All you basketball atmosphere haters....

[Goat Holder]

Just know that the atmosphere had been dead as hell since 2009/2010. This isn't a Ray thing or a reseating thing. It's a trend thing. People want to have hope. There was none under Stans at the end, people aren't stupid, they saw the dissension. There's not much hope now either, people know we suck. And just like baseball, once we gave the fan base something to hope for and prove we DON'T suck, crowds started coming back. Ray is going to have to get to the NIT/NCAA bubble to truly have a rocking atmosphere again. Fact. No matter the coaching loyalties.

The only reason Mullen was able to pull off big football interest at the beginning is because we had tasted a little success in 2007 and the fan base was hungry and hopeful. He flirted dangerously with losing that this year but somehow pulled it off.

Anyway, there's your explanation. We are fighting the ex-coach battle and the suckiness battle. But just like Polk, it was Stans who started this shit. Let's not get carried away blaming the AD, ticket-holders and forget the people responsible.

[Political Hack]

people immediately could tell a difference in the football team with CDM and we had just signed a great class. I think those two issues were major factors in why DWS was rocking so quickly even for a 5-7 year.

[bully99]

Have you watched sec games this year. It's not just State that's drawing poorly, it's most of the conference. Lots of empty seats everywhere.

[Goat Holder]

People could tell a difference between JWS (the tired Jackie, NOT King Jackie of the 90s) and Croom too. But it didn't cause any excitement because people knew our talent was down and we would suck regardless (though we sucked more than we should have, but still).

But I will say, yes.....people knew we had made a good hire. The media was talking about it, we conducted a good search, etc. We didn't just settle for the politically correct way like before. But we knew we had talent too. If we hadn't played the #1 SOS in the country that year, we might have gone 7-5 or 8-4 in 2009. Croom should get a little credit for at least giving that a chance to happen.

[TheDogFather]

Just know that the atmosphere had been dead as hell since 2009/2010.

As much as you would like this part of your diatribe to be true, it is a complete fabrication. The crowds showed up and the atmosphere held up all the way through Stansburys tenure. I was at every one of those games.

You are free to make your point but exaggeration only weakens the a argument.

[bully99]

Watching the om game, the sad pad is pathetic, no enthusiasm or life in that junk gym at all.

[TheDogFather]

Just know that the atmosphere had been dead as hell since 2009/2010. This isn't a Ray thing or a reseating thing. It's a trend thing. People want to have hope. There was none under Stans at the end, people aren't stupid, they saw the dissension. There's not much hope now either, people know we suck. And just like baseball, once we gave the fan base something to hope for and prove we DON'T suck, crowds started coming back. Ray is going to have to get to the NIT/NCAA bubble to truly have a rocking atmosphere again. Fact. No matter the coaching loyalties.

The only reason Mullen was able to pull off big football interest at the beginning is because we had tasted a little success in 2007 and the fan base was hungry and hopeful. He flirted dangerously with losing that this year but somehow pulled it off.

Anyway, there's your explanation. We are fighting the ex-coach battle and the suckiness battle. But just like Polk, it was Stans who started this shit. Let's not get carried away blaming the AD, ticket-holders and forget the people responsible.

2009-2010

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics31/800/QF/QFGUEJFTBOJCCZA.20101020194702.jpg

[TheDogFather]

Just know that the atmosphere had been dead as hell since 2009/2010. This isn't a Ray thing or a reseating thing. It's a trend thing. People want to have hope. There was none under Stans at the end, people aren't stupid, they saw the dissension. There's not much hope now either, people know we suck. And just like baseball, once we gave the fan base something to hope for and prove we DON'T suck, crowds started coming back. Ray is going to have to get to the NIT/NCAA bubble to truly have a rocking atmosphere again. Fact. No matter the coaching loyalties.

The only reason Mullen was able to pull off big football interest at the beginning is because we had tasted a little success in 2007 and the fan base was hungry and hopeful. He flirted dangerously with losing that this year but somehow pulled it off.

Anyway, there's your explanation. We are fighting the ex-coach battle and the suckiness battle. But just like Polk, it was Stans who started this shit. Let's not get carried away blaming the AD, ticket-holders and forget the people responsible.

2009-2010

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics21/1024/HH/HHLPPCNDUMYXDWV.20100129221052.jpg

[TheDogFather]

Just know that the atmosphere had been dead as hell since 2009/2010. This isn't a Ray thing or a reseating thing. It's a trend thing. People want to have hope. There was none under Stans at the end, people aren't stupid, they saw the dissension. There's not much hope now either, people know we suck. And just like baseball, once we gave the fan base something to hope for and prove we DON'T suck, crowds started coming back. Ray is going to have to get to the NIT/NCAA bubble to truly have a rocking atmosphere again. Fact. No matter the coaching loyalties.

The only reason Mullen was able to pull off big football interest at the beginning is because we had tasted a little success in 2007 and the fan base was hungry and hopeful. He flirted dangerously with losing that this year but somehow pulled it off.

Anyway, there's your explanation. We are fighting the ex-coach battle and the suckiness battle. But just like Polk, it was Stans who started this shit. Let's not get carried away blaming the AD, ticket-holders and forget the people responsible.

2010

http://www.youvisit.com/media/msstate/Maroon_White_record_crowd_KHB6880_2048.jpg

[HailState39110]

I think it's combination of a few things

1) college basketball attendance is down in general across the board
2) when we reseated the hump a lot of the locals who attended the games got bumped for higher priority bulldog clubs members
3) if we were better more people would show
4) similar to 3 but I think we need at least one 'star' on the team ( similar to a Malik Newman) . That would excite the fanbase enough to show up more

[TheDogFather]

Just know that the atmosphere had been dead as hell since 2009/2010. This isn't a Ray thing or a reseating thing. It's a trend thing. People want to have hope. There was none under Stans at the end, people aren't stupid, they saw the dissension. There's not much hope now either, people know we suck. And just like baseball, once we gave the fan base something to hope for and prove we DON'T suck, crowds started coming back. Ray is going to have to get to the NIT/NCAA bubble to truly have a rocking atmosphere again. Fact. No matter the coaching loyalties.

The only reason Mullen was able to pull off big football interest at the beginning is because we had tasted a little success in 2007 and the fan base was hungry and hopeful. He flirted dangerously with losing that this year but somehow pulled it off.

Anyway, there's your explanation. We are fighting the ex-coach battle and the suckiness battle. But just like Polk, it was Stans who started this shit. Let's not get carried away blaming the AD, ticket-holders and forget the people responsible.

As much as the students and six packers wet their little britches when Stansbury got the axe, the "blue hairs" and "old folks" who buy the tickets and pay the bills quit showing up and supporting the team. So, technically, you are correct. This is not a Rick Ray thing, it is a administration and program thing. And it started when Stansbury left.

[The Croom Diaries]

I think basketball in general is taking a nose dive. Part of it is the one and done rule, part is that football can be followed year-round...there is always news and coverage for football which is most people's primary interest.

But I also think a lot of fans have completely lost interest in this program. It's kind of a 'wake me up when we're good again' attitude. Which is sad because I think fan support goes a long way to helping rebuild quicker. Whenever we write basketball articles they are barely read but any baseball, recruiting, football is much more. Folks just aren't interested right now. Knowing that baseball is just around the corner might also have something to do with it.