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View Full Version : OU BEGGING People to go to Arkansas Game



OUSKINS
12/14/2007, 08:17 AM
Sad, indeed.

First, the announcement of the football team signing autographs in the concourse before the game, then the free "rally towels," and now I just got an email advertising $5 tickets. The powers that be seem scared to death to show an empty LNC on national TV this Saturday.

Can't say I blame them.

I just wish we had better fans. The begging is sad.

badger
12/14/2007, 09:50 AM
believe me, I WANT to go, but I live two hours away and half our city is without power.

When they come to Tulsa, I'll be there, clad in crimson :D

But you know... an autographed football WOULD be nice... :)

OUSKINS
12/14/2007, 10:26 AM
believe me, I WANT to go, but I live two hours away and half our city is without power.

When they come to Tulsa, I'll be there, clad in crimson :D

But you know... an autographed football WOULD be nice... :)

Not pointing this at you directly AT ALL, but just in general, it seems there are always excuses for the hoops team.

But let me ask you this: Let's say it was OU-Arkansas in FOOTBALL in Norman this week, under the exact same conditions.

I have a feeling 80,000 people would still find a way to pack that place :)

Yet, we'll be fortunate to get 10,000 on Saturday.

badger
12/14/2007, 10:28 AM
Not pointing this at you directly AT ALL, but just in general, it seems there are always excuses for the hoops team.

But let me ask you this: Let's say it was OU-Arkansas in FOOTBALL in Norman this week, under the exact same conditions.

I have a feeling 80,000 people would still find a way to pack that place :)

Yet, we'll be fortunate to get 10,000 on Saturday.
that's different. it's football :D

if this cross-promotional thing works, they should try it more in the future. stoops goes to basketball games anyway. I'm sure he'd be happy to help the team out.

birddog
12/14/2007, 10:36 AM
i love the sooners and watch football or basketball every chance i get.

but i can't seem to get into this team yet. looks like alot of people feel that way right now. :(

badger
12/14/2007, 10:55 AM
I went to a few games last year and Capel seemed as frustrated as the fans. Of course, I lived in Norman then :D

There's a lot going right for this team, but they still don't have that connection that other programs have with fans yet. Here's some things I would like to see:

1- More games around the state of Oklahoma
>>> Sure, you've got your annual "hide your eyes from bright orange" in Stool, but there are two pretty good state teams in ORU and TU. Play them in Tulsa! We're about to have the BOK Center!

2- More cross promotional thingys.
>>> Sherri Coale once sang "Tennesseee is coming to town" to a full crowd for the men's team to try to get fans to come to women's games, too. She and her staff did numerous things like this to get OU fans to be fans of more than the traditional hotspots of men's basketball and football. Now which team is having trouble filling the stands, hmm?

3- Introduce Capel more to the Sooner Nation.
>>> Who can name where Stoops is from, both coaching and playing-wise? Ok, now how 'bout Sherri Coale? Most likely, you can all say that Stoops is from Ohio, played in Iowa and coached at Florida. You will likely also know that Coale is from Oklahoma, played at Oklahoma (Christian) and last coached at Norman High. Capel is largely still a young mystery. Sure, we might have seen that Duke last second shot, we might remember that mid-minor school he coached at, but what else?

4- Cheapen the tix.
>>> Yes, we need the athletic department to make money so there's no "what about ackydemmies?" argument when it comes to finances. However, it's tough to get some fans to buy expensive tickets in advance for a team they are not familiar with, have not really followed before and isn't currently a national success. Push the family promos! Push the $5 ticket games! Push the freebies!

Right now, we have seen substantial improvement in many OU team followings:

1- Women's basketball. Just a few years ago, there were many, many empty seats in both the lower and higher levels. Now, the student section is full, the fans that buy tickets actually show up and more are interested in attending.

2- Women's volleyball. Huge kudos to Santiago. He would go out the morning of games in the South Oval with donuts to get students interested. The national rankings and success brought even more interest in beyond that.

However, there are also teams that seem to be in the decline.

1- Men's basketball. A loss of national ranking will not work wonders, but more needs to be done off-court to bring those fans that came for a winning team to come back for the team, period.

2- Baseball. They had some good crowds when they made their playoff run. However, the crowds I've seen are still pretty modest... not that baseball crowds can cause false starts (um, false swings?) or timeouts (catcher-pitcher meetings?) or something.

So, there's my two cents. Discuss?

mfosterftw
12/14/2007, 11:04 AM
I realize it's something of a moot point over the holidays, but having the arena clear down on the south side of campus is a factor. In cold weather it's too far to walk from the dorms (especially the long walk back against the north wind), and getting out of the parking lot is something of a PITA, such that you can probably get back to the dorms faster by walking.

Just thinking of one reason my attendance slowed as a student in the in the early-mid 90's...

bstuff1979
12/14/2007, 01:26 PM
More often than not, I would agree that the OU bball fans are all but non-existent (in terms of #'s). This particular game, though, I would absolutely go to but for a few key reasons. #1. I tree, and a large one at that, thought it appropriat to take a nap on my car. #2. I still don't have power (at my house. office has power though). And, #3. Round 2 of weather awesomeness is scheduled to directly precede the game and I doubt that I want to drive a borrowed car w/out 4wd from NW OKC to Norman in that. I do think that OU's doing a great thing in lowering the ticket prices and giving abundant advertisement to let everyone know (no sarcasm intended). It would be great if they got together with OKC/Tulsa public transport to set something up with that, for those of us who happened to have our cars rendered imobile over the course of this week.

Ruuuuuufus
12/14/2007, 01:45 PM
I wish they would make student tickets free.

tommieharris91
12/14/2007, 01:45 PM
I'm goin to that game. Transportation ain't a problem for me because I live in walking distance to the LNC.

Ash
12/14/2007, 01:46 PM
Bottom line = fickle fans who don't care about basketball. That's the reality. Fans that would brave any kind of weather to see the football team can't drag themselves to a basketball game.

Considering the ice storm, I can see how people have more important things on their minds than basketball. But, it'd be the same anyway.

Hope Capel keeps working his magic with recruiting because the lack of support for this team could bite the program in the *** down the road in that regard.

tommieharris91
12/14/2007, 01:47 PM
I wish they would make student tickets free.

I'm pretty sure there will be a free game or two this year for the students.

Ash
12/14/2007, 01:47 PM
I wish they would make student tickets free.

They are free.

OUSKINS
12/14/2007, 02:26 PM
They are free.

Yep, all students need tomorrow is an ID to get in. If you don't have that or the $5 to buy a ticket, then please stop reading this and go get a job! :)

Desert Sapper
12/14/2007, 02:34 PM
Anybody remember how our attendance at football games was in the '90s?

Attendance (beyond the die hard fans) is a product of excitement, which is a product of one of two things: scoring and winning. Last season was the worst for OU roundball since Billy's first season.

If we start scoring/winning like Billyball or winning like Calvin Simpson, attendance will spike. Actually, all that matters is making the tourney and making it past the first round. If this team does that, attendance will be much higher in 2008-9. Mark my words.

Crimsontothecore
12/14/2007, 02:53 PM
I agree with Badger. Since Capels arrival, the team hasn't created an identity yet. Fans identify with a teams personality but so far this team is a bit unknown. We knew what Sampsons teams were all about and it was easy to identify with them. I think Capel was a good hire and in time I'm sure his teams will create their own identity.

richsooner
12/14/2007, 03:02 PM
I agree with Badger. Since Capels arrival, the team hasn't created an identity yet. Fans identify with a teams personality but so far this team is a bit unknown. We knew what Sampsons teams were all about and it was easy to identify with them. I think Capel was a good hire and in time I'm sure his teams will create their own identity.

I know this seems shallow, but showing up in gray uni's is not a brilliant scheme to allow for more connection to the fans. I know, they are still young men playing for the sooners. Screwing around with the OU crimson and cream is akin to the aggies, hell, we are the only other team(I think) to pull this stunt in b ball. I know, I know , we are not cheering for the color, but please coach, get them back in the traditional colors. By the way, have the women done this???

badger
12/14/2007, 03:03 PM
I know this seems shallow, but showing up in gray uni's is not a brilliant scheme to allow for more connection to the fans. I know, they are still young men playing for the sooners. Screwing around with the OU crimson and cream is akin to the aggies, hell, we are the only other team(I think) to pull this stunt in b ball. I know, I know , we are not cheering for the color, but please coach, get them back in the traditional colors. By the way, have the women done this???
this might just be a clever ploy to drum up fan interest in basketball. it would never happen in football, but hey, no need to drum up interest in football.

notice how many people started talking about men's basketball after they did the gray thing :D

Ground_Attack
12/14/2007, 05:14 PM
well in all fairness, there are about 15-20 home basketball games while there are about 6 home football games. That probably plays a part in it. That said, most OU fans SUCK when it comes to supporting the basketball team. Many are donors but there are plenty of opportunities to get in the game if you want.

Sadly, its probably never going to happen here. Even when Sampson had us in the Final 4 we had trouble selling out (unless it was KU, UT or OSU in the house).

OUstud
12/14/2007, 05:27 PM
It's been stated on here before, but I'll say it again: the LNC is not a good place to watch basketball. And it's not just the dim lighting, poor seating arrangements (students split up/in the upper level? wtf?), and low ceilings.

Since when did the LNC turn into some high-security compound? Notice the first things you see when you walk in the door: about 10 of those CSC Event Staff people and several ITEMS PROHIBITED signs. No signs like "home of three straight Big XII titles" or anything like that, just DON'T DO THIS-type signs everywhere. Then you get inside, where it seems like there's a CSC Event Staff guard by every section, plus around the court, hawking over everyone and checking their ticket stubs as they make their way from the concession stands back to their seats. It's like, there's 3,000 people here, are you really that worried that someone's going to defy the odds and plop down in an occupied seat? It's ridiculous. Sure, there needs to be some security, but this overdoing it. It's an OU basketball game, not some Longest Yard-type matchup.

OKC-SLC
12/14/2007, 05:30 PM
Our fans are only fairly supportive of OU basketball when winning.

Our fans are not supportive of a team that is struggling to score points.

This has been established in the past, and this year is no different. It has nothing to do with uniforms, or Capel, or the women's team, or weather. The best OU basketball teams in the past 10 years have filled the LNC for big games and mostly filled it for moderate games. This year's team does not look good yet, and being anemic on offense does little to generate more fan interest.

tommieharris91
12/14/2007, 05:47 PM
E-mail from teh Athletic Department:

Rally the Sooners Saturday at LNC

The OU Athletics Department has planned a number of activities surrounding the men's basketball team's nonconference showdown with Arkansas on Saturday, Dec. 15 at Lloyd Noble Center . Tipoff with the Razorbacks is scheduled for 2 p.m. All OU students will receive free admission to the game with a valid student ID.



Highlighting the days events will be an autograph signing with members of the Sooner football team in the upper concourse prior to the game. Members of the football team will be available to sign autographs from 1 to 2 p.m. Oklahoma Basketball Rally towels will be placed in every seat of Lloyd Noble Center.



The first 500 OU students to arrive will receive coupons for $.50 hot dogs. Coupons will be available at the West Entrance of Lloyd Noble Center.



For more information, please visit SoonerSports.com

BoomerGirl34
12/14/2007, 07:16 PM
And to think they canceled graduation but still feel the need to fill the LNC for other reasons.

Sheesh.

Ruuuuuufus
12/15/2007, 12:20 AM
They are free.

Only on Saturday. Kinda makes me mad since I already paid my money for student season tickets only to see the university let everyone in for free for the only decent non-con game. oh well, at least it gets more butts in the seats.

I still don't understand why student tickets shouldn't be free. Women's basketball is free and I can't imagine it costs that much more to put on a women's game than a men's.

brown town sooner
12/15/2007, 08:21 AM
OK....here's the deal. As someone who used to live in the far western part of the state...I would travel 2 1/2 hours to a home football game for not only the football game but the EVENT of Saturday game day. Most people are like me....they do not drive to Norman, get there just in time for the football game and then get the hell out of dodge as soon as it's over. We drive down there....walk around, check out the women, have a brew or two, tailgate, or whatever else for a couple of hours before the game. Then you go to the game which is usually a 3 to 4 hour smack down by our Sooners, then you saunter out of the stadium and take your time to get back to your vehicle or stop by the closest watering hole for a couple more. My point is, basketball games are not EVENTS like football. A home football game draws 80,000 + fans because people from all over the state, hell you could argue from 4 surrounding states turn out for the EVENT. With so many basketball games during the season people are just not going to turn out in huge numbers like they are going to for football. That being said, one would think that surely there are 10,000 OU fans in the metro area that would be interested in the Sooner basketball team...especially when a name like Arkansas comes to town. It will be interesting to see if we can pack the house today against the razorbacks. Give it time...when Capel gets this team where he wants it adn starts winning there will be more interest....that's just human nature.

StormySooner-IN
12/15/2007, 10:29 AM
I want to go.


But I'm 15, have little money, and am about 900 miles away.

I know...excuses...excuses.....;) :(

SleestakSooner
12/15/2007, 01:09 PM
Last time the Sooners went to the final four (Hollis, Eduardo...) sitting in a bar with friends to watch the game and instead of actually watching and giving a damn about the basketball game half of them sat there discussing football recruiting.

Now women's hoops has grown and become very competitive. We see lots of people unafraid and undaunted in their Cole and the girls fervor.

If people can get out and support the women's team then we know they are willing to support the men. The main cause for problems in fan attendance for men's hoops in my mind are...

1. Too many of the games are televised locally, despite a lack of fans at LNC.

2. The militant usher squadrons who seem more intent on guarding their empty sections from squatters than making sure games are fun events.

3. Current team has no leadership on the court and no one has even tried to step up into that role, lack of general identity.

4. New coach and players haven't yet proven they can win as we have been accustomed to for several decades.

5. Last but not least, the "football school" mentality permeates our fan base, if you can't beat aggie in the sport it's not a sport worth watching.

I'll be driving the B-Ball bandwagon, when the men start winning again please hop on board. :D

GottaHavePride
12/15/2007, 02:33 PM
Not pointing this at you directly AT ALL, but just in general, it seems there are always excuses for the hoops team.

But let me ask you this: Let's say it was OU-Arkansas in FOOTBALL in Norman this week, under the exact same conditions.

I have a feeling 80,000 people would still find a way to pack that place :)

Yet, we'll be fortunate to get 10,000 on Saturday.


Dude, 10,000 is about 90% capacity in LNC. They'll be fortunate to get 2,000 there this weekend. Especially over winter break.

SleestakSooner
12/15/2007, 02:45 PM
If you need any further proof that about 90% of all OU fans could care less about basketball, just look at how many people are viewing the Football forums here vs those viewing the Basketball forums. 66 on foolsball and only 3 viewing b-ball. And this, only minutes before a huge non-conference game at home...











:(

derek430
12/15/2007, 03:04 PM
Well it doesn't look like there are many people who showed up for the game

AllAboutThe'O'
12/15/2007, 03:09 PM
Yeah, and are we starting an official game thread or not?

OU up 3-0 early, BTW. For those who care.

Newbomb Turk
12/15/2007, 03:13 PM
Yeah, and are we starting an official game thread or not?

I think we need one.

9-4 OU

AllAboutThe'O'
12/15/2007, 03:14 PM
The regular OU men's posters must also be at the game.

Sooners up 11-4, pending completion of a three-point play from LL.

Desert Sapper
12/15/2007, 03:15 PM
Most fans are fickle. This is why everybody that attended OU Football games in the mid-late 90's wear that like a badge of honor. Bob Stoops created excitement from the moment he arrived, and we've been selling out ever since. But Bob had a tradition to tag onto. We had won 6 national titles in football when he got here. How many national titles have we won in Men's Basketball? Things might be different if Manning didn't go superstud in the final in '88, but he did, we lost, and we haven't made it back to the main event since then. I think Capel might be able to do what Billy Donovan has done at UF, but it will take some time.

The Gators had practically collapsed since their '94 Final Four appearance when Billy arrived in '96. They didn't even make the NIT that year. The next year they did, and in '98 they made it to the Sweet 16. Two years later, they lost the National Championship to Michigan State. They've been to the tournament every year since. Now they are the reigning back to back champs. He didn't do a whole lot at Marshall.

In the four years Jeff Capel was at VCU, he took them to the NCAA Tourney in 2004 and the NIT in 2005. I think he can get this team in NCAA Tourney shape either this year or next, we will be competitive in the next 2-3 years, and the fans will follow.

Newbomb Turk
12/15/2007, 03:17 PM
Yeah, and are we starting an official game thread or not?

we gots a thread.

badger
12/15/2007, 05:15 PM
Most fans are fickle. This is why everybody that attended OU Football games in the mid-late 90's wear that like a badge of honor. Bob Stoops created excitement from the moment he arrived, and we've been selling out ever since. But Bob had a tradition to tag onto. We had won 6 national titles in football when he got here. How many national titles have we won in Men's Basketball? Things might be different if Manning didn't go superstud in the final in '88, but he did, we lost, and we haven't made it back to the main event since then. I think Capel might be able to do what Billy Donovan has done at UF, but it will take some time.

The Gators had practically collapsed since their '94 Final Four appearance when Billy arrived in '96. They didn't even make the NIT that year. The next year they did, and in '98 they made it to the Sweet 16. Two years later, they lost the National Championship to Michigan State. They've been to the tournament every year since. Now they are the reigning back to back champs. He didn't do a whole lot at Marshall.

In the four years Jeff Capel was at VCU, he took them to the NCAA Tourney in 2004 and the NIT in 2005. I think he can get this team in NCAA Tourney shape either this year or next, we will be competitive in the next 2-3 years, and the fans will follow.

And even after all that, Florida fans still didn't really attend games until conference season started :D

Seriously.

OUSKINS
12/15/2007, 06:17 PM
Their tactics worked! Excellent crowd both in numbers and energy level. A few more empty seats scattered then you'd like still, but overall, a very good, vocal crowd.

And the team responded with an excellent effort. A highly entertaining, well played game. Hats off to the folks at OU for putting things together nicely and for the team for coming through with a much needed and highly entertaining victory.

EatSchmittOU
12/15/2007, 07:52 PM
I remember OU being ranked 2 years ago, whenever you had Taj Gray. How was the attendence then?

WVU is playing extremely well this year and the attendence has been subpar. Huggins actually sent out an email to all the students saying, "Hey, we need you guys here for the non-conference as much as we do for the conference games...". After that we literally had a packed house against Duquense that weekend. I was impressed with the influence he had. So maybe your coach just needs to send out a little friendly encouragement.

Sooner24
12/15/2007, 09:35 PM
Most fans are fickle. This is why everybody that attended OU Football games in the mid-late 90's wear that like a badge of honor. Bob Stoops created excitement from the moment he arrived, and we've been selling out ever since. But Bob had a tradition to tag onto. We had won 6 national titles in football when he got here. How many national titles have we won in Men's Basketball? Things might be different if Manning didn't go superstud in the final in '88, but he did, we lost, and we haven't made it back to the main event since then. I think Capel might be able to do what Billy Donovan has done at UF, but it will take some time.

The Gators had practically collapsed since their '94 Final Four appearance when Billy arrived in '96. They didn't even make the NIT that year. The next year they did, and in '98 they made it to the Sweet 16. Two years later, they lost the National Championship to Michigan State. They've been to the tournament every year since. Now they are the reigning back to back champs. He didn't do a whole lot at Marshall.

In the four years Jeff Capel was at VCU, he took them to the NCAA Tourney in 2004 and the NIT in 2005. I think he can get this team in NCAA Tourney shape either this year or next, we will be competitive in the next 2-3 years, and the fans will follow.


Thing is, not only did I not miss a single home game in the 90's in football I also have only missed 3 Big 8/12 Basketball Tournaments since 1984 following the OU men playing basketball. I am also, probably one of the few people outside of OU staff, that has seen the OU Women cut down the nets at everyone of their Big 12 Championships finals. I am a fan of OU sports not OU football.

SleestakSooner
12/16/2007, 12:27 AM
Thing is, not only did I not miss a single home game in the 90's in football I also have only missed 3 Big 8/12 Basketball Tournaments since 1984 following the OU men playing basketball. I am also, probably one of the few people outside of OU staff, that has seen the OU Women cut down the nets at everyone of their Big 12 Championships finals. I am a fan of OU sports not OU football.

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A
Our chant rolls on and on...

Ground_Attack
12/20/2007, 10:22 PM
who negged me for that? bastard.

goingoneight
12/26/2007, 08:48 PM
Basketball versus football. Oh lawdy, here we go again.

1. As stated above, lots more home games in BBall

2. Six games on Saturdays every year = much easier to make for traveling fans. Know where I'm at when the BBall games happen in Nompton? In an office with a radio listening to Bob Barry, Sr. Know where I'm at during the home FB games? If my butt ain't in a seat in Memorial Stadium, it's planted in front of my TeeVee tuned into Memorial Stadium action.

3. Football will always draw more fans, no matter how big a "basketball school" you are. You think Booger Pickin Stadium's home crowds are pathetic, line up every OSU basketball fan and put them in the FB stadium. It would look emptier than Baylor does on any given Saturday.

4. Ever since the beginning of my time, I remember people snubbing basketball because they aren't into it. Add a ridiculously over-sized tournament at the end of the year and you gut the regular season. The average fan asks why make the long trip to watch an exhibition game that not even students will show up for? I remember the teachers in high school offerring extra credit and other "perks" if we showed up to watch the basketball team. Most showed up, signed the attendance list, then left. What do high school kids possibly have to do on school nights that they couldn't stick around and watch the game? I don't know... I'm going to guess they don't care.

OUstud
12/26/2007, 10:11 PM
3. Football will always draw more fans, no matter how big a "basketball school" you are. You think Booger Pickin Stadium's home crowds are pathetic, line up every OSU basketball fan and put them in the FB stadium. It would look emptier than Baylor does on any given Saturday.

Well, football stadiums hold more. Even in Kansas's worst football years I'm sure they outdrew their basketball team in attendance. Doesn't mean there are more KU football fans than basketball fans.

But there has to be at least 10 thousand of 85 thousand at an OU football game that like basketball.