http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/.../24010147/

A key individual in making it happen was Alec Gores, brother of Pistons owner, Tom Gores.

Alec, according to the article, is both a former WMU FB player and billionaire.

In K'zoo they must say, Alec, can you spare a dime or a million or two or ten...

Dear Friends,
I don't know what to make of these games anymore. Yes there's the payout, but realistically the chances of winning them is slim and none. It may look good on your schedule, but when you lose by twenty or thirty points who really cares?
This coming season Western could lose all of their non-league games. They are looking for a fourth game, but to my knowledge, have not scheduled someone. They could lose two or three league games, and maybe finish 6-6 overall. If that happens, what happens to the program overall? Personally i am not that sure that Coach Fleck is their answer.

I was wondering why this was such a big deal on Twitter, until I read that this will be the first time USC has played a MAC school. Pretty cool, although USC is a complete shell of what they used to be. Who knows, maybe Fleck will have a squad that will be able to pull an upset like that in 2017.

Or maybe Fleck won't even be there...

I was told that we could get Oklahoma, Tennessee, even Alabama to play us a home game at ford field. But it had to be for pay not a 3 for one. Finding money and sponsors was impossible.

(02-26-2015 09:46 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  I was told that we could get Oklahoma, Tennessee, even Alabama to play us a home game at ford field. But it had to be for pay not a 3 for one. Finding money and sponsors was impossible.

I had heard that too about 10 years ago. I thought I heard Oklahoma State.

EMU would have to draw 50K+ to make it work and that would be damn near impossible given our attendance/performance issues.

(02-26-2015 09:50 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:46 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  I was told that we could get Oklahoma, Tennessee, even Alabama to play us a home game at ford field. But it had to be for pay not a 3 for one. Finding money and sponsors was impossible.

I had heard that too about 10 years ago. I thought I heard Oklahoma State.

EMU would have to draw 50K+ to make it work and that would be damn near impossible given our attendance/performance issues.

Wouldn't be worth it anyway. Getting curb stomped by top SEC/Big 12 schools at Ford Field does very little for our school. Smart move to avoid that.

(02-26-2015 09:55 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:50 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:46 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  I was told that we could get Oklahoma, Tennessee, even Alabama to play us a home game at ford field. But it had to be for pay not a 3 for one. Finding money and sponsors was impossible.

I had heard that too about 10 years ago. I thought I heard Oklahoma State.

EMU would have to draw 50K+ to make it work and that would be damn near impossible given our attendance/performance issues.

Wouldn't be worth it anyway. Getting curb stomped by top SEC/Big 12 schools at Ford Field does very little for our school. Smart move to avoid that.

So you want 7,000 at a home and play howard? Got it!

(02-26-2015 10:05 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:55 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:50 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:46 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  I was told that we could get Oklahoma, Tennessee, even Alabama to play us a home game at ford field. But it had to be for pay not a 3 for one. Finding money and sponsors was impossible.

I had heard that too about 10 years ago. I thought I heard Oklahoma State.

EMU would have to draw 50K+ to make it work and that would be damn near impossible given our attendance/performance issues.

Wouldn't be worth it anyway. Getting curb stomped by top SEC/Big 12 schools at Ford Field does very little for our school. Smart move to avoid that.

So you want 7,000 at a home and play howard? Got it!

What good is done by getting killed at Ford Field (not exactly a "home game)? Not much. Straw man much?

I would rather play a big named school draw 35 to 50 thousand at ford field that sit in an near empty stadium and pay a 124,000 to watch our team barely beat some barely known team!

(02-26-2015 10:07 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:05 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:55 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  u

(02-26-2015 09:50 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:46 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  I was told that we could get Oklahoma, Tennessee, even Alabama to play us a home game at ford field. But it had to be for pay not a 3 for one. Finding money and sponsors was impossible.

I had heard that too about 10 years ago. I thought I heard Oklahoma State.

EMU would have to draw 50K+ to make it work and that would be damn near impossible given our attendance/performance issues.

Wouldn't be worth it anyway. Getting curb stomped by top SEC/Big 12 schools at Ford Field does very little for our school. Smart move to avoid that.

So you want 7,000 at a home and play howard? Got it!

What good is done by getting killed at Ford Field (not exactly a "home game)? Not much. Straw man much?

You have very low expectations. It can count as a home game for attendance purposes by ncaa rules and we need attendance numbers more than money! One game a year is all we need! It would be good for us and good for the city.

(02-26-2015 10:07 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  I would rather play a big named school draw 35 to 50 thousand at ford field that sit in an near empty stadium and pay a 124,000 to watch our team barely beat some barely known team!

Again, this is straw man argument. In no way did I say I prefer to play "Howard at home in front of 7000". I just see no value in bringing Alabama or Oklahoma up here to beat the hell out of us at a stadium that isn't ours. Unless they were paying us to do it, which they would NEVER do. But if you enjoy that sort of thing, more power to ya.

I'd rather try to get lower tier P5 schools to do 2-for-1s with us where we may actually have a chance to win at OUR field. Like UConn, Rutgers, or pretty much any school in the AAC. THAT would be a better look for us that getting destroyed by a team that's completely out of our league at Ford Field.

(02-26-2015 10:10 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:07 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:05 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:55 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  u

(02-26-2015 09:50 AM)emu steve Wrote:  I had heard that too about 10 years ago. I thought I heard Oklahoma State.

EMU would have to draw 50K+ to make it work and that would be damn near impossible given our attendance/performance issues.

Wouldn't be worth it anyway. Getting curb stomped by top SEC/Big 12 schools at Ford Field does very little for our school. Smart move to avoid that.

So you want 7,000 at a home and play howard? Got it!

What good is done by getting killed at Ford Field (not exactly a "home game)? Not much. Straw man much?

It would be good for us and good for the city.

Good for what city? Surely not Ypsilanti. Maybe Detroit, in that some of the bandwagon tools can see Alabama in person for a change. But again, it doesn't do enough to help us really at all. Except to show people that we had a huge attendance draw even though it wasn't at our stadium and it wasn't because of our team.

(02-26-2015 10:15 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:10 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:07 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:05 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 09:55 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  u

Wouldn't be worth it anyway. Getting curb stomped by top SEC/Big 12 schools at Ford Field does very little for our school. Smart move to avoid that.

So you want 7,000 at a home and play howard? Got it!

What good is done by getting killed at Ford Field (not exactly a "home game)? Not much. Straw man much?

It would be good for us and good for the city.

Good for what city? Surely not Ypsilanti. Maybe Detroit, in that some of the bandwagon tools can see Alabama in person for a change. But again, it doesn't do enough to help us really at all. Except to show people that we had a huge attendance draw even though it wasn't at our stadium and it wasn't because of our team.

I wonder how many fans from Alabama, Texas, or Oklahoma would travel to Detroit (expensive) for a single game vs. a mediocre opponent.

Dear Friends,
Again, the point is moot. Win consistently and the fans will return. There is no magic formula.

It would have to be ether the first or second game of the season. This is Just thread to barnstorm ideas not to demean or belittle others.

(02-26-2015 10:22 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:15 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:10 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:07 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:05 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  So you want 7,000 at a home and play howard? Got it!

What good is done by getting killed at Ford Field (not exactly a "home game)? Not much. Straw man much?

It would be good for us and good for the city.

Good for what city? Surely not Ypsilanti. Maybe Detroit, in that some of the bandwagon tools can see Alabama in person for a change. But again, it doesn't do enough to help us really at all. Except to show people that we had a huge attendance draw even though it wasn't at our stadium and it wasn't because of our team.

I wonder how many fans from Alabama, Texas, or Oklahoma would travel to Detroit (expensive) for a single game vs. a mediocre opponent.

If there is money in it that covers the cost plenty. You are not going to get the numbers need with middle of the road teams we need at least a top 50 and none from the big ten.

(02-26-2015 11:47 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Friends,
Again, the point is moot. Win consistently and the fans will return. There is no magic formula.

It's not moot! If you don't like it fine. But there is a need for it!

(02-26-2015 10:22 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:15 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:10 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:07 AM)EagleSam Wrote:  

(02-26-2015 10:05 AM)emussuperfan Wrote:  So you want 7,000 at a home and play howard? Got it!

What good is done by getting killed at Ford Field (not exactly a "home game)? Not much. Straw man much?

It would be good for us and good for the city.

Good for what city? Surely not Ypsilanti. Maybe Detroit, in that some of the bandwagon tools can see Alabama in person for a change. But again, it doesn't do enough to help us really at all. Except to show people that we had a huge attendance draw even though it wasn't at our stadium and it wasn't because of our team.

I wonder how many fans from Alabama, Texas, or Oklahoma would travel to Detroit (expensive) for a single game vs. a mediocre opponent.

Not many but thats not the point its for local fans those within 150 miles that are fans of the opposing teams that don't or can't go and see them in person.