The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Holy $hit, it was miserable weather; but well worth it. May have been more Broncos in crowd than chips. No students there for CMU, but not many folks there at all.

Well played game by our boys! Very difficult conditions. Lester called a good game. Defense made some plays. Very solid win!! We needed that after last year.

....and I even got to watch most of Army's win over Miami too. All is good!

Oof.

Wow.



Sure, I'm glad it's them and not us, but hate seeing such apathy.

Granted it's a perfect storm up there: Bad weather, a delay, Walmart Wolvie rivalry game on the tube, current season is a trainwreck similar to our 2013 one.

But still tough to see a rivalry game played in front of basically no one.

(10-20-2018 07:50 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Oof.

Wow.



Sure, I'm glad it's them and not us, but hate seeing such apathy.

Granted it's a perfect storm up there: Bad weather, a delay, Walmart Wolvie rivalry game on the tube, current season is a trainwreck similar to our 2013 one.

But still tough to see a rivalry game played in front of basically no one.

Oh jeez. I listened to it on the radio and had no idea. Robin kept stating that there were friends and family of players, some students, and a bunch of WMU fans but I didn't think it was gonna be THAT BAD.

(10-20-2018 07:50 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Oof.

Wow.



Sure, I'm glad it's them and not us, but hate seeing such apathy.

Granted it's a perfect storm up there: Bad weather, a delay, Walmart Wolvie rivalry game on the tube, current season is a trainwreck similar to our 2013 one.

But still tough to see a rivalry game played in front of basically no one.

I am in that picture, with wife and daughter. Near side stands, with the plastic wrap. Lol

Wow
[/php]
http://www.cm-life.com/article/2018/10/a...tball-game

Quote:Despite the endless rows of empty seats, CMU athletics reported that 10,097 people were in attendance at this game.

Quote:"If we win more games, people will show up," head coach John Bonamego said. "We have to do a little better job of giving them something to come out and watch."

As much as I dislike CMU that is really sad to see.

Reminds me of Jack Harbaugh's last game at Waldo in 1986.

(10-21-2018 05:42 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  As much as I dislike CMU that is really sad to see.

Reminds me of Jack Harbaugh's last game at Waldo in 1986.

It is sad.

It also reminds us how fast things can change.

In 2009 CMU won its 3rd MAC Championship in four years, was tops in MAC recruiting and attendance. It was returning a young team in 2010 and season ticket sales were strong. Then came Dan Enos, the biggest gift the WMU football program has ever received.

How former CMU athletic director, Dave Heeke, got the Arizona AD job after hiring both Enos and Bonamego following the dominating success CMU had under Butch Jones and his staff (should have hired one of Jones' assistants), we will never know. However, without Dan Enos, there is no PJ Fleck, no MAC Championship in 2016 and no Cotton Bowl. Fleck quickly filled the recruiting and media vacuum Enos left behind and Bonamego can't restore.

CMU had it all after the 2009 season. But the pictures above show the consequences of hiring incompetent people.

I salute KB for her hiring of both Fleck and Lester. WMU easily could have been in a similar situation without her strong leadership!

Ricci and the WR's put in work yesterday run blocking. Nice team win, Broncos!

NCAA needs to start enforcing the 15000 min actual attendance, better off playing mid week maction, at least it would be on national tv.

(10-21-2018 07:41 AM)GRBRONCO Wrote:  NCAA needs to start enforcing the 15000 min actual attendance, better off playing mid week maction, at least it would be on national tv.

The attendance requirement went out the window when yhe TV deals exploded. In addition, it was a ridiculous requirement in the first place. No other sport had it

Quote:Then came Dan Enos, the biggest gift the WMU football program has ever received.

I thought Mike Debored was the best CMU Coach from a Western's fans perspective. He was a real clown!

From Wickpedia:

Quote:DeBord was hired as the head football coach at Central Michigan by athletic director Herb Deromedi in 2000.[3] He would go on to post a 12–34 record, resigning after the 2003 season.[4] DeBord never won more than four games in a season in his time at Central Michigan.

(10-20-2018 08:04 PM)Nacho Wrote:  

(10-20-2018 07:50 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Oof.

Wow.


Sure, I'm glad it's them and not us, but hate seeing such apathy.

Granted it's a perfect storm up there: Bad weather, a delay, Walmart Wolvie rivalry game on the tube, current season is a trainwreck similar to our 2013 one.

But still tough to see a rivalry game played in front of basically no one.

Oh jeez. I listened to it on the radio and had no idea. Robin kept stating that there were friends and family of players, some students, and a bunch of WMU fans but I didn't think it was gonna be THAT BAD.

Yes, it certainly felt like there were more WMU fans. My guess the local CMU fans (and students) were turned off by the bad weather and the bad season, something WMU fans who made the trip up weren't going to be turned away from.

(10-20-2018 07:50 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Oof.

Wow.



Sure, I'm glad it's them and not us, but hate seeing such apathy.

Granted it's a perfect storm up there: Bad weather, a delay, Walmart Wolvie rivalry game on the tube, current season is a trainwreck similar to our 2013 one.

But still tough to see a rivalry game played in front of basically no one.

Hmm, I was there yesterday and while attendance was bad, there were more people there then that,. so not sure when that pic was taken, maybe close to the weather delay or when the game was almost over, I don't know. It's weird too because I was 'sitting' on the 15 yard line on the right side of the main sideline but don't see me or the friends I was with.

My guess is this was right after half time (when many people went up into the concourse) or right after the weather delay (when many people went up into the concourse), because I also don't see the WMU cheerleaders OR CMU band, the cheerleaders who would've been right in front of us on the 15 and the CMU band who takes up a significant portion of the CMU student section. (Took the fans, cheerleaders, band, and students a couple minutes after halftime and the weather delay to come out of the concourse and locker room)

Pic is misleading.

But yes, I hate the apathy too, and certainly agree there were quite a few reasons why attendance was so bad, the biggest of which I think were the weather and Central's trash season.

(10-21-2018 06:55 AM)GullLake Wrote:  In 2009 CMU won its 3rd MAC Championship in four years, was tops in MAC recruiting and attendance. It was returning a young team in 2010 and season ticket sales were strong. Then came Dan Enos, the biggest gift the WMU football program has ever received.

How former CMU athletic director, Dave Heeke, got the Arizona AD job after hiring both Enos and Bonamego following the dominating success CMU had under Butch Jones and his staff (should have hired one of Jones' assistants), we will never know. However, without Dan Enos, there is no PJ Fleck, no MAC Championship in 2016 and no Cotton Bowl. Fleck quickly filled the recruiting and media vacuum Enos left behind and Bonamego can't restore.

CMU had it all after the 2009 season.

Nice analysis Gull. But I do think Fleck could've brought the success he had w/ us had CMU stayed strong. Rather than our top competitors for a MAC Championship be Toledo and Northern Illinois, our top competitor for a MAC Championship would've been the Chippewas. Would've made things interesting for sure. But yes, there was a recruiting/media vacuum at least in our state that Fleck was allowed to take advantage of.

(10-21-2018 08:47 AM)Wheres_Waldo? Wrote:  In addition, it was a ridiculous requirement in the first place.

I agree.

(10-21-2018 05:42 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Reminds me of Jack Harbaugh's last game at Waldo in 1986.

Harbaugh was a puke with us. Definitely our worst coach and my least favorite. So happy I never actually had to see a game under him.

(10-21-2018 04:42 AM)BroncoPhilly Wrote:  

Quote:Despite the endless rows of empty seats, CMU athletics reported that 10,097 people were in attendance at this game.

If you count tickets sold and the student section, as well as the press and concession workers, yes.

(10-21-2018 05:42 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  Reminds me of Jack Harbaugh's last game at Waldo in 1986.

Harbaugh was a puke with us. Definitely our worst coach and my least favorite. So happy I never actually had to see a game under him.

(10-21-2018 04:42 AM)BroncoPhilly Wrote:  

Quote:Despite the endless rows of empty seats, CMU athletics reported that 10,097 people were in attendance at this game.

If you count tickets sold and the student section, as well as the press and concession workers, yes.