A&M AD blasts basketball fans
Posted: Thursday December 13, 2007 07:32AM ET
New men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon said in October he couldn't wait to embrace the passionate Texas A&M fan base. He's still waiting, apparently. Using every ounce of political correctness he could muster, Turgeon wondered aloud last week why A&M fans weren't flocking to Reed Arena to see the 14th-ranked Aggies. The team draws an average of 9,098 fans to the 12,500-seat facility. A&M athletic director Bill Byrne was blunt in his weekly column posted on the school's Web site on Wednesday. He blasted the fans. "I could understand why our attendance was lousy when our teams were lousy," Byrne wrote. "Aggies, we are good. And our attendance at nonconference games is not where it should be especially when you compare us to some of our opponents in similar communities like Manhattan, Kan.; Lincoln, Neb.; Ames, Iowa; and Stillwater, Okla."
Mark Turgeon , AP
Comments (14)
This genuinely is a mystery, given the grand and glorious tradition that is Texas A & M basketball, and sacred heritage that is college basketball in the State of Texas.
Brad Wesley | 12/13/07, 09:52 AM
Report Offensive CommentFans are fickled
Wa2Sea | 12/13/07, 11:00 AM
Report Offensive CommentI thought Texas A&M and all there goofy fake Cadets were supposed to be the best and most loyal fans in the nation??? With all their hand waving and silly chants and what not, I would think they would be packing that place up. Maybe they are boycotting all sports until they get a good football coach...
B Low | 12/13/07, 12:10 PM
Report Offensive CommentA&M could care less about a basketball game, unless it's against Texas.
D. SLIQ | 12/13/07, 12:58 PM
Report Offensive CommentDUDE you are in TEXAS!!!!!!!! First is Football, then Football, then football, band & cheerleading (coz we need entertain at the football games) and THEN everything else
MrMykel_Angelo | 12/13/07, 02:16 PM
Report Offensive CommentPreach on MrMykel
THE TRUTH | 12/13/07, 03:09 PM
Report Offensive CommentTimes are tough. It cost a lot of money to sit in the cheap seats.
This is a business. How much is the coach making? How much did the arena cost? What does it cost just to buy the right to buy a decent seat? How about a $4 soft drink and a $6 hot dog? How much to park within a couple of miles of the arena? How much to join the athletic club so you can get that playoff ticket you want? How much do you have to donate when they constantly hit you up to support the school in order to be a loyal fan. How much to get that newsletter so you can bet on the team?" Come on, this is an Aggie joke, right?
Weakkneed | 12/14/07, 12:32 AM
Report Offensive CommentNo, they are not filing it up...yet. Last year the Ags averaged about 2,000 LESS at this point. Also, last year they only averaged 800 more total than they are averaging in non-conference. The crowds will fill in for conference. This is not a great trend, but Ag basketball is still growing. IF they can be this good for 5+ years with some deep tourny runs then the crowds will overflow most games.
micd | 12/14/07, 12:50 AM
Report Offensive Commentconsidering the students have spent the last few weeks with professors cramming in tests and then finals just ended Wednesday I would say we have had other things on our minds besides basketball. When spring semester begins we will be there in force.
jayrod | 12/14/07, 01:00 AM
Report Offensive Commentthe first 5 rows of the upper deck have an obstructed view because of the railing. Subtract those from the total. Plus no team, including my alma mater North Carolina packs out non-conference games against nobodys like Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Coach and AD need to be less insulting and more positive.
Sellouts don't happen overnight. How many thousands more season tickets have been sold the past two years? (answer: several) Work on making every seat a season ticket and then attendance doesn't matter. The students are plenty rowdy to make it a fun atmosphere.
pee_august | 12/14/07, 12:40 PM
Report Offensive CommentPart of the problem here is dollar bill, the athletic director. Since he came seat licenses have increased, they charge for programs and parking, and ticket prices have esculated. Add in costs for a hot dog and drink and going to a game with family can turn into an expensive venture. My wife and I have season tickets, but it is a tough decision each year to pony up the money. During the holidays, A&M creates a fire sale on men's and women's tickets. Next year we are considering dumping the season tickets and paying by the game...it will be cheaper.
PAW | 12/15/07, 05:00 PM
Report Offensive CommentStudents do sometimes have to study, and yes, A&M doesn't have wrestling like Ok State and a few other BIg 12 Uni's which is heavily supported so I supposed the AD is right......you Aggie fans suck, heh heh.
rhymeister | 12/15/07, 09:27 PM
Report Offensive CommentBrad, have you thrown a rod?
Sacred heritage of college basketball in Texas?
Most people in El Paso vaguely remember hearing about UTEP upsetting Kentucky.
They damn sure don't remember UTEP being called Texas Western.
Space Ace | 12/18/07, 12:14 PM
Report Offensive CommentI went to the Alabama A&M game back in 2004 when Antoine Wright was still around (and of course Joseph Jones and Acie Law). It's really no wonder that Reed is empty during non-conference, especially with the cupcakes that the Ags play before the new year.
So, Mr. Byrne, schedule some better opponents for your College Station games, and you'll fill your arena. Nobody cares about a 20-point drubbing of a Joe Bob State or whatever the hell -- at least not in the 4th year of Aggie basketball being worth a damn.
d minus | 01/02/08, 05:44 PM
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