Things that need to be realized:

1) no matter what, we will never ever average over 30k a game unless we have consecutive 11+ win seasons with conference championships, in which we also beat at least 2 legitimate P5 teams (i.e., State and Nebraska). And even then we probably wouldn't.

2) While our attendance isn't great and really never has been, it's still better than many programs who have won way more than 5 games in the past 3+ seasons. It's better than almost everyone else in the conference.

3) Consider it a positive that we are 5-33 in our last 38 games and still have this many fans coming to games. Honestly folks, the team has been so bad the past 3 seasons that it's somewhat encouraging that there's still more than 15k attending. I mean, we haven't just lost most of our recent home games, we've largely been destroyed in most of them.

4) For folks who say "winning doesn't work": that's a load of crap. Yes it does. It's the difference between averaging 28k and averaging an inflated 20k (don't try and tell me that 23k were at that game on Saturday). That's a big difference, not only in terms of how the stadium looks, but also revenue. Averaging 28k a game at Southern Miss would be an accomplishment. But the team needs to show something first.

5) While I like where Monken is coming from, he's got a bit of nerve to get mad at the fans after what we've been subject to the past 3 seasons. Like I said before, we've gotten totally pummeled by the likes of UNT, Marshall, LT, FAU, UAB and others (no disrespect to those programs, but we didn't just lose to y'all, we got crushed). At home. That would take a toll ON ANY FANBASE OUT THERE. Monken needs to focus on beating respectable teams at home, then he can get mad at the fans for not showing up.

Southern Miss has a long history of attendance issues. This is nothing new. When you are within 300 miles of 5 SEC schools that tends to affect your school. I can't tell you how many people I went to school at USM with that pull for LSU, Bama, and Mississippi State. Its crazy.

Heck, Brett Favre's senior season in 1990 we averaged just under 21,000/game. And we finished 8-4 that year with wins over Alabama and Auburn! I will never forget back in 1994 when nationally ranked Virginia Tech came to Hattiesburg and we only had 17,000 in attendance. And many consider 1999 to be one of our better seasons... 9-3 and C-USA champs. We only averaged about 26,000 that year. Only within the last 10-15 years have we seen average attendance around that 27-30,000 mark. Throw in an 0-12 season followed by 1-11 and 3-9... and well, you've got what we've got now. Winning cures all.

I understand Monken's frustration and have no problem with his statement. However, it won't amount to anything. USM fans will come when the winning starts up.

http://youtu.be/HMcQKz3H0yY

(09-14-2015 10:46 AM)RowdyRoost Wrote:  Southern Miss has a long history of attendance issues. This is nothing new. When you are within 300 miles of 5 SEC schools that tends to affect your school. I can't tell you how many people I went to school at USM with that pull for LSU, Bama, and Mississippi State. Its crazy.

Heck, Brett Favre's senior season in 1990 we averaged just under 21,000/game. And we finished 8-4 that year with wins over Alabama and Auburn! I will never forget back in 1994 when nationally ranked Virginia Tech came to Hattiesburg and we only had 17,000 in attendance. And many consider 1999 to be one of our better seasons... 9-3 and C-USA champs. We only averaged about 26,000 that year. Only within the last 10-15 years have we seen average attendance around that 27-30,000 mark. Throw in an 0-12 season followed by 1-11 and 3-9... and well, you've got what we've got now. Winning cures all.

I understand Monken's frustration and have no problem with his statement. However, it won't amount to anything. USM fans will come when the winning starts up.

You're right, but our attendance is still better than most other G5 schools. In our realm, we are above average in attendance.

We will never be on the SEC level of attendance no matter what.

I've found that those who are offended by something like this are the ones who didn't go to the game. The man calls it like he sees it. I don't see how anyone could defend the crowd we put out there on Saturday. It was utterly pathetic. He's heard since he was hired that we want to reach the next level and that our fans are great, but that's not what he sees. He sees a fickle fanbase that can't rally around a good team and show up and support them at home. He sees State fans bring 9,000 people to our stadium because USM fans didn't buy tickets. He sees a fanbase that wants to talk big time, but not act big time.

And if you want to think this is because of the past few years, you're wrong. We struggled to get 30k when we were 12-2. Our average attendance hasn't gone up in 30 years. Our "fanbase" needs to be called out.

(09-14-2015 12:29 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  And if you want to think this is because of the past few years, you're wrong. We struggled to get 30k when we were 12-2. Our average attendance hasn't gone up in 30 years. Our "fanbase" needs to be called out.

While I see nothing wrong with it, I don't think calling out a fanbase does any good. Yes, we've always had attendance problems... but our average attendance has gone up over the past 30 years (at least until the debacle).

1985: 20,848
1986: 18,114
1987: 19,341
1988: 18,836
1989: 21,250
1990: 20,885
1991: 18,005
1992: 16,694
1993: 19,381

1994: 15,704 (we close the season out by beating LSU and the winning season "streak" begins

1995: 25,651
1996: 24,579
1997: 23,923
1998: 24,561
1999: 25,833
2000: 28,509
2001: 25,649
2002: 26,961
2003: 28,645
2004: 28,964
2005: 27,862
2006: 28,993
2007: 26,767

Larry Fedora Era Begins

2008: 30,079
2009: 30,696
2010: 29,400
2011: 28,402

Ellis Johnson Era Begins (losing disaster)

2012: 25,751

Todd Monken Era Begins (program in devastation)

2013: 22,752
2014: 22,739

(09-14-2015 01:37 PM)RowdyRoost Wrote:  Ellis Johnson Era Begins (losing disaster)

2012: 25,751

I'll still say those numbers for the ELOSS era are bogus. (unless they're plugging in previous season ticket sales), unless there was (and I don't remember any) one game that just screwed the average up over the home game schedule.

Monken made the Tx State game a must-win for his own credibility.

(09-14-2015 03:29 PM)shiftyeagle Wrote:  Monken made the Tx State game a must-win for his own credibility.

I was thinking this when i got to page 2 of this thread. If he/the team goes out and lays an egg the next 2 games (at Texas St and at Nebraska) Monken might be wishing to have this past weekend's crowd as it will be a lot worse. One of the first things that came to mind when I first read his comments on Sunday was what happened to Arkansas' coach Bielema...he ripped on Ohio St's strength of schedule compared to Arkansas then he goes out and loses to Toledo

That first game of 2012, MM Roberts was as full as it's ever been.

Yup, he's got to beat Texas State now. He might do it.

(09-12-2015 10:01 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  Probably not the smartest thing he has ever done. Now I guess calling out coaches for their play calling and players for their performances has now been branded OK by Monken. The time is now ticking for Monken. Before you criticize me, I agree with what he says, but a coach that alienates his fans is doomed...

The fans he was talking to aren't paying attention enough to see what he said anyways.

We're so worried about "alienating" fans...Well, what we've done the last 25 years hasn't worked either.

I lost faith in USM fans in 2005, when we couldn't sell out the last home game of the regular season against the #3 team in the nation that had Aaron Rodgers at QB.

Aaron Rogers said the crowd at the Rock that night was the loudest and most intimidating crowd he had ever played in front of. USM wishes they could recreate that night. Now our coach is full of himself after beating Austin Peay. How times have changed.

(09-14-2015 12:29 PM)EagNBran Wrote:  I've found that those who are offended by something like this are the ones who didn't go to the game

100% correct. Now that we've got that established, good luck to Coach Monken with trying to offend adults into doing what he wants them to do.

Re: that Cal game usmbacker mentioned, Aaron Rogers had a great post-game quote that was broadcast on Cal's weekly coach's/recap show. I forget exactly how he worded it, be he said our 30,000 that night sounded more like 80,000.

(09-15-2015 08:23 AM)southernmiss4ever Wrote:  The fans he was talking to aren't paying attention enough to see what he said anyways.

If that's true, then the whole thing was just pointless.

If a coach calls out fans who aren't even listening, did he really make a noise?

(09-15-2015 08:23 AM)southernmiss4ever Wrote:  

(09-12-2015 10:01 PM)nastybunch Wrote:  Probably not the smartest thing he has ever done. Now I guess calling out coaches for their play calling and players for their performances has now been branded OK by Monken. The time is now ticking for Monken. Before you criticize me, I agree with what he says, but a coach that alienates his fans is doomed...

The fans he was talking to aren't paying attention enough to see what he said anyways.

We're so worried about "alienating" fans...Well, what we've done the last 25 years hasn't worked either.

I lost faith in USM fans in 2005, when we couldn't sell out the last home game of the regular season against the #3 team in the nation that had Aaron Rodgers at QB.

I was at that game. It was on a weeknight, IIRC. I thought that was a pretty decent crowd all things considered. That was not that great a USM team by the standards of the day. (Wasn't it 2004 though?)

Rookie move, IMO.

Praise them for a great crowd, but don't call people out.

Its a cupcake game a week after a marquee matchup. What did he expect?

(09-15-2015 01:35 PM)LaTechBanjo Wrote:  Rookie move, IMO.

Praise them for a great crowd, but don't call people out.

Its a cupcake game a week after a marquee matchup. What did he expect?

And not to make excuses for people, but that marquee matchup was a 9:00 pm kickoff. That's not a situation where people are just making a day trip and hanging out on campus for an hour before & heading home right after like someone mentioned earlier. It may be lame, but I'm sure a lot of people felt like after having just made a weekend-long committment and springing for a hotel room so they wouldn't be driving back at 2 in the morning, they weren't in a big rush to go back 6 1/2 days later for a tune-up game.

Monken went a bit Donald Trump on us. Maybe a bit too based.

Certainly was the wrong time for it, especially with two lose-able road games ahead of us.

Get back at 1-3, then he looks like a fool.

Does Monken have an attendance incentive tied to his contract?