PODCAST: Jamie Pollard on the last 14 days

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

MeowingCows

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2015
35,530
33,821
113
Iowa
Are people really arguing about whether we could have covered costs with cardboard cutouts? JFC... people have really lost their friggin minds over this stuff.
Obviously not covered all costs, but could've easily generated some income with very little cost associated with it. There's a reason many other places are doing it, it's very quick and easy money. And we know the core problem here is... money.
 

Mr.G.Spot

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 22, 2020
4,576
465
113
59
UT is according to the Surly if I remember a thread over there correctly from a couple a wks ago.
I agree. They were planning on that for the last 60 days. Iowa State was not planning for it.
 

Mr.G.Spot

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 22, 2020
4,576
465
113
59
Yah...who knows. I can't imagine at 12,000 fans there would have been a ton of money to be made, relative to the risk and public scorn.
Averaging 12,000 fans at a game at 45 bucks a ticket is roughly 3.2 million dollars. Plus hotels,plus taxes on hotel rooms, and concessions lead to a lot more. I believe that would cover the operating costs, if I was a betting man, which I am.
 

NorthCyd

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 22, 2011
17,175
26,768
113
Obviously not covered all costs, but could've easily generated some income with very little cost associated with it. There's a reason many other places are doing it, it's very quick and easy money. And we know the core problem here is... money.
Yes, I'm sure it's that easy. My god... some of you really need to take a ****!n break from the message boards for a while.
 

MeowingCows

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2015
35,530
33,821
113
Iowa
Yes, I'm sure it's that easy. My god... some of you really need to take a ****!n break from the message boards for a while.
It's easy enough that multiple other places managed to pull it off... Like, it already exists, right now, as we speak...
 

3TrueFans

Just a Happily Married Man
Sep 10, 2009
59,134
52,892
113
44
Ames
Yes, I'm sure it's that easy. My god... some of you really need to take a ****!n break from the message boards for a while.
It must be an obstacle that athletic departments are able to overcome because lots of places I've seen are doing it.
 

AuH2O

Well-Known Member
Sep 7, 2013
10,958
16,693
113
Lots of other schools apparently either make money, or are fine with losing money, with 20-25% attendance.

Some of these places are probably charging more than double per ticket than ISU.

Edit: looking at lists with fans in the stands there are plenty that I doubt will make much money based on capacity and what they probably charge per ticket, but these are in the SE and Texas, so I suspect the pressure is much higher to have fans in the stands.
 
Last edited:

clonedude

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2006
30,548
25,681
113
I've been tough on JP, but regarding CY Stephens, I'm totally on board with him there. What exactly does the Arts crowd want him to do? As it stands now, CY Stephens will not get much more funding at all unless either the Arts crowd opens up their pocketbooks OR the athletics department thrives and can afford to put some money into it.

Well.... athletics will not thrive without football, and fans in the stands. So if you are for saving CY Stephens you probably shouldn't be yelling at JP that he can't have fans..... that seems pretty stupid.

And the City of Ames should be doing everything and anything they can to help JP out as well. Without football and fans..... they will go under big time too.

And ISU will go under without students on campus too obviously.

It is a huge conundrum for all parties involved..... ISU, the AD, the Arts, the City of Ames, etc especially when you factor in Covid.

My contention though is, and always has been, if we aren't willing to sacrifice to do what's necessary to get somewhat of a handle on Covid, then this financial nightmare for all the parties involved will only linger on longer and be much worse in the long run. We cannot have a short term outlook right now, or this Covid will be MUCH more costly in the end.

JP does a great job of showing how low (basically non existent) the Covid numbers are within the athletic department, and that is awesome. It does appear that having football players playing football is actually safer for them than not when you look at Iowa's Covid numbers. I was wrong about that I will freely admit.

But this is exactly why bringing fans in creates a huge problem. Bringing them in, will increase greatly the chances of the Covid numbers in Story County and in the state of Iowa of going up..... and if those go up... then the chances of having fans at future games goes down. Like I said.... it's quite the conundrum.

I do hope that what JP said in this podcast will wake everyone up in Ames and at ISU to come together and do the right thing so it's a win-win for everyone. My fear is that won't happen though.... and if so... we possibly lose JP. It sure sounds like he doesn't want to be in Ames anymore at all.

Maybe all the rich people living in Gilbert should move into Ames so their tax dollars can help Ames out? Just a thought! Half joking on that last part!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr.G.Spot

NorthCyd

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 22, 2011
17,175
26,768
113
[

img

Lenovo™ C32q-20 31.5" QHD WLED Monitor,...

$179.99​

officedepot.com​


It must be an obstacle that athletic departments are able to overcome because lots of places I've seen are doing it.

img

Lenovo™ C32q-20 31.5" QHD WLED Monitor,...

$179.99​

officedepot.com​


Yeah, and how many are doing more than limited numbers and actually making any money off of it? I just looked up several and proceeds go to charity. Seriously people, do you really think you are going to fill a stadium with enough cardboard cutouts to make any meaningful dent in the budget shortfall? Baseball is the one exception, but that model doesn't even apply to a college football stadium.
 

3TrueFans

Just a Happily Married Man
Sep 10, 2009
59,134
52,892
113
44
Ames
[

Yeah, and how many are doing more than limited numbers and actually making any money off of it? I just looked up several and proceeds go to charity. Seriously people, do you really think you are going to fill a stadium with enough cardboard cutouts to make any meaningful dent in the budget shortfall? Baseball is the one exception, but that model doesn't even apply to a college football stadium.
Sorry, you're right, no fans and no cutouts is clearly the play.
 
  • Funny
Reactions: Cy$

clonedude

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2006
30,548
25,681
113
I've wondered about selling ad space around the stadium.... especially on tarps covering the seats. But with Covid hurting almost all aspects of society, I don't know if there are that many companies willing to spend the money on that right now or not?

1599835277950.png
 

MeowingCows

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2015
35,530
33,821
113
Iowa
Yeah, and how many are doing more than limited numbers and actually making any money off of it? I just looked up several and proceeds go to charity. Seriously people, do you really think you are going to fill a stadium with enough cardboard cutouts to make any meaningful dent in the budget shortfall? Baseball is the one exception, but that model doesn't even apply to a college football stadium.
I mean, charity would've been cool too, I dig it. Again, it's not gonna fill a stadium or fix all the issues, but it still would've generated some money when we're now in a situation where $0 is being generated.

Why is this point so controversial? It seems both lukewarm and relatively-attainable. Something that probably could've been considered.
 

3TrueFans

Just a Happily Married Man
Sep 10, 2009
59,134
52,892
113
44
Ames
No, you're right. Cardboard in the stands is the solution to ISUs budget problems. My bad.
Wait until all those other schools do it and it doesn't even solve all their problems but instead only brings in additional money they wouldn't have had, gives money to charity, and/or increases fan engagement. They'll be so embarrassed.
 

clonedude

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2006
30,548
25,681
113
No, you're right. Cardboard in the stands is the solution to ISUs budget problems. My bad.

Why do people have to shout down others that are just trying to think of possible ways to cushion the blow a little?

Of course there's no single thing that can be done to solve all of JP's financial issues.... so then we shouldn't even explore some possible options that could help lessen the blow a little?
 

ForbinsAscynt

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Dec 8, 2014
4,701
5,797
113
Many in the “arts crowd” are also in the “athletics crowd”. Please stop trying to make it as if it’s one against the other. If Stephens is that far underwater something needs to be done. If there won’t be any indoor events for a while why keep staff and everything else that cost money in that building.

next point, they have done a **** job promoting Stephens over the last ten years. I went to one concert at the Bridgestone arena in Nashville and receive an email about events weekly (at least I did). I’ve been to plenty of events at Stephens andthe only time I know what is going on there is when I drive by and see the outdated red light sign out front.
 

yowza

Well-Known Member
Jun 2, 2016
1,799
447
83
Why do people have to shout down others that are just trying to think of possible ways to cushion the blow a little?

Of course there's no single thing that can be done to solve all of JP's financial issues.... so then we shouldn't even explore some possible options that could help lessen the blow a little?

Maybe he explained it, but is this money that will simply be gone forever and no chance of ever paying back some form of long-term debt?

It seems like if there is an individual or individuals that want CY Stephens as is they should step up and lead the effort to support it over the next year.
 

clonedude

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2006
30,548
25,681
113
Many in the “arts crowd” are also in the “athletics crowd”. Please stop trying to make it as if it’s one against the other. If Stephens is that far underwater something needs to be done. If there won’t be any indoor events for a while why keep staff and everything else that cost money in that building.

next point, they have done a **** job promoting Stephens over the last ten years. I went to one concert at the Bridgestone arena in Nashville and receive an email about events weekly (at least I did). I’ve been to plenty of events at Stephens andthe only time I know what is going on there is when I drive by and see the outdated red light sign out front.

I totally agree with that. What has been done to try to make money in that place for a long time now?

I saw Pearl Jam in there. Saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers in there.... that might have been the same concert not sure? I think Ryan Adams has performed in there, correct? Before he got into trouble that is!

Don't give me the excuse that people won't go there because of Des Moines.... that's BS!! I'd much rather go to CY Stephens than anywhere in Des Moines.