Fans are slacking..

[TINY]

I realize I am mainly preaching to the choir here, but i have to get this off my chest.

Our fans were the weakest link this season. If we roll out and do our job, ou is the big12 champs, and we would be preparing for a showdown with Louisville in the elite 8.

If we create a true home court advantage, we don't drop that game against kstate imo.

Friday night, we were grossly outnumbered by all 3 other fan bases. Granted we were the furthest from the venue, but the amount of fans who showed up the last 3 weekends was nothing short of a joke for a top 20 program (all time). Make no mistake, the msu crowd was the difference in the second half. The isu crowd was the difference in the big12 tourney.

It would be one thing if we didn't have the fanbase and population, but we manage to sell out 85k every game day Saturday during the fall. Why can't we put a solid 10k in the LNC and send 3-5k or so to these tournaments?

I don't live anywhere close to campus anymore, so I need those who do to step up for Lon and the team!

Rant over..

 

[SoonerTraveler]

I realize I am mainly preaching to the choir here, but i have to get this off my chest.

Our fans were the weakest link this season. If we roll out and do our job, ou is the big12 champs, and we would be preparing for a showdown with Louisville in the elite 8.

If we create a true home court advantage, we don't drop that game against kstate imo.

Friday night, we were grossly outnumbered by all 3 other fan bases. Granted we were the furthest from the venue, but the amount of fans who showed up the last 3 weekends was nothing short of a joke for a top 20 program (all time). Make no mistake, the msu crowd was the difference in the second half. The isu crowd was the difference in the big12 tourney.

It would be one thing if we didn't have the fanbase and population, but we manage to sell out 85k every game day Saturday during the fall. Why can't we put a solid 10k in the LNC and send 3-5k or so to these tournaments?

I don't live anywhere close to campus anymore, so I need those who do to step up for Lon and the team!

Rant over..

I hope you feel much better after getting that off your chest. I feel your frustration, as I have experienced your frustration. Many times.

As an example, take the wonderful 1988 OU team coached by Billy Tubbs. After winning the first 2 games in the NCAA tournament, OU went to the Sweet-16 and Elite-8 games in Birmingham, Alabama. I was there with my father. My guess is that the arena held about 14-16,000. OU beat Louisville in the Sweet-16 and then beat Villanova in the Elite-8. My guess is that there were less than 150 OU fans at the game. And this was during the peak of "Billy-Ball" and that 1988 team was arguably the best team in OU history.

Then when OU played in the 1988 Final-4 in Kansas City, OU easily had the smallest crowd of the 4 teams. Arizona probably had 3-times the OU crowd, and they had to travel a long way.

This is nothing new. I have seen it for decades. I have been to Kansas City 20-plus times for conference tournaments, and OU has never once had anything close to a strong representation by its fans.

Next season. I am forever hopeful that bigger crowds will show up for home games inside the LNC. Next season. You are correct that BETTER IN-PERSON FAN SUPPORT is the missing link to taking the basketball program to greater heights. A bigger live crowd impresses recruits, and would certainly help the Sooners turn-around some close losses at home.

There have been rumors that OU will get a home-and-home with Wisconsin, starting in Norman next season. If true, one would think that the LNC would be rockin' and rollin' even though the game would likely be in November or December. I'll believe it when I see it (the rockin' and rollin' part).

 

[SoonerTraveler]

And another thing.

OU fans have a MUCH BETTER basketball team than OU fans deserve.

 

[campbest]

They've got the time and fortitude to come here and complain about Dayton playing close to home, but won't make the trip themselves.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Based on my experience, if Dayton and OU were playing at an NCAA tournament site in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dayton would have many more fans there.

 

[NMSooner'80]

And another thing.

OU fans have a MUCH BETTER basketball team than OU fans deserve.

:woot :woot


And, many "football-only" fans don't even know how good OU really is in basketball.

 

[red recluse]

Based on my experience, if Dayton and OU were playing at an NCAA tournament site in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Dayton would have many more fans there.

if dayton and OU were playing in tulsa, they would have had as many fans, or any team that travels well. i wanted to complain too, but it is worthless since we struggle to fill the lnc as it is. there were probably just as many fans in syracuse as there were family and friends of the team. and credit to all of the fans that showed. columbus was better because there were quite a few OU fans who live there or close by. but yeah, pathetic.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

i realize i am mainly preaching to the choir here, but i have to get this off my chest.

Our fans were the weakest link this season. If we roll out and do our job, ou is the big12 champs, and we would be preparing for a showdown with louisville in the elite 8.

If we create a true home court advantage, we don't drop that game against kstate imo.

Friday night, we were grossly outnumbered by all 3 other fan bases. Granted we were the furthest from the venue, but the amount of fans who showed up the last 3 weekends was nothing short of a joke for a top 20 program (all time). Make no mistake, the msu crowd was the difference in the second half. The isu crowd was the difference in the big12 tourney.

It would be one thing if we didn't have the fanbase and population, but we manage to sell out 85k every game day saturday during the fall. Why can't we put a solid 10k in the lnc and send 3-5k or so to these tournaments?

I don't live anywhere close to campus anymore, so i need those who do to step up for lon and the team!

Rant over..

l.o.l.

 

[jackson_supersooner]

I understand why your upset. But if you ask me "Basketball or Football season tickets?" I choose football every time. I'll make it to an occasional game or 2 at LNC but I don't have the finances to travel to those NCAA tourney games and get season tickets to football. OU is a football school...always will be...Dayton's ONLY sport they can get excited about is Basketball. So they will travel wherever and whenever cause the fans never get to support their team for any other high profile event. There are so many sports that OU is good at and people enjoy that it makes each fan base attending for each sport a little smaller from the fans being divied up because of having to make decisions on which team to watch. That's just how it is. Why do you think ISU and Kansas pack the house? That's their ONLY sport that they are ANY good at. Are we spoiled? Hell ya we are. We have a great Athletic program. So great it's hard to afford to support each and every sport and their success. But I will attend when I can and choose the sports I love most to spend MY money on.

 

[gwydion]

This may not have been true 30 years ago but the cost is just to prohibitive if you have to fly. I've been looking to get a ticket to go to Louisville next month for the last 4 months. I can't get it under $500. That with your hotel, food and tickets, just makes for an expensive trip. Especially since basketball post season has to be done at the last minute. At best, most fans can only afford one weekend. Unless it's drivable, we will never have many fans attend postseason games.
And if you think cost is a weak excuse then please, fund my trips and I will go to everyone.

 

[afaSooner]

My theory is the OU fans aren't slacking... they're being abducted by some star travelers from another Universe ON THE WAY to the game. It took me awhile to figure it out but alas... there it is. So now that I've figured it out how are we going to stop them damn aliens? Anyone know if the Ghostbusters can be an effective option?

Where's the dead horse? I know it's around here somewhere. :facepalm

Ok let's do this...

First of all this really is an unsolved mystery. There's nothing more annoying than this f'ing conversation but ONLY because I'm a HUGE Sooner fan but due to financial constraints and two children I can only support the program by cheering from my sofa. Maybe I'm an example of the problem? I will say this though, my 7 yr old son looks pretty promising so should he end up playing and winning a National Title of any kind at OU I will have done my Sooner deed. But back to the lecture at hand... no one will EVER know why OU can string together a decade of perfect attendance at Owen Field but somehow have fans who only routinely make it out to a couple of basketball games a year. It's hard to imagine it being a football thing but many speculate that is exactly what it is. I disagree.

Now pay attention... there lies another dead horse around the corner.

THE LNC.

Get rid of it. You'll never convince me that this is a big time basketball arena one that a big time basketball program should call home. Get out of my face with that.

College basketball is a living legendary sport along with college football. In order for OU basketball to "fit it" it finds itself in a unique position vs other basketball programs because of the super ultra tradition that the Sooner football program brings... ya but the gameday atmosphere "bar" in Norman is set extremely high and is not to be underestimated. On one hand you can brag about Sooner football gameday's, the tradition, the atmosphere surrounding the stadium before and after the game, the campus, the tailgating, the restaurant eating, and of course the dominance the Sooner football team traditionally plays with because they have dominant players. On the other hand you can make a 10 minute drive to the LNC where you'll find a desolate empty parking lot most games, no tailgating, no restaurants, no gameday atmosphere to speak of which seems isolated out in the middle of nowhere and watch a mediocre team that shows flashes of what it COULD be with more fan support finish most seasons with around 8 to 13 losses a year. That or watch the game from home where recruits can't see or hear you. So routinely the team will be good enough to bite your nails at the end of the year hoping for an NCAA bid and potential 1st or 2nd round finish. And again this can certainly be attributed to a lack of fan support that leads to a lack of talent that leads to a mediocre program but I contend it starts with a lackluster gameday atmosphere.

You see... it's not that this is a football only school but that football found it's wingman so to speak and that is everything else about Sooner football gameday aside from the game and team itself. OU basketball needs the same and it won't happen as long as it calls Crossroads Mall aka the LNC its home.

Is this why? I think so but I am only one whittle Sooner fan with a butthole and an opinion. What say you?

 

[KCRuf/Nek]

I hope you feel much better after getting that off your chest. I feel your frustration, as I have experienced your frustration. Many times.

As an example, take the wonderful 1988 OU team coached by Billy Tubbs. After winning the first 2 games in the NCAA tournament, OU went to the Sweet-16 and Elite-8 games in Birmingham, Alabama. I was there with my father. My guess is that the arena held about 14-16,000. OU beat Louisville in the Sweet-16 and then beat Villanova in the Elite-8. My guess is that there were less than 150 OU fans at the game. And this was during the peak of "Billy-Ball" and that 1988 team was arguably the best team in OU history.

Then when OU played in the 1988 Final-4 in Kansas City, OU easily had the smallest crowd of the 4 teams. Arizona probably had 3-times the OU crowd, and they had to travel a long way.

This is nothing new. I have seen it for decades. I have been to Kansas City 20-plus times for conference tournaments, and OU has never once had anything close to a strong representation by its fans.

Next season. I am forever hopeful that bigger crowds will show up for home games inside the LNC. Next season. You are correct that BETTER IN-PERSON FAN SUPPORT is the missing link to taking the basketball program to greater heights. A bigger live crowd impresses recruits, and would certainly help the Sooners turn-around some close losses at home.

There have been rumors that OU will get a home-and-home with Wisconsin, starting in Norman next season. If true, one would think that the LNC would be rockin' and rollin' even though the game would likely be in November or December. I'll believe it when I see it (the rockin' and rollin' part).

I was there in KC for tose two games. It didn't matter once the Sqwak fans took over.

A bit of advice when playing Wisconsin at home. We best buy all those tickets early or the place will be full of the wrong kind of red. When they would come to Vegas to play UNLV in football the crowd would be easily 80-90% Badgers if not more. There were also at least that many in town that didn't go to the game.