memo to the fans

**Wesley** · 10-10-2006, 03:45 PM

By the way, James Smith practiced Sunday and may play at Oklahoma.

**iowastateclone94** · 10-10-2006, 04:04 PM

I agree with Clone Rules on this one. Our team needs our fans. No, we don't play the game but we need to make it difficult for the opponent to play in our place. JT was unbelievably loud and frenzied during last year's CU game and I was hoping that would be the same way on Saturday and it wasn't. As far as support, I sat in Section S, at the end of the east side of JT. At half, there were thousands - yes thousands- of fans in yellow shirts pouring out of the stadium. It was only 21 - 7!!! Yes, the NU td with 3 seconds left was deflating but stay and support your team. The game was far from over. The Nebraska fans near me were laughing. You'd never see that at Memorial Stadium, Kinnick, etc. If we're ever going to be an upper echelon team, we need to wait an extra hour and 1/2 for a beer. Not only does the team need to take it up a notch, so do we. The fans have an impact on the game....that's why we are there, that's why it's a home game. No one is blaming the fans for losing....just stick around to help win. And be loud!!

**colocy** · 10-10-2006, 04:46 PM

Well I was just using the 4 biggest games this year, in the country to illustrate that the crowd's impact is overrated. Those 4 games were huge, were billed as being huge, and the crowd came to each and every one fired up. It didn't make a difference in the outcome in the least. I agree it's not always the size of the crowd, but in all 4 of those instances the crowds were enthusiastic from the outset. Tell me how much of an impact did the fans have when OSU took their first drive of the game down for 7 at Kinnick.

**superfan** · 10-10-2006, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by iowastateclone94

At half, there were thousands - yes thousands- of fans in yellow shirts pouring out of the stadium. It was only 21 - 7!!! Yes, the NU td with 3 seconds left was deflating but stay and support your team. The game was far from over. The Nebraska fans near me were laughing. You'd never see that at Memorial Stadium, Kinnick, etc. If we're ever going to be an upper echelon team, we need to wait an extra hour and 1/2 for a beer.

This is being fixed. According to an e-mail from Pollard last week, when JT is bowled in, re-entry will be prohibited.

**sclotz** · 10-10-2006, 06:56 PM

I flew to Ames for the NE game from New Orleans,despite the outcome I had a great time being in/around all the fun. I attended ISU 1985-1988...things have changed dramatically since my time. I remember seeing Brian Bosworth play and we were getting trounced, we finally scored a field goal (making it about 45-3 or so) and the crowd went completely wild.

Some thoughts regarding the fans this weekend...After walking into the stadium 4 or 5 NE fans were talking a bunch of crap on the hill. I yelled over to them to shut their pie holes, the days of losing 80-0 were over! All clone fans were sitting there listening to that manure. I was seated in section 19 row 7, right next to a bunch of NE fans. Everytime I heard them talking a bunch of smack I let them have it, I was the only one there shooting back at them. Some people may consider me a bad sport but I am not going to listen to that crap in OUR stadium, I don't care what teams comes in. Leave that crap in Lincoln. I attended an LSU game down here recently, 92,000 fans probably 90,000 tiger fans. All the visitors' fans (TULANE) were spread out throughout the stadium. If you were going to talk smack in Death Valley you better use your inside voice. I heard NE fans saying Saturday's game was a home game for them, they own our stadium...what the ^%$$ is that! Educate me, when ISU goes on the road do our fans sit together? Are we obligated to let visitors sit in a complete section. With 40,000 more cyclone fans there than NE fans, spread the big red out (and any other team that comes). Also, their band stood for the whole game in a small part of the sideline. Being so compact made them project their sound much more than ours (IMO), our band is spread out over an entire endzone. They had 3 or 4 things they played that all red fans knew and used them all the time. It seems like a lot of our fans don't know what to do in conjuction with some of those things. Do you guys like the FIRST DOWN cheer? I am not proposing to start fights but if a visiting team's fans are in Ames talking crap and I hear it, I am going to feed it right back.
Scott L
Thoughts???

**frontrangeclone** · 10-10-2006, 09:38 PM

I'm confused by the people who 1. pay the money to attend a game but then 2. complain that they have nothing to cheer about and will cheer when there is a product on the field to yell for. WHAT?? you need to yell, make noise, be nuts! let loose for god sake! I'm sure most of you (and I know I do) get a little barley pop buzz going before a game... the noise makes a difference, it shows the team that perhaps you care despite how poorly they may be playing. I assume if you PAY for tickets you love the Cyclones, then freaking show it! I for one HATE nebraska and their arrogant, pompous fans who have the gall to call themselves the classiest fans in the country. So when I hear that their 11k outcheered out 44k, it really ticks me of.

I think perhaps bowling in JT will help acoustics a wee bit, but if we can have one of the nastiest places for opponents to play in basketball, we should at least be able to make our football stadium an intimidating place to play. Autzen stadium in Oregon doesn't hold a huge # of fans, similar to JT capacity I think, but its one of the most intimidating venues in the country. and why is that? their fans CARE!!

**Wesley** · 10-10-2006, 09:38 PM

The insults from the haughty Big Red fans was numerous and prolific. They behaved like they owned the stadium. Just a fact of life. That is why I love to beat them in basketball. These same football fans for Lincoln do not do basketball. They know better.

**Cyclonepride** · 10-10-2006, 10:37 PM

I agree that the fans need to cheer louder and more often. Encourage your team. Did anybody notice that our teams are starting to play better on the road than at home? I think it is less pressure for them. We need to create the atmosphere and let them feed off of it. I would think it's the acoustics, but in the games I've been too, there is the occasional roar followed by dead silence waiting for the next reason to yell. The third downs when the Clones are on defense are good, but it's not all that impressive compared to other places.

**Ficklone02** · 10-10-2006, 11:08 PM

Yeah, I just love it when fans of winning programs think they are better than others because of the performance of there teams......we sit in the balcony in the west side and I was dissappointed to see that the fans that normally sit in front of us sold all their tickets to NU fans. I guess our crowd didn't miss these fans much since they usually don't make much noise anyways. I think some fans view a game such as Nebraska as a way to sell there tickets and recoup a large % of there costs. That drives me nuts!!

I've been to a handful of NU games in Lincoln including a few when they were playing other teams since we happened to have a bye week (I know somebody who works within there athletic department) and I can attest to the fact that there crowd has a tremendous affect on the game. I was there last year when we played them and I could actually feel the noise in my bones when there defense went out onto the field. It was pretty impressive.

I've only been a fan since '98, since that was when I enrolled at ISU and I had little to no exposure of ISU growing up. This sounds crazy, but even being sort of a sports nut, I didn't know anything about ISU teams at all since they were not on tv or radio and I lived in this state! My first memories of anything ISU athletics was watching the MBB team and the Mayor play in the NCAA tourney. I think the increased exposure that Pollard is working on will really help grow our fan base and support. As for people complaining about the crowds, I don't know how to criticize people for not cheering there heads off for a team that is hard to believe in. As for me, though I have season tickets and I'm always there cheering my arse off!

**ISUFan22** · 10-11-2006, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Ficklone02

Yeah, I just love it when fans of winning programs think they are better than others because of the performance of there teams......we sit in the balcony in the west side and I was dissappointed to see that the fans that normally sit in front of us sold all their tickets to NU fans. I guess our crowd didn't miss these fans much since they usually don't make much noise anyways. I think some fans view a game such as Nebraska as a way to sell there tickets and recoup a large % of there costs. That drives me nuts!!

I agree 100%. That does burn me!

**cycloneworld** · 10-11-2006, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by ISUFan22

To those of you that do not think the fans have an impact on the game...

A. Have you actually played any football?

B. Haven't you ever noticed just how important playing on your home field is?

Typically homefield is worth 3-4 points according to linesmakers.

I agree home field is very important but it hasn't seemed to matter at all to this team this year. Last year Colorado, last year Iowa, two years ago Nebraska...these games the crowd was GREAT and I feel like we actually had an effect on the outcome of the game.

I haven't had that same feel this year...not one bit. Does anyone else feel like that? I was disappointed with the atmosphere for the top 2 crowds in JTS history.

**cycloneworld** · 10-11-2006, 09:01 AM

And my tickets are on the east side Section 19 (about the 5 yardline) and no one sat down the entire game.

**ISUAlum2002** · 10-11-2006, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Ficklone02

Yeah, I just love it when fans of winning programs think they are better than others because of the performance of there teams......we sit in the balcony in the west side and I was dissappointed to see that the fans that normally sit in front of us sold all their tickets to NU fans. I guess our crowd didn't miss these fans much since they usually don't make much noise anyways. I think some fans view a game such as Nebraska as a way to sell there tickets and recoup a large % of there costs. That drives me nuts!!

Which is worse? ISU fans selling their tickets to NU fans for the NU game, or ISU season ticketholders showing up in NU gear and cheering for NU all game long? Because that's what happened with the couple in front of my season seats. I felt like punting them both out of the freaking stadium.

They'll be back next week with ISU gear on, just like the previous 3 home games.....

**ISUFan22** · 10-11-2006, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by ISUAlum2002

Which is worse? ISU fans selling their tickets to NU fans for the NU game, or ISU season ticketholders showing up in NU gear and cheering for NU all game long? Because that's what happened with the couple in front of my season seats. I felt like punting them both out of the freaking stadium.

They'll be back next week with ISU gear on, just like the previous 3 home games.....

That's....strange.