This has been a GREAT season for the Tigers and we FINALLY get to go bowling again. We all know the bowl game, location and the swag is for the players and staff, BUT there is about 15,000 fans that hope to experience that same joy in person with the players.

MOST of us would love for it to be one of the following bowls......Peach Bowl (we are a long shot at best), Independence Bowl, Birmingham Bowl or even the Liberty Bowl. However, according to a few boosters, Mike Aresco wants the AAC winner to play in the Miami Bowl vs BYU on Monday, Dec 22nd at 2pm. Any other time and date, Miami would be a GREAT choice. The Miami Bowl would have less than 1,000 Memphis fans make the trip for NUMEROUS reasons with the time and date of that game this year!!!! Since the AAC does not have a bowl for the champion each year, I really hope the powers that be can do everything they can to make sure the Tigers are playing in a bowl game that allow Memphis fans to repeat the size crowd that we to the 1st New Orleans Bowl.

I don't know if it will help or not, but maybe it would be nice for Mr. Bowen to hear from as many fans as possible that have this same concern. Once again, I know the bowl game is for the players and staff, BUT it sure would be nice for the players to have a great crowd their with them when they play.


This was my letter to Mr Bowen.........
Mr. Bowen,

I have been a PROUD supporter of Memphis Tigers football for most of my 40 years on this earth. I have been through the ups and downs of what we know as Memphis Tigers football. During the down years, I sat in the Liberty Bowl in the cold and rain just to watch my favorite Memphis players. During the Larry Porter years I was one of the 4,000 or so that showed up EVERY weekend to watch our Tigers play. During the Tommy West years I was there EVERY weekend to watch our Tigers enjoy some success in front of 45,000 cheering fans. The highlight for Memphis was when the Tigers played in the New Orleans bowl for the 1st time. It still gives most Memphis fans chills just thinking about that night in New Orleans. The sea of blue and gray is something I will never forget. Now we are FINALLY back to being not just a bowl team, but a team with a chance to win a conference championship for the first time IN MY LIFETIME!!!!! Our seniors that have been here for the worst of times could not have written a better ending to their Memphis careers.

As we approach the end of the season, the speculation has begun as to which bowl game the Tigers will be playing in. I know it is a reward for the players and staff, but us long suffering fans want nothing more than to go spend a few days cheering on the Tigers in a bowl game. As my group of 10-12 Memphis fans started talking about possible bowl locations, we all were hoping for one of the following bowl games......Peach Bowl (we know it's a long shot), Independence Bowl, Birmingham Bowl or even the Liberty Bowl. Yesterday I got a call from one of our friends and he said he was talking to one of the boosters and the booster said if Memphis is the conference champion, Mike Aresco wants Memphis to go to the Miami Bowl. Please tell me that is some bad information!!!!!!! That would be the worst case option. The game is on a Monday at 2pm just a few days before Christmas. Airplane tickets are $500 or more and it's almost a 20 hour drive from Memphis. A 2pm game on a Monday the week of Christmas???? Most fans will either be at work/school and future recruits would not even be able to watch our bowl game. That would also destroy the chance for almost the entire Memphis fan base from going to the game!!!! Our players worked sooooo hard to finally make it to a bowl game. They deserve to have their loyal fans be there to see this great moment in Memphis history. Once again, I really hope this was just some bad information going around.

I know I am just one person and my tailgating group is only about 10-12 people strong, but PLEASE do everything in your power to get Memphis into one of the bowl games that is within driving distance. I know I speak for most of the Memphis fan base when I say Miami would be a HORRIBLE idea!!! We have our bags packed and are ready to go. The only thing that would hold us back is the Miami Bowl.

Thank you for your time,

If we finish tied with UC...send "co-champ" Cincy to Miami, and we'll take Birmingham.

Since we beat Cincy this year, I would hope they would give Memphis a choice if we finished tied for 1st place.

Any of the options I mentioned would be A LOT better than Miami. However, it does sound odd that we want to go to Birmingham and not Miami...lol. This is the 1 time it would be great!!!

^^ one possible snag to that is that Cincy played at Miami Fla in October. Don't know if that's an issue, but it could be.

If we are REAL fans, don't we go to Miami?

I mean we travel to all ends of the earth in March, don't we?

Memphis has a chance to play BYU in a bowl game in Miami Florida and you think less than 1,000 Memphis fans would go?

If that is really the case, that really sucks.

(11-26-2014 12:04 PM)pdlglm Wrote:  Memphis has a chance to play BYU in a bowl game in Miami Florida and you think less than 1,000 Memphis fans would go?

If that is really the case, that really sucks.

There is no way in Gods green earth I'm traveling the Monday before Christmas...folks have family obligations.

I care nothing about playing BYU.

What that letter should say (if that is the general belief of fans) is:

Dear Mr. Bowen,

Please realize, as Tiger fans we like our team. We like them enough to support them provided 1) it is cheap and 2) it is convenient to my schedule. Please realize that we would just rather go play in a dump like Birmingham or in Shreveport vs. a Sun Belt team than actually have to make the effort of spending $350 on a round trip ticket to Miami. In December.

Please convey this sentiment to the trustees of the Big XII, too, and inform them that we would really rather not travel all the way to Texas for road games. Perhaps they could agree to games in Little Rock or West Memphis. Also, please refrain from scheduling games on Thursday night, as it conflicts with NFL and Scandal and avoid Friday night and Saturday a.m. because of high school football and youth soccer. Other than that, we're good. Oh, except for day games in September and night games in November. Ok, I think that's it.

Thanks,

Loyal Tiger fan

dayum

(11-26-2014 12:14 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  What that letter should say (if that is the general belief of fans) is:

Dear Mr. Bowen,

Pleas realize, as Tiger fans we like our team. We like them enough to support them provided 1) it is cheap and 2) it is convenient to my schedule. Please realize that we would just rather go play in a dump like Birmingham or in Shreveport vs. a Sun Belt team than actually have to make the effort of spending $350 on a round trip ticket to Miami. In December.

Please convey this sentiment to the trustees of the Big XII, too, and inform them that we would really rather not travel all the way to Texas for road games. Perhaps they could agree to games in Little Rock or West Memphis. Also, please refrain fro scheduling games on Thursday night, as it conflicts with NFL and Scandal and avoid Friday night and Saturday a.m. because of high school football and youth soccer. Other than that, we're good. Oh, except for day games in September and night games in November. Ok, I think that's it.

Thanks,

Loyal Tiger fan

Maybe one day I'll be so rich I can shirk professional and family obligations all to live my life around football and basketball games...I'm not there yet...if you are, congrats.

Miami Bowl is a terrible setup. Far flung location where locals won't/don't care with a pre holiday date against an opponent that no team in the AAC has any history with.



I understand the conference starting a bowl game, but why this one? Attendance will be abysmal, and it will look horrible on TV. To send the conference champion there is inviting a disaster in public perception.

(11-26-2014 12:04 PM)pdlglm Wrote:  Memphis has a chance to play BYU in a bowl game in Miami Florida and you think less than 1,000 Memphis fans would go?

If that is really the case, that really sucks.

If it was a game within driving distance, the game being on Dec 22nd would not be much of a problem. Plane tickets from Memphis are $500 or more for those dates. Driving from Memphis is about 20 hours. The other problem is the game is on a Monday at 2pm!!!! Future recruits, casual fans and media won't even realize the game is on tv at that time of day. Other football fans will either be at work, school or already traveling for Christmas and would not even be able to watch the game even if they wanted to.

Yes, playing in Miami and playing BYU would normally be great for our program, but 3 days before Christmas to a city that would cost a lot of money to get to would not be good at all for most fans. I could be wrong, but 1,000 fans would be about it. That would NOT look good on tv or help our program going forward. Does anyone know how many Memphis fans made the trip for the Motor City Bowl that was played on Dec 26, 2005??? That should give a good idea of how many fans would be willing to make the trip to Miami that close to Christmas.

I would rather play BYU than a lower rung SEC team..... BUT I would rather play a lower rung SEC team if it means my family and I could attend. We cannot go to Miami. My wife's job would not permit it. I don't think either of our cars could make the trip. We would have to drive Tuesday and Wednesday just to get back. I doubt most people could afford that kind of time away from work. I't not just the loss in wages, it's that some of us have jobs such that we would half to find coverage for our absence. That little notice that close to a holiday is a "no-go".

Detroit v Miami......let me see

(11-26-2014 12:16 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(11-26-2014 12:14 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  What that letter should say (if that is the general belief of fans) is:

Dear Mr. Bowen,

Pleas realize, as Tiger fans we like our team. We like them enough to support them provided 1) it is cheap and 2) it is convenient to my schedule. Please realize that we would just rather go play in a dump like Birmingham or in Shreveport vs. a Sun Belt team than actually have to make the effort of spending $350 on a round trip ticket to Miami. In December.

Please convey this sentiment to the trustees of the Big XII, too, and inform them that we would really rather not travel all the way to Texas for road games. Perhaps they could agree to games in Little Rock or West Memphis. Also, please refrain fro scheduling games on Thursday night, as it conflicts with NFL and Scandal and avoid Friday night and Saturday a.m. because of high school football and youth soccer. Other than that, we're good. Oh, except for day games in September and night games in November. Ok, I think that's it.

Thanks,

Loyal Tiger fan

Maybe one day I'll be so rich I can shirk professional and family obligations all to live my life around football and basketball games...I'm not there yet...if you are, congrats.

Shirk?

You celebrating Hanukkah or something, because the game is on the 22nd? Fly back the a.m of the 23rd and you beat Santa Clause by a day and a half.

Professional obligations? Unless you are in retail or the restaurant industry, the couple days before Christmas in a ghost town. Most people "shirk" their job obligations around those days with what is called "vacation" time. It's not like folks have to play hooky.

As you, I would imagine, realize the NCAA tournament has weekday games that require travel, or as you refer "shirking professional obligations." If your team is really good, one may need to "shirk" multiple weekends.

I'm sure being gone Sunday afternoon through Tuesday am wouldn't destroy a family dynamic, especially considering you would be working both Monday and Tuesday anyway, as to avoid shirking your professional responsibilities.

Yes and Yes...

(11-26-2014 12:18 PM)Swearingen20 Wrote:  

(11-26-2014 12:04 PM)pdlglm Wrote:  Memphis has a chance to play BYU in a bowl game in Miami Florida and you think less than 1,000 Memphis fans would go?

If that is really the case, that really sucks.

If it was a game within driving distance, the game being on Dec 22nd would not be much of a problem. Plane tickets from Memphis are $500 or more for those dates. Driving from Memphis is about 20 hours. The other problem is the game is on a Monday at 2pm!!!! Future recruits, casual fans and media won't even realize the game is on tv at that time of day. Other football fans will either be at work, school or already traveling for Christmas and would not even be able to watch the game even if they wanted to.

Yes, playing in Miami and playing BYU would normally be great for our program, but 3 days before Christmas to a city that would cost a lot of money to get to would not be good at all for most fans. I could be wrong, but 1,000 fans would be about it. That would NOT look good on tv or help our program going forward. Does anyone know how many Memphis fans made the trip for the Motor City Bowl that was played on Dec 26, 2005??? That should give a good idea of how many fans would be willing to make the trip to Miami that close to Christmas.

Hey, man, I'm with ya, but no one will be in school. That stops around the 17th or 18th.

(11-26-2014 12:25 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  

(11-26-2014 12:16 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  

(11-26-2014 12:14 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  What that letter should say (if that is the general belief of fans) is:

Dear Mr. Bowen,

Pleas realize, as Tiger fans we like our team. We like them enough to support them provided 1) it is cheap and 2) it is convenient to my schedule. Please realize that we would just rather go play in a dump like Birmingham or in Shreveport vs. a Sun Belt team than actually have to make the effort of spending $350 on a round trip ticket to Miami. In December.

Please convey this sentiment to the trustees of the Big XII, too, and inform them that we would really rather not travel all the way to Texas for road games. Perhaps they could agree to games in Little Rock or West Memphis. Also, please refrain fro scheduling games on Thursday night, as it conflicts with NFL and Scandal and avoid Friday night and Saturday a.m. because of high school football and youth soccer. Other than that, we're good. Oh, except for day games in September and night games in November. Ok, I think that's it.

Thanks,

Loyal Tiger fan

Maybe one day I'll be so rich I can shirk professional and family obligations all to live my life around football and basketball games...I'm not there yet...if you are, congrats.

Shirk?

You celebrating Hanukkah or something, because the game is on the 22nd? Fly back the a.m of the 23rd and you beat Santa Clause by a day and a half.

Professional obligations? Unless you are in retail or the restaurant industry, the couple days before Christmas in a ghost town. Most people "shirk" their jobs obligations around those days with what is called "vacation" time. It's not like folks have to play hooky.

As you, I would imagine, realize the NCAA tournament has weekday games that require travel, or as you refer "shirking professional obligations." If your team is really good, one may need to "shirk" multiple weekends.

I'm sure being gone Sunday afternoon through Tuesday am wouldn't destroy a family dynamic, especially considering you would be working both Monday and Tuesday anyway, as to avoid shirking your professional responsibilities.

First off, we don't have an extra $2500 laying around for airline tickets (5 person family), and second, the healthcare field does not "shut down" for any holidays, much less a bowl game. Finding a replacement for one day of coverage, probably not a problem. 3 day's? That's gonna be a problem.

And another thing. I'm sure you can retort with "well you have to be ready to spend these kinds of expenses if we are going to be big-time. I agree. And some of the lower income-earning Tiger fans are gonna have to plan ahead and put some money aside over the summer.

Well, WHO would have ever thought we would be championship material THIS YEAR? I don't recall all that many people predicting we would even MAKE A BOWL.

(11-26-2014 12:36 PM)geosnooker2000 Wrote:  And another thing. I'm sure you can retort with "well you have to be ready to spend these kinds of expenses if we are going to be big-time. I agree. And some of the lower income-earning Tiger fans are gonna have to plan ahead and put some money aside over the summer.

Well, WHO would have ever thought we would be championship material THIS YEAR? I don't recall all that many people predicting we would even MAKE A BOWL.

I am said you aren't allowed vacation days in your job.

Everyone has a unique circumstance, I'm sure. But many of the issues that are being raised about ONE game a month away arise every March and Tiger fans seem to have little issue with booking a Thursday-Saturday trip on four days notice.

As for the price...that is steep if you are bringing a posse full of people.

Plus your "three day" excuse doesn't make any sense. Unless you are really going to do a Birmingham same day out and back chances are you're gonna miss more than one day. Certainly if the game is in New Orleans or Shreveport you'll miss at least two. So, you're looking at a one day difference.