Death of The "Casual Fan"

[RJScootin]

The Casual Fan - my thoughts
- Watches most games
- Fills seats at XL /Gampel
- Makes being a die hard more interesting because you have more people to talk about the program with.
- Casual Fan becomes a die hard in tournament play

I work on a campus of around 2,000 employees for the 10 years in North Haven, CT (I think this is a good sample size to gauge current state) . You could go into my cubicle in the early years or office now and easily see I'm a big UConn fan. This drew in a lot of causal fans and a few die hards to regularly talk UConn basketball. This has changed dramatically over the past 4 years but mainly last two.

The few die hards are more casual fans these days and the casual fan has all but disappeared outside of occasionally stopping by after the latest blowout they read in the paper to bust my balls.

I miss the casual fan and hope/believe they will come back once UConn returns to a winning, competitive, relevant program.

I know its hard to quantify but the current lack of interest in the program has to be costing more than KO's buyout over the next few years.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

Down here in NC, I used to wear my Uconn stuff to the gym or out and about. People used to stop and chat about the team with me, UNC fans mostly, Uconn teams had great respect down here in ACC land. I would speak to some folks who moved down from CT as well, this was mainly from 2004 to 2014.

It's funny you say this, its as if we disappeared off the CBB map in the last 2-3 years. I still will wear some Uconn stuff, but nobody ever says anything to me anymore. I bet a lot of people outside of CT forgot we won in 2014, it was only 4 years ago.

 

[msgordon]

agree

many diehards have become casuals
many casuals have disappeared

its hard to get excited for any of these games

 

[Kitaman]

My barber was a big UConn fan, although in my world he was a casual fan. Anyway my haircuts were spent with me updating him on UConn developments (players, recruits, etc.) in the off season, and during the season we would talk games. Nowadays he only talks sports-betting and NBA.

What I envy is Conn fans like him being able to go back to sanity and earthly matters, while I'm still stuck in this Yard.

 

[Dove]

I have stopped printing off schedules and having it near my desk. I forget to look for game times. I miss games. I'm okay with it.

Sad as @^!%#, right?

 

[Lefty2one]

None of my friends care anymore. Zero. And they were more than casual fans. Some alumni, some CT natives - they don't care at all. They watched the Syracuse game or maybe the first half of the Villanova game. I used to text several friends throughout every game, no one responds anymore or if they do they tell me they aren't watching the game. My old man will still chime in because he's retired and bored out of his skull in the winter. This program and fanbase is on life support.

 

[Lefty2one]

I have stopped printing off schedules and having it near my desk. I forget to look for game times. I miss games. I'm okay with it.

Sad as @^!%#, right?

I scheduled a haircut last Saturday that meant I'd miss the beginning of the Nova game (I don't have DVR). It was the only opening she had that day and I was fine with it, didn't think twice.

 

[Lefty2one]

What I envy is Conn fans like him being able to go back to sanity and earthly matters, while I'm still stuck in this Yard.

I really tried this year - sticking with the NBA and NFL. Unfortunately by this time I get NBA fatigue and look for something else. The season is so long, the Knicks have become boring and Porzingis has come back down to earth. I can't get excited about non-Knick regular season NBA games. I'm ashamed to say but I've read more books this winter than I've read in the past ten winters. I've reached a point where reading is my top free time hobby, yet I still can't quit UConn basketball.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

The Casual Fan - my thoughts
- Watches most games
- Fills seats at XL /Gampel
- Makes being a die hard more interesting because you have more people to talk about the program with.
- Casual Fan becomes a die hard in tournament play

I work on a campus of around 2,000 employees for the 10 years in North Haven, CT (I think this is a good sample size to gauge current state) . You could go into my cubicle in the early years or office now and easily see I'm a big UConn fan. This drew in a lot of causal fans and a few die hards to regularly talk UConn basketball. This has changed dramatically over the past 4 years but mainly last two.

The few die hards are more casual fans these days and the casual fan has all but disappeared outside of occasionally stopping by after the latest blowout they read in the paper to bust my balls.

I miss the casual fan and hope/believe they will come back once UConn returns to a winning, competitive, relevant program.

I know its hard to quantify but the current lack of interest in the program has to be costing more than KO's buyout over the next few years.

Posts like this remind me why I haven't ignored you when many times I read your posts and wonder why I don't ignore you. Keep posting about how and why you care. That's the path to build bridges to bring together an embattled fanbase. We need each other. My sister and I have not once txted each other during a fame this year. All I have is the game threads. It saddens me, except when I'm laughing. Oregon, Tulane, and SMU aren't enough. Somehow, I still expect UCF, but after last night...

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

One of best friends is a general sports fan. Sox, Pats, etc. Alumni who lives 10 from a the Rent in Glastonbury. Haven’t gotten him to a single game since he graduated in 2011. I think we managed to drag him to one or two b-ball games while he was in grad school. Outside of two buddies none of my alumni friends give two craps. Obviously they turn up in years like 04 but that’s it.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I was the hardcore fan of most of my friend groups while at UConn. I was the only one I knew who had a clue about incoming freshmen; most people turned to me while watching games not recognizing new faces and numbers and I’d give them the shpeil on who Boatright or Niels were.

Not many of them would even be considered casual by our standards, but these days, not a soul still cares about he basketball team. And we had one of the better 4-year runs a UConn student could have had while on campus (09-12), which wasn’t even that long ago.

Incredibly sad indeed

 

[KembaStepback]

Posts like this remind me why I haven't ignored you when many times I read your posts and wonder why I don't ignore you. Keep posting about how and why you care. That's the path to build bridges to bring together an embattled fanbase. We need each other. My sister and I have not once txted each other during a fame this year. All I have is the game threads. It saddens me, except when I'm laughing. Oregon, Tulane, and SMU aren't enough. Somehow, I still expect UCF, but after last night...

Agreed. I dont get upset with the passion. I can appreciate having an argument/discussion.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Our fanbase is dead until the next NCAA tourney game. Even then it might be too late.

 

[bennyMr]

Down here in NC, I used to wear my Uconn stuff to the gym or out and about. People used to stop and chat about the team with me, UNC fans mostly, Uconn teams had great respect down here in ACC land. I would speak to some folks who moved down from CT as well, this was mainly from 2004 to 2014.

It's funny you say this, its as if we disappeared off the CBB map in the last 2-3 years. I still will wear some Uconn stuff, but nobody ever says anything to me anymore. I bet a lot of people outside of CT forgot we won in 2014, it was only 4 years ago.

Living in Atlanta I use to field questions about what is was like to go a "great" basketball school and take some for New England's apathy towards college football. Today, nobody ask questions, nobody really cares...just occasional questions about women's basketball, or jokes about being known as only a women's basketball school.

 

[Adios]

Some of us cannot be bothered to watch a horrible product, especially when it's your alma mater and a fellow alum who went to school at the same time is running the program into the ground for the time being. NESCAC basketball is even more fun to watch. Unless this program starts winning again, not many will want to waste time on such ineptitude. Look at what happened to attendance in football thanks to Diaco.

 

[August_West]

I have stopped printing off schedules and having it near my desk. I forget to look for game times. I miss games. I'm okay with it.

Sad as @^!%#, right?

You are the poster child of casual fan


Also, shut up, Dove

 

[Dove]

Yesterday I was watching the first half. We had a lead!!!!!!!!!!

Then I drifted off to Starz Extreme to watch Miracle and got sucked in as we beat Russia. I was so stoked!!!!!!

Then went back to the Men's game. Pin meet balloon.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Our fanbase is dead until the next NCAA tourney game. Even then it might be too late.

Yeah, now let's hear someone whine about how we are a true blue-blood like Kansas, Kentucky, etc.

None of those schools would Have the attendance or fan base issues we have (and we aren't the first program to hit hard times).

 

[AdamaNation]

Down here in NC, I used to wear my Uconn stuff to the gym or out and about. People used to stop and chat about the team with me, UNC fans mostly, Uconn teams had great respect down here in ACC land. I would speak to some folks who moved down from CT as well, this was mainly from 2004 to 2014.

It's funny you say this, its as if we disappeared off the CBB map in the last 2-3 years. I still will wear some Uconn stuff, but nobody ever says anything to me anymore. I bet a lot of people outside of CT forgot we won in 2014, it was only 4 years ago.

Duke fans still don’t look me in the eye. To bad. I work in Durham too. Go huskies

 

[Huskybass]

I still wear a fair amount of UConn gear. I used to get all sorts of comments about what a storied basketball program we had. Now the two most common comments are:

"Geno does a great job with the girls"

And

"What the hell happened to the basketball team?"

I love watching the kids play, but if circumstances dictate that I miss part of a game or have to listen on the radio while driving somewhere I am ok with that. I used to attend EVERY home game and some road games in places like Boston, Philly or D.C. Now I attend a couple of games a season and believe that hope will return when a very good coach is brought in.

 

[UConnJim]

Fan interest is driven by winning, the teams you play, and the game experience. When UConn starts winning again, fans will become more interested. And, we have been scheduling more traditional rivals to increase interest.

When the roster was blown up at the end of last season and the recruiting class lost MAL, we replaced those players with late recruits including grad transfers and jucos, and we lost Gilbert again, it was pretty clear that this season could be a dumpster fire.

College basketball teams can be turned around in one or two recruiting classes, so I'm not worried about turning UConn around. The only question, is Ollie the right guy? Hopefully, Benedict can figure out that answer.

 

[boog204]

I have stopped printing off schedules and having it near my desk. I forget to look for game times. I miss games. I'm okay with it.

Sad as @^!%#, right?

Sadly, this is where I am now... Didn't miss a game since 1990 and this year I just have better things to do a lot of times. I'm still here every day, checking recruiting etc, and I'll always be more than a "casual fan" (in my opinion) but I'm just so disillusioned that I'd rather expend my energy somewhere else. My day is not made or broke based upon our W-L record anymore. If we make some changes, I will come back full force with renewed excitement. But if things remain the same, I'll stay the same. If there's a lack of joy, why would I give my time?

 

[RJScootin]

Sadly, this is where I am now... Didn't miss a game since 1990 and this year I just have better things to do a lot of times. I'm still here every day, checking recruiting etc, and I'll always be more than a "casual fan" (in my opinion) but I'm just so disillusioned that I'd rather expend my energy somewhere else. My day is not made or broke based upon our W-L record anymore. If we make some changes, I will come back full force with renewed excitement. But if things remain the same, I'll stay the same. If there's a lack of joy, why would I give my time?

I'm still holding out to get to the point I would miss a game. Getting more difficult with a 7 year who loves sports and plays year round (plus a 1 month old also). If he has a basketball game I'll record it and make it known to other parents I'm recording the game, please don't give any updates (those who might discuss it). My son had indoor baseball camp a couple Saturdays ago and had my wife take him because I didn't want to miss the Nova game live. To me every game is still an event that only happens so many times throughout the course of a year and should be treated special. Still pumped for game days.

My son showed me last night he was a casual fan as he left me in the living room watching the game to go to his room to watch the Grammy's with my wife

 

[boog204]

I'm still holding out to get to the point I would miss a game. Getting more difficult with a 7 year who loves sports and plays year round (plus a 1 month old also). If he has a basketball game I'll record it and make it known to other parents I'm recording the game, please don't give any updates (those who might discuss it). My son had indoor baseball camp a couple Saturdays ago and had my wife take him because I didn't want to miss the Nova game live. To me every game is still an event that only happens so many times throughout the course of a year and should be treated special. Still pumped for game days.

My son showed me last night he was a casual fan as he left me in the living room watching the game to go to his room to watch the Grammy's with my wife

I have a three year old so she takes precedent on most things and she has shown little to no interest in UConn so I end up doing other things w/ her... If I feel the need, I'll hit up TCFs to watch but I do not have the heart to watch us lose by 20 to people. There's no joy there and since it's not a WTF or outlier situation, I'll just read the aftermath here. Thankfully for me, I guess, I totally missed the Arkansas, Auburn, and Memphis games. No reason for me to ever watch those.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I would say that we overestimated the die-hards. Die-hards don't abandon the team or become casual, so what we're really seeing now is the true die-hards versus casuals who upped their game for a few years when it was fashionable. And it was fashionable to go to the games from the Dream Season on. Some of them may also have been fanatical bandwagon people who have fallen off the wagon. I still watch every game, visit the yard and follow all the sports, even the non-televised ones. I love my school. Just went to UConn/UNH hockey this weekend.
I was recently talking to the wife about moving to Florida (not doing it at this point). I was trying to find a location that would make trips to USF and UCF easier so I could see the team when they come to town. I'd settled on Westchase in northern Tampa. But that's what UConn means to me. I choose my future home based on my ability to support my school and stay an engaged fan.