Xavier Student Body = Amazing...SLU Student Body = Path

[billiken_roy]

if so, i ask what you are doing to assist the blue crew in creating enthusiasm? you can be part of the problem or part of the solution.

all i know is that this blue crew has finally gotten some activity and whether you want to admit it or not, there are indeed more kids at the games than we have had in a long time.

yeah it can and should be better. i think the blue crew is doing all they can with their limited resources to try to improve student involvement and attendance.

[billiken_roy]

ilbillikenfan said,

"Would you rather go watch a team that has had TWO successful meaningful games in the last four years (UL and Iowa) or hang out with your friends, go to a Greek event, or go to a bar? These kids don't have the desire because frankly, there isn't much to be desired."

that is pathetic. there is no reason you cant do all of the above. when i was at slu in the ekker era which believe me made soderberg teams look like an nba team, i never missed a game as a student and i still had quite the college social life. you are talking about 2 freaking hours. and if i remember right, my college gang could make a good time out of any event. if you are that shallow i feel sorry for you and question how you even got into slu.

[billiken_roy]

nm

[bluecrewprez]

And also, I think people are complaining about the turn-out over Christmas Break, but remember: those games are not Blue Crew required since many people are out ot town. We have only had 4 games that fell during the first semester while school was in session. I think most are referring to the most recent 5 games and the truth is we haven't been here for it. Go to the St. Joe's game next Wednesday then we'll see if we're doing our job at all. But everyone can get my full opinion at the end of this thread...

[Taj79]

Poor attendance! Questions about recruiting!! Student apathy!!! Now there's a couple topics that have never, ever been discussed! How in the world did we miss them?????

Anybody know this Cusamato guy???? Do journalists believe in research? If a man speaks in the forest and no is around to hear him, is he still wrong? Keep the comedy coming.

IT WAS ONLY ONE LOSS, BY A YOUNG TEAM, ON THE ROAD.

[SLUWX]

Why does everyone forget about the band? There's 100 strong- every game. So saying 50 BC kids are 50 more than 5 years ago is totally wrong.

[billikenmetz]

Hello? Did you read that I attended almost 90% of home games ---and two on the road at DePaul from the 2001-2002 season until the 2004-2005 season. As an alum living in Peoria, it's hard to get to the games.

[NashvilleBilliken]

Dude, how can you (and Greece) come on here and bash the ONLY people at SLU that show any sort of initiative to support the basketball team? You and I both know how SLU students feel about SLU athletics. They don't give a $hit. What has the university done to change that? A hell of a lot less than the Blue Crew. They have a piss poor budget and what sounds like very little support from the administration (i.e. difficulty to get midnite madness). What are you doing to fix the problem? Your a big boy Alumni now, have you donated to the Blue Crew so they can get better props? When you were on campus, did you recruit a hundred people to go to the games with you? Why don't you try helping the problem instead of whining like a little girl?

[Box and Won]

We're all angry after Wednesday's game (I don't ever remember a time where everyone on the board has been so pissed off), and I think that some of that anger may be a bit misplaced right now, especially when one of our conference rivals, who seems to do just about everything right, was on national tv last night for all of us to see.

Keep doing what you're doing, Blue Crew, and know that the vast majority of us truly appreciate all your efforts to improve the atmosphere at our games. I think you'll build on what you've accomplished this year to make next year even better. It will take hard work, but as we all know, there is nothing easy about being a Billiken fan.

I think it's up to us as alumni/season ticket holders/Billiken Club members, etc. to push the administration to give you guys the support you deserve and take measures to help improve student attendance. With Billiken Madness, you've proven that you can bring people out to an event and help create excitement, it's up to them to throw some cash and other resources your way.

[Box and Won]

If beer at the games is too expensive, either pre-party, bring a f-ing flask with you or sneak beer in. That's what we used to do.

Come on, people, getting drunk on the cheap is not rocket science.

[StlMel]

I've seen the progress in comparison to last year with the Blue Crew and while break was slow, I imagine it will pick up again with these next couple games. But I have to ask, why aren't the games over break required to those students who are in town? Is there still transportation? I'll admit that the band is a little smaller during break but we have a pretty good amount of people in the area and they are required to show up. I would imagine that Blue Crew is the same. Prez, how many local members do you think you have? I could be off base here since probably 20% of the band is alumni but out of your 200 members, there's gotta be some locals.

[billiken_roy]

metz, you are replying to my post which was a reply to a greece post. i.e. it wasnt directed to you.

[billikendave]

I went to Dayton. First, there is not much else to do as a UD student during the winter months and there is a huge on-campus student population. Second, there is still a culture from when Dayton used to be and has been recently a very strong team. By strong, i mean winning the conference. Dayton's student support waned during the Chip Hare/ Marco Piccar years - both poor man's Chris Braun.

SLU is changing for the better and on-campus population is growing. There still isn't a tradition of winning or competing for winning.

We talk about going to the dance as a measuring stick. When was the last time SLU won a conference in which they were playing? The MCC vs. Xavier? In recent memory, SLU has never really competed for a conference championship except the 1993-1994 years. SLU in conference play is like the Blues playoff streak. Always good enough to finish in the top half and even 3rd or 4th now and again but never has been able to win it.

Once winning/competing for conference championships & NCAA births come on a regular basis, Students will come.

[Billiken Law]

>How is this Blue Crew Regime the best we have had in a long

>time? It is an absolute joke and it makes our program look

>Busch League. Go to a game at UD Arena where Dayton plays

>and there is no comparison. This is an off-campus arena

>that has rowdy crowds for every game and for a team with

>similar success to ours.

The off-campus arena excuse is an old and tired one. Marquette plays off campus - they had over 1900 students, over Christmas break, for the UConn game and over 1000 for the Cincy game (also over break when most kids are home). Was at DePaul the other night, probably 800-1000 students there and the Horizon is 45 minutes from campus. Both schools make students pay for tickets too.

[lonestar91]

I had posted a question to both students and alumni soon after joining this asking how student and university support was for the games. It's too bad to see this bickering going back and forth; clearly a result of frustration on both parts. When I was a student, basketball was huge and granted, there are the off years, but it is surprising to me that the students don't flock to the games (based on what I've read.) I understand that the BlueCrew is doing their best, however, the other student organizations need to step in. ie. the Greeks.

I'm traveling up to St. Louis next Wed against St. Joe's and am so excited to see my first home game since I graduated in 1991. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

again...what is the Univeristy leadership doing to assist???

[ILbillikenfan]

Those are not my sentiments...I go to every game, and have for 4 years. These are just the thoughts of many friends I have, and many kids that used to be in Blue Crew and what they say now.

[TheBand]

Thats your problem is not making the games "required" games. All of our games are required, and we had people making arrangements to be there for them even after dorms closed.

I admit its hard to make a voluntary group have "requirements" but, if you make them very lenient, then you don't have people who are committed to the job. If you have people who can't make it to games over break, then perhaps they should not be Blue Crew members and just get tickets on their own.

Have a higher standard.

[TheBand]

If you weren't talking about only regular season.

[MusicCityBilliken]

Phil,

I am a old alum ('74) so please excuse these questions if they are stupid> Who is Natty and Jenna? How can they compete with Billiken basketball?

Anyway, I am just getting ready to drive to the rural hinterlands of south central Mississippi to watch my son play aganist the 4th rated team in the state. He attends a small Catholic HS here on the coast of Mississippi and it will probably be a blow-out. I know its my son and I not optimistic but he won't read this. Also, for 1/2 the season they didn't have a gym with it being repaired from Katrina flood damage. Maybe I can recommend a good outside 3 point threat for Brad from this team. LOL

[Box and Won]

Natty: Natural Light Beer - Beer of choice among college students

Jenna: Jenna Jamison - Porn star

[MusicCityBilliken]

BTW.

It wasn't much difference from when I was a student. In my freshman year we were playing for the MVC crown at the Arena. I remember (except for the ND game)that was aganist Bradley and this was the only great crowd we had. That team had Rogers, Irving, Lockette, Paradowski, Frailey (too bad the three circle was not invented then), Stallworth and Martinez. Then the next 2 years we played in the old Kiel. The team was very good. But, except for a group of guys from one or two floors from the dorms, students didn't attend.

We need to start a tradition similiar to Creighton, XU or Gonzaga.

[bluecrewprez]

The University is doing what they can, but you have to remember: most of the people that have to do with promotions and getting students involved are brand new and don't know much about SLU students, so they are learning about us as we go.

I have thought extensively about everything that has been said on this thread and in the UNews yesterday, and I am going into action-mode. I think next week people on this campus are going to be pleasantly surprised with what we are going to do (starting with the Fordham game especially next Saturday until the end of the season).

[bluecrewprez]

We give each person 6+ tickets to each game over break, but it is just difficult because it is Christmas and New Year's and other holidays. We can't force anyone to go to the games, but for those that do go, we treat the games as if they are the required ones.

[bluecrewprez]

The reason that we don't require the games over break is because we require that the students only miss 2 games in order to be able to come to the banquet at the end of the season with the players and coaches, so that is not fair to the students that are not from St. Louis.

This is a catch-22: If we don't require games, then our members won't treat our organization as a real organization, but if we do require every game, even over the break, then no one will come.

[bluecrewprez]

Good post.