Nope.

[RayShimley]

I respect your opinion and you decision not to renew basketball season tickets, but is basketball the only thing you care about at ISU? What about all the other athletics that your NCC membership goes to support? Are you not a football fan? I think our football program is going in a great direction and I'm more excited for next season then I've been in a long, long time..(Ok for at least 2 years ><)

 

[CycloneErik]

Yeah, I think its pretty easy to get on a high horse when holding $99 season tickets.

Depending on your family budget, $99 can actually be a pretty serious amount.

 

[ISUFan22]

lol

Amused this continues to be about the guy's username and not about the real message delivered - the current state of ISU basketball is in fact driving fans away.

 

[dbronco7sc]

I can respect half of the OP... but the other half is something that bugs me.

If you are at a time in your life where you want to spend more time with your family and your time is more valuable than watching your favorite basketball team. Hey... I can understand and respect that. Family is way more important.

But when I read the "What can bring me back" part... I essentially read... "If we have a winning team... I'll pay to watch again." So watching a winning basketball team is more important than spending time and money on your family? But a losing team isn't...

When we lose... it's automatically, "Poor coaching, no effort so on and so forth. The opponent is not a static talent level. It's not... if we play hard and solid we win... and if we don't we lose. The opponent has the same variables that they may have played hard or well that game too.

If you want to be able to raise your kids to be cheering for a team that wins basketball games year in and year out. Feel free to change teams and cheer for some school that gets by on tradition and can easily bring in top recuits due to their history.

I can understand being disappointed with our results, as I am as well. But I hope you never criticized Lucca for leaving mid-season. You're getting upset with your teammates as we're all Cyclones(fans, players and coaches alike)... so now you're quitting on them?

Makes me feel like the Cyclones have problems all around... not just on the team.

 

[CylentButDeadly]

lol

Amused this continues to be about the guy's username and not about the real message delivered - the current state of ISU basketball is in fact driving fans away.

It's diversion tactics. People that blindly follow anything and dismiss well-reasoned logic and facts are masters at it.

 

[akclone]

I am done with Iowa State basketball.

Some background on me:
I am in my mid 30's and I have been going to games since the early 1980's with my dad. Back then my dad contributed to the Cyclone Club and we had two tickets in the corner of the upper deck. Gradually over time, his contributions increased and eventually plateaued to Captains level with seats in the parquet. Currently my dad and I split the cost of his tickets and Cyclone Club contributions.

This is why I am done:
I am at a point in my life where my time is just as valuable (if not more so) than money. I have 3 kids, ages 9, 7, and 4. I am no longer willing to waste my "free" time on watching, what I consider, underachieving and poorly coached basketball. I would much rather spend that time on my family and/or any number of other activities that I enjoy which do not make me angry or depressed when I am done with them. This doesn't take into account the financial investment which I am no longer willing to make.

What could bring me back:
With the current direction of the program, I see no reason to believe that things will change this year, or next. Honestly, I feel the only way this could change is if McD is let go and we some how land a coach that can take us in a new direction. I need optimism in the program to be willing to invest in it again.

Trust me, all of this makes me sad. I grew up a cyclone basketball fan, am an alumnus, and I want my kids to be fans as well. I really like McD, I just don't think he is the right fit for us. Before you rip my post apart, keep in mind this is just how I feel and I am not asking anyone else to follow in my footsteps, I just wanted to get my feelings off my chest.

Anyone else feel the way I do?

Brian Johnson
Class of 1997

I feel like you do! (mimics Peter Frampton)

The program is a mess with no improvement in 4 years, the Hilton crowd is as enthusiastic as room full of lobotomy patients, and no one in the AD's office seems to care. For the first time in my life I have no hope or enthusiasm for ISU baskets going into the spring and that makes me very sad. Even the last few years I was able to convince myself that with a couple of key wins and a B12 tourney 1st round victory we could sneak into the NIT and I could look forward to at least one more game. It would be huge if we could still do that this year but I just don't see enough wins left on the schedule and I don't think this team has the guts to steal one.

 

[ISUFan22]

But when I read the "What can bring me back" part... I essentially read... "If we have a winning team... I'll pay to watch again." When we lose... it's automatically, "Poor coaching, no effort so on and so forth. The opponent is not a static talent level. It's not... if we play hard and solid we win... and if we don't we lose. The opponent has the same variables that they may have played hard or well that game too.

For me, it's not as much the losing (although that's a huge part) but how we lose. We lose games in the same manner each week and show little signs of improvement. And at times, our team shows marginal hustle and once in a while - quits.

This team is not fun to watch because even when we are in the game or winning - we can be just as frustrating as when we're down 15.

 

[GoShow97]

While I agree that watching this basketball team is becoming a waste of precious time, I don't agree with all the posters that need to write a manifesto after each lost. The reality of the situation is that we are not that good. If your time is better spent with your family, your dog, your mistress, whatever, that is fine and I honestly don't blame you. Personally, from here on out my viewing of games will probably be sporatic, if I'm free and a game is on I will watch, if I have plans I sure wont be breaking them to watch a game.

These manifestos are kind of funny though because they all follow the same form. They all start by informing everyone that they are truly a great Iowa State fan. Great boosters, season ticket holders, usually raising children to be Iowa State fans. They then move into the portion where they begin blasting the player and coach, and saying that they have decided that "this is it", this is the point I am done watching. Their fanhood of Iowa State has been riddled with awful moments, but this, somehow, is truly the worst of the worst. They then move to remind everyone once again that they are great fans, but a man can only take so much. These posts always seem to make me laugh.

I agree. Take the above manifesto for example. It made me laugh.

 

[Cloned4Life]

The reality is, we "miss a ton of layups", both literally and figuratively. Saying "you're quitting because we have not been to postseason for years, have not won a game over a ranked team and have had consecutive losing conference seasons? shame on you!" just doesn't have the same ring to it - even if it's reality.

Agree.

 

[CylentButDeadly]

It's not the losses that are turning fans away. It's how we lose games. Is that plain and simple enough for everyone to understand. ISU is by no means a basketball powerhouse and never has been. We've always struggled on the road in conference and we haven't for the most part been a perennial NCAA team. Everybody understands that.

However, we've usually always been able to be a functionable and respectable team on the road and we would fight to the death to protect the home court. Please tell me when you've felt that still existed on a consistent basis for the last 3.5 years.

It's like I keep saying, I really like Mac and I hope to hell that he can turns things around and show us something to make us believe, but I've seen no such glimmer of hope.

A coaching change is the absolute worst thing that can happen to this program and it sucks that we even have to have this discussion, but sitting by and watching a proud program and fanbase get torn a part and slowly die is even worse.

 

[aeroclone]

I can't believe all the people on this board that climb on their high horse and question the fanhood of people who are at their end over this team. If you are a true fan, you should be disgusted at the state of our program right now. If you think staying the course is the right way to fix things, then great. But if you think that a regime change is the best option, you as a fan really only have one way to make your opinion known to those who matter: with your money.

This poster is dropping some major coin on this program and doesn't believe in the direction we are going. It is just like anything else, you as a customer vote with your wallet.

 

[Cloned4Life]

BUSTED!!! You're not done. Admit you love the Cyclones!

He did. He posted several times already how he'll always be a Cyclone. Spending more time with his family in his free time because he has been severely let down by the product of Cyclone basketball doesn't make him any less.

 

[CycloneTony]

Im sure you do have a great life but watch it on tv, DVR it, Don't Buy tickets. I've been watching it for 20 some years and have seen far worse teams than this but wont give up on the program.

 

[Cloned4Life]

lol

Amused this continues to be about the guy's username and not about the real message delivered - the current state of ISU basketball is in fact driving fans away.

It's sure making me apathetic, that's for sure. I felt this way about football several years ago...say 2006? Actually, I felt this way about ISU basketball several years ago...say 2006?

 

[Clonefan32]

I agree. Take the above manifesto for example. It made me laugh.

Please. I didn't bother going into my personal history. I didn't make a point to say "I've been going to games since I was 5" or "I am have been a season ticket holder for 20 years". I skipped the lengthy analysis of why our teams continues to fail. I managed to avoid acting like this is the lowest point in my time as a Cyclone fan. Manifesto, that was not.

I do, however, find it difficult to argue with a fellow RATM fan, so I accept your apology in advance, and am willing to let bygones be bygones.

 

[weR138]

He did. He posted several times already how he'll always be a Cyclone. Spending more time with his family in his free time because he has been severely let down by the product of Cyclone basketball doesn't make him any less.

So then he's NOT done with Cyclone basketball? What kind of black magic is this thread???

 

[4429 mcc]

It's not the losses that are turning fans away. It's how we lose games. Is that plain and simple enough for everyone to understand. ISU is by no means a basketball powerhouse and never has been. We've always struggled on the road in conference and we haven't for the most part been a perennial NCAA team. Everybody understands that.

However, we've usually always been able to be a functionable and respectable team on the road and we would fight to the death to protect the home court. Please tell me when you've felt that still existed on a consistent basis for the last 3.5 years.

It's like I keep saying, I really like Mac and I hope to hell that he can turns things around and show us something to make us believe, but I've seen no such glimmer of hope.

A coaching change is the absolute worst thing that can happen to this program and it sucks that we even have to have this discussion, but sitting by and watching a proud program and fanbase get torn a part and slowly die is even worse.

CBD...preach on!

 

[GoShow97]

For me, it's not as much the losing (although that's a huge part) but how we lose. We lose games in the same manner each week and show little signs of improvement. And at times, our team shows marginal hustle and once in a while - quits.

This team is not fun to watch because even when we are in the game or winning - we can be just as frustrating as when we're down 15.

This is it. Any ISU fan can deal with losing. But to see no improvement and a lack of hustle is disheartening. If the team gives their best and continually improves during the season and looses that is one thing. If the team seemingly goes through the motions while showing little improvement what/how are we to feel that anything will change.

I'm not as upset with the record, although we do need more wins. I am more shocked that this team quit and shows no improvement from game to game. I only have to look at the rebound deficiency and understand that the desire of this team is greatly lacking.

I have never disparaged a team that showed hustle/hard work/ effort/ desire because if you have these traits ultimately good things will happen. Sadly this team shows over and over that it has no heart.

 

[chadly82]

My thoughts exactly. Perhaps he could change it from TRU to NON

I will give him credit. He laid it out there and signed his name to it. More than most would do.

What he says makes sense. I almost lost my mind when in the post game interview McDermott was asked "Well saturday youve got another tough one with a physical team but youve got the home court advantage and your wonderful fans behind you do you think you be able to come out on top?..." Well coach replied with "idk i hope we can" or something similar to that. Now in my mind, if he cant reply with yes ofcourse we can, we gotta have a good couple days of practice and work on some things or any reply other that what he said....id maybe go to the game, watch on tv or listen on the radio. I wont be following MBB the rest of the year due to that response by McD. What makes him think we will have confidence or even his players if he doesnt believe we will....thoughts?

 

[chadly82]

As a season ticket holder, I can tell you body language this year is worse than previous years. There's been numerous times when players are taken out of games and McDermett will try and slap hands with them when they walk by to the chairs, and a good amount of the times the players just ignore him and go and sit down and look disenchanted.

I see a lot of this out of Marquis, Dendy and Brackins the most too.