No Spring Game and the long await to the season opener, I thought I'd spice things up. Symptoms - low attendance at the A-Day game, Students not filling the student section, more aggressive posts on opposing team's blogs. Are fans beginning to feel complacent? Are fans beginning to feel that championships are inevitable?
Complacency - Are Tide fans beginning to show
- Thread starter RTRCharlotte
- Start date
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I just got back from Disney World so I didn't see the spring game but, I swear I heard a report that said there were 65,000 in attendance. If that is true then I have to say that is pretty dang good for a scrimmage; no, it's not packed but, it's a whole lot more then Shula ever got to show up. Basically, I disagree.
The student section is not full because the school reserves to many seats for the students, more then the demand. Yes, all the student tickets get bought but attendance figures show that about the same number show up every week for years now. I think the University should convert the upper deck student section back into regular tickets or Tide Pride seats.
I just got back from Disney World so I didn't see the spring game but, I swear I heard a report that said there were 65,000 in attendance. If that is true then I have to say that is pretty dang good for a scrimmage; no, it's not packed but, it's a whole lot more then Shula ever got to show up. Basically, I disagree.
The student section is not full because the school reserves to many seats for the students, more then the demand. Yes, all the student tickets get bought but attendance figures show that about the same number show up every week for years now. I think the University should convert the upper deck student section back into regular tickets or Tide Pride seats.
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are you developing so much apathy that you planned some other event during the A Day weekend?????
seriously, 78K for A day is a pretty good turnout. I dont see that our fan support is suffering in the least.
A few points:
(1) 78,000 is a lot of people showing up to watch us play a relatively meaningless practice against ourselves.
(2) Complacency and entitlement will naturally be an issue in the fan base (heck, it was at UA even before we went on this big tear), but concern for those shortcomings are when you see them between the sidelines, not in the bleachers.
(3) Poor student attendance has been a problem for ages. The underlying driving factors behind it go well beyond fan base complacency.
(1) 78,000 is a lot of people showing up to watch us play a relatively meaningless practice against ourselves.
(2) Complacency and entitlement will naturally be an issue in the fan base (heck, it was at UA even before we went on this big tear), but concern for those shortcomings are when you see them between the sidelines, not in the bleachers.
(3) Poor student attendance has been a problem for ages. The underlying driving factors behind it go well beyond fan base complacency.
I have been to every A-Day game since 2009 I think. I had absolutely no interest in football before 2007, but decided to watch some games that season and got hooked, so I am a newer tide fan, else I would have gone to a lot more of them. I also try to attend at least one game per year, so I can't say that I am complacent. I would go to them all if I could.
As for others (non-students), you have to keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that go into whether or not they attend a scrimmage game or other games, such as:
1) Not everyone has a job that they get weekends off of.
2) Not everyone has enough financial stability to afford the gas or flight that a trip to T-Town would cost.
3) Some people may have other obligations that they must attend to than a football game (weird I know, but it happens).
As for the students not filling up their sections during the games, I am with others that say the upper deck should be converted to Tide Pride seats. Unless the students are anti-social or really like space, they are going to try and get into the lower bowl to be in the student atmosphere. It wouldn't surprise me at all if some students decide to leave if they find out they are going to have to sit up top. It could also be that a lot of students have other obligations as well such as tests to study for. It's easy to forget that they are in college for something other than filling up the student section at BDS, but it's true. Frat boys also tend to leave early, so that they can go party. Perhaps they should be forced to sit up top if the seats are going to only be for students.
As for others (non-students), you have to keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that go into whether or not they attend a scrimmage game or other games, such as:
1) Not everyone has a job that they get weekends off of.
2) Not everyone has enough financial stability to afford the gas or flight that a trip to T-Town would cost.
3) Some people may have other obligations that they must attend to than a football game (weird I know, but it happens).
As for the students not filling up their sections during the games, I am with others that say the upper deck should be converted to Tide Pride seats. Unless the students are anti-social or really like space, they are going to try and get into the lower bowl to be in the student atmosphere. It wouldn't surprise me at all if some students decide to leave if they find out they are going to have to sit up top. It could also be that a lot of students have other obligations as well such as tests to study for. It's easy to forget that they are in college for something other than filling up the student section at BDS, but it's true. Frat boys also tend to leave early, so that they can go party. Perhaps they should be forced to sit up top if the seats are going to only be for students.
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Unfortunately for a lot of folks life happens and circumstances far more important than a scrimmage game takes precedence.
Well, so far all I've had to do is show up. The team won championships without requiring me to break a sweat. It's the advantage of being a fan; no one is going to kick you off the team or make you ride the bench if you simply expect championships. Feel free to agonize, however...
I am 35 years old and savor every victory like the last bite of the best steak I have ever eaten. I know this ride won't last, it's gone farther and faster than I could've imagined when Saban was hired. I don't expect, or demand championships. I never thought I would get to see another championship post 1992, much less be living through one of the greatest runs in college football history. There are many who feel the same as I do. So to answer the question, no I'm not complacent.
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This.
I know a lot of folks who, like me, used to go. Now we are working 2 jobs to make ends meet and always have to work weekends. Stuff happens. 78,000 is pretty good.
1) Football is a fall sport, even in Alabama
2) Hard to get up for a meaningless scrimmage among not in their peak shape or performance youngsters
3) Folks won't make long distance drives from hundreds of miles for a scrimmage; they save that gas money for the fall
4) The game is now televised. 78,000 for a meaningless televised exhibition in a city the size of T-Town is excellent
5) college students who would go are prepping for finals
6) Proms take up a lot of spring weekends for parents
7) baseball just began and the games count
8) Other spring sports occupy Tide fans minds and time (baseball, softball, skiing)
9) Traffic on here is down too - it'll pick up in August
2) Hard to get up for a meaningless scrimmage among not in their peak shape or performance youngsters
3) Folks won't make long distance drives from hundreds of miles for a scrimmage; they save that gas money for the fall
4) The game is now televised. 78,000 for a meaningless televised exhibition in a city the size of T-Town is excellent
5) college students who would go are prepping for finals
6) Proms take up a lot of spring weekends for parents
7) baseball just began and the games count
8) Other spring sports occupy Tide fans minds and time (baseball, softball, skiing)
9) Traffic on here is down too - it'll pick up in August
I keep seeing this, but it's not true.
I mean, relatively... that's kind of like saying most SEC games are relatively meaningless I guess. Saban said it makes a difference in recruiting. That means it matters. Anyone saying it doesn't matter, isn't being truthful. It matters for the players, the coaches, and the recruits.
I'd say 78k with the game on TV and little league in full swing on a gorgeous Saturday is good. Once again we pulled the biggest crowd for spring football...you can't count the world's largest toilet paper gathering as a real football crowd 
It matters. Just not much in the grand scheme. It's still just a scrimmage with added hype.
I don't really see any reason to worry about complacency based solely on A-Day attendance (that's still a great crowd). People can't make it every year, and the reason we usually sell out is we expect to see something drastically different than the previous season (see 2007 and AU's A-Day). As far as student complacency, that's going to happen much more as now more than 50% of the students are out of state. The schools with the best student support are those that have mostly instate students who grew up diehard fans. We don't have that as much (I think UGA's having the same issue. They're school is HUGE but they're student section is tiny!)
I don't know what fan complacency is. I've been following Bama for at least 53 years and I care as much about them as I always have. Our fan base expanded even during the bad times so I don't see it dropping off just because we're doing well.
When I was a student there in the early 70's I went to all the home games and a couple of away games my freshman and sophomore years but rarely was able to attend one my junior and senior years. Whether that explains the low student attendance I don't know but the further along you get in school the courses do get harder and the free time a lot less.
When I was a student there in the early 70's I went to all the home games and a couple of away games my freshman and sophomore years but rarely was able to attend one my junior and senior years. Whether that explains the low student attendance I don't know but the further along you get in school the courses do get harder and the free time a lot less.
It's seems THE measuring stick for complacency is the attendance to the spring game.
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