No BLVD for 10/31 -- They don't get it

[jtstang]

No.

[PhirePhilBennett]

A national TV home game should be a great showcase for the University. It's chance for SMU to show that it's a good place to come to school. It's a chance for SMU to show to Dallas that it is DALLAS' college football team.

Imagine my shock and disappointment that, after a great win for the program, I see a flyer attached to my vehicle that the Boulevard will not open until 3:30 on the next home date. How unfortunate.

Mr. Orsini wants our program to act like a Champion. Flyers on windshields are not championship actions. Shutting down the lynchpin to your gameday experience without much notice is not a championship action. Screwing the people that pay your bills are not championship actions.

I fully understand that 10/31 is a school day and the university is in business to educate students. But I dare say the Ole Miss wouldn't shut down the Grove or Duke wouldn't shut down Kryzewski-ville because the game is on a school day.

A lot of people scheduled vacation time weeks ago. If SMU was going to shut down the boulevard, they should have announced it at the beginning of the season or with a letter in my season ticket package....not with a chicken-s flyer on my car when I'm in their game.

I'm a season ticket holder in two sports, a donor to the Mustang Club, the Mustang Band, the Engineering school, and the general University fund. My name's not Ford or Dedman, but I give what can. I've missed one home game since 1991.

Actions like these say to me that SMU does not really want my support any more.

Why should I bother? Some tell me why I should....

Neither Duke nor Ol'Miss would have a Tuesday night game...so your point is moot.

[PhirePhilBennett]

I think UAB will be surprisingly well attended for at least teh first half...national television draws a crowd.

Ah...no it doesn't.

In fact, most of these early start games during the weekday are very sparsely attended. It is extrememly difficult to have people who work attend these games, and impossible for the few thousand that live outside of the immediate 50 mile radius to even attend.

It will not be offset by the freshman/soph's who live on campus.

I predict 10,000 maybe for this game.

[PhirePhilBennett]

I think UAB will be surprisingly well attended for at least teh first half...national television draws a crowd.

Doubtful. I remember going to a national tv game on a weeknight a few years at the Cotton Bowl, against TCU as I recall, where the blimp hovered low in front of the stadium so it could show the Cotton Bowl facade and would not have to show the non-existent "crowd".

If we took a full house at Ford to the Cotton Bowl it would still look empty (and decrepit, but that's another story). I think we'll draw 20-23k for the game, with around 12-14k in the stands by the end of the game win or lose.

10-11k maybe.

[westexSMU]

[quote="jtstang"]No.[/quote].................What is the matter jstang ? Your Mustangs are winning and alot of FUN to watch. You and all other negative SMU fans need to get off your a.. and show up YELL LOUD and ENJOY yourselves because this Team is SPECIAL. If you have not seen them the last three games at home it is EXCITING. If you or other fans refuse to support the program now because you can't seperate past teams from this one than, maybe you all are really froggies and don't realize it ?

[jtstang]

No.

.................What is the matter jstang ? Your Mustangs are winning and alot of FUN to watch. You and all other negative SMU fans need to get off your a.. and show up YELL LOUD and ENJOY yourselves because this Team is SPECIAL. If you have not seen them the last three games at home it is EXCITING. If you or other fans refuse to support the program now because you can't seperate past teams from this one than, maybe you all are really froggies and don't realize it ?

First of all, do not confuse having no expectations with being negative. I hope this team wins every time out. Second, I have been to all of the home games so far this season and one away game. How many road trips have you made to watch this "special" team play at somebody else's house? Finally, my wife and I are taking her 6 year old daughter to trick or treat with one of her friends on halloween night and as amazing as I am I cannot be two places at one time.

[DiamondM]

I'm not sure I understand the uproar. The Blvd. usually opens four hours before the game. This one opens three hours before. It's one hour! What's the big deal? And, BTW, the headline of this thread is totally misleading. I thought maybe you had some inside info that they really were shutting it down.

Just because you and about half the people there don't show up before 4 hours before kickoff doesn't not mean it doesn't "open" until then. It is open all day of a game day per mailings that went out to Boulevard pass holders and the website rules. And some of actually take advantage of it.

[Stallion]

I'd say approximately 7,500 people in the stands. A percentage of families with kids will choose other Halloween activities. A large percentage of out of town fans will not be able to attend.Promotion of this game seems non-existent. Probably about 100 UAB fans.

[westexSMU]

All of the SMU games I attend are several hundred miles away and I have made Two Road Games this year at tech & ntsu. I commend you taking your child trick or treating. It was just your plain answer of " NO " to the question asked whether or not you would attend the game indicated a lack of interest.

[MrMustang1965]

Finally, my wife and I are taking her 6 year old daughter to trick or treat with one of her friends on halloween night and as amazing as I am I cannot be two places at one time.

Isn't she your daughter, too? Or stepdaughter?

[CalallenStang]

I won't be there...I have school on Tuesday and Wednesday and cannot work in a 400 mile drive in there. However, I will be hosting a party to watch the game with a few friends who are also considering SMU.

[ponyup10]

students will be there...anyone with a night class that they can afford to miss is going to miss it

and the blvd. is open for 3 hours...thats plenty of time to have a good time and display the "attractions" of SMU

—if people would have gone to a saturday night game against UAB they will go to a Tuesday night game—

plus its a 6:30 game, thats an hour and a half after a 5 o'clock business day to get to SMU...which is right off a major highway

[RGV Pony]

I think UAB will be surprisingly well attended for at least teh first half...national television draws a crowd.

Doubtful. I remember going to a national tv game on a weeknight a few years at the Cotton Bowl, against TCU as I recall, where the blimp hovered low in front of the stadium so it could show the Cotton Bowl facade and would not have to show the non-existent "crowd".

was that a really cold, rainy game? I think I was there.

[Stallion]

it was Fresno St-and the attendance was approximately 4,500.

[MrMustang1965]

...which is right off a major highway

Although you wouldn't know it since there's only one sign indicating SMU's location from the north and one sign indicating SMU's location from the south on Hwy. 75 (Central Expressway).