VaCardinal,Jul 30 2005, 01:55 PM Wrote:

tigercat,Jul 30 2005, 09:18 AM Wrote:[QUOTE=tigercat,Jul 29 2005, 08:34 PM]
To state not many Memphis fans support the Liberty is an ignorant statement or out and out lie.

AutoZone (Pitt Hyde) is a bigtime Memphis booster, and unless it would be harmful to the company will stand beside Memphis (whether you believe this or not is not significant), so wait and see what their response will be. Memphis fans will not support the Liberty if they drop C-USA and that will soon be evident if it happens.

I'm sure the folks living in Memphis support the game to some degree. The question is, who would the people of Memphis rather see, a C-USA team or an SEC team? What I know of Tn is that it is a big-time SEC state. I don't know who the majority of folks in Memphis prefer, but I would be surprised if the average college FB fan in Memphis, willing to go aout and buy a ticket, would prefer to buy a ticket to see a C-USA team (even if it is the champ) rather than an SEC team (even if it is #6). My guess is that the overwhelming majority would be more likely to go watch the SEC team.

The possibility of UM playing in the game is off-set by the possibility of UT playing in the game, and UT fans would spend a LOT more money than UM fans since they would be filling every hotel room and bar in town.

And there is little question that any SEC team would bring many thousands to Memphis for the LB, the same can't be said for C-USA except for a couple of teams (USM, ECU, probably Marshall and UTEP). Plus the risk of some disaster from C-USA looms - how many fans would UH or UAB, for example, bring? Very few relatively, and those are two teams that could win C-USA. I know the LB can now take who they want, but that raises a whole new set of problems.

This is a bad deal for C-USA. And if the LB drops you then I don't blame you for being argry beyond belief. The writer of the article is right, this is simply a move by the SEC to keep a heel on your throat. And I don't like it. But there is little doubt that the LB is more than willing to leave C-USA, or else they would be already locked up.

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The team the SEC would bring to Memphis would be a 6-8th place team; their fans would most likely be angry and disapointed with their season and not travel to what they perceive as a lesser Bowl. Also, there is a good chance the team filling that slot from the SEC could be Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State or LSU. These would be a large group of day trippers and this can be shown from experience. There would be little intereset from the 4th selection down in the BE I believe. Pitt didn't bring many to the LB nor did Syracuse (not a knock, because that is a haul and the Bowl is perceived lower than what their fans hoped for).

As to C-USA attendance and support, even the years the Cardinals were not playing the attendance was very good. Memphis in general, casual(SEC and other conferences alumni) fans living in Memphis, and core U of Memphis fans do support the Bowl very well. There is better chances for a Memphis, USM, UTEP, Marshall and ECU (they'll be back soon) being in the Bowl than some of the traditional lower rung schools (I realize Memphis has only shown success for two seasons, but we have good reason to think this will continue, just as UL thinks their recent successes will continue).

UAB seems to be doing better attendance wise; it is rough competing with Auburn and Alabama in literally their backyard, but winning seems to be helping them. I think Tulane and Houston brought decent support when they were in the Liberty. Tulsa, is a doable trip and they have decent support. SMU, Rice? I think the fact they made a Bowl would elate their fans and they would have decent support. To answer your question, yes C-USA has supported the Liberty and there is no reason to think we cannot and that we will not continue that support.

As to the Liberty not already "being Locked up"; did you ever think the reason may be that the Liberty is trying to get the best match FOR C-USA, thus they've had an open door to ALL conferences, and listened to ALL pitches? It just might be they have never intended to drop C-USA, but being the good business people they are, they want to make sure they cut the best deal possible for BOTH C-USA and THE LIBERTY BOWL? Most of the noise has been from $EC anf BE sources. The Liberty folks have kept their cards close to the vest.

IF the Liberty drops C-USA/Memphis, the Liberty Bowl will soon go on life support, and will fail in Memphis.