About 1600-1800 fans for three home games. If that's not pitiful. Shields has got to go, even if he wins every game this year. For whatever reason, he's not getting the job done. If he was a dog he couldn't attract fleas. It's embarrassing to be a fan of this program now.

(11-23-2014 06:34 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  About 1600-1800 fans for three home games. If that's not pitiful. Shields has got to go, even if he wins every game this year. For whatever reason, he's not getting the job done. If he was a dog he couldn't attract fleas. It's embarrassing to be a fan of this program now.

Not getting the job done? We are 3-1 with a win over a decent UMKC team. This time last year we were 1-3.

(11-23-2014 10:22 PM)ez272 Wrote:  

(11-23-2014 06:34 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  About 1600-1800 fans for three home games. If that's not pitiful. Shields has got to go, even if he wins every game this year. For whatever reason, he's not getting the job done. If he was a dog he couldn't attract fleas. It's embarrassing to be a fan of this program now.

Not getting the job done? We are 3-1 with a win over a decent UMKC team. This time last year we were 1-3.

Two nice wins this weekend over comparable midmajors. The coach is supposed to do the coaching. That's his job. Selling tickets and promoting the program is someone else's job. Yncopirt reminded me again that this is the toughest AD job in the country. No other DI team in the country would not get a game day article in their city's paper, when they are the only team in town, and hosting a tournament.

(11-23-2014 10:22 PM)ez272 Wrote:  

(11-23-2014 06:34 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  About 1600-1800 fans for three home games. If that's not pitiful. Shields has got to go, even if he wins every game this year. For whatever reason, he's not getting the job done. If he was a dog he couldn't attract fleas. It's embarrassing to be a fan of this program now.

Not getting the job done? We are 3-1 with a win over a decent UMKC team. This time last year we were 1-3.

Not getting the job done by having a team exciting enough to bring the fans in. I'm glad all you Shields fans are satisfied with the crowds. Soon you'll be out there by yourselves. What do you call it when the crowds continue to drop each year, success? I've said before, he doesn't have the charisma to fire up the fans. O.k., you win the games, and nobody shows up. Is that success? I guess you could say it was, on the court at least. Five or six hundred fans won't pay many bills.

I saw two very exciting games this weekend. I am NEVER satisfied with the status quo. I am very satisfied to be 3-1 right now. I don't know how you can criticize something you havent seen since last year. Why don't you buy a ticket. You might like it.

(11-23-2014 10:36 PM)mjs Wrote:  [quote='ez272' pid='11428423' dateline='1416799345']
[quote='LRTrojan' pid='11427435' dateline='1416785662']

Two nice wins this weekend over comparable midmajors. The coach is supposed to do the coaching. That's his job. Selling tickets and promoting the program is someone else's job. Yncopirt reminded me again that this is the toughest AD job in the country. No other DI team in the country would not get a game day article in their city's paper, when they are the only team in town, and hosting a tournament.

I suppose Jim has checked out all the D-1 jobs in the country to make that statement. It's a tough one alright, but, yes, it is the coaches job to put teams on the floor that fans want to see play. You're right about the paper. This is the most chicken **** state I've ever seen. The f****** razorbacks win a game and it's going to be the lead story on the news that night, regardless of whatever earth shaking thing also took place that day. Don't even think that the most loyal Trojan
fan would argue with the fact that the hogs should get more ink. But, four or five pages to one small article with no box.

I still believe that if the AD or the Chancellor talked with the owner and publisher of the Democrap, that he would see that the midget gave better coverage to the Trojans. They sure need to get rid of wally small.

(11-23-2014 10:54 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  

(11-23-2014 10:22 PM)ez272 Wrote:  

(11-23-2014 06:34 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  About 1600-1800 fans for three home games. If that's not pitiful. Shields has got to go, even if he wins every game this year. For whatever reason, he's not getting the job done. If he was a dog he couldn't attract fleas. It's embarrassing to be a fan of this program now.

Not getting the job done? We are 3-1 with a win over a decent UMKC team. This time last year we were 1-3.

Not getting the job done by having a team exciting enough to bring the fans in. I'm glad all you Shields fans are satisfied with the crowds. Soon you'll be out there by yourselves. What do you call it when the crowds continue to drop each year, success? I've said before, he doesn't have the charisma to fire up the fans. O.k., you win the games, and nobody shows up. Is that success? I guess you could say it was, on the court at least. Five or six hundred fans won't pay many bills.

I honestly don't understand what difference you think a coach will make in our attendance. I certainly don't go to a game to watch the coach. Maybe some people do. Maybe a big name coach would attract some more fans in LR. I wouldn't bet on it. I also doubt we can hire a "name" coach like Wimp again. That was a great hire. Sidney was a name, but a disaster. Same as Corliss at UCA. I don't see any magical solutions to solve our attendance problems. I certainly don't have any answers. I just hope we hire an AD with a lot new ideas and experience in promoting a basketball program. We have to build this thing from the ground up. I still see many of the same folks I saw 30 years ago at our games. Sadly a number of our long time fans have passed away. We have not replaced them with young fans. We have made zero inroads in getting folks between 22 and 35 to our games. I assume they are home playing video games or watching stuff on their big screen TV's. Maybe there is a way to get those younger folks to the games. Hopefully the new AD has some ideas.

(11-23-2014 11:01 PM)ez272 Wrote:  I saw two very exciting games this weekend. I am NEVER satisfied with the status quo. I am very satisfied to be 3-1 right now. I don't know how you can criticize something you havent seen since last year. Why don't you buy a ticket. You might like it.

I'm not criticizing the team or their play, or even the coaching because I haven't seen them play other than the BYU game. In fact they must be looking pretty good. I've missed about five or six home games in thirty years, and that includes the women's games since they started playing at the Jack. When get close to matching my record as a fan, then you can criticize me. You're not there yet.

I miss the games, but I'm protesting the only way I can by withholding my money for two tickets I know that's not gonna break'em, but with all that have left in the past few years, I think they're feeling the pain financially. But, looking at the video of the games on the news, it doesn't look like the only one in the past year protesting something out there.

I feel like bob proud we won some games but the program has been putting out a hard to watch product for years.

So, a few wins over some mid majors is not going to get people in the stands.

I'll come when i can and am in town but i will not shut life down to do. Kids and living an hour away just makes impractical at this point.

So, great to be winning and happy for the program but until we win some games against name teams and make some kind of post season we are going to be hosting games 900 people and it will keep going down.

The new ad will have to address it.

I think the bottom line is, Steve has done a fair, mediocre job of putting good exciting teams on the floor. Some good and some bad. He's not a successful recruiter, and evidently doesn't have much respect among Arkansas High School coaches. He has taken the program as far as he can take it. He isn't clicking with the public and I believe the attendance shows that. It's getting worse every year. I will not buy season tickets again until there is a change. mjs and a few others will never admit that Steve Shields should shoulder any blame for this. It won't change until a coaching change is made, regardless of how many games he wins this year. Looking at video of the stands shows I'm evidently not by myself in this opinion. Looks like it's a Mexican standoff. I don't hold anything against those who see it differently. I've spent too many years supporting this program to want to see it go down the tubes, and nobody can truthfully say that it hasn't.

(11-24-2014 10:13 AM)LRTrojan Wrote:  I think the bottom line is, Steve has done a fair, mediocre job of putting good exciting teams on the floor. Some good and some bad. He's not a successful recruiter, and evidently doesn't have much respect among Arkansas High School coaches. He has taken the program as far as he can take it. He isn't clicking with the public and I believe the attendance shows that. It's getting worse every year. I will not buy season tickets again until there is a change. mjs and a few others will never admit that Steve Shields should shoulder any blame for this. It won't change until a coaching change is made, regardless of how many games he wins this year. Looking at video of the stands shows I'm evidently not by myself in this opinion. Looks like it's a Mexican standoff. I don't hold anything against those who see it differently. I've spent too many years supporting this program to want to see it go down the tubes, and nobody can truthfully say that it hasn't.

I said the program has to be rebuilt from the ground up. Maybe a coaching change needs to be part of that- I certainly don't know. I am aware that 30 years ago the university believed that was the case and got rid of Coach Kestenbaum despite his success on the court. They apparently believed the program needed a total make-over and that couldn't happen without a new coach. I know fans like me and PTJR were very upset about it at the time. In the end it all worked out for the betterment of the program. I'll support whatever the new AD decides is best for the program. But, I certainly don't believe he/she will make a coaching change after this season, which I expect to be successful, with our 7 of our top 8 players coming back.