The players need to know....

**cyclonedave25** · 12-16-2008, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Walo

While the hardcore fans, which make up about 90% of this website, do indeed show up for the players, the reason the stands have been filled the last couple of seasons is Jamie Pollard and his genius marketing plan for the ISU athletic department. He brought the coach that brought the players to this university... so I guess it can all link back to the players, but the ball started rolling when JP took the reigns.

JP sparked ticket sales and excitement. But, it's the fans choice to show up to the stands or not. (i.e. mens basketball. Our announced attendance is 13,000 but only 8-10,000 show up to the games... (at least for the first few games))

**Wesley** · 12-16-2008, 11:40 PM

Here is some hope. We may be on the dawn of having one of most explosive offensive teams in the next three years if things hold together. We may not win much, but it could get real exciting. That is why Bg 12 football is getting fun. No humdrum defensive steyggkes of Ohio State versus penn State...

**Walo** · 12-16-2008, 11:41 PM

You can't really compare basketball with football, but OK. If someone buys football tickets they're going to show up for the game... There are fewer games, they're traditionally on the weekend, and it's a bigger financial commitment to attend a football game.

**cyclonedave25** · 12-16-2008, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by Walo

You can't really compare basketball with football, but OK. If someone buys football tickets they're going to show up for the game... There are fewer games, they're traditionally on the weekend, and it's a bigger financial commitment to attend a football game.

Good point. But, for the Missouri game last season, when it was 15 degrees out and windy, and a team that is 2-9, there were plenty of excuses not to show up. But, the stadium was dang near full, by choice of the fans. Had that of been most other places, it would have been half full at the most.

**jsmith86** · 12-16-2008, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by scottie33

I think Pollard convinced people to buy tickets and marketed the team well...however, if people showed up and seen a lack-luster team that showed no emotion, gave up, didn't care what the fans did...I think at the end of the year we have 30k fans in the stands and not 50k or whatever the number was.

But the fans saw fire, emotion, hard work and determination in the players that led them to stand up for our student athletes and show them our full support no matter the record.

I think someone mentioned that buffalo averaged 17k and they are going to a bowl...I don't know what we averaged but I'm going to say between 45-50k and we WERE 2-10!!!

Our fans are the best in the nation, and will follow our team if they give it their all and they have done so thus far!

Not only are our fans there, they are there sometimes days ahead of the game waiting for our team to be there. I remember from living in willow hall a couple years ago that on thursday you could always tell there was a game that saturday by the noise from some of the 'early' tailgaters who would stick around for 2 days waiting for the game. I also know that we have not just several, but several hundred or several thousand fans who stick around until the players, band, cheerleaders and every other student who is on the field for gameday has left the stadium. Especially this year, there was a large contingent of people who would come to the corner where everyone leaves the field to congratulate everyone, no matter if we had won or lost. Yes, we may not always win, but that group of fans has been, and I believe allways will be, there to support the team. I haven't ever heard them yell out "go chizik" or "go mac" at the end of the games, it has always been "go Brett" , "go Ryan" ,"go Shaggy", "go Austen" . I personally couldn't care if we decided to let whichever freshman gets stuck with the job be the coach. We aren't there for the coach to whom this may be just another job, we are there for the team, we are there for those who know what it is to be a Cyclone.

**livinthedream** · 12-17-2008, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by jsmith86

Not only are our fans there, they are there sometimes days ahead of the game waiting for our team to be there. I remember from living in willow hall a couple years ago that on thursday you could always tell there was a game that saturday by the noise from some of the 'early' tailgaters who would stick around for 2 days waiting for the game. I also know that we have not just several, but several hundred or several thousand fans who stick around until the players, band, cheerleaders and every other student who is on the field for gameday has left the stadium. Especially this year, there was a large contingent of people who would come to the corner where everyone leaves the field to congratulate everyone, no matter if we had won or lost. Yes, we may not always win, but that group of fans has been, and I believe allways will be, there to support the team. I haven't ever heard them yell out "go chizik" or "go mac" at the end of the games, it has always been "go Brett" , "go Ryan" ,"go Shaggy", "go Austen" . I personally couldn't care if we decided to let whichever freshman gets stuck with the job be the coach. We aren't there for the coach to whom this may be just another job, we are there for the team, we are there for those who know what it is to be a Cyclone.

+1

**jsmith86** · 12-17-2008, 12:04 AM

Thanks. You know, I've been here for two (soon to be three) head coaches, and to them it has always seemed like just a job. To the players that I've had classes with, it is MUCH more than that.

**MontyBurns** · 12-17-2008, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by Walo

The players had something to do with it, but Mr. Pollard is the one who really drove people into the stands.

No, Pollard wasn't. He may say he is, he may even believe it (actually I'm sure he believes it), but it isn't so. I was going to ISU football games long before Pollard got here and I'll be going to them long after he's gone. Just like 99.9% of the rest of the fans.

**Wesley** · 12-17-2008, 12:09 AM

For the Mizzou game, fans wanted to help the players out and just showed up to support them. Not a bad fanbase at all.

**tazclone** · 12-17-2008, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by MontyBurns

No, Pollard wasn't. He may say he is, he may even believe it (actually I'm sure he believes it), but it isn't so. I was going to ISU football games long before Pollard got here and I'll be going to them long after he's gone. Just like 99.9% of the rest of the fans.

99.9% weren't going to the games before Pollard got here even when we were winning. Need I remind the Mizzou game when we had theBig 12 North on the line.

I amnot saying Pollard is resposible for putting fans in the stadium but he has done a wonderful job marketing. Not to mention the fact that fan support was going down in Mac's last year. The chizik hire energized the fan base and sold hope

**Landshark** · 12-17-2008, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by Walo

The players had something to do with it, but Mr. Pollard is the one who really drove people into the stands.

Leonard Johnson kept this 36 year old man in the stands and going to games.

If this young man leaves it will break my heart. I love this freshman class, it kills me they have to go through this, they don't deserve it. By far the best frosh class in the history of ISU.

**CycloneErik** · 12-17-2008, 09:03 AM

I had a discussion with a Hawk at work who believes that Cyclones are the more fair-weather fans, until he admitted that Hawk fans don't show up when the team is losing.

We showed up in the cold for a team that was 2-10 because we care, fair weather or foul, win or lose, about our Cyclones.

Guys, if you stay, you have a chance to become legends here. The team that bonded together when their coach ditched them. The team that went from 2-10 to a bowl game. The team that never quit on themselves or on each other.

Stick around, and you will be the ones that drive something special. I know two folks in Section 18 that are ready to go right now.

**jsmith86** · 12-17-2008, 09:05 AM

I know about 300 people who sit at the North endzone who can't wait for it to be august again.

**CycloneErik** · 12-17-2008, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by jsmith86

I know about 300 people who sit at the North endzone who can't wait for it to be august again.

You sit in the Jake?

**cyfan50438** · 12-17-2008, 09:08 AM

Originally Posted by HandSanitizer

There are a ton of young talented players on this team. They have plenty of opportunity to win games next year. Just take a quick look...

North Dakota State
Iowa
@ Kent State
Army
Kansas State - Arrowhead
@ Kansas
Baylor
@ Neb
@ A&M
Colorado
@Mizzou

If our staff was still here with all these redshirts coming in and the younger players involved I would have thought at least 6-7 wins next year. But there not so we need to find someone that can lead this team asap.

I don't hope to be negative but I only see two sure wins (North Dakota State and Army) and 2 games that we could win but will go either way (Kent State and Colorado) and 4 games where we are an underdog but will probably end up losing but will be close (Iowa and Missouri and maybe Kansas and Kansas St) And our chances are probably not good on Nebraska, A&M and Baylor. so best case record of 8-3 probably won't happen, I am looking at 4-7 with the worst case scenario of 2-9.

Either way my butt will be parked in Section B rooting for my team on game day.