LU FOOTBALL IS DEAD AND BURIED..ARTICLE

[KFDM COOP]

http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18532643&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=583964&rfi=6

Lamar’s Chris Lafferty celebrates a touchdown against McNeese State in 1988, the year before Lamar dropped football.

[Ruckdad]

There's a great way to stir up fan support.  How come no one in the Beaumont media ever gets behind anything that Lamar tries to do.  The Enterprise never has anything positive to say about the University's athletic program.  Perryn Keys is the worst, and this article was just as negative. 

Football would do so much to enhance the student life on campus.  I didn't realize what I was missing on Saturdays in the fall until I went to grad school at Tech - and Saturdays are just awesome.  If they get the program back up and running, I know there are a lot of local alumni and students that would be at games and there are plenty of good people in the Southeast Texas community with deep pockets that would love to get behind something like this.

I hope Dr. Simmons has the stones to bring it back.  If it was successful, it would definitely cement his lasting legacy on the University and the Golden Triangle.

[KFDM COOP]

Good point!

[stevieray]

I agree, they need to bring it back....there's nothing like getting primed up while tailgating 4 hours before the game.

[Guest Kelly Football]

Once again LU no football! Im ashamed. About the only College with no football.

[DenisGScott]

I remember when LU had football in the 80s I was still at KLVI and working stats for Caldwell and Hofferth and I cant say I ever remember in the years I spent doing that ever seeing anyone tailgating outside Cardinal Stadium.  Would football coming back be a positive ....yes.  But it cant be like it was then playing the type of schedule they were.  Playing SLC would be nice there'd be some rivalry there and a lot of local players who play at the SFA, SHSU, McNeese would be nice.  But the realistic problem here for many football fans would be what to do on a Saturday afternoon, go watch LU play SFA or travel to Houston/Austin/CS to watch the big boys play or even stay home to watch a good SEC/Big XII game on TV.  Yes you could move the game to Saturday night but then that brings other factors into consideration, people going out to dinner, or just going out period.  It's really a catch 22 situation, LU is damned if they do, and damned if they dont.

[WHBaseball14]

that is a good point denis! if they did get the program back up and running that would give the university a big boost! My grandfather and one of my cousint played football at lamar in the late 60's and early 70's back when it was Lamar Tech. But like denis said there r positive and negative points 2 try and bring back the program.

[DenisGScott]

Football would be a nice addition I'm not saying that by any means but please be realistic and honest as a true football fan.  Which would you rather do on a Saturday if all 3 started at the same time..you can only pick 1

a) go to Cardinal Stadium and watch LU v. Northwestern La

go to Houston to watch a UH or Rice game versus a name team

c)  stay home and watch LSU/Texas or mta

unless you have personal ties to a team member, family realtive/friend, old high school classmate etc, as many staunch LSU/UT/mta fans as there are on here would you give up watching them on TV to go watch LU play in person?

[Ruckdad]

Denis - Speaking as an alum of LU - I would like to go and support MY university.  I can DVR Notre Dame and Michigan and watch it later.  And there aren't that many ties to Rice and UH in Beaumont anyway.

Now, football at Lamar will never be like the events that occur in Austin or Baton Rouge, but if the student body gets involved, it can become a quality fun atmosphere. 

But the administration has to do it right, bring in the right coach and give him the resources to get the program competitive as soon as possible.

[WHBaseball14]

Denis - Speaking as an alum of LU - I would like to go and support MY university.  I can DVR Notre Dame and Michigan and watch it later.  And there aren't that many ties to Rice and UH in Beaumont anyway.

Now, football at Lamar will never be like the events that occur in Austin or Baton Rouge, but if the student body gets involved, it can become a quality fun atmosphere. 

But the administration has to do it right, bring in the right coach and give him the resources to get the program competitive as soon as possible.

good point ruckdad. and we can dvr any other games. myself bein an aggie i dont have 2 worry about alot of my games commin on tv cause the only ones that really dor r the ones agains texas, tech, and ou. so that leav 8 games out of the season 2 go watch at LU and if there was a game goin on i could check on it every 15 or 20 min on my cell phone. thats the benefit of all the new technology.

[DenisGScott]

You're right Ruck...you are an LU alum though, so there is a tie there.  But just joe average college football fan who lives here and did not attend LU or have any ties to LU...thats who I'm referring to.  Thats who the program has to attract, not just the alumni and student body.  And for me, personally, falling into that category I'm not going to miss or tivo a Longhorn game on ABC or ESPN etc to go watch LU play Northwestern.  Yes I could tivo whatever UT game is on but you know they'll announce the score at the stadium or on the radio driving home then watching the game isnt as much fun.   And I'm not saying football here cannot be a quality experience but I think the expectations should be tempered somewhat.  Also not saying there a lot here with Rich/UH ties but sya like what was it last year or 2 yrs ago when UH played Miami at Reliant... that type of game.  

Beaumont is such a fickle market sports wise, it ONLY supports high school football and basically nothing else.  Would LU have dropped football if they were averaging 12,000 a game in attendance?  The once vaulted basketball program only draws 3500-4000 on a good night.  The baseball program maybe 1000?   Beaumont doesnt support what it has now let alone the addition of something else.  Despite being a hotbed for athletic talent, this area is notoriously poor at supporting anything.  College or Professional.

Starting a football program now is different than in the 1980s.  Then ESPN was just coming into its own, there wasnt ESPN Game Plan with 15 games a week on TV.  There may have been one game on ESPN and one on ABC and CBS and LU still couldnt average 10000 a game, now with 15 games on per Saturday there's much more competition.  This isnt Field of Dreams if you build the program they will come.  Yes there will be some who do, no doubt about it, and there will be alumni like yourself who support it, but those who think you can start a program and think you're going to get 15000 a game show up are not being realistic.  And then if you dont draw 15k per game what does that do to ticket prices to keep the program afloat?  You cant get 8000 people in the Montagne Center for a basketball game where do you think 15000 people for football is going to come from? 

Again, not saying I'm not for it, just that the expectations should be low, very low.

[Guest coachacola]

Since Lamar would be playing in the SLC, I looked at the attendance of the other SLC schools and they average about 10 to 12 thousand per game.  Would averaging less than 15 thousand per game be considered a success?  In my opinion being in the SLC hinders Lamar, but they don't have much choice at this point.

[DenisGScott]

good point ruckdad. and we can dvr any other games. myself bein an aggie i dont have 2 worry about alot of my games commin on tv cause the only ones that really dor r the ones agains texas, tech, and ou. so that leav 8 games out of the season 2 go watch at LU and if there was a game goin on i could check on it every 15 or 20 min on my cell phone. thats the benefit of all the new technology.

but thats my point as well, what if its mta vs Tech/OU/Nebraska on tv, would you still forego watching that game to see LU play a Southeastern Louisiana game? 

[WHBaseball14]

not if they were playin southwest louisiana maybe sam houston or sfa.

[stevieray]

I was talking about tailgating in general, not just at Lamar...sorry, I should have been more clear....do you have any ties to UT, or are you just a fan?

[DenisGScott]

I have ties there but did not attend there and am a big UT fan, I go to 3-4 games a year on the 40 acres.  Nothing like waking up early on a Saturday morning making my way from Lake Travis down towards DKR crank up the pit, cook out, tail gate, with a few thousand of my close friends who I dont even know.

I'd love to see people tailgating for LU football, I know they do it at Ford Arena for Wildcatter game on weekends.  It's part of the ambience of going. 

I just question what a realistic attendance figure would be for the program to survive, and would playing SFA, SHSU, McNeese, Northwestern La, Southeastern La accomplish that goal?

[Tiger90]

Unfortunately LU would have to take a few lumps against a bigger school a couple of times each year for the revenue.

[DenisGScott]

but also would have to entice a bigger school to come here to play to help draw a crowd. 

[Tiger90]

Fans would love an ATM or UT but the reality is about the biggest name school they could get in Beaumont might be a Rice, Houston, or SMU.  I would bet they'd think North Texas was a coup.  I don't want to sound pessimistic but that is the current reality.  I'd love for fb to come back but LU has to start somewhere.

[DenisGScott]

think Rice/UH/SMU may be a bit optimistic, this dicussion has been done before what does a Rice/UH/SMU have to gain by coming here?  Can play the same game at their stadium and raise more money with bigger capacity than they would get for coming here.

[Tiger90]

Those are low level majors.  What other "bigger" schools would be interested in playing a new LU team that would also get the fanbase excited?

[DenisGScott]

the question isnt who but are there any at all

[JMay]

I wish them the best of luck "trying" to bring football back.  Who would be your "big" name game.  Rice just got a new AD and he is trying to keep Rice out of Reliant unless they can get 6 other on-campus home games, UH won't come in.  UH wouldn't even answer the phone, neither would SMU.  I don't think Rice ever game here when they played LU at that was the only game of the year they won.  UNT is raising the bar with Todd Dodge, so their out.  Who really could be the big draw here ULL?  I don't see them traveling to McNeese to play a trap game.  Maybe some big time corporate sponsor could cut LU a check for a million and then alumni fund raising could come up with some.  Even then, the arguement will be made by people to "spruce" up Vincent-Beck.  This is wishful thinking.  It was a mistake to cut it in the '80's, but the start-up costs may be too much to overcome.  You ask me if I'd rather go to Rice game or an LU game.  Can I have both?  One in the afternoon, and one at night.  It would be nice!!  ;D