Jayhawks calling for fan support in football

V

Vince from ShamWOW

All-Conference
What a joke.

Published Wednesday October 14, 2009Big 12: Jayhawks calling for fan support in football

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas sports fans, long known for their diehard devotion to the school's basketball team, apparently are not yet as devoted to the football team.

Jayhawk quarterback Todd Reesing and safety Darrell Stuckey told the Topeka Capital-Journal that they are disappointed the fans, particularly students, continue to leave games in droves at halftime.

They were especially discouraged on Saturday, when the No. 17 Jayhawks had only a 20-17 lead over Iowa State at halftime in the Big 12 opener for both schools.

“It is disappointing when you're in a conference game and you're a top 20 team and you're in a close game where you could really use some fan support, and half the student section leaves,” Reesing said. “All the guys notice that on the team. It's hard not to notice.”

Highs were only in the 40s on Saturday, but Reesing said that wasn't a good excuse.

“That's football weather right there,” he said. “I really don't know why (they left). It was a homecoming game, it was close at half and to see that many people leave is disappointing, to tell you the truth.”

The complaint is not a new one at a school known for years as a basketball powerhouse. The Jayhawks football program has only recently garnered national recognition after dramatically improving under coach Mark Mangino.

The Jayhawks went to the Orange Bowl in 2007 after starting the season 11-0 and won a total of 20 games the past two seasons, the best two-year span in school history.

At a kickoff rally before this season started, Mangino implored a crowd of thousands to make Memorial Stadium a hostile place for visiting teams.

Reesing said fans might not understand how important their support is during the game.

“There's some pretty big third downs and fourth downs in the second half that, having a loud crowd and having fans cheer for our defense really helps,” Reesing said. “Hopefully that won't be a continuing trend. We're going to be playing a lot tougher games where we're gonna need that whole stadium full of people yelling and cheering for us.”

When Stuckey, a senior captain, was asked what it would be like to have a Kansas player win the Heisman trophy, he responded by suggesting maybe the fans “would start loving football a little more. I think they'd stay at the game a little longer.”

But he's trying to stay positive.

“You can't just play for the people in the stands that are leaving, you have to play for those that are still there and still love the game passionately,” he said. “Regardless how cold it is, regardless what happens, it's still a game of pride. There's still more people there than left, so look at it as half full instead of half empty.

“There's teams across the nation that struggle to get 10,000 fans there, let alone us having over 50,000 almost every game.”
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:ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh

:laughpound :laughpound :laughpound :laughpound :laughpound

 
Just for the record, the students are tad lame, but there is a specific reason that is missing from the article.

It was supposed to be in the high 50's that day, and it barely cracked 40, if it did at all, and that was the high at 11:30. THe wind was also very strong. I saw a lot of students in t-shirts with long sleeve undershirts, which is fine for 58 and sunny, but not so great for 38 and 20 mph wind. I stayed the whole game, but it was miserable and unexpected. My whole party thought we were well prepared, and it was not good.

Now that I have shared....

 
That's a shame. Going to a school that is successful in sports yet doesn't have great fan support myself, I can definitely sympathize with the state of things there. Be thankful that we don't have to worry about stuff like this.

 
jayhawk said:
Just for the record, the students are tad lame, but there is a specific reason that is missing from the article.

It was supposed to be in the high 50's that day, and it barely cracked 40, if it did at all, and that was the high at 11:30. THe wind was also very strong. I saw a lot of students in t-shirts with long sleeve undershirts, which is fine for 58 and sunny, but not so great for 38 and 20 mph wind. I stayed the whole game, but it was miserable and unexpected. My whole party thought we were well prepared, and it was not good.

Now that I have shared....
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Husker fans wouldn't have left their team in a close game like KU fans did.

 
WCHusker said:
KU is a hoops school-always has been, always will be.
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That's true, however what else is there to do in Lawrence, KS on a fall Saturday? Mangino has done a great job in building a damn good and exciting program. For the fans to crap on him and his team like they do is beyond pathetic.

 
It is kind of sad when they are undefeated and ranked 15 in one poll and 17 in the other and they are having to beg fans to come out and see them play.

 
Vince from ShamWOW said:
WCHusker said:
KU is a hoops school-always has been, always will be.
Click to expand...

That's true, however what else is there to do in Lawrence, KS on a fall Saturday? Mangino has done a great job in building a damn good and exciting program. For the fans to crap on him and his team like they do is beyond pathetic.
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Go watch the BBall team practice their Mixed Martial Arts so they can take on the football team after the game?

 
jayhawk said:
Just for the record, the students are tad lame, but there is a specific reason that is missing from the article.

It was supposed to be in the high 50's that day, and it barely cracked 40, if it did at all, and that was the high at 11:30. THe wind was also very strong. I saw a lot of students in t-shirts with long sleeve undershirts, which is fine for 58 and sunny, but not so great for 38 and 20 mph wind. I stayed the whole game, but it was miserable and unexpected. My whole party thought we were well prepared, and it was not good.

Now that I have shared....
Click to expand...
They paid for the ticket, and leave a close game? I don't get it. On a couple of positives for KU,

Basketball practice has started.

When NU comes to town, odds are there are more people in the stands after halftime than usual. Granted many will be wearing red...

 
WCHusker said:
KU is a hoops school-always has been, always will be.
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I would direct this at most of you. i don't think you know what you are talking about. This issue with the students has happened twice. I would agree with Vince the NU fans wouldn't do that. The only other group that we have trouble keeping are the family zone tickets in the endzone. THat section has been shrinking, as KU toickets are more in demand. BUt other than families with small kids and little invested and students, it is not like all the fans leave. THey are also going to set an attendance record this year, so I think you are just going off your stereotypes. They are adding a huge new section next year, so the fan base is there. I think they could be better fans, but that comes with continued success. We even have traveled much better than our opposition to bowl games and do ok on road games. I think just throwing out comments based on impressions and not facts is not adding to insight. Vince was was right, it is lame the fans left, lame. Nebreaska fans would not have left. That hurts KU. But if the program is continuing it's strenght, those tickets will get pricier and harder to get, and the fans (including students) will improve. You guys just don't appreciate how much is changed in Lawrence in the last 6 years.

 
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