Jenni Carlson says "The Rowdy is Gone at Gallagher-Iba"

[Sooner23]

The Rowdy is Gone at Gallagher-Iba
Posted by jennicarlson
on February 2, 2010M at 1:47 pm

So, Oklahoma State wants to bring the rowdy back to Gallagher-Iba Arena.
It might want to start by bringing back the mildly interested or slightly excitable first.

Monday night brought the biggest home game so far for the Cowboys this season. Texas. ESPN. Big Monday spotlight. The announced attendance was just over 11,000, the Cowboys’ biggest crowd of the season, but really, it looked like there were more than 2,500 empty seats.

Where the crowd was concerned, Big Monday was a Big Bummer.

How could Cowboy fans not fill the place, not pack the house?

When I moved to Oklahoma City a little over a decade ago, I remember thinking that no one had a better environment for college basketball than OSU. Sure, it was good at Duke and Kansas and North Carolina, but it wasn’t any better than OSU.

And when Gallagher-Iba expanded in 2000, going from its bandbox capacity of 6,381 to its current expanse of more than 13,000 seats, I hiked up to the top row of Section 322 and talked to some folks who were so happy because they’d finally been able to get tickets to games.

Those days seem so long ago.

Where did the rowdy go?

Some people say that it disappeared with the escalation of ticket prices. I don’t buy that. OSU sold over 11,000 season tickets. Cowboy fans bought tickets in droves. But they aren’t always using them.

It’s befuddling. Like everyone else, I’ve heard the arguments that some people are still upset about the way the Sutton era ended and that others think these Cowboys need to play more defense. To the first group, get over it. To the second group, maybe the Cowboys would be inspired to play better defense if they were playing in front of a packed house that was going bonkers.

Would a couple thousand more people have made a difference Monday night against Texas? It’s hard to say. I always think an engaged home crowd is worth between three and six points, and the Cowboys lost to the Longhorns by a dozen. Still, Texas had a true freshman who played the game of his life; maybe he’d have been a little more intimidated if GIA had been more hostile.

I don’t know where the rowdy has gone at Gallagher-Iba, but I do know this — it’s sad that it isn’t there any more. The atmosphere in that arena was something special. Now, it’s nothing special at all.

http://blog.newsok.com/jennicarlson/2010/02/02/the-rowdy-is-gone-at-gallagher-iba/

 

[BigTime]

I am still trying to figure out how people are just now figuring this out. It has been going on for several years now. Is it because this year OSU actually has a decent squad?

On a side note, it is crap that OSU stopped reporting tickets scanned midway through the season. 11K plus at the game? LOL. There was maybe 9,500.

We had more than 10 for Mizzou on a Saturday game at noon with the students out of town....

 

[T_Neal's Twitter]

I think that may have been the first Jenni Carlson article that I didn't stop reading halfway through. She made pretty good sense.

 

[topcat]

I am still trying to figure out how people are just now figuring this out. It has been going on for several years now. Is it because this year OSU actually has a decent squad?

On a side note, it is crap that OSU stopped reporting tickets scanned midway through the season. 11K plus at the game? LOL. There was maybe 9,500.

We had more than 10 for Mizzou on a Saturday game at noon with the students out of town....

A buddy took me to the game last night. Yea there was probably 11k there if the arena holds 13.5k. What surprised me was the cost on his tickets. The price was $185. He said that included a portion of the donor fee. Thats too dang much to watch any college game.

I hope we can match 11k on saturday.

 

[BigTime]

A buddy took me to the game last night. Yea there was probably 11k there if the arena holds 13.5k. What surprised me was the cost on his tickets. The price was $185. He said that included a portion of the donor fee. Thats too dang much to watch any college game.

I hope we can match 11k on saturday.

Not a chance. I watched it, and there were scattered empties all over the second level and huge sections empty on the top. I MIGHT give it 10K. Jenny is right. There was not 11K. Good turnout by their students though.

OU will have at least 11.5 at the LNC Saturday. I wouldn't be surprised if there was standing room only. Book it.

 

[Snr4Life]

No doubt the LNC will be rocking Saturday

 

[MVPx2]

According to the box score, attendance was 11,096.

 

[Sam]

I believe OSU only reports tickets sold now and no longer gives estimated (tickets scanned). Tickets sold are always inflated, just look at some of OU's numbers in comparison to estimated tickets.

 

[BigTime]

According to the box score, attendance was 11,096.

That is tickets sold. Do you really think all the season ticket holders showed up?

You guys used to show tickets scanned (like we do) but halfway through the season, you guys started just showing tickets sold due to your horrid turnouts. Nice try though with the 11K...

 

[T_Neal's Twitter]

According to the box score, attendance was 11,096.

That's probably tickets sold, not tickets scanned.

 

[BigTime]

I believe OSU only reports tickets sold now and no longer gives estimated (tickets scanned). Tickets sold are always inflated, just look at some of OU's numbers in comparison to estimated tickets.

Not inflated. They just show how many tickets are sold for the game. OSU over the past 3-4 years is starting to see what it is like to have people buy tickets and not show up.

Sucks doesn't it? Part of being a football school....

 

[CobraKai]

I think that may have been the first Jenni Carlson article that I didn't stop reading halfway through. She made pretty good sense.

Clearly that article was ghost written. Way too few 3 word sentences and 1 sentence paragraphs.

 

[BigTime]

Clearly that article was ghost written. Way too few 3 word sentences and 1 sentence paragraphs.

Haha so true.