atlanta metroplex.

...and if you are waiting in traffic for hours to get home from the Rent you are clearly doing something wrong.

 

[SAMCRO]

Judging from the 100% responses of staying, we should have a BY meet and greet AFTER the game, under the scoreboard. We may be the only ones left in the joint.

 

[gars44]

Yup - real lack of entertainment options in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex or greater Atlanta metroplex.

...and if you are waiting in traffic for hours to get home from the Rent you are clearly doing something wrong.

Whoa Pilgrim. First, this ain't no metroplex here. Second, I was talking about people in rural places who wait in traffic, not me. Like waiting to get out of Army for 3 hours while traffic is backed up. Or Penn State. Wasn't talking about me.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[coachcap]

Since the Rent's been open, I've seen all kinds. There was the family (10-20 people) last year that parked next to me in Blue Lot at 9 A.M., was serving snacks & beverages, & decided to start cooking in earnest (piaella & flank steaks) at 11:25 as we were breaking down our tailgate to go into the game. After the game, their parking spaces were empty.
There's the people in the row behind me that leaves shortly after the half-time show. There were the Co-Eds who parked in Blue Lot 2 seasons ago during an evening game (West Virginia), then an hour before the game asked us to move ours tents so that they could drive out. We asked why they were leaving & they said that they don't like football & only come for the tailgates (they had gotten the parking pass from a family member)
I only concern myself with my group.

 

[Adios]

Imagine if we had our stadium in Hartford, instead of Pratt and Whitney's field.

 

[huskymedic]

Whoa Pilgrim. First, this ain't no metroplex here. Second, I was talking about people in rural places who wait in traffic, not me. Like waiting to get out of Army for 3 hours while traffic is backed up. Or Penn State. Wasn't talking about me.

Sorry for the confusion.

My bad. When I hear people complain about getting in and out of the Rent it pulls my short hairs and I react.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The truth of the matter, is that we have not won two consecutive football games, since Nov 2010.

That trend better change quick.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

The results of this poll are about what I would expect to see. The people who post in this community are the some of the most die hard fans. We're not the problem. 95% of the time when we bitch and moan about people arriving late and leaving early it's falling on deaf ears. You think those people post here? Not a chance.

The state of CT (as a whole) produces some of the most fickle sports fans I've seen.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The results of this poll are about what I would expect to see. The people who post in this community are the some of the most die hard fans. We're not the problem. 95% of the time when we bitch and moan about people arriving late and leaving early it's falling on deaf ears. You think those people post here? Not a chance.

The state of CT (as a whole) produces some of the most fickle sports fans I've seen.

This is exactly why I wish people aroudn here would stop complaining about it. I thought the fan support was fantastic on Saturday for what was happening on the field, and what the threat was to show up from teh skies at any time. THe die hard fan base, for this program, is very strong. It's not enough to fill a 40,000 seat stadium, but it's strong, and complaining about it, is the biggest waste of time there can be.

FWIW, it was lightning, and hail, and there was enough to warrant an investigation if a tornado actually touched down. yesterday, - in my neighborhood, at my house, 1/2 hour drive from the stadium, during the game. THe first hint of rain, a ton of people went running for the concourse, and rightly so, and many stayed up there under the eaves, and I don't fault them for it, if they had family in the state, they were undoubtedly receiving text after text that there were nasty storms blowing through. I sat in my seat and the lightning never came, either from the sky, or our offense.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

This is exactly why I wish people aroudn here would stop complaining about it. I thought the fan support was fantastic on Saturday for what was happening on the field, and what the threat was to show up from teh skies at any time. THe die hard fan base, for this program, is very strong. It's not enough to fill a 40,000 seat stadium, but it's strong, and complaining about it, is the biggest waste of time there can be.

FWIW, it was lightning, and hail, and there was enough to warrant an investigation if a tornado actually touched down. yesterday, - in my neighborhood, at my house, 1/2 hour drive from the stadium, during the game. THe first hint of rain, a ton of people went running for the concourse, and rightly so, and many stayed up there under the eaves, and I don't fault them for it, if they had family in the state, they were undoubtedly receiving text after text that there were nasty storms blowing through. I sat in my seat and the lightning never came, either from the sky, or our offense.

I'd accept the premise of your theory if the fans didn't leave early at EVERY OTHER GAME IN THE RENT'S HISTORY.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I'm not continuing a conversation about fans in the stadium. Win games, and fans fill the seats. It's that simple.

 

[Doggie Style]

The truth of the matter, is that we have not won two consecutive football games, since Nov 2010.

That trend better change quick.

Carl, I read on Dez's Blog that we have only 13 total losses at The Rent since moving up to the big leagues. Is this true? It sounds about right. My next point is the concerning one, and that is that Pasqaloni has 4 the 13 losses in TWO years..... I agree with you, things need to get back on track soon or I think we are going to really get introduced to Warde Manuel!!

 

[Carl Spackler]

Carl, I read on Dez's Blog that we have only 13 total losses at The Rent since moving up to the big leagues. Is this true? It sounds about right. My next point is the concerning one, and that is that Pasqaloni has 4 the 13 losses in TWO years..... I agree with you, things need to get back on track soon or I think we are going to really get introduced to Warde Manuel!!

I don't know the record at Rentschler off the top of my head, I'm sure somebody can link up to the media guide and post it.

I do know that we're 6-8 under Pasqualoni, and the offense is the reason that we're not at least .500 right now.

WIth the problems we faced from both a coaching and personnel situation in Jan - Feb 2011, there's a window and room for leeway there, but for me that window just got slammed shut this weekend.

We played that game on offense, like a high school freshmen football team in it's first week of practice. NC State didn't need to put a defense on the field, and our guys lined up against air, and we would have gone backwards.

That means the program, from head man on down to the last player, are responsible. They all need to reach down and check their sacks. Deleone most of all. You don't win a football game with your brain, you win with your balls.

 

[Waquoit]

The results of this poll are about what I would expect to see. The people who post in this community are the some of the most die hard fans. We're not the problem.

So people that pay money to the program, come to games and support the team but aren't quite at your level of fandom are the problem? Screw anyone who thinks that way. This entire come late, leave early things is so overrated. You guys making a big deal about it are exaggerating. I went to that game in the Big House. At least 30,000 people left early, so what?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

So people that pay money to the program, come to games and support the team but aren't quite at your level of fandom are the problem? Screw anyone who thinks that way. This entire come late, leave early things is so overrated. You guys making a big deal about it are exaggerating. I went to that game in the Big House. At least 30,000 people left early, so what?

In what has become all too typical for you......nice strawman.

 

[Carl Spackler]

In what has become all too typical for you......nice strawman.

His strawman is right though Jimmy. The fans coming and going, and when, is not the problem for this football program. The athletic department, is in year 1, of demonstrating the ability to actually be managing a major college football program, when it comes to priorities, and ticket sales and such, and they're pushing that football program as best as they can, which goes to problem #2, that team has a record of 6-8 over 18 months, and has lost more games at home than we've lost at home in a long time....and in spite of that, we still have 35,000+ showing up.