bowl game

[done]

If we win we will have a packed Grove and a packed VHS. The fumbles that cost us the ball game were not caused by empty seats. We have been losing so prolifically over the past few years, that the Grove is the only thing that kept the game crowds from being even smaller.

We can have both.

We just need to win at home.

[parrotreb]

I don't disagree with you Chuck, in theory. But so many people on this and other boards have lamented the lack of advantage derived from the crowd. And they are, for the most part correct. Since the last expansion, we have only topped 60K 9 times, only twice in that magical season of 2003. We won plenty that year. The crowds in 03 were inflated by LSU and Alabama bringing more people than they had tickets and OM folks selling theirs. I know plenty who did it. How many did we have at homecoming in 03? Probably about 55,000. We have never had great attendance for out of conference games or for the "other" SEC teams.

Like it or not, the Grove is more of an attraction than the football game. It is more social and that is what has driven Ole Miss for decades.

[done]

I don't disagree with you Chuck, in theory. But so many people on this and other boards have lamented the lack of advantage derived from the crowd. And they are, for the most part correct. Since the last expansion, we have only topped 60K 9 times, only twice in that magical season of 2003. We won plenty that year. The crowds in 03 were inflated by LSU and Alabama bringing more people than they had tickets and OM folks selling theirs. I know plenty who did it. How many did we have at homecoming in 03? Probably about 55,000. We have never had great attendance for out of conference games or for the "other" SEC teams.

Like it or not, the Grove is more of an attraction than the football game. It is more social and that is what has driven Ole Miss for decades.

I don't disagree with you about that, but I do think that we can have both. I do think that given our size, relative to the conference powers, there is a capacity that we will not reach which is why I have never been so gung garden tool on closing the North End Zone. And if we did not have the Grove, I do think the numbers might actually be worse,

[Tcounty]

Chuck it absolutely has an affect on the team. 2 years ago we we had UGA at home was the loudest I have ever heard VHS. Even louder that the many LSU games I've seen. It wasn't a sellout by any means ,but for the 50-55 k that were there they were all loud. The problem is out 50k you might have 20-25k die hard fans, the rest could honestly care less if we won or not, probably won't give the team another thought until the next home game or home social. Thats just the truth.

[done]

Chuck it absolutely has an affect on the team. 2 years ago we we had UGA at home was the loudest I have ever heard VHS. Even louder that the many LSU games I've seen. It wasn't a sellout by any means ,but for the 50-55 k that were there they were all loud. The problem is out 50k you might have 20-25k die hard fans, the rest could honestly care less if we won or not, probably won't give the team another thought until the next home game or home social. Thats just the truth.

I am not saying that home field crowds don't have an effect. I am saying that having 15,000 more screaming fans would not have kept Jevan or Dexter from fumbling. Fumbles have cost us our two home field SEC games and that has nothing to do with crowds.

BUT, I do think we should fill the stadium up to support the new coaching staff and players...and not selling out every home game in '03 was a joke. But I do know that losing makes it worse. And I believe that were it not for the Grove, attendance might in fact be worse, because I know families that come together and some go to the game while others stay in the Grove. If the Grove were not there, the family might not make the trip at all.

[parrotreb]

Chuck it absolutely has an affect on the team. 2 years ago we we had UGA at home was the loudest I have ever heard VHS. Even louder that the many LSU games I've seen. It wasn't a sellout by any means ,but for the 50-55 k that were there they were all loud. The problem is out 50k you might have 20-25k die hard fans, the rest could honestly care less if we won or not, probably won't give the team another thought until the next home game or home social. Thats just the truth.

And Georgia had a whole lot more than the usual 5,000 tickets the other side gets. Same with Alabama and LSU every time they come to Oxford.

And Chuck, I am not saying do away with the Grove, far from it. It is so ingrained in our mindset that it would adversely affect attendance. But I think we have to do a better job of playing up the game as the event opposed to the Grove being the event that happens to have a football game the same day. Winning is only a component of that.

The other thing is the noise in the stadium. One, rightly or wrongly, whoever can't coordinate the Hotty Toddy video with the words, and the entrance of the team, needs to be fired. According to people with only rudimentary skills in something like that, it is not rocket science. On the same tangent, get people to do the Hotty Toddy that people actually recognize. I loved the Nantz and Feherty bit, but too many folks didn't have any idea of who Feherty was. Two, spread out the visiting fans to 4 or 5 different spots, they don't need 2 contiguous sections. Four, identify in the program and on the big ass TV, when the participatory cheers will be done and then use the damned big TV and ribbon boards to our advantage. Also, if a new cheer is developed, mail it out, don't think it should be our best kept secret (which is all too often a response at Ole Miss). Maybe you use campus organizations to lead the cheers in each section. Five, coordinate the band better with the cheers. They want more money, let'em earn it. Finally, if the conference is not going to enforce the artificial noisemaker rule and get cowbells out of the stadium, bring in the thunder sticks or something similar. Also, we have to recognize that some Ole Miss fans simply will not yell for our team because they didn't do it in the leather helmet era and we won then, so what's the big deal.

A lot of this, most in fact, is just better coordination of existing resources to create a better environment for the team and our fans. We don't need Col. Reb to pull this off, either. That decision has been made, and without disinterring him, we need to move on with another mascot. What it may mean is that someone has to get off their ass and do some work or we find someone else to do their job and invite the lazy ass to seek employment elsewhere. If the fans then don't want to participate, then we'll know that we aren't a legitimate football school, at least on this level, and can adjust our expectations accordingly.

[lewindha]

So we're talking about ending the Grove tailgating? Is that what is being pondered?

Cuz that's retarded.

[RebelConvert]

So we're talking about ending the Grove tailgating? Is that what is being pondered?

Cuz that's retarded.

Nah, I don't think that's the issue. That would kill tradition. Can't do that. I think they're saying that everyone who is in the Grove needs to find their way to VHS at some point and help make some noise (when appropriate) and cheer our rebs to victory... and then find their way back to their tents and carry on with the party.

[done]

So we're talking about ending the Grove tailgating? Is that what is being pondered?

Cuz that's retarded.

No, not all. PArrot is rightfully saying that we need to get our butts out of the Grove and into the stadium. And I agree on that.

[parrotreb]

So we're talking about ending the Grove tailgating? Is that what is being pondered?

Cuz that's retarded.

No, that was never mentioned in the above posts.

Edited to make response nicer.

[lewindha]

So we're talking about ending the Grove tailgating? Is that what is being pondered?

Cuz that's retarded.

No, that was never mentioned in the above posts.

Edited to make response nicer.

Didn't think so, but wanted to make sure. I know where you're coming from. But I would rather have the people there who want to be there watching a football game and not talking about the party at the frat house later that night. That is so dang annoying. That and I know someone personally whose wife brings a book and reads while he cheers. She's coming for him, but I say just don't go if you don't want to watch the game.

[done]

She's coming for him, but I say just don't go if you don't want to watch the game.

That is a darn good wife...

[Tcounty]

So we're talking about ending the Grove tailgating? Is that what is being pondered?

Cuz that's retarded.

No, that was never mentioned in the above posts.

Edited to make response nicer.

Didn't think so, but wanted to make sure. I know where you're coming from. But I would rather have the people there who want to be there watching a football game and not talking about the party at the frat house later that night. That is so dang annoying. That and I know someone personally whose wife brings a book and reads while he cheers. She's coming for him, but I say just don't go if you don't want to watch the game.

The students are not the problem, it's 40+ crowd that thinks it's beneath them to make noise at a ball game.

[parrotreb]

No, that was never mentioned in the above posts.

Edited to make response nicer.

Didn't think so, but wanted to make sure. I know where you're coming from. But I would rather have the people there who want to be there watching a football game and not talking about the party at the frat house later that night. That is so dang annoying. That and I know someone personally whose wife brings a book and reads while he cheers. She's coming for him, but I say just don't go if you don't want to watch the game.

The students are not the problem, it's 40+ crowd that thinks it's beneath them to make noise at a ball game.

Whoa there, Fireball. The 40+ crowd is no different from any other demographic that attends OM games, of any sport. I am in the lower end of that "narrowly" defined age group and I can assure you, as can people on this board who have attended games with me, that making noise is not beneath me at a ball game or any other function for that matter. One frequent contributor here can attest to my telling folks behind me, before the game, that I stand for most all of the game and I am sorry for any inconvenience my being almost 6'5" and standing may cause them, but it is a ball game.

And a small faction of students (not all of them) are indeed a bigger problem inasmuch as they weren't brought up any better than to throw *beep* on the field when they perceive an injustice on the field.

[done]

Look I was at the Vandy game with Parrot, one of his buddies and my 15 year old son....speaking for the "around" 50 year olds (me) and the "around" 40 year olds (Parrot), I will challenge you to have found anyone in that stadium screaming louder than us....there was a lady pulling for Vandy sitting behind us and she needed some earplugs and Tylenol by halftime....

And we were actually watching the game instead of seeing how much booze we could drink and yelling "The South Will Rise Again" 8)