Texas-Arlington 86 Bradley 75

[Da Coach]

By the way, I have been informed that someone who doesn't go to games regularly any more, who dropped their season tickets, and to my knowledge has never donated to Bradley (and whose name also does not appear on Bradley's Honor Roll of Donors) has accused me of leaving last night's game early.

While my opinions are fair game for others to differ (even though it seems most of those who have are now admitting I was right all along), they aren't allowed to create their own reality. That claim that I "left the building with 3:26 left" is false and absurd, but considering the source, it's understandable.

My wife and I arrived at the game over an hour before the start, and remained there for the entire game. We did get up and move to a different pair of seats after the final timeout because I wanted to talk to a friend who was there, but, even though there were thousands of people absent, and thousands who filed out early, my wife and I stayed and watched until the final horn, as I have done for almost every home game for close to 40 years. I can say categorically that I have never left a game early, never given my tickets away and skipped a game, never stayed home and watched the game on TV because it was too cold, or because there was too much snow (I was one of the 250-300 there for the Creighton "Snow Game" 1/31/11), and I have loyally renewed my season tickets and donated to the university for 36 straight years. Too bad there are very few other fans left who can make those claims.
So people really need to get a life instead of making things up and trying to live their lives through mine.

[BU Bill]

Wow, da coach I never realized you had so many stalkers. That is really sick. You are a true and loyal fan. You do not need to make any excuses for everything you've done.

[Buesch N Chips]

Wow, da coach I never realized you had so many stalkers. That is really sick. You are a true and loyal fan. You do not need to make any excuses for everything you've done.

Amen. Let the obsessed obsess.

[tornado]

what would be worse even if someone did leave early??
... - leaving a little early or sitting at the game and not bothering to watch it - instead, creeping on other fans, peering over to see what they are doing and obsessing over the actions of other fans as if you are somehow superior?

It is indeed a sad little bunch of weenies whose only satisfaction at a game like that is watching other people so they can try to find something to flame about
What should bother people more is that nobody over at the scorers table is even taking notes

Instead of worrying about how many fans leave early - maybe fix the real problem which is a terrible team on the floor that many fans no longer want to watch...
(again, even if the attendance was what it was announced, 5400, that's a 70-year low for home opening night, not exactly the history we want to be creating!
But, the real, actual attendance was more like 2500 and nowhere near 5400)
This is just more of the same BS we've seen in this current era of trying to actually blame the fans for the terrible state of Bradley athletics.

[Da Coach]

Someone sent me these pictures of the crowd at Friday's game. These were taken mid to later 2nd half.
People can estimate the actual attendance however they want, but it's hard to believe there are more than 3,000 actual people there.
Regardless of numbers, considering last year's (11/8/13) opening game against Jacksonville State drew an announced crowd of 7,209, the decline in official attendance is striking. And one considers the massive increase in no-shows as well, it is truly sad to see what has been allowed to happen to this program..

[Canton BU fan]

My son and I are in the first one. We have NEVER left a game early.

[Da Coach]

...

The decline in official attendance is striking. And when one considers the massive increase in no-shows as well, it is truly sad to see what has been allowed to happen to this program....

Here are the opening game official attendances in recent years-
11/14/14- 5,469
11/8/13- 7,209
11/9/12- 6,634
11/13/11- 7,032
11/12/10- 8,014
11/15/09- 9,019
11/14/08- 10,034
11/14/07- 10,253
11/11/06- 11,080

Even counting the "official attendance" or tickets sold, the numbers are depressing. Our season ticket sales, and attendance numbers are now well less than half of what we saw just 8 years ago. And if actual butts in the seats were available, I am sure we'd see the numbers are less than 1/3 of what they were.

[tornado]

not one single section is even 1/3 filled....but even if every section was 1/3 filled, the attendance would still be less than 4000

I think those pictures clearly confirm the actualy butts-in-the-seat attendance was under 2500

[Buesch N Chips]

not one single section is even 1/3 filled....but even if every section was 1/3 filled, the attendance would still be less than 4000

I think those pictures clearly confirm the actualy butts-in-the-seat attendance was under 2500

....In mid to late 2nd half....

[tornado]

late 2nd half it was already down to about 1000 - plus a few in the beer pavilion who were sobbing in their beers...

[Biff]

Looking back on Bradley's calculated decision not to have video streaming of the Red-White and the exhibition game because it might give our early season opponents some kind of advantage really paid off.

[lefty]

not one single section is even 1/3 filled....but even if every section was 1/3 filled, the attendance would still be less than 4000

I think those pictures clearly confirm the actualy butts-in-the-seat attendance was under 2500

Is that the UTA game?.......if it is it's not a pic at game time.....4000 butts in seats would be closer than 2500.....certainly not in the second half though as I know many left throughout the second half


Now if that's the Augie game please disregard because I wasn't there

[tornado]

That's definitely Friday's game vs. UT-A

[lefty]

That's definitely Friday's game vs. UT-A

Then the pic is not at tip off or during the first half.....I realize the attendance is atrocious but lets not take pics and say this is how many were at the game.......

[Da Coach]

Regardless of when they were taken, IMO, there were nowhere close to 4000 people there at any time.

Those pictures were taken with about 5 minutes left in the game when Nate Wells re-entered the game. It was the smallest crowd I have ever seen at a Civic Center game, except the "snow game", and I have also never seen so few people left in the stands at any time in the 32 year history of the Carver Arena.

Fallout deniers can try to spin things any way they want, but things are as bad as they have ever been at Bradley in many ways- record low attendance, record low season ticket renewals, record low maintenance money, record low donations, record low advertising money, record few TV games, record losses, record low RPI figures, record low SOS numbers, and record lows in many other areas, and that is just men's basketball, but I won't bore you with more embarrassing facts about many other sports. And all this has occurred in just a few years since all those things were at record highs!
This administration's legacy is looking pretty ugly, and I predict it will keep getting worse (and my predictions have been nearly 100% accurate.)