Brett McMurphy on McCullum

[Brad]

Anyone who went to a game this year would conclude that attendance was really low.

Are you saying that fan apathy doesn't exist?  

The turnout for the Cuse game was pretty shocking.

Fan apathy has existed as long as I have gone to games there.  Apathy in the sense many don't think they need to attend, or don't want to attend, etc.

The team's recent performance may have added to the apathy, but apathy is systemic in the area in terms of our basketball program.  It's always been there.

We could reach the "magical" .500 mark and it would still be there.  We could win 20 games and it would be there.

All I am saying is it's almost contradictory to say fans don't care.  Students?  Sure. Maybe.  The high school coach or general basketball fan?  Sure.  Maybe.  I won't argue that there are casual "fans" out there that would go to a game if the Bulls were winners, those guys always come out of the woodwork.  Maybe we lost those kind of fans from years ago?  

If we get back to winning, like the Bucs did (for a while), we'll suddenly have fans again.  However, when we have won, attendance has never been outstanding.  Have we ever sold out our own place two games in a row (or two in the same season)?

The undercurrent of apathy runs strong and wide in this program.  It's not a result of getting our asses handed to us in the Big East.  

If it is the fringe element (casual fan) that Brett is referring to, then maybe he's right.  There are always people that won't go see a team that is struggling - but real fans of that team are more likely to go.  Students, unfortunately, are a great example.  They go when it is cool to go.  Right now, for many, it is not.

If that kind of fan is what Brett is worried about okay.  They may not care.  All I am saying is there are fans that attend and do not attend that still care!  You do not have to be in attendance to care (me, case in point).  It's obnoxious to think that anyone invested in the program for any time at all - financially or emotionally (a BULLS fan) "does not care."

That's my point.

[Guest Rueben_Horowitz]

So now that the season is over, do you think CRM should stay?

[Brad]

So now that the season is over, do you think CRM should stay?

Talkin' to me?

[Guest Rueben_Horowitz]

Talkin' to me?

Yup.

[Brad]

I'll be posting my opinion in about an hour on the thread flsportsfan83 opened for such comments...I have to go pitch some BP to the team now.  

[JoeBulls]

Listen to the post-game radio show and Jim Lighthall and T.J. Reeves made no secret that they think Mac should be back.

I think they said the word "great guy" about 97 times.

[Knight_Light]

I'll be posting my opinion in about an hour on the thread flsportsfan83 opened for such comments...I have to go pitch some BP to the team now.  

So did ya answer yes or no?

[Knight_Light]

Wonder what Brett's opinion is based on?  Attendance?  This board?  The Trib staffmates?  Did he conduct a poll?  What?  As we have seen in the past, low attendance does not always mean apathy.  modified to correct typo

I'm guessing Brett got it from this fact:

In McCullum's four seasons, the Bulls have recorded three of the five lowest season home attendance averages in the 27 years they have played in the Sun Dome.

That's a pretty good starting point...when 3 out of your 4 years...you make the lowest of the low in regards to announced attendance.

[Herman_Momart]

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

say that out loud.   the money used to buy out that contract will end up being the best dollars usf has ever spent.  

[Brad]

Wonder what Brett's opinion is based on?  Attendance?  This board?  The Trib staffmates?  Did he conduct a poll?  What?  As we have seen in the past, low attendance does not always mean apathy.  modified to correct typo

I'm guessing Brett got it from this fact:

In McCullum's four seasons, the Bulls have recorded three of the five lowest season home attendance averages in the 27 years they have played in the Sun Dome.

That's a pretty good starting point...when 3 out of your 4 years...you make the lowest of the low in regards to announced attendance.

Right...but my point is that because people do not attend, does not mean fans don't care.  Brett again took journalistic license to take the poor attendance a step further and equate it with apathy.

That's all.

Honestly, can anyone that calls themselves a "fan of <fill in the blank>" and not care?  It's almost the requirement of being a fan, to care.  If you don't care, you're not really a fan.

Brett could stay 100% accurate if he commented on attendance and not apathy.  The only apathy measured by attendance is that of the community.  That has always been poor.    

That's my opinion on it.