re: Mizzou Baseball Attendance

quote:

---

This is such a ridiculous argument... Starkville and Oxford do it with total populations of 40-50k...

---

Both with charter members of a conference that cares about baseball.

Sorry we weren't playing SEC baseball as long as them.

quote:

---

If you think for a second that a lack of MLB teams in most SEC states doesn't contribute to college baseball popularity then you're just kidding yourself.

---

And the distance to the nearest MLB team does seem to have some relation to popularity of SEC baseball.

quote:

---

Most of the people who attend SEC and A&M baseball games from my experience live within 5 minutes of the stadium. They are big events for the students because its an excuse to get shitfaced and tailgate in the spring

---

And we don't have that. Like I said, give it some time. if we could develop a "We never lose a party" atmosphere at Simmons Field that would be awesome. It just takes time.

Stuff like this makes me wish I was still in Columbia. That being said, I've got a better shot of taking the Mrs. to a AAA baseball game here than a UNLV game, so who knows.

quote:

---

Apparently you've never been to Busch Stadium.. You know, baseball heaven.

And we do have small independent minor league teams in the metro area that you can get the nice little atmosphere, if desired.

---

You've never been to Dudy Noble or Swayze Field and partied in the outfield either -- or any of the other SEC baseball venues for that matter(and I'd love for you to come experience it)...

FWIW, I've been to Busch, Wrigley, old Yankee Stadium, Turner, Fulton County, Camden Yards, Astrodome, Rangers @ Arlington, Minute Maid, US Cellular, Comiskey, Fenway, Kauffman and I'm sure others that I'm forgetting. I've been to most of the parks in the Carolina League and a few in the Southern League. I'm pretty well-versed in the culture of most of MLB and MiLB...

The difference between those atmospheres and the college atmospheres is night and day. I love them both, don't get me wrong(that's why I go back). But it's literally like using the excuse that no one goes to your college football games because the pro teams are in the area. It's THAT important to the spring culture in the SEC.

Again, I pass right by a AA stadium on my way to Starkville and Oxford on the weekends -- and 10k+(combined) in the Jackson area do the same thing. Actual attendance is triple at the college games vs the AA affilliate. Hell, the biggest games at the park are the college games held there...

My drive to Oxford puts me just a shade below halfway to Arlington, Atlanta, or Houston -- and almost 40% of the way to St. Louis. I make multiple trips to Busch and Turner every year -- along with at least 1-2 series at Swayze and 3-4 series @ DNF. And by "fan experience", they might as well be entirely different sports...

quote:

---

Hell, the biggest games at the park ARE the college games held there...

---

In all my time here on the rant, through all the arguments about why we don't fit in, this point is the first that made me feel like we were actually different.

I just don't get it.

ETA: If the 10K+ people in Jackson started tailgating in the minor league park's parking lot they'd have similar experiences, and likely see better baseball.

What's UGA avg attendance. They're not far from atlanta. I'm sure they avg 7000 per game. Come on mizzou get your shite together!

quote:

---

Nothing like the BBQ going...smoke rolling on to the outfield....eye candy hanging on the deck....apple pie flowing on a great weather day.

---

And that's it. It's an experience.

Let's be honest, baseball is kinda boring. I'm a baseball fan and I can admit that. I go to games to enjoy the experience. I go to football games to watch the game and have an experience. Basketball games are just the game.

Mizzou doesn't have that experience. We'll get it going, but it's a matter of getting the students involved more than anything else.

That's what I'm getting. It's a habit that was developed by being a student and attending the game like it was a party or a kickback. Getting the students involved is key.

I guess my entire question was why do alumni show up? It's been answered by the fact that they enjoy the whole experience, but I don't get why you'd drive past a minor league park that's a lot closer and just set your BBQ up in the parking lot and develop a tailgating scene there where there's (generally) better baseball.

quote:

---

while the same amount of excess would easily run you $150 at the average MiLB park...

---

And wouldn't be half the quality at a MLB park compared to grilled food at Dudy Noble.

quote:

---

Pretty bad analogy because so many factors aren't considered.

People aren't going to drive 2 hours into Como to watch baseball in chilly weather, especially when the real deal is a month away.

We fill our football and basketball stadiums. Some of you are too obsessed with baseball attendance.

---

I've been to LSU basketball games with under 5,000 people. The metro area of Baton Rouge is over 500,000. Why don't they support basketball? Hey I can name a lot of SEC schools that have bad attendance in basketball, the 2nd most popular college sport in the country. Look at the ratings for the NCAA tournament, games on TV every week, etc.

Now on the other hand Mizzou packs their basketball arena over 10,000+ and the team "sucks", never been to a Final 4, etc, nobody talks shite on their basketball attendance. College baseball attendance smack talk, seriously. What are the ratings for the CWS compared to the Final 4??

And I for a fact know Mizzou doesn't have A LOT of "subway" alumni. The people that usually root for Mizzou actually went to school there at one point or another. That's why their endowment is in the top half of the SEC. Schools with the lowest endowments usually have more "fans" than alum. A fact!!!