It?s time to correct the Greg Byrne F/U

[Schultzy]

After watching the student sections of Auburn and Ole Miss wrap around the basketball court with great atmospheres for their home games today, it?s clear that ?the ninja?s? decision to sell all the mid-court seats to big donors (who I do appreciate) was short sighted.

Winning matters when it comes to crowd enthusiasm of course but the students need to dominate the good seats if you want the atmosphere, dammit.

Do you think we need to totally re-structure student seating? I sure do.

[Liverpooldawg]

Greg Byrne was one of the worst things that ever happened to MSU athletics. He single handledly destroyed men's basketball.

[Todd4State]

Greg Byrne was one of the worst things that ever happened to MSU athletics. He single handledly destroyed men's basketball.

Horrible post. Byrne got rid of Polk and that allowed our baseball program to finally start to move forward. Byrne also got rid of Croom which also allowed our football program to start to move past the winning the Egg and Liberty Bowl ceilings.

Now yes, reseating the Hump was a bad idea and needs to be changed. So, he wasn't perfect. But Stricklin hiring Ray hurt MSU basketball 10x more than anything Byrne did. And I do think that the women take away some from the men because they are so freaking good, much more likeable as a team, play harder in general, and are economically more affordable for fans. But I'm not going to complain about anything with women's basketball right now. Men's basketball needs to make some noise in the postseason to start to win people back.

[preachermatt83]

Greg Byrne was one of the worst things that ever happened to MSU athletics. He single handledly destroyed men's basketball.

Wow. Byrne was the best AD we've had by a mile.

[mparkerfd20]

Greg Byrne was one of the worst things that ever happened to MSU athletics. He single handledly destroyed men's basketball.

This is probably one of the worst posts that ever was posted about MSU athletics. You just single handedly destroyed any chance of anyone thinking you had any sense whatsoever.

[CadaverDawg]

Greg Byrne was one of the worst things that ever happened to MSU athletics. He single handledly destroyed men's basketball.

Just when I think you've maxed out your stupid....

[BiscuitEater]

Wow. Byrne was the best AD we've had by a mile.

Byrne was a great AD but made a mistake moving the students. When I think bad, Stick and LT are neck and neck!

[Cooterpoot]

Rumor is they’re going to make changes after the renovation of the Hump. But those won’t start for awhile.

[Howboutdemdogs]

I was thinking the same thing on student seating as I watched the game. I believe that it does have a direct effect on the opposing team. I know you can’t have them behind the visitors bench, but put them behind the TV commentators too.

[99jc]

Wow. Byrne was the best AD we've had by a mile.

I agree...I know Greg is was #1 AD ever at State. Anyone who says different is an idiot.

[Schultzy]

I agree...I know Greg is was #1 AD ever at State. Anyone who says different is an idiot.

Why? What was so great about him?

His decision to move the students has been extremely detrimental to MSU basketball and obviously short sighted.

I think he was an over rated goober DB who left at the drop of a hat after a few years but I’m willing to listen to your arguments for his deity status in MSU AD lore.

[West Tn Dawg]

Why? What was so great about him?

His decision to move the students has been extremely detrimental to MSU basketball and obviously short sighted.

I think he was an over rated goober DB who left at the drop of a hat after a few years but I’m willing to listen to your arguments for his deity status in MSU AD lore.

Instead of asking someone to explain why he was the best we've had, when it was pretty much explained in post above. Why don't YOU give your reasons and opinion of who was better.
Lazy ass post wanting someone else to do the work.

[DownwardDawg]

Greg Byrne was one of the worst things that ever happened to MSU athletics. He single handledly destroyed men's basketball.

Byrne is the best AD State has ever had. It's not even close. He made a couple screw-ups, but who doesn't?

[DownwardDawg]

Why? What was so great about him?

His decision to move the students has been extremely detrimental to MSU basketball and obviously short sighted.

I think he was an over rated goober DB who left at the drop of a hat after a few years but I’m willing to listen to your arguments for his deity status in MSU AD lore.

He had multiple opportunities to leave but turned them all down until he had the opportunity to go back home. Nobody turns that down. Yeah, he sucked so bad that Alabama hired him.

[Schultzy]

Instead of asking someone to explain why he was the best we've had, when it was pretty much explained in post above. Why don't YOU give your reasons and opinion of who was better.
Lazy ass post wanting someone else to do the work.

I’m not lazy and the discussion is not about other AD’s but Greg Byrne himself and the harm he did to the atmosphere at The Hump which is a negative residual affect of his legacy to this day.

All of our AD’s have had positives and negatives but assigning legendary status to “The Ninja” in my opinion. He benefited from being AD here at MSU much more than we did from him.

He hired Mullen which was overall a positive but outside of that I just don’t see it. Better than Stricklin for sur who gave us Rick Ray but that's not saying much.

Maddox was the AD before LT and provided us with an indoor practice facility for football plus a track and tennis complex prior to the big dollar era which was significant.

Templeton is obviously the most polarizing among them as the first non head football coach AD in the modern era. He held important positions on national committees which gave us some status among those in AD circles around the country as well as overseeing two expansions to Davis Wade Stadium.

It was certainly time for a more contemporary guy by the time he left but he was Bulldog through and through which is more than we can say for the current Florida AD.

Now since you introduced lazy to the discussion, give me some objective arguments in defense of “The Ninja” who left to go home to a university he didn’t attend only to end up at a rival school 90 miles down the road.

[Liverpooldawg]

He had multiple opportunities to leave but turned them all down until he had the opportunity to go back home. Nobody turns that down. Yeah, he sucked so bad that Alabama hired him.

He didn't go back home, he did the equivalent of an MSU guy going to Ole Miss, and he didn't stay there either.

[Liverpooldawg]

I still say he destroyed what we had at the Hump. He actually split the student section remember. At least after he left we put them all back together. That guy was all about money, it was all that mattered to him. He did hire Mullen so even the worst can do something good at least once.

[Cooterpoot]

Byrne made hires in baseball and football that really improved our programs. He knew how to increase revenue and market our programs. Other than the seating at the Hump, there’s just not much to complain bout. And let’s be honest, if our basketball program was kicking ass, nobody would be complaining about the seating much.

[basedog]

No matter where anyone seats in sports at Msu, it always has been complaining and it always will be complaining. As in any sport with winning, seating creates a problem. Money will always talk to priority regardless what any of us say.

I laugh at some who don't attend games complaining about seating, LOL.

[PSYCHO(thesis)DEFENSE]

Is money the priority or winning? And how does one affect the other? Would a respectable home environment increase revenue? Do people value premium seating in a C- environment over nice seats in an A+ environment? Idk the answers so feel free to set me straight.

These threads always end up with “well win & ppl will show up” but the problem is we aren’t giving ourselves the best chance to win in order to get those ppl in their seats. The ones with the seats in a position to affect the environment don’t attend unless we have a top 25 team & then only when the matchup is right and we haven’t blown a game in the past week and it’s sunny & 65 etc etc. I’m not criticizing their form of support. They want to give to the university and come see a winner but having the students behind one basket on the opposite end of the court when the game is on the line significantly hamstrings that second part.

The students + candyman are the heart of our environment and can do nothing in the second half but yell at players 80 feet away & hope the family crowd joins in which happens for a total of 5 minutes and only when the game is on the line. I truly believe fans impact games and Davis Wade proves weekly that MSU fans are ready and willing to do so. Home field means even more in basketball, and instead of taking the poor old MSU approach to all our disadvantages, we should be grasping at any possible advantage we can get.

It makes me sick to see Ole Miss & Auburn, the 2 schools I hate the most, taking advantage of this & obviously benefiting from it. The best atmosphere in MS college basketball is in Oxford (just threw up) & it’s not cause they got fast food chicken & fresh paint it’s cause the fans most willing to affect the game are put in a position to do so.

As Brandon Walker has pointed out the renovations appear to be geared primarily towards adding more premium seating, (hopefully not at the expense of our acoustics) so unless the students are moved I only see the atmosphere getting worse & Howland’s job harder.

Last question- does this all fall on Cohen’s plate or should I be addressing my complaints about seating to someone else?