Transfers out of the program and the problems.
- Thread starter jahoney
- Start date
The dynamic of our home crowd has changed dramatically too - not just the numbers being down. Fans all around me, particularly the men, don't really "cheer the team" in terms of made baskets, defensive stops, etc. They are instead obsessed with the officials and screaming at them. I think Boxter has mentioned this too.
I find that whole crowd dynamic just kinda weird and disappointing. Fans alway get riled on perceived bad calls but we have gotten really bad about it. It's like every call made or not made. And like you said, the positive "Go Cyclones" kinda stuff is less than the ranting angry old man stuff. I wish the vibe and atmosphere was a bit more positive. I'd swear the other old guys were giving me the evil eye for not booing more.
Took two MBB ticket holders to the Kansas game and they both asked "Is it always like this?" They still liked the game and closer seats so are likely to come to more games next year. They also noted the game was more physical than they had thought it would be. We were close enough to see some of the battles in the paint. That was an impartial observation from them, not a judgement.
Attendance (actual) dropping is a product of numerous things. Yes, the program isn't at a pinnacle like it was around 2000. Women's basketball overall is much better across the board (more competitive) than it was back then. So we have dropped in wins produced overall (due to more competition to the players from other teams and the new dominant women's sport - volleyball). People who paid to attend back then now spread their dollars around more...or I should say are being more picky in what sports they support. In 2000 I had 4 women's tickets and 2 men's tickets as well as football. Today, I only have 2 women's tickets and just got back into the men's game last year. The economy is different with people having to choose what they spend money on. I would wager that even if we were a 24-9 team and rated in the top 25 we wouldn't see a massive bump in those that attend women's games. Those years were a "golden" time for basketball at Iowa State and will be hard to replicate in the stands. If you look at the NCAA stats for paid attendance (and then extrapolate downward for actual) you'll see we still far exceed many of the current blue bloods.
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/reports/Attend/2017.pdf
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/reports/Attend/2017.pdf
To the attendance point just look at many of the games in the NCAA tourney,. Watching Texas play, a 2 seed at home and not a very big crowd.
I know this bothers the officials that post on here. I hear the screaming at the games as I have a lady who sits behind me who yells "over the back" on almost every rebound. If you want to blame someone take a look at many of the coaches today. They complain about almost every call and are constantly in the ref 's ear about calls. Watching the games now on ESPN and LB from Iowa has been all over the ref 's about Creighton's play while looking the other way when her players do the same thing. IMO the officials today are inconsistent. There are a couple officials that when you see them come out of the tunnel you know it will be difficult for us as BF has made himself an enemy and the calls will be difficult to get.
Pingeton's success at IL State and Mizzou speaks for itself.
D
Deleted member 8507
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I can vouch for that as I was working for WBB 85-88 and was responsible for citing attendance at the games. I made up numbers which were twice to three times actual people there and were still in the low 200-300 range.
I worked quite a few games from late '90 to mid '95. They were doing all they could to put lipstick on the attendance pig during that time period as well.
Some people may remember the stink I put up over Fernstrom transferring. I still do not regret making the remarks I made back then, and while I am not as strong on Kennedy-Hopoate (sp?) transferring, I did remark that it is a no win for both her, and Iowa State, which is how I felt also for Fernstrom. I thought Fernstrom was probably the better player, since her defense was hard to beat. That is by no means an insult to Kennedy-Hopoate. My posting on this forum declined after that event, and also unfortunately my interest in women's basketball. However this year it picked up.
On the other hand, I tend to see it as a positive, people that defend Coach Fennelly. They may know something I do not. Also I appreciate their caring about the program. I don't see how defense of Fennelly can possibly be construed as defense of mediocrity. I also thought Bill took big strides in improving one of the main criticisms I had of him before this year (use of the bench), and right now, my improved attitude is certainly willing to see how the coming years go. My disagreements with Fennelly should never be construed as judging him or his legacy. I appreciate all that he has done.