Great opportunity for SLU

[Slu let the dogs out?]

Sorry if this topic has already been broached but now that the NFL is gone from St. Louis (if you even want to consider the Rams an NFL team) and the increasing likelihood that the Cardinals will have to completely overhaul their roster over the next 3-5 years...this seems like a tremendous opportunity for Ford and the Billikens to move up to the chain and take center stage in St. Louis. I've talked with 5 or 6 friends (half of which didn't even attend SLU) that are considering buying season tickets next year and beyond. Thoughts?

[SShoe]

No doubt.  Not to mention the struggles of Mizzou and Illinois, which may be even more beneficial to the program. 

[BillsNBrews1818]

Do people outside of the SLU community get the feeling that the fever is catching? I am stoked, but I am a SLU grad and my parents started taking me to games before I could remember them. I have a hard time figuring out if new fans are being attracted to the program. 

[hsmith19]

23 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

...the increasing likelihood that the Cardinals will have to completely overhaul their roster over the next 3-5 years...

I really don't think this will be necessary. But even if it was, I don't see Billiken basketball and Cardinal baseball ever competing in any direct sense. The seasons don't overlap, and the Cardinal fan base is about as entrenched as any fan base ever could be. No more Rams definitely opens up some opportunity to get more casual sports fan attention over the winter, but I think we Billiken diehards tend to exaggerate even that.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

4 minutes ago, BillsNBrews1818 said:

Do people outside of the SLU community get the feeling that the fever is catching? I am stoked, but I am a SLU grad and my parents started taking me to games before I could remember them. I have a hard time figuring out if new fans are being attracted to the program. 

When you say people outside the SLU community, do you mean people without ties to SLU that live in STL or in general? I will say that 2 of my friends that live in STL with no ties to SLU (one is a KU grad and the other a UK grad) both love what Ford is doing and are excited to attend games. I think if you're a fan of basketball and live in St. Louis, you have to be excited. 

[Slu let the dogs out?]

4 minutes ago, hsmith19 said:

I really don't think this will be necessary. But even if it was, I don't see Billiken basketball and Cardinal baseball ever competing in any direct sense. The seasons don't overlap, and the Cardinal fan base is about as entrenched as any fan base ever could be. No more Rams definitely opens up some opportunity to get more casual sports fan attention over the winter, but I think we Billiken diehards tend to exaggerate even that.

I didn't necessarily mean competing because as you said, their seasons don't overlap. The Cardinals will always be #1 in STL but it's going to be a long couple of years for the Cardinals (we clearly have different opinions on this) and I think SLU has the opportunity to increase their exposure significantly. Chaifetz was rocking just 3 years ago but you still never got the sense that the STL community was behind them. I think bringing in highly touted prospects not only gets the media talking but it increases our chances of producing highly entertaining teams. Entertaining basketball is something that has been missing in STL for a long time. Don't get me wrong....defense and high percentage shots can be fun to watch (sometimes) but what Ford is doing is on a whole other level.

[Cowboy]

-be careful on these definitive statements about the Cardinals and their level of support, a bit of losing and other factors an we'll see what attendance does, are they in an enviable position? certainly, can it change? yep

-there is an opportunity for SLU basketball to garner more support and I think the style of play CFord describes as what he wants would make the product attractive to more folks, time will tell but I am excited for tomorrow's exhibition game to experience the new air in Chaifetz Arena - out with the old and in with the new

[RUBillsFan]

FWIW I had a Mizzou grad who I think has only been to a handful of SLU games during the Chaifetz era mention trying to go to more SLU games in the future.  This was in the context of discussing the Gordon signing, so I think getting stellar recruits who also happen to be local will be a huge boon.

[BillsNBrews1818]

8 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

Chaifetz was rocking just 3 years ago but you still never got the sense that the STL community was behind them. I think bringing in highly touted prospects not only gets the media talking but it increases our chances of producing highly entertaining teams. Entertaining basketball is something that has been missing in STL for a long time. Don't get me wrong....defense and high percentage shots can be fun to watch (sometimes) but what Ford is doing is on a whole other level.

This is basically what I was referring to. In a way, just winning didn't seem like enough (granted if we would have kept winning things would have likely changed). I have been very excited about how engaging Ford has been publicly almost as much as his incredible recruiting. I am just curious how people without ties to SLU (other than living in St. Louis) are responding to the Ford era. From what you're saying, it sounds like they're responding well. 

[Slu let the dogs out?]

30 minutes ago, Cowboy said:

-be careful on these definitive statements about the Cardinals and their level of support, a bit of losing and other factors an we'll see what attendance does, are they in an enviable position? certainly, can it change? yep

-there is an opportunity for SLU basketball to garner more support and I think the style of play CFord describes as what he wants would make the product attractive to more folks, time will tell but I am excited for tomorrow's exhibition game to experience the new air in Chaifetz Arena - out with the old and in with the new

Again, I'm not suggesting that Cardinals attendance will drop. Families from surrounding states ensure that 3+ million walk through the turnstiles year in and year out. Maybe it's just me but I don't see much to get excited about with the Cardinals over the next 3 years.

[RUBillsFan]

I'd also note that OSU fans like to rip on Ford for attendance decline during his tenure:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/is-this-the-end-if-the-big-tournament-is-it/article_153547ab-d346-56c2-af81-18d9025f49af.html

I've said this before but, Ford stepped into a situation at OSU where IMO no matter what attendance would have gone down.

I think he may be is stepping into the opposite situation at SLU

[Slu let the dogs out?]

6 minutes ago, RUBillsFan said:

I'd also note that OSU fans like to rip on Ford for attendance decline during his tenure:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/osusportsextra/is-this-the-end-if-the-big-tournament-is-it/article_153547ab-d346-56c2-af81-18d9025f49af.html

I've said this before but, Ford stepped into a situation at OSU where IMO no matter what attendance would have gone down.

I think he may be is stepping into the opposite situation at SLU

I agree. Let's be honest, OSU is in a tough conference but also a conference where football comes first (outside of Lawrence).

[RUBillsFan]

6 minutes ago, BillsNBrews1818 said:

This is basically what I was referring to. In a way, just winning didn't seem like enough (granted if we would have kept winning things would have likely changed). I have been very excited about how engaging Ford has been publicly almost as much as his incredible recruiting. I am just curious how people without ties to SLU (other than living in St. Louis) are responding to the Ford era. From what you're saying, it sounds like they're responding well. 

I wonder if part of this isn't that Majerus seemed solely focused on basketball.  He seemed to put everything he had into teaching/coaching his players and had little regard for playing the media game, promoting the program in a larger sense, etc.  Prime example is the ill-fated Majerus radio show.  Crews was sort of the same way, he didn't sell the program to fans very well (plus his teams were awful).  Travis Ford seems to be the consummate salesman in all aspects.  If SLU can have the same level of success as 3-5 years ago, I'd wager that casual St. Louis sports fans will buy in more.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

13 minutes ago, BillsNBrews1818 said:

This is basically what I was referring to. In a way, just winning didn't seem like enough (granted if we would have kept winning things would have likely changed). I have been very excited about how engaging Ford has been publicly almost as much as his incredible recruiting. I am just curious how people without ties to SLU (other than living in St. Louis) are responding to the Ford era. From what you're saying, it sounds like they're responding well. 

Yes, several of my friends are excited about SLU basketball and they didn't even attend SLU. In fact, my UK friend asked about season tickets and I told him we could get some for around $400 a seat. His response, "F that, let's get better ones!"

[hsmith19]

1 hour ago, Cowboy said:

-be careful on these definitive statements about the Cardinals and their level of support, a bit of losing and other factors an we'll see what attendance does, are they in an enviable position? certainly, can it change? yep

A down season for the Cardinals would mean 2.8 or 2.9 million fans as opposed to 3.4 or 3.5. Even in the dark days of the mid '90s they were still in the middle of the pack in attendance. I never said their support will be "unchanging," but they're always going to operate in a different universe from Billiken basketball. Even if the Cardinals were to lose 100 games (which hasn't happened since 1908), the A-10 basketball offseason is never going to make a dent in the coverage and attention they get in St. Louis over the spring and summer.

[BilliKat]

Though I've had to move to the country out in Illinois ?.... for 99$ season tickets, I'll trek my fiancé and newborn to a couple games and entice some new fans out of friends who've never been to take the tickets I can't use.  

Last year was rough but Ford is doing a great job bandaging it. 

[billikenfan05]

 I thought this was gonna be another football thread 

[Quality Is Job 1]

3 hours ago, hsmith19 said:

A down season for the Cardinals would mean 2.8 or 2.9 million fans as opposed to 3.4 or 3.5. Even in the dark days of the mid '90s they were still in the middle of the pack in attendance. I never said their support will be "unchanging," but they're always going to operate in a different universe from Billiken basketball. Even if the Cardinals were to lose 100 games (which hasn't happened since 1908), the A-10 basketball season is never going to make a dent in the coverage and attention they get in St. Louis over the winter.

Fixed.

[Slu let the dogs out?]

15 hours ago, Quality Is Job 1 said:

Fixed.

I guess we will find out, won't we! But it seems to me that the Bills have already started to receive more attention and coverage in the local news and we are still a year or two away from putting some big name talent on the court.

[SShoe]

17 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

I guess we will find out, won't we! But it seems to me that the Bills have already started to receive more attention and coverage in the local news and we are still a year or two away from putting some big name talent on the court.

Agreed, I think some of the new generation of sports media are definitely paying attention and are excited by Ford's recent progress.  Ortiz and the two Bens at the Post--say what you want about them--appear fully prepared to hop on the bandwagon, if they haven't already.  Assuming the team is as good as think it can be in 2017, they'll be all in and will really have not that much else to write about. 

[hsmith19]

I'm amazed at how many pixels and how much radio time is still spilled on the NFL here even without a team. I thought maybe without the Rams there might actually be some coverage of the NBA before June, but it's not looking like it.

[Quality Is Job 1]

31 minutes ago, Slu let the dogs out? said:

I guess we will find out, won't we! But it seems to me that the Bills have already started to receive more attention and coverage in the local news and we are still a year or two away from putting some big name talent on the court.

 

15 minutes ago, SShoe said:

Agreed, I think some of the new generation of sports media are definitely paying attention and are excited by Ford's recent progress.  Ortiz and the two Bens at the Post--say what you want about them--appear fully prepared to hop on the bandwagon, if they haven't already.  Assuming the team is as good as think it can be in 2017, they'll be all in and will really have not that much else to write about. 

I don't intend to suggest SLU won't get any attention in the Post.  I just mean that the St. Louis Cardinals will always get preferential treatment, in season and out of season.

[brianstl]

Getting top local kids to stay at home generates a ton of buzz locally.

[wgstl]

I don't see how the cardinals success and failures have anything to do with SLU.  The blues I understand. Their seasons don't overlap. 

[Slu let the dogs out?]

13 minutes ago, wgstl said:

I don't see how the cardinals success and failures have anything to do with SLU.  The blues I understand. Their seasons don't overlap. 

I think as many have pointed out in this thread, the Cardinals don't really have an off season in STL. Their coverage is year round. I also don't think anyone is implying that SLU will be competing for butts in the seats with the Cardinals. That won't happen (especially since, as you said, their seasons don't overlap). I guess the main point I was making and the question I was posing was this: Can SLU take a larger market share of not only the media's attention but also the metro's. I think there is an opportunity for SLU to create a buzzworthy product that people in St. Louis will talk about. Entertaining basketball is something that has been missing from STL for a long, long time. I was merely suggesting that with the NFL gone, the lack of excitement and hope surrounding the Cardinals over the next few years (at least that's my prediction), and a Blues team that can never get over the hump, SLU could be one of the few positive sports stories in the next few years. While the Cardinals will still be all over the front page of the Post during the winter, there's an opportunity for SLU to bump them down to the bottom corners of the front page. Only time will tell...