|
Post by seat16demon on Jan 18, 2023 19:37:32 GMT
The other 60 - 65% are sitting at home.
|
|
|
Post by stinger on Feb 14, 2023 15:38:40 GMT
Are there any insights that could indicate the football program will advance to be a force this year or will we be everyone's circled date for an expected victory by our opponents? I am always optimistic, but we can't start weak and hope for improvement to average by the end of the season and call it good.
|
|
|
Post by Reality Check on Feb 16, 2023 11:13:15 GMT
Apathy has set in for many college football fans:
Average attendance last year: La Tech -- 15k ULL -- 14k ULM -- 13k NSU -- 4-5k
McNeese, SLU, and Nicholls are all in the same boat. Even Tulane with possibly their best year ever only averaged 20k, up from 15k the year before. We also know that these numbers are often fudged, as well. Fans have found other things to do. Almost all games are on some sort of TV or streaming now. Why would you show up in the stands if you've been getting pummeled for 15 years with very few bright spots? Only winning will bring fans back and only to watch us play McNeese, Nicholls, SLU, ULM, ULL, La Tech, Lamar, SFA, and maybe Grambling or Southern. Only three of those are in our conference. Fewer will show up for UIW and HBU, and TAMU-Commerce. Nothing against those schools at all, but they're just located too far away. The old days are gone. It's over and now we're a boat adrift in an unpredictable ocean. Blame could be laid at the feet of a few, but why bother? That won't help anything. The only thing that will put us back up to 10k or more would be winning, and even then, we would have to be fun to watch, it would have to be a memorable opponent or a playoff game, and the weather would have to be good. Otherwise, it's just a reason to tailgate or stream. Fans have options now and obviously many have opted out in their own transfer portal.
|
|
|
Post by seat16demon on Feb 16, 2023 20:22:26 GMT
I agree. The days of packed stadiums are over; technology has seen to that. As to Stinger's question about the condition of the program: it's hard to say. My sources on the field say that we will have a decent team. The problem with that synopsis is that its just speculation. We lost several key positions to the portal as well as graduation, so who knows? It's easy to think that we are on the way up, but the portal makes things too unpredictable. For instance, one of our best O-lineman last year, is now at Pittsburg State. We are back to auditioning quarterbacks and one of our wide receivers is being moved back to QB. So, your guess is as good as mine.
|
|
|
Post by seat16demon on Apr 11, 2023 20:31:14 GMT
Well, another wide receiver fell victim to the portal. Javon Antonio is now in the portal and I would think that he is on the way out. Though its not over until the transfer paperwork is processed. At least that is what I would assume, but assumptions are not good business in this age of professional college athletics.
|
|
|
Post by jneal318 on Apr 13, 2023 23:50:56 GMT
This is Antonio's 2nd trip to the portal and with him garnering interest from Georgia Tech...he's gone. Big piece of the offense leaving but it also makes me wonder if our QB play is up to par...we will have an answer very soon.
|
|
|
Post by stinger on Apr 15, 2023 13:39:30 GMT
Anybody have thoughts after watching the team in spring training?
|
|
|
Post by demon4life on Apr 19, 2023 16:45:20 GMT
I am going to the Delaney Bowl Saturday as well as the crawfish boil. Can't wait to get a look at the QB everyone is raving about!
|
|
|
Post by Reality Check on Apr 19, 2023 16:56:54 GMT
Hate to see any player leave, and wish them the best, but universities need to harden up. You want to leave? There's the door. Then it should be "next man up." We have entered an era, not just in sports, of entitlement, which requires coddling, ass kissing, begging, pleading and walking on eggshells. This is not sustainable in a personal setting and it will not last in sports. It also sets up young people for failure in the workforce. That's not reality in the working world. So, goodbye, you're a good player, we will miss you, but who wants to fill his shoes? What a great opportunity for someone humble.
|
|
|
Post by demonsgoon on Apr 23, 2023 14:46:41 GMT
Hate to see any player leave, and wish them the best, but universities need to harden up. You want to leave? There's the door. Then it should be "next man up." We have entered an era, not just in sports, of entitlement, which requires coddling, ass kissing, begging, pleading and walking on eggshells. This is not sustainable in a personal setting and it will not last in sports. It also sets up young people for failure in the workforce. That's not reality in the working world. So, goodbye, you're a good player, we will miss you, but who wants to fill his shoes? What a great opportunity for someone humble. I may be wrong but think that once a player enters the transfer portal their scholarship is no longer guaranteed. The university cannot be held hostage while they play the field and instead needs to start looking for their replacement. Even if the player doesn’t find a landing spot the university isn’t obligated to take them back and I honestly wouldn’t want them.
|
|
|
Post by seat16demon on May 1, 2023 17:16:53 GMT
Javon Antonio is now a Lion. He landed with Southeastern. He'll be playing with Zach Clement against the Demons next year.
|
|
|
Post by Reality Check on May 2, 2023 12:54:49 GMT
Good player. Wish him the best, but he wasn't the leading receiver last year and he wasn't a difference maker ever during his time in Natchitoches. NSU's football woes are much deeper than one player. In the three years he suited up for NSU, we won 8 games. So, any one player that leaves a program that has won 8 out of 28 games in three years won't be missed. Again, individually, he is a good WR, but the last I checked, football was still a team sport.
|
|
|
Post by Cajundemon11 on May 9, 2023 13:22:22 GMT
Fact of the matter is this is just the era we are now living in, players will come and go. We take advantage of the portal and will lose just as many to the portal. Guys like Jovon and Zach are just doing what they feel is best for themselves. The turnover can be viewed as a good thing to some extent, but I admit it stings when a big play maker from the school you root for leaves - and even more so when they go to a rival.
|
|
|
Post by jneal318 on May 19, 2023 19:07:13 GMT
We need to make a correction on Javon Antonio...he's headed to Boulder to play for Coach Prime.
|
|
|
Post by Reality Check on May 20, 2023 17:12:25 GMT
Good for him and good luck to him. Instead of experiencing a 1-5 win season in the Southland, he can now experience a 1-5 win season in the Pac-12. He'll have a better view of nature, but worse food, more fans, but similar struggles. Hey, you can't blame the young man for stepping out in faith and seeing what happens, though. Sometimes transfers work out and sometimes they don't.
|
|