Stop blaming the fans for attendance

[Cuse181]

I think we’ve had less than 10 winning seasons since 2000, im not going to check. With a barebones community outreach effort, what do we expect?

You can’t repetitively get annihilated on national tv and expect fans to organically connect with the program. I don’t care if we lose, at least look like we somewhat belong. It’s reminding me of the shafer days.

maybe it would help the team get better if fans showed up to support the department and impress recruits? What came first the crappy team or the crappy fan base.

 

[Trueblue25]

maybe it would help the team get better if fans showed up? What came first the crappy team or the crappy fan base.

The crappy team lol.

Howd the team do vs notre dame for the sell out last year? Or when season ticket sales increased by +10,000 in 2019? Cant be serious

 

[Cuse181]

I don't know where to put this or if it needs its own thread but this is bad like really bad

is it that surprising? If you go a couple more wins up are we seeing teams that different from SU? Syracuse had its time on top, most teams dont keep that going in perpetuity, some never do it (Duke, K-state) some only see short bursts (Baylor, Kentucky) and some will never truly bottom out but will never reach the precipice (Wisconsin, Oklahoma state). Syracuse is teetering between never do it and short bursts at the moment. The right hire might come along and give them that short burst but then the right hire moves on. Should they be better? Probably, but to expect them to outperform peer schools just because we want them is realistic.

 

[ClkWrkOrange]

Who said always? Making your own spin? I said part of the reason. And I know what I’m talking about. I’ve got 60 years of fandom seeing it. The best fans support their team through think and thin.

Anytime there's the slightest criticism of SU, there you are.

 

[Cuse181]

The crappy team lol.

Howd the team do vs notre dame for the sell out last year? Or when season ticket sales increased by +10,000 in 2019? Cant be serious

But how did the team get so bad? How did they put themselves in a position to be unable to win more games in 2019? Perhaps if the fan base had not abandoned the team in the early and mid 2000s Syracuse would've been a more attractive place to place to play and they would've been able to afford better facilities before it was forced upon them. Unfortunately since money runs the sport it is not as simple as "put out a better product" a better product isn't free. All those "well im not coming back till they're ranked" fans essnetially doom the team to constantly be stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. Nebraska invests millions a year and has a rabid fanbase and they still cant compete because it is so difficult to do so. 7-8 wins on average is doable with syracuse's current status, anything more than that takes significant work on all sides.

 

[SUFan44]

Maybe it wouldn’t be 18-41 if we had gung ho fan support.

False. Our biggest eggs have been laid with some of our biggest crowds.

 

[billorange44]

I’ve always put part of the blame on the fans and I always will. Too many front runners.

I have said it for years, going back to Archbold. We have a fanbase of 20,000 who buy season tickets. We have corporate season tickets. We have student season tickets and the rest are bandwagon jumpers. It will always be this way.

 

[ClkWrkOrange]

But how did the team get so bad? How did they put themselves in a position to be unable to win more games in 2019? Perhaps if the fan base had not abandoned the team in the early and mid 2000s Syracuse would've been a more attractive place to place to play and they would've been able to afford better facilities before it was forced upon them. Unfortunately since money runs the sport it is not as simple as "put out a better product" an better product isn't free.

Maybe when you DO have fan support, you don't make it perfectly clear they aren't wanted.

 

[Cuse181]

Maybe when you DO have fan support, you don't make it perfectly clear they aren't wanted.

Who has told you the fans aren't wanted?

Have the players come out and said "we hate the fans"

Have the coaches said that?

Or are you confusing talent getting bested by better talent with a personal slight?

 

[Cuse181]

False. Our biggest eggs have been laid with some of our biggest crowds.

Because fair weather fans come out for games against top talent. Who would've thought that syracuse would struggle most in games with their biggest crowds when they're against the best teams every year.

 

[Orangezoo]

Because fair weather fans come out for games against top talent. Who would've thought that syracuse would struggle most in games with their biggest crowds when they're against the best teams every year.

Fair weather fans is a garbage term. It needs to go away.

Here's an example of one of the challenges. I make a few games a year sometimes less depending on a number of reasons almost always work related but the pandemic with a boatload of losses in the family made it difficult too.

One of those big games - the Clemson game at the dome after the Maryland debacle I brought along 7 people all SU fans that hadn't been to a game in a while. They weren't fair weather they simply had just lost touch with college football because SU was why they watched and SU had been a mess for such a long time. There was excitement and I was hoping this crew would jump on board more for games and get together in the future. We laid an egg. It was fun but also a major punch to the gut. It's the challenge of getting these fans on board when the same result continues to cycle. I get tired of them being labeled fair weather or the comments of screw them let them stay home anyways. You don't fill a dome without bringing folks back that are willing to spend their time and money along with bringing in new fans and alums from the past 15 years. That said you need both of those populations.

So let's drop the fair weather crap. It's dumb and over played.

Also its hard to do when you have the replay officials screwing us all the time in league play. That we can't get over the hump because they won't let us mindset is hard to break when you see it play out so clearly as well.

 

[ClkWrkOrange]

Who has told you the fans aren't wanted?

Have the players come out and said "we hate the fans"

Have the coaches said that?

Or are you confusing talent getting bested by better talent with a personal slight?

Forget it.

 

[Cuse181]

Forget it.

Just doesn’t make sense that’s all

 

[javadoc]

In what form of entertainment are people expected to pay for a poor product? This is an odd stance.

The SEC is what it is because of rabid generally unconditional fan support. I don’t know why people continue not to see it and blame the AD for “product”. The fact that some call it “product” is a loss already.

 

[Bayside44]

The SEC is what it is because of rabid generally unconditional fan support. I don’t know why people continue not to see it and blame the AD for “product”. The fact that some call it “product” is a loss already.

I'm semi-joking when I ask this - do people not like the friends they go with? It's always some miserable gut punch thing, not a day of hanging out, being cool, tailgating, etc etc etc.

Half the teams lose every Saturday but seem to have a certain level of enjoyment to it.

 

[SUFan44]

Because fair weather fans come out for games against top talent. Who would've thought that syracuse would struggle most in games with their biggest crowds when they're against the best teams every year.

They’ve actually struggled on the road, to epic proportions.

Should the fans travel better there too?

 

[SUforme]

I don't know where to put this or if it needs its own thread but this is bad like really bad

Oh I am closing my eyes alright...

 

[rrlbees]

I think there’s fewer and fewer people who look at sports that way, as time passes.

Absolutely no doubt

 

[JustPherU]

There are plenty of teams with crummy records that have consistently high fan turnout.

Who might they be?

 

[rrlbees]

Anytime there's the slightest criticism of SU, there you are.

Proud of it too. Go orange…through thick and thin.

 

[rrlbees]

False. Our biggest eggs have been laid with some of our biggest crowds.

1. Our biggest crowds are for the best teams.

2. Not all of those games are with big crowds.

 

[OrgTruckPat]

But how did the team get so bad? How did they put themselves in a position to be unable to win more games in 2019? Perhaps if the fan base had not abandoned the team in the early and mid 2000s Syracuse would've been a more attractive place to place to play and they would've been able to afford better facilities before it was forced upon them. Unfortunately since money runs the sport it is not as simple as "put out a better product" a better product isn't free. All those "well im not coming back till they're ranked" fans essnetially doom the team to constantly be stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. Nebraska invests millions a year and has a rabid fanbase and they still cant compete because it is so difficult to do so. 7-8 wins on average is doable with syracuse's current status, anything more than that takes significant work on all sides

Hence the chicken vs egg fan conundrum. We had good fan suppport up to mid 2000s, so how did the mediocre final years under P occur if we had big crowds? And we havent had enough success to bring them back consistently since. Not disagreeing with you, it does hurt us that we dont fill up the dome. Also kills when we do, we have laid some eggs. Just pointing out the complexities of the winning brings fans vs fans bring wins.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm semi-joking when I ask this - do people not like the friends they go with? It's always some miserable gut punch thing, not a day of hanging out, being cool, tailgating, etc etc etc.

Half the teams lose every Saturday but seem to have a certain level of enjoyment to it.

Zoo didn't say they stopped hanging out as friends after that game.

They just ain't going to games together as a regular thing anymore.

Cuz they went, and got nut punched.

I'm sure they still hang out.

 

[dwilmont44]

I'm semi-joking when I ask this - do people not like the friends they go with? It's always some miserable gut punch thing, not a day of hanging out, being cool, tailgating, etc etc etc.

Half the teams lose every Saturday but seem to have a certain level of enjoyment to it.

I think the lack of parking/tailgating is a big factor for this. Heck at some schools the people don't even go to the game they just watch on a TV they bring and continue cooking and drinking.

 

[Cuse181]

Hence the chicken vs egg fan conundrum. We had good fan suppport up to mid 2000s, so how did the mediocre final years under P occur if we had big crowds? And we havent had enough success to bring them back consistently since. Not disagreeing with you, it does hurt us that we dont fill up the dome. Also kills when we do, we have laid some eggs. Just pointing out the complexities of the winning brings fans vs fans bring wins.

I agree with the chicken and the egg, it’s a round about