Its time for change,folks.

[catfan1967]

We need to overhaul our fanbase. And have a overhaul of the seating at Commonwealth.Also "seperate" media coverage,ie. announcers and radio hosts for football.

If you want great things for this program,this, in my opinion is where we need to start.

[Lost Highway]

caftan wrote: We need to overhaul our fan base. And have a overhaul of the seating at Commonwealth.Also "separate" media coverage,IE. announcers and radio hosts for football.

If you want great things for this program,this, in my opinion is where we need to start.



Do you have any ideas you would like to throw out? How do we overhaul the seating at Commonwealth? You might be on to something here but I don't quite understand what you are getting at.

If you mean make the Lexington press buy their own tickets and keep Louisville press out of Commonwealth unless they buy a season ticket, then I am all for that.

Great idea.

[heatwave13]

Yeah, tell us how UK can overhaul the fan base? Maybe somehow force unworthy UK fans to start rooting for another team? Or, possibly have a way to screen the fanbase that would lead to a way to ban certain fans from entering commonwealth stadium? What do you mean?

Lost Highway, it's great to see you on here again. How are things over at the juvenile detention work farm? Any FSU or Miami prospects coming that way?

[KapitalCat]

Ahhh, catfan is back :). We need to win football games period. I think that will happen next year.

[BigBlue75]

catfan1967 wrote: We need to overhaul our fanbase. And have a overhaul of the seating at Commonwealth.Also "seperate" media coverage,ie. announcers and radio hosts for football.

If you want great things for this program,this, in my opinion is where we need to start.

Huh?

Care to elaborate on what exactly you think needs to be overhauled?

[johnkyblue]

I think UK fans do need to take the 12th man role much more seriously, and the 6th man role in basketball too.

[catfan1967]

Well as far as the fanbase goes.And please forgive me if I offend anyone.
But we have FAR too many elderly folks at games. I,myself am 38. And lord willing one day I too will be elderly.On the same token,when the day comes that I am no longer able to get out of my seat and yell and encourage our players.

I will pass my tickets along to some younger members of my family that can go and provide the type of atmosphere condusive for winning.I always seem to walk out of Commonwealth wondering "what if" our fans had got involved to help change the outcome. There have been several games,that could have been won if only for some good ole fashioned intimidation by the fans.And yes I would like to see all malcontent negative minded fans, singled and cast out

On the seating subject,I would love to see sections 128 to 136 to be made the student section. We need more positive, upbeat fans seated,correction,STANDING behind our bench to help keep our players UP. When momentum shifts during the course of a game,it is very important that we have fans talking to players letting them know we are behind them and not to give up. Instead of a bunch of highbrow hillbillies that think theyre too good to show some emotions and let our players know they have people that really care about them,and that we are not just bball fans that like to occasionaly watch football.

On the media tip,I believe we should have seperate people covering the football team.
Anyone affiliated with covering bball,should not cover football.For years its been so obvious to me that these people rarely have positive things to add and also dont seem to know much about football in general. I would like to see some former players,or at least someone who has football background and passionate about seeing our team rise to greatnesss.
For example,in my opinion Oscar Combs has NO business whatsoever,covering football.
These media people need to be held accountable, BY US,for the vibe or buzz that they create surrrounding this program.:wildcat

[heatwave13]

On the seating subject,I would love to see sections 128 to 136 to be made the student section. We need more positive, upbeat fans seated,correction,STANDING behind our bench to help keep our players UP. When momentum shifts during the course of a game,it is very important that we have fans talking to players letting them know we are behind them and not to give up. Instead of a bunch of highbrow hillbillies that think theyre too good to show some emotions and let our players know they have people that really care about them,and that we are not just bball fans that like to occasionaly watch football.



Hey, let's do it!! Many of the commonwealth crowd need to take a road trip to Tuscaloosa, LSU, or Gainesville to see what fans getting into the game is all about.

[sCATback]

The main problem is the students never freaking show up!! Besides the UofL game the student section was freaking empty. I was disappointed in the student section this year. I hope when I"m 90 I'll still be able to go to every game! The stadium at the UofL game was rocking, it should be like that every game. I'm sure it was these same "old people" at that game as the rest of them. at least the old people care enough to show up!! I think they need to do away with the student season tickets this hurts attendence in my opinion as they get all the lower arena seats where the players come out and all the seats are empty. It makes me mad everytime I look at the student section.

[catfan1967]

theyre probably tired of being just about the only ones in the entire stadium behaving like they are at a football game,instead of a church service.

sCATback wrote: The main problem is the students never freaking show up!! Besides the UofL game the student section was freaking empty. I was disappointed in the student section this year. I hope when I"m 90 I'll still be able to go to every game! The stadium at the UofL game was rocking, it should be like that every game. I'm sure it was these same "old people" at that game as the rest of them. at least the old people care enough to show up!! I think they need to do away with the student season tickets this hurts attendence in my opinion as they get all the lower arena seats where the players come out and all the seats are empty. It makes me mad everytime I look at the student section.

[boomdaddy]

There is nothing wrong with the fan baseof Big Blue. What a load of crap. A winning team is the formula that produces a raucous, rowdy, and sell out crowd. Young, old, and in between are welcome to root on the Wildcats. Take tickets away from loyal, long suffering supporters? I say a drug test should be given to those who want to initiate such irrational measures.

[catfan1967]

I say one should be given to the ones who seem to be so casual and at ease at a football game.
When I see our team looking to the stands for support only to be met with listful observers,who seem to care less about whats taking part on the field.:wildcat

boomdaddy wrote: There is nothing wrong with the fan baseof Big Blue. What a load of crap. A winning team is the formula that produces a raucous, rowdy, and sell out crowd. Young, old, and in between are welcome to root on the Wildcats. Take tickets away from loyal, long suffering supporters? I say a drug test should be given to those who want to initiate such irrational measures.

[The Old School JPS]

Commonwealth is far less dominated by the quiet old fogeys than Rupp is and the basketball team does fine. But I agree that it would be nice to have more vigorous fans at the games. Recent K Fund policy IMO makes that less likely. For years I've thought UK handles its pregame routines poorly and does little to fire up the crowd. At least they got rid of the 'two bits' cheer, but there's more they could do. A visit to most SEC stadiums makes that clear. Even when South Carolina was awful they had a stadium filled with loud, engaged fans who were in their seats at gametime and often to the bitter end and who were fired up by the pregame program and accompaniment of the team taking the field.

Few students come to UK games and even fewer stay through them. I'm not sure of a remedy for that other than winning games.

[cityoflights]

yeah, let's give all the good seats that sell for $25+ to the students for $5 andbest casethey'll actually show up and we take a $20+ haircut per seat. brilliant business move!!!:thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown

[NotFrank]

catfan1967 wrote: We need to overhaul our fanbase. And have a overhaul of the seating at Commonwealth.Also "seperate" media coverage,ie. announcers and radio hosts for football.

If you want great things for this program,this, in my opinion is where we need to start.



Welcome back Danny boy...glad to see you are still spewing the same crap.

[rickdacatkilla]

not sure what you are talking about..I was at the UofL game and was pretty impressed with the noise and the fact that your fans didn't bail at 1/2 time. I don't see where changing aradio guy or PA guyis going to help the play on the field.

[The Old School JPS]

I can't speak for the original poster and I think the crowd's effect on a team or game is very often overstated, but I think there's much UK could do to fire the crowd up more and make Commonwealth a more intense, involved fan experience.

[catfan1967]

that game was an exception to the usual experience.


rickdacatkilla wrote: not sure what you are talking about..I was at the UofL game and was pretty impressed with the noise and the fact that your fans didn't bail at 1/2 time. I don't see where changing aradio guy or PA guyis going to help the play on the field.

[WarrenSCPA]

Yeah, 50 years of football futility and it's the fan's fault. :rolleyes:

[catfan1967]

thats right,whos been here the entire time of that futility? Not coaches,players,or administration.

roll your eyes on that.



WarrenSCPA wrote: Yeah, 50 years of football futility and it's the fan's fault. :rolleyes:

[WarrenSCPA]

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[catfan1967]

wow:shock::thumbdown:cry::arrow::dmad::X:blush::to ngue/forum/images/emoticons/icon_twisted.gif:wildcat

[catfan1967]

Some people just cant come to grips with the destruction that their behaviors have caused over the years.:wildcat

[VIIBanners]

I hear ya catfan..... I swear, I can't count how many times some older dude behind me has yelled, " Sit Down!!!!!!!" It just makes me stand longer.... When it's 3rd and 5 and Cats need to hold them and I am standing and cheering.... then some booster tells me to sit down ..... during the play..... I lose hope for our team. Why even come to the game if you are just going to sit there a scrooge everyone around you who stands up for more than one play???

[poodoo]

Well as far as the fanbase goes.And please forgive me if I offend anyone.
But we have FAR too many elderly folks at games. I,myself am 38. And lord willing one day I too will be elderly.On the same token,when the day comes that I am no longer able to get out of my seat and yell and encourage our players. QUOTE

______

For the umpteenth time, I say that it is not the age of a fan that determines how much he or she stands and cheers. While I'm not "elderly," I am in my late fifties and am often the only one in my section standing and making noise while UK is playing defense. Guys in their twenties have patted me on my back and said "good job" when I'm standing and screaming and beating on the bleachers while they are mostly silent. Go figure. :(Then as someone else posted, it isyoung students who don't even come to the games unless UK iswinning games. The age of the fanbase is NOT the problem. When I become"elderly," by the way, I still plan to be standing and screaming, God-willing. :)

I agree with JPS thatUKcoulddo better in firing up the crowd with pregame (and also during the games) activities. Like JPS,I have witnessed fans at other SECschools, and we UK fans, for the most part, do notremotely approach their enthusiasm and participation (yes, even when their program is nothaving a winning year).I've also felt fans need to be better educated to how much difference it can makeby making noise on defensive possessions, causing false starts and forcing timeouts to be called by our opponents.

Regardless,the UK fanbase must still be commended for its continuously showing up for teams that are not winning games. With more winsand bettereducation and more inspiring activitiesfor the fans who show up (regardless of age!), I still think we can have something GREAT at UK. :)

[VIIBanners]

Also, being in the lower arena or lower stadium at a b-ball or f-ball game is like being at Mass. Stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down.... and if you don't abide then you are excommunicated.

It' like they strategicallyspace these rich booster guys who scrooge everyone around the stadium and hook them up with ear pieces to cue the , "SIT DOWN!".

At the Tennessee game this year my buddy scored tenth row seats from his grandparents (owned the seats since the 70's) smack in front of a 50 something scrooge. Everyone around us was telling us, "You can't stand up the whole game (we weren't standing the whole game, only a couple plays in a row here and there).... and you don't want to push that guys buttons.... he's important." I almost threw up my "Football Juice"... I don't ever want to sit lower stadium again... it was the most stale funeral I had ever been to.

[T75]

This thread is a farce---I assumed it was intended as a joke from the beginning.

Would someone name me a single program in the country with more or better fan support based on their pityful history of no history. UK's fans are the strongest part of this puny program.

Now the nature of life is that better cars cost more than poorer cars. Bigger houses in better neighborhoods cost more. So why should we complain that better stadium or arena seats cost more? Another fact of life is that since many people have gained financial success during their working life-time, most wealthy people are older. So the wealthy people can pay more and keep the best seats--even if they are old. This is not true at UK only; it's true everywhere.

I have sat in the lower deck on the 40 yd line of OSU's horseshoe many times over the last 25 years(company seats)---and you'd think everyone around you just came from Saks 5th Ave. Does that make them bad fans? Come on, get your heads out and accept that it's the wealth of the older fans that has kept our poor UK program alive, increased the stadium sizerecently, generally provided UK sports with the finest facilities going. Why be bitter or jealous when you should be appreciative?

This message brought to you by an older UK fan.:D

[TitleistUKfan7]

VIIBanners wrote: Also, being in the lower arena or lower stadium at a b-ball or f-ball game is like being at Mass. Stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down.... and if you don't abide then you are excommunicated.

It' like they strategicallyspace these rich booster guys who scrooge everyone around the stadium and hook them up with ear pieces to cue the , "SIT DOWN!".

At the Tennessee game this year my buddy scored tenth row seats from his grandparents (owned the seats since the 70's) smack in front of a 50 something scrooge. Everyone around us was telling us, "You can't stand up the whole game (we weren't standing the whole game, only a couple plays in a row here and there).... and you don't want to push that guys buttons.... he's important." I almost threw up my "Football Juice"... I don't ever want to sit lower stadium again... it was the most stale funeral I had ever been to.



One of my friends and I have season tickets in the endzone and let me tell you, there was NOBODY that ever told us to sit down for any reason. But we stood up when a big play happened or perhaps a 3rd down stop, something like that.

I've gota question VIIBanners, the people that were telling you to sit down and that these boosters are the ones that you do not want to make upset, what could they have done to you? My friend and I never had that happen to us but if it would have, that would havepissed me off and I might have just stood the entire game just out of spite. :D

[johnkyblue]

My Dad got our seats where they are so we could stand the whole game.

[catfan1967]

This is not about the haves and the have nots.This about the people,young and old who go to games and sit with their arms crossed and piss and moan to everyone around them about how we`ll never be any good.And trounce on anyone standing showing enthusiasm to try to help us win.The only thing Im bitter about,is fans like yourself who seem to have no trouble describing our team as,quote,pityful and puny.
If this is how you feel,why even be a part of something so worthless as you describe?

Ive been to OSU games before myself.As a matter of fact my great uncle used to be head coach of Ohio St. I guarantee you this.Your friends that look like they came from Saks,dont sit on their rear ends the whole game and complain about another fan in front of them standing and showing emotion to try to help the Buckeyes win.

You people have had it your way long enough,and it doesnt work anyway,so no big loss.
Just like rupp told some big money fans when he wanted to bring black players in,and they told him they were going to give up their tickets.

He said "Give em back! If thats how your going to act,I dont want you at the games."
And I believe the same applies here. Hell, the players have said it too,if you cant get up and support this team right,then they dont want you at Commonwealth.:wildcat



T75 wrote: This thread is a farce---I assumed it was intended as a joke from the beginning.

Would someone name me a single program in the country with more or better fan support based on their pityful history of no history. UK's fans are the strongest part of this puny program.

Now the nature of life is that better cars cost more than poorer cars. Bigger houses in better neighborhoods cost more. So why should we complain that better stadium or arena seats cost more? Another fact of life is that since many people have gained financial success during their working life-time, most wealthy people are older. So the wealthy people can pay more and keep the best seats--even if they are old. This is not true at UK only; it's true everywhere.

I have sat in the lower deck on the 40 yd line of OSU's horseshoe many times over the last 25 years(company seats)---and you'd think everyone around you just came from Saks 5th Ave. Does that make them bad fans? Come on, get your heads out and accept that it's the wealth of the older fans that has kept our poor UK program alive, increased the stadium sizerecently, generally provided UK sports with the finest facilities going. Why be bitter or jealous when you should be appreciative?

This message brought to you by an older UK fan.:D

[catfan1967]

I know exactly what you felt banners,and even though you`re promoting bball with your username. I wont hold that against you,Ive come to the realization,it will take a while before this culture change takes effect.

Once our fans wake up and realize,the SEC is a FOOTBALL conf. And other schools in the conf. dont care about bball as much. Is it any wonder we have 46 SEC bball titles?Not a huge feat in my book.



VIIBanners wrote: Also, being in the lower arena or lower stadium at a b-ball or f-ball game is like being at Mass. Stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down.... and if you don't abide then you are excommunicated.

It' like they strategicallyspace these rich booster guys who scrooge everyone around the stadium and hook them up with ear pieces to cue the , "SIT DOWN!".

At the Tennessee game this year my buddy scored tenth row seats from his grandparents (owned the seats since the 70's) smack in front of a 50 something scrooge. Everyone around us was telling us, "You can't stand up the whole game (we weren't standing the whole game, only a couple plays in a row here and there).... and you don't want to push that guys buttons.... he's important." I almost threw up my "Football Juice"... I don't ever want to sit lower stadium again... it was the most stale funeral I had ever been to.

[johnkyblue]

If you are mad about what 67 says then prove he is wrong in the stadium. Prove to him that our fans are perfect and need no improvement.

[WestTexCatFan]

It's unbeliveable, yet again I am excited and can't wait for next year. I have already told six stories which start with the phrase "wait until you see Kentucky next year". Unbeliveable.

[catfan1967]

WestTexCatFan wrote: It's unbeliveable, yet again I am excited and can't wait for next year. I have already told six stories which start with the phrase "wait until you see Kentucky next year". Unbeliveable.Shoot wait till fall.

[UedK]

Our fans could stand a whole lot of improvement, same with our football team.

If the sole premise of this thread is to identify the'older' crowd that occupies some of the lower level and some of the prime upper level seats as the problem with the level of excitement at Commonwealth the thinking is too narrow and therefore off base. These folks make up only a small segment of the entire crowd. I sat next to Lee Todd during the 13-7 loss to SC a couple of years ago and I must say he was one 'old foggy' that yelled his tail off for 60 minutes. I sat in the K-Men section for two years - it was the deadest place in the stadium, I moved because I was a pest to them with my constant enthusiasm.

When the team rocks the entire stadium rocks. It's part chicken and egg. At one game last year (Can't remember which one, maybe UT) I remember that things were not going our way and the entire crowd tried to will better things to happen, it was a kind of rare event that the team responded to with greater effort, but to no avail.

Could the crowd have done more at the seven overtime Arkansas game, or the overtime Bama win years ago? I don't think so.

I sit in the upper deck, 20 yard line, a few rows from the rail. At every game there are many, many young people who come in, socialize and sometimes look at me in amazement because this 56 year old is so loud. By the way, I can out yell anyone I know sitting down. I seem to be the one who starts the standing in our section when the action warrants it. I've been there for a while so most know me and follow right along. But I don't stand 100% of the time, I stand when the action is timely. I believe this actually gives the standing more impact.

As others have said above, the student section is pitiful, no-shows and late arrivals are their hallmark. If you say the students will respond if the overall team/show/atmosphere were better the same would and should hold true for any group that can be categorized.

I have been going to these games since Stoll Field as a student in theearly seventies and the more that things change the more they stay the same. Give us a team that rocks and the team will have a stadium that rocks. It was not too long ago that Artoose and company had Commonwealth Stadium shaking to it's foundation.

It's not 100% the team, nor 100% the crowd who can pull the other along. Keep standing when the time is right and keep yelling all the time. The team is on it's way up and you will see the crowd follow.

[TrueblueCATfan]

HUH.........stupid post of the year.......how do you over haul a fanbase.......Kentucky has the BEST fanbase in the country..and that is a Fact.......

[T75]

KapitalCat wrote: Ahhh, catfan is back :). We need to win football games period. I think that will happen next year.


I too think it will happen next year, or this year or whatever we call our upcoming football season. A winning season. in which we play competitively with the top teams as well as beat those that we know we can, is all the correction we need.

When things are going great we regular whiners turn nicey nicey and the rose colored glasses group just stay on tune and we all sing the same song.