Football: This blew my mind

[BullBlood]

/quote]

No offense, but you can tell you haven't lived in Alabama to say this.  Shoot, most people here are big time outdoors type people.  A TON of people at that game came from down here around the coast where there's just as much to do as their is in tampa.  Golf, boating, salt water bay fishing, deep sea fishing, water skiing, scuba diving, TURKEY SEASON, fresh water fishing etc.

Not too mention in the time that it takes to drive to that game in HALF the time you could be in New Orleans, Panama City Beach/Destin, Biloxi (Casinos/shows).  

Has nothing to do with "there's more to do in Tampa" bc it isn't the "poor", live in the middle of nowhere folks that go to Bama games.  Besides the students, the majority who go to the games are doctors, attorneys and pretty successful businessman or from well to do families.  Bc to them, when they go to a game, it's not just a game.  They have HUGE events before and after all of which they spend quite a bit of money.

Listen, I can't stand Alabama as I'm a bull through and through, but having lived in Bull territory, FSU territory and now Bama Territory with travelling all over the country, there's nothing that passes Bama football.  And the $$$$$$ they have in that program is borderline insane.  We'll be alright if we're HALF the program Bama is one day.

Forgot to add something.  Here in Bama, the kids all have to wear uniforms in the public school system except for one day a year they are permitted to wear either Auburn or Bama gear.  That's how crazy it is here.  I'm sure you could wear other stuff, but no one does.

You're proving my point about alabama being the only "show" in town.  Maybe I should have said sports show.  Uniform every day and on one day you get to wear Auburn or alabama?  Only two choices?  Try that in Florida.  Uniform every day and one day of the year you get to wear USF, UCF, UF (National championships), FSU (national championships), UM (national championships), Bucs (superbowl), Dolphins (perfect season/superbowl), Jags, Marlins (world series), D-rays, Lightning (stanley cup), Panthers, or Magic clothing.

So now you're a big kid (doctor, Lawyer, business man) and you've got some expendible income and you love sports:  If you're in Alabama you can either choose Auburn or Alabama (who've won multiple championships) for season tickets/donations.  If you're in florida- see above list with all the accomplishments to choose from.  The money and attendance gets divided among the sports fans in Tampa/Florida.  It all goes to two sources in Alabama and it has been that way for many many years.

PS. I'd rather be hunting than at the beach any day of the week myself.

[Joe]

I agree it rules the nest because it's the only sports show. However, even with the Bucs, Lightning, Heat, and Marlins winning championships since 2000 has the linger effect ON THE STATE that FSU's 1999 football championship and Florida's 2006 football championship have had.

Even if you threw a sports team in AL, it wouldn't be near successful because of college football. Just like the Bucs, Lightning, Devil Rays, Jaguars, etc have had to struggle against the shadow that college football casts on this state.

[Triple B]

the whole it's the only show in town is a lame excuse.

Joe, I don't think anybody is trying to make the point that it's the ONLY reason for the turnout (at least I'm not) but to think it had ZERO effect, like you keep saying, is ludicrous. How many of that 92K were students? What the hell else is there to do in Tuscaloosa that is as close as that stadium was?

[MikeG]

On a related note, since when did a school's spring game attendance mean anything?  I don't remember, even last year, people getting so worked up about comparing figures from spring practice.  Does anyone else find this new competition kind of strange?

the only thing it shows is that you have a strong fanbase -- or perhaps that your fanbase is more fanatical in nature.

I wouldn't mind having 50K Bulls fans showing up to anything. I doubt we have that many though

But I don't think it does show that you have a strong fanbase.  IIRC, Michigan had around 5,000.  Georgia had less than UofL, and I know they have at least twice the fanbase(and probably twice as fanatical).  I don't think it shows anything, and it's very strange that the numbers mean so much to people.

I see people saying, "we need to promote this", or, "we need more people at the spring game.".....Why?

Louisville had twice as many people attend this year than ever before, and I don't remember the lack of attention hurting the program.  And I don't see the big crowd this year helping the program.

let me clarify

if you get 92K or 50K+ fans to show up for a spring game that is basically meaningless, it clearly indicates that you have that many fans. If you don't have a huge showing-- it doesn't say anything one way or another. You may not have made it a big deal or pushed it the the fans. Some folks like to have that spring game to give them something-- anything--- to carry them over the summer.

That Michigan doesn't do this isn't an indicator of anything more than it is not a priority for them. On the same hand-- Penn State gets a huge turnout shows they put more effort into the game itself.

It's really a non-factor but I still stand by the fact that if you are drawing 50 some thousand people to a spring game, you are probably not having trouble with attendance during the regular season.

[Joe]

Trip it was just said on Around the Horn that it was estimate dthat 110,000 (Many were left outside) people showed up. Most those people are probably coming from Birmingham, Mobile, etc.

I am not saying it hs zero effect, I'm saying its a lame excuse by some of our fans as to why USF will probably never have that type of support.I really don't think people were saying. "Hey, we have nothing to do, lets go to the Spring game."

No it had everything to do with the fact that they love Alabama football, they are very committed, and planned to go to that game.

Like I said I'm sure there were some skipped weddings, hunting trips, golf games, beach days, kids events (baseball, ballet, etc.) because they were excited for Nick Saban's arrival at Alabama.

Where there a few students that showed up, I'm sure (school enrollment is 28,000). However, the those kids have nothing to do cause they are in Tuscaloosa, is also a bad excuse.

Tennessee only had 17,000, have you ever been to Knoxville? Not a metropolis.

It had more (and almost everything) to do with the fact that they are devoted fans who are excited about the potential of Nick Saban.

[MikeG]

that said Joe-- it doesn't mean anything to whether they will win an SEC title anytime soon. This was a huge turnout even by Bama standards (previous Spring game record was in the 50s I think).

Saban is a good coach though so it is possible and I think that optimism spurred on a lot more folks to show up this year-- kind of like what happened when the Gators signed Urban Meyer-- and 57K showed up for that years spring game.

[Joe]

I agree Mike, it's completely the reason.

[MikeG]

If we had lost Coach Leavitt and somehow signed Saban, I doubt we would see a bigger turnout than the one we got for our spring game.

Some teams just have that type of following-- Penn State, UF, Bama etc-- those fans our over the top in terms of wanting to see anything when it comes to their football teams. That we have 4 or 5 thousand fans like that is a pretty good sign in and of itself. I'd love to see us grab that type of support someday-- t would be amazing

[nukebull]

So, I'm still wondering what 92,000+ Alabama rednecks will think when the guy that turned them down when Shula couldn't beat Auburn, home or away, takes his eleven year old in there and spanks'em?

Also, Nuke, if you to get out of 'bama, maybe he should work for the Chamber of Commerce somewhere in the Bay area.

GO BULLS!

I am out of Bama and home about every weekend; traveling for my job all over the country means I can live where ever I want and I chose Tampa Bay hands down. This is not intended to be a battle of which place is better, different strokes for different folks. But it is amazing that most people in Bay area chose to move here. In Pittsburgh I once asked a cab driver where he was from and he almost wrecked, he said "no one moves here only out of here, so where do you think I am from" I know that is not 100% true and I like Pittsburgh but you get my point.

As far as plenty to do in Alabama ruger I have made the drive from Birmingham to Destin and it sucks as does the drive to NO or Biloxi.

When Saban loses a couple of games they will be calling for his head.

[HarveyGlass]

...I'd love to see us grab that type of support someday-- t would be amazing

No way.  That type of support becomes a monster in and of itself.  It can be argued that that kind of support is what has crippled their program in the information age.  That much pressure causes your athletic department to do...ahem...less than honorable things to appease the masses.

Like nukebull said...

When Saban loses a couple of games they will be calling for his head.