I don't think it's inflation killing your family budget...
Are ISU fans at their wits end when it comes to supporting Iowa State?
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And people don't realize that harvest time is the most important time for farmers as the bulk of their income for the year is what they are taking out of the field right now. And it's not as simple as "oh just take the day off, it will be there still tomorrow." You want to harvest during ideal conditions to maximize your yields. For example soybeans there is a really small window on when it is perfect to harvest a field. If you combine too soon you may have bean stocks that are sill too green and all those green pods basically are lost yield because they just go right through the combine and out the back with the discharge. If you wait too long and the beans get too dry you'll lose yield before they go through the combine and the pods will open up before they go through the feeder house. Harvesting too soon or too late can result in several bushels of yield per acre which can result in hundreds if not thousands of dollars of lost yield if conditions are not idea or your combine is not properly setup. Even just combining with some dew on the bean plants can make them tougher to cut or the pods to open up. With corn, the moisture content is a big factor too as you want the moisture to be 15% or less to store otherwise it can spoil if stored too long or you'll get docked price at the coop if the moisture is too high so it's not only just getting the crop out of the field at the right time but also a process to dry it down and transfer to a storage bin as well.
One of the guys I have season tickets with farms and he had to miss the last home game because he had a dryer that wasn't working which was causing issues with him getting enough harvest done that he could fill up the dryer and head to Ames for the game. He already gave us a heads up he may not make tomorrow night either so guessing he's got a lot going on with harvest right now too. One of these things that the keyboard warriors here that don't have an ag background need to quit acting like they know better than the guys that actually farm. There is a lot of stuff that goes on with a farming operation that 1 thing that may not seem like a big deal to someone that doesn't farm may actually be a big deal that affects how much time or income that farmer has.
I've always said if someone thinks farming is easy and that farmers are richer than they claim to be should try it themselves and find out why farming is tough. Especially lately where input costs are high and grain prices are lower along with all the weather events we've had too that are cutting into profit margins. Some guys may have great yields this year but due to grain prices and the higher inputs it took to get those yields it may not be as profitable as some years.
Nothing wrong with what you are doing, my oldest son and I went to Clemson/ND @ Clemson last season, and had a blast. Going to see ISU on the road is always a fun weekend and I am getting to the point myself that if I can go to 3/4 home games that is enough for me. I still watch them all on TV if we are not at the stadium, but it is a lot easier to stay at home then drive down there and fight the crowds. At least since moving to Ames we do not have the 2.5 hour trip up and back for the game.
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Agree with much of what you stated, but I am not sure its really a generational wealth problem, as much as we have created a two tiered society where some people are doing well to very well, while others struggle from pay check to pay check to get by.
Having children takes a lot more money and time than it used too when my kids were young, and they have a lot more activities going on then they did 20 years ago.
We are fortunate to be able to purchase season tickets and not really worry about where the money is coming from, but many others are struggling. Do the best you can, and go from there. The team will be fine whether we sell every ticket or have a few hundred left over. Hell its amazing we get the crowds we do with how lousy the teams have been over much of the past 40 years.
I'd like to know who so I can apply for a job there. The average raise % at my company has not kept up with the increasing rate of cost of living for quite awhile now. Sad that we have folks here trying to downplay just how tough some here may have it financially right now due to certain factors. I know people that have to work a 2nd or even 3rd job just to stay afloat financially. Just because someone is living comfortably and getting significant raises doesn't mean that is the norm for the average person too.
Let's not turn this into a thread of shaming people for the level they are able to contribute at. Everyone has their own priorities and financial situations where they may be able to donate generously or in a spot where just attending 1 game is like having to save up to go on a vacation trip. We're all Cyclone fans here, let's be respectful that our fanbase has a lot of diversity and it's not always as simple as saying there aren't enough people giving enough money or attending games because someone perceives them as lazy or cheap.
I'm sick of hearing about harvesting and working days.
Ag isn't the only industry that has to work weekends and if you can't find 4 hours to attend a game Saturday night it's simply an excuse. My dad always told me if you want to do something you'll find a way. If not you'll find an excuse.
That's fine if it's an excuse, but don't pretend the word is going to end if you're not out in the fields for (checks notes) 4 hours out of an average of 11 daylight hours per day in October. Not even including nighttime, that's about 1% of daylight hours. So cut this nonsense out.
As for spending money, I know stocks don't equal liquid cash, but I certainly seem to spend more when our accounts are up.
Ag isn't the only industry that has to work weekends and if you can't find 4 hours to attend a game Saturday night it's simply an excuse. My dad always told me if you want to do something you'll find a way. If not you'll find an excuse.
That's fine if it's an excuse, but don't pretend the word is going to end if you're not out in the fields for (checks notes) 4 hours out of an average of 11 daylight hours per day in October. Not even including nighttime, that's about 1% of daylight hours. So cut this nonsense out.
As for spending money, I know stocks don't equal liquid cash, but I certainly seem to spend more when our accounts are up.
4 hours if you live in Ames.
I'm in Iowa this weekend and going to the game just for the game would be at least 8 hours if traffic isn't weird.
I'm good with taking in the day's games or doing something outside and watching at night from the comfort of a chair.
Yep, agreed. We are going to lose a game or two (hopefully not more) and our goal should be to get to the Big 12 title game. And then see what happens.
I think this team CAN go 12-0 based on our schedule but I don't think we are way better than many of the teams left on our schedule so statistics say, we will lose a couple. But Iowa State has never been in this position before where an undefeated season and playoff berth is so viable. Time to execute and go get it.
I hope we can all agree that you aren't a bad fan if you don't go to the games. There are many more ways to help support Iowa State without going to football games AND that can fit your budget.
I would hope that for those that can't afford tickets or have too much going on, a simple donation to the AD or WeWill means that you are doing way more for the program than most people.
I would hope that for those that can't afford tickets or have too much going on, a simple donation to the AD or WeWill means that you are doing way more for the program than most people.
Isn't watching the game helpful (albeit a fraction) for ratings which is a huge deal for sustainability?
Best post in this thread!!! Let’s all focus on supporting our teams as much as we can where ever we are, what ever our capabilities are to do so and be thankful that we have been blessed with an AD who has us enjoying rarefied air we’ve never experienced in nearly everyone of ISU’s sports!
How about an indifference to that reality? Or maybe our priorities as a society? The people we elect to make policy? You like to make much ado about nothing on this.
in the real-world I'm considered a die-hard cyclone fan.
on cyclone fanatic, I don't check at least 15 of the 20 boxes "required" to be a "real" fan.
on cyclone fanatic, I don't check at least 15 of the 20 boxes "required" to be a "real" fan.
This is pretty much the reason, no need to really dig further.
You aren't factoring in how far someone may have to drive. 4 hours is just the game time, that isn't including traffic to and from and maybe they get an hour or 2 early to tailgate if they are lucky. Just for me 45 minutes from Ames if I am tailgating it's nearly a full day away from my family most games. At minimum if I was just going to the game it would be 6+ hours of time: 4 for the game, 1.5 hours of drive time not including the additional time I would be waiting in traffic just to get in/out of town so even then I would say its closer to 8 hours if I skipped the tailgating I normally do for 5-6 hours in advance. I have season tickets with 2 guys, 1 that drives 2 hours 1 way and farms and the other drives nearly 3 hours 1 way so both have a significant time commitment just to drive to and from the game.
Don't give me this crap that "it's only 4 hours to attend a game." Maybe if you live in Ames it is but I bet you there are people here that drive from out of state even to get to games on a regular basis that would disagree. I'm going to defend the farmers from ridiculous statements like this. It's not as simple as you claim and to top that off they likely are putting in some long hours right now too so I can't imagine for some of them that have to drive longer distances that getting home after midnight for a night game already on short rest sounds like a lot of fun when they can listen to John and Eric in the combine or tractor or maybe stop a little early for the evening and watch it with their family at home and get to bed at a decent time.
I know everyone’s situations are different, but I’m WAY better off now than I was 4-5 years ago.
Yep, we were driving 2.5 hours each way from Bloomfield before we moved. For a game like EIU or UT that meant leaving home around 4:00 to 4:30 to get to Ames by 6:30 to 7:00. Throw up the tailgating stuff and try to get a good 3 hours in before we had to tear down and get ready to go into the game if it was an 11:00 start.
Night games allowed us to sleep in, but that meant leaving the stadium at 10:00 or later and getting home after midnight or later. It was a long day, worth it, but still a lot of time invested to go to a game.
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