If I was Paul Rhoads...

[cyhiphopp]

The attendence thing just kills me. I live in Indy and am 8 hours away. With all my heart I wish I could go to ISU games. It pains me that I can't go, and I have no doubt in my heart that if I lived 4-5 hours away, I'd go to every game. And then I turn around and people from my hometown (45 minutes-1 hour from Ames) won't go because they think it's too far away.

You're just being lazy.

Oddly enough, I have a friend who lives in Indianapolis who drives back for every home game with his wife and stays with friends in the area overnight. He makes a ton of money so I guess the cost of the 16-18 hour road trip 6-7 times a year doesn't bother him that much. That's a TRUE FAN. Either that, or they don't have any real friends in Indiana, are just bored, and want to come tailgate.

 

[cyhiphopp]

If we had Iowa's historic success, we'd have no problem filling the stadium.

Ever seen pics of Kinnick when they lose a few games in a row? The athletic department calls it a sell out, but it ain't.

It's about consistently winning. Nothing more. Nothing less.

QFT

If Iowa had a home game after the Minnesota disaster, you would have seen a decent number of bare seats in protest.

 

[SeattleClone]

Well, I went to every home game this year (+ KC). Next year I will try to step it up and go to every home game twice.

 

[benjay]

Well, I went to every home game this year (+ KC). Next year I will try to step it up and go to every home game twice.

Good man. We need more like you.

 

[cycloneworld]

It is absolutely ridiculous to ***** about parking at ISU. ISU has one of the best parking scenarios of any stadium I have been to including pro and college. The cost is nothing for what you get.

Season ticket prices aren't the only cost. One needs to look at donating costs as well. How much does one need to donate in order to get the $360 iowa tickets. I seriously do not know. Also, there are cheaper season tickets to be had at ISU than $375.

An additional $280 per year for parking is "nothing"? I disagree.

Another factor is that the face value on our tickets is a joke. No one is going to pay $60 for a ticket to the Missouri game when they know they can buy it for $25 outside the stadium.

 

[Palmer]

An additional $280 per year for parking is "nothing"? I disagree.

Another factor is that the face value on our tickets is a joke. No one is going to pay $60 for a ticket to the Missouri game when they know they can buy it for $25 outside the stadium.

If the team wins...no one would give a rip about parking or face value against Mizzou.

20+ years of losing has allowed the 'out' to complain of those things.

winning solves everything.

 

[CycloneErik]

Well, I went to every home game this year (+ KC). Next year I will try to step it up and go to every home game twice.

Finally some effort out of you!

 

[edr247]

If I were Paul Rhoads, I'd take a look at the Iowa basketball program and their attendance numbers drop from a few years ago to now, and realize that fan support will only come with consistent wins. And then I would be less upset at the fans and their attendance, and be more concerned with winning games.

 

[Blandboy]

If you really listen to Rhoads talk you can tell he's frustrated with the lack of fan support. He's thrilled with the people who do support the program but he's clearly disappointed to see 40k in the stands at times for conference games. I think he's really puzzled by it.

Let's face it. It's a Hawkeye state. I don't like it, either. Walk down any Iowa street and what do you see? Even the homeless (probably Iowa alums) are wear'n black and gold. It's the easy choice, the fall back position. Shut off your brain, you're a Hawkeye. Until we sart winning consistently, it isn't going to change. If you build the program, the fans will come.

 

[Judoka]

Let's face it. It's a Hawkeye state. I don't like it, either. Walk down any Iowa street and what do you see? Even the homeless (probably Iowa alums) are wear'n black and gold. It's the easy choice, the fall back position. Shut off your brain, you're a Hawkeye. Until we sart winning consistently, it isn't going to change. If you build the program, the fans will come.

We don't have to have consistent 10 win seasons either (though that would be nice), we just need to be competitive in every game and have a breakout season every few years where we are at least competing for the Big 12 title.

 

[cyowa]

I don't buy the you have to live in central iowa to make a night game without a hotel...my parents along with numerous others I know drive from CR...a two hour drive for each game no matter the time. That being said anything much more than that I see your complaint but those people will probably not be there to begin with.

Harvest may be a viable excuse, I would like to see a study or something on how many of our season ticket holders are farmers or help others harvest. One side of my family farms so I completely understand why if they have good weather they harvest.

The rest of the excuses are bs imo. The people we tailgated with at iowa this year had one family that drove to des moines that morning from cr to drop their sons off at a soccer tournament drove to ic for the game then drove back to des moines after to pick them up and were debating drive back to cr that night too. They were hawk fans. Plain and simply you want to be there your there.

I totally agree with the last paragraph of this post. "If you want to be there , you will be there".

I attended most of the ISU homes games, and it was what it was usually, which means about 40K fans, maybe a few thousand more in the lots tailgating.

I also attended the Iowa/Wisconsin game. The total in and around the stadium and tailgate areas had to number around 100K+. I didn't have a ticket so I trapsed over across the river to watch the game in a bar. Got turned away from a couple of bars because they were full, ended up at a place called the Blue Moose which was about three quarters full. Downtown was packed - people were every where. And, as an aside, most of the Hawk fans I was around were happy to see the Cyclones beat Texas that weekend, and not necessarily because it would make Iowa look better. I hung around a while at a tailgate that had a big screen with the ISU game on it, and there were cheers every time the 'Clones did something good. I know I'll get blasted for posting this here, but the truth is the truth -why ignore it?

"If you want to be there, you will be there." Rhoads is a smart man, he can see that. But I do think that if CPR could start wining at a 8-4 clip or better, things will get alot better around Trice, and good stuff will start happening, crowds will grow. Its just the nature of the beast, Ames or IC, don't matter. Gotta win to make things happen.

 

[Clark]

QFT

If Iowa had a home game after the Minnesota disaster, you would have seen a decent number of bare seats in protest.

It depends on who Iowa would be playing after that Minnesota game.

Iowa lost two of the last three (should have been all three) and lost any shot of winning the conference yet there weren't any empty seats for that OSU game.

If ISU fans came out in full force for all the big games and only the diehards showed up for the little ones that would be understandable. But for years now once the calandar turns to November you can count on the stadium not being full no matter how good the team is or what's on the line. It's jampacked for someone like North Dakota State in September yet not for Missouri with a bowl game on the line? That's why people are saying "stop making excuses and go to the games" and on that part I agree with them.

For the record, attendance for NDSU was 48,831 (Army was 50,532, the other non-Iowa home game in September of 2009) Iowa State would not get more than 44,000 the rest of the year. Missouri this year was 41,776.

 

[tazclone]

An additional $280 per year for parking is "nothing"? I disagree.

Another factor is that the face value on our tickets is a joke. No one is going to pay $60 for a ticket to the Missouri game when they know they can buy it for $25 outside the stadium.

Like I said, ISU has one of the best parking situations I have seen. It will cost money and considering what you get, it is priced accordingly. It is also a big reason for the late arrivals and halftime exodus. This does not happen at a lot of stadiums due to the lack of convenient parking. A lot of stadiums, you pay that much and have to walk much further.

 

[jsmith86]

This.

Either you care enough or you don't. Some might not like to hear it, but piling on these excuses does nobody any good. If you live in Iowa, get to the game. If it is cold, wear a coat.

Also, if you are there to tailgate, buy a ******* ticket and watch the game. If half of the people who stayed in the lots went to the game we would fill the actual seats and JT and the hillsides every game.

This.

 

[dualthreat]

QFT

If Iowa had a home game after the Minnesota disaster, you would have seen a decent number of bare seats in protest.

what are getting at?

Thats exactly what he just said

 

[Cyhart]

I thought the horse was already dead....leave him alone. :embarrassed:

+1

He is long since dead, but apparently not mutilated yet.

 

[johnstoncy]

An additional $280 per year for parking is "nothing"? I disagree.

So you and the Mrs. are showing up in the RV and paying $40 for parking each week? Maybe you need to find some friends to split the cost :skeptical:

 

[dualthreat]

you know,

1/2 of the teams in the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP game this season averaged around 45,000 for their home games.

 

[Max57]

Let's face it. It's a Hawkeye state. I don't like it, either. Walk down any Iowa street and what do you see? Even the homeless (probably Iowa alums) are wear'n black and gold. ....

That is funny.

 

[Bader]

We all know Rhoads wears his feelings on his sleeve, so you have to be prepared to take the good with the bad. He tells his players exactly where he stands so there's no reason to think he won't speak his mind about us.

I'd be willing to bet what bothers him is the beginning of the game and the second half when there are maybe 10k in the stands.