Re: Who Has Lost the Most Mojo?
Originally Posted by
HerdBot
Little of both but it mostly boils down to the fact the FCS is eroding and we rarely get FBS games. There was over 20k in Arizona. Until we move up, those games will be rare
Fans pay huge money for tickets and most games are over at half time. There only a few regular season games fans get truly excited for. Then you got the semis in the playoffs. This team, if they make the playoffs, will be on the road. But teams like Georgia Southern and James Madison have been replaced by something called Incarnate Word. Fans arent interested in the Word
The team simply doesnt have stars and great personalities, who help sell tickets. Then the stars leave early for the draft or transfer. Team isnt tough or physical. Where is Travis Beck flying through the air vs K-State who then dislocates his shoulder and tries to make a tackle with 1 arm. Then he pops it back into place. No Austin Kuhnert popping a dislocated elbow back into place so he doesnt miss a play. How about Grant Olson playing with Appendicitis? Or DeLuca playing injured for 4 games to preserve a year of eligibility. Or Jirek playing well with 2 bad shoulders that required surgery after the year. Or Wentz playiny a full game with a broken throwing hand. We dont have those kind of players
Games are closer not because the competition is better. We are worse
Then on top of it, marketing and bad decisions, has slowly eroded the experience.
1) Ruining tailgating by eliminating all GA spots on the west side pushed out some fans
2) Things like Fan Day being reduced to a high school level production is a huge failure
3) We lost our stud video guy but now they dont do any hype videos or pre game stuff
4) the tickets have no cheap options. Even the top row KK in the corner seats are $50 when the dome is empty. SDSU still has $22 options
Them you got the donors who have made some incredible gifts, only to see the team go backwards
Move up
One thing I'd like to add regarding the identity of our athletic department:
In 2008 NDSU was playing the Jacks in the dome on the final game of the season...playoff implications on the line. If the Bison won, they had a decent chance of making the playoffs at 7-4 (losses to FBS Wyoming, ranked Youngstown, ranked UNI, and ranked WIU - beat the eventual MVFC co-champs SIU). SDSU was also sort of in the talks at 6-5 and so a win in Fargo would put them in the playoff talk as well. This was the game when Ryan Berry got smoked, obviously concussed, and then came back in the game after their backup broke his hand. On SDSU's last drive, they had a nearly nonconvertible 3rd down...especially with an injured QB and a sold out Fargo Dome about ready to blow the roof off the place. Berry heaves some desperation throw down the middle of the field and NDSU safety Nick Schommer drilled the SDSU wide receiver as he was going up for the catch. Totally legal, albeit unnecessary, but legal nonetheless. One official felt like he needed to be part of the game so he threw a flag for a personal foul on Schomms. SDSU eventually went down and scored and tacked on a 2pt conversion to win the game 25-24.
Gene Taylor was on the sideline for the game and had to be physically grabbed and pulled back onto the sideline by support staff after that official made the call. He came totally unhinged.
Some may call that being unprofessional.
I viewed it as a man that passionately cared about the program, the vision, and the kids on the field.
Im not so sure that mentality or passion exists anymore in the athletic department...and it really is too bad.
This is not 'Nam. This is Bisonville. There are rules here.