Sayler needs to lay it on the line

[littleyote]

Well coyote fans, I did not ever think I would udder these words, USD basketball is in trouble. After witnessing yet another disappointing defeat, it is finally time to speak up. The future of USD athletics is at a very critical moment in the overall future of this school. Academics has always been strong for USD, but that alone will not keep the school going. Sports, thats where the money is, plain and simple! There has to be a balancing act between the two. Sayler has to make a choice soon for the future of the school. I will attempt to make a couple points on what I mean.
FANS: You have to get people at these games. You ask, how do you do that? Well, it is a complicated process. First and foremost it needs to be a fun experience. I do not care how much money you have given previously, or how much you say you will give someday, its probably not enough to keep the university open by itself. If continuing to sit in the best seats in the house and not cheering and/or encourage the team and players, you are doing much,much more damage to the future of your beloved USD than the little donation you gave can overcome. It is literally like a morgue in the center section. You need to be vocal at these games or stay home, and give those seats to people who will make noise and bring a sense of school spirit and pride in what we have!!!! How in the world am I supposed to get my young kids excited about coming to USD when it's so dead at a game I have to whisper to them during the game or everybody in the place will hear our conversation. These same kids will also get to experience other sporting events at a young age that are in an exciting atmosphere, which ones will they remember the most and want to be a part of? Once YOU make the games exciting again , you will get more fans. Once you get enough fans you will get more sponsors and more publicity. Once you get more sponsors and publicity you will again get more fans (including young people) to attend games. Now if I were a betting person, I would say that if you can get these young people having fun at a basketball game your chances of having them consider USD as a possible school to further their education just went up. I do not care how good your academic programs are you still need to have a fun atmosphere to lure future students to come. Without strong enrollment, USD fails. Its all tied together whether we want it to be or not. Till we get this handled do not even talk to me about a new facility.
Second, the team needs to win. This is very important in helping get more fans also. These to things need to coincide with each other. When fans cheer, players are more prone to play harder, if players play harder there is more of a chance they win, which in turn will make the fans cheer! When you stop to think about it, this is a pretty simple way to make USD's odds of future success much brighter.
The players alone cannot make the team successful. I am convinced for the last couple of seasons our loses have come from being out coached. Boot's does not have his players motivated for these games. Does Boot's not use his assistant coaches for anything. Then lets save that money from the assaint coaches salaries to help keep the school going. You would think that one of these assistant coaches could be in charge of keeping the morale of these players up. Our bench is almost sleeping during these games. These men are part of the team also, keep them involved, make them feel that they can contribute from the bench. I have watched many many happy and excited talented players come into this program and slowly fade out to an attitude of, do I really care any more? Some players leave (and I am positive more are going to from the rumblings) the program before this coaching staff totally breaks their spirit. THIS NEEDS TO STOP NOW! This last loss hangs directly on Boots. Do not even begin to say we do not have the talent, our talent is better than most they just need a coach. This coaching staff needs to adjust to a new generation of players. This couching staff needs to move to D1 athletics. D1 teams playing zone and not crashing the boards and boxing out, really?? Playing teams that have no inside presents and we chose to shoot from outside? Sayler needs to make it very clear very soon that This coaching staff needs to start coaching division 1 basketball now!! Past experience is not going to keep the future of USD alive on its own, it is also the here and now. At this point in the season it's not to late to salvage it yet, but if Sayler does not put the heat on Boot's now, it may very well be the beginning of the end. I am convinced that Sayler needs to do this now and not after the next game or the end of the season. It will be to late if he waits and we will lose more players and fans.

[Coyote Fan]

Little Yote,

Thanks for your post and most especially even bothering to post at all. Often times I am a one man show when it comes to many of the game threads. I have always said we need to keep up with what NDSU and SDSU are doing. Are we falling further behind as of late. SDSU just crushed Washington by about 20. NDSU is playing for the national title in football. The bar is continued to be lifted. I am happy with the coaching change in football as it was much needed. I am happy with the progress of the women's basketball team. The Men's team has been regressing since Tyler Cain left. I find a bunch of sorta talented players playing like individuals right now.

I don't know what else has to be done to get people to come to games but Sayler has seemed to ignore the urgency to get people to games. Where the h**l is Learfield Sports in all of this. It certainly doesn't seem like they have done much to help out with marketing but maybe I am just not aware of what they do. You'd think things need to change big time.

Hopefully next year USD completely blows it up with the radio coverage. What does it tell you if some of your most dedicated radio listeners would almost rather listen to the opponents broadcast than there own.

I used to get excited to listen to radio broadcasts in the past with Culhaine and before him Tom Frederickson but I could care less about Swain because I still think he isn't really a true Yotes but just here because it's a job close to home. I just never get the feel that he is 100% into it from an excitement standpoint and a preperation standpoint.

I have said this recently and really PO'd alot of people but I think USD is too into taking care of the donors by giving them all these benefits and so forth but when is the common fan going to be catered to more as well. You can have 300 people at a game and if they are Howling Pack members they get all these benefits but that only makes the common fan feel more of an outsider if you ask me. I will stop there, but this needs to be thought about quite a bit by the athletic department. If you cater to the common fan they will maybe in the future be more involved. You can't get new fans by expecting them to be Howling Pack members right off the bat. The only time seats should really be at a priority is if they are a tough ticket to get and everything aside from football is not a tough ticket to get.

[yoteforever]

Dec 19, 2011 4:55:45 GMT -6 Coyote Fan said:

Little Yote,

Thanks for your post and most especially even bothering to post at all. Often times I am a one man show when it comes to many of the game threads. I have always said we need to keep up with what NDSU and SDSU are doing. Are we falling further behind as of late. SDSU just crushed Washington by about 20. NDSU is playing for the national title in football. The bar is continued to be lifted. I am happy with the coaching change in football as it was much needed. I am happy with the progress of the women's basketball team. The Men's team has been regressing since Tyler Cain left. I find a bunch of sorta talented players playing like individuals right now.

I don't know what else has to be done to get people to come to games but Sayler has seemed to ignore the urgency to get people to games. Where the h**l is Learfield Sports in all of this. It certainly doesn't seem like they have done much to help out with marketing but maybe I am just not aware of what they do. You'd think things need to change big time.

Hopefully next year USD completely blows it up with the radio coverage. What does it tell you if some of your most dedicated radio listeners would almost rather listen to the opponents broadcast than there own.

I used to get excited to listen to radio broadcasts in the past with Culhaine and before him Tom Frederickson but I could care less about Swain because I still think he isn't really a true Yotes but just here because it's a job close to home. I just never get the feel that he is 100% into it from an excitement standpoint and a preperation standpoint.

I have said this recently and really PO'd alot of people but I think USD is too into taking care of the donors by giving them all these benefits and so forth but when is the common fan going to be catered to more as well. You can have 300 people at a game and if they are Howling Pack members they get all these benefits but that only makes the common fan feel more of an outsider if you ask me. I will stop there, but this needs to be thought about quite a bit by the athletic department. If you cater to the common fan they will maybe in the future be more involved. You can't get new fans by expecting them to be Howling Pack members right off the bat. The only time seats should really be at a priority is if they are a tough ticket to get and everything aside from football is not a tough ticket to get.

[yoteforever]

Dec 19, 2011 4:55:45 GMT -6 Coyote Fan said:

Little Yote,

Thanks for your post and most especially even bothering to post at all. Often times I am a one man show when it comes to many of the game threads. I have always said we need to keep up with what NDSU and SDSU are doing. Are we falling further behind as of late. SDSU just crushed Washington by about 20. NDSU is playing for the national title in football. The bar is continued to be lifted. I am happy with the coaching change in football as it was much needed. I am happy with the progress of the women's basketball team. The Men's team has been regressing since Tyler Cain left. I find a bunch of sorta talented players playing like individuals right now.

I don't know what else has to be done to get people to come to games but Sayler has seemed to ignore the urgency to get people to games. Where the h**l is Learfield Sports in all of this. It certainly doesn't seem like they have done much to help out with marketing but maybe I am just not aware of what they do. You'd think things need to change big time.

Hopefully next year USD completely blows it up with the radio coverage. What does it tell you if some of your most dedicated radio listeners would almost rather listen to the opponents broadcast than there own.

I used to get excited to listen to radio broadcasts in the past with Culhaine and before him Tom Frederickson but I could care less about Swain because I still think he isn't really a true Yotes but just here because it's a job close to home. I just never get the feel that he is 100% into it from an excitement standpoint and a preperation standpoint.

I have said this recently and really PO'd alot of people but I think USD is too into taking care of the donors by giving them all these benefits and so forth but when is the common fan going to be catered to more as well. You can have 300 people at a game and if they are Howling Pack members they get all these benefits but that only makes the common fan feel more of an outsider if you ask me. I will stop there, but this needs to be thought about quite a bit by the athletic department. If you cater to the common fan they will maybe in the future be more involved. You can't get new fans by expecting them to be Howling Pack members right off the bat. The only time seats should really be at a priority is if they are a tough ticket to get and everything aside from football is not a tough ticket to get.

Coyotefan you have tried to make a case over time about the so called special treatment donors have at USD sorting events, and how it leaves the non donor out or feeling like an outsider. In particular, and I stand corrected, but I think you were moved from your seats in football, and that really upset you at the time. Today you again make reference to the donors and special treatment, so this is what I really want to know what you are thinking:

What would you like Sayler to do? If a Howling Pack member gives $xxx amount annually, and due to your circumstances where you can't give that much due to your economic circumstances ( which I understand by the way ), are you saying that you should get the good seats and the donor sits higher, or on the side?

I am a donor and attend all football games and probably 1/2 or more of the basketball games. I was at the game yesterday, we're you? In your eyes, should I sit way up above the floor and you sit court side because in your mind, you are a greater fan? I don't get it.

I will say this, and I have said it many times before. As an overall fan base, we are lousy at best. It is uninspiring to say the least. In football, the only time our crowd really gets into it and makes it miserable for our opponents is hen we are playing a ranked team and we have done something exciting. The only time I can remember when a team had a real difficult time playing in the Dome was back in the 80's when we played a team out of Ohio in the NCAA playoffs when Triplet was coaching. That team couldn't hear a thing due to crowd noise. I swear it hasn't been like that since.

In fact after the game, I ran into the coach from Cansius, and he point blank asked me if the crowd was always this sterile. He remembered from last year when it came down to crunch time there just isn't any noise or crowd factor. Someone posted earlier today that it makes no sense to build an arena till that is fixed, and as much as I hate to admit it, he is right. What we will have is this brand new arena that looks awesome as heck, and have it filled maybe 20 percent full, and absolutely no noise.

Back to the real reason for my post, is it your position coyotefan that donors get no privileges from their giving?

[Yote 53]

I posted on this board (or our previous one, R.I.P.) years ago that USD has become a football school and not a basketball school. I pointed to the number of posts on this board, attendance, and overall fan interest. Many of you scoffed at me, told me USD would always be a basketball school because of its past success. Well, yesterday, doesn't sound like it was very pretty.

When the football team plays a quality opponent, and even a non-quality opponent, attendance is good, fan interest is good, look at the tailgating and overall vibe around football game days compared to what it used to be just a few short years ago. Sure, we still have a long ways to go and we all want it to get better but now, finally, we will be playing a full D1 schedule in the MVFC against regional rivals. New head coach that is getting everyone excited. Next year football is going to explode in growth and interest.

USD basketball has gone in the complete opposite direction. Fan interest isn't there, the gameday environment is stale. At games, the people I sit around mostly talk about how it used to be so much fun in the 90's when the Dome was rocking. Yesterday's game had everything going against it. Sunday afternoon game going up against the NFL, students on break, nice weather outside, people finishing up their Christmas shopping, heck, I didn't even know there was a game yesterday until the evening. It wouldn't have mattered as I was out of town, even then, given the circumstances I knew attendance and atmosphere would be horrible and I would have been hard pressed to attend. I'll be straight, I'm not a basketball fan. I attend games because I like USD, for the atmosphere, and for social reasons. I suspect there are a lot of fans like me that attend games for the event and not because they are hard core fans, just like I'm a hard core football guy and I'm sure there are fans who are there for the event only.

Point of all this is a few things can cure these ills. First, we need to win and be successful. Second, fans will need to get used to a regular schedule of Thursday night/Saturday night games against familiar opponents. Third, I disagree with some of you, we need a new facility, the Dome is horrible for basketball and creates a crap environment. USD basketball needs to made into a can't miss event. Sunday afternoon, a week before Christmas, no students on campus, a team most aren't familiar with that we had just beaten, that's not an event and I'm not suprised it was poorly attended. I guess I'm part of the problem.

Today, I am going to look at my schedule through the rest of the season (yes, it is that detailed) and see which dates I have open. I'm going to write in USD Basketball, then call the ticket office and buy me some tickets for those games for the rest of the year.

[Coyote Fan]

Yoteforever,

I guess I am not so much against the donors getting priviledges as much as I am for more being done to the ordinary fan to feel like it's worth it to buy a ticket at the door to attend a game. I was actually considering going to the Canisius game but things got in the way. Sickness in the household, etc but the biggest reason is the travel distance to be honest. If I lived in Vermillion I would attend almost all the games but it gets expensive to go to games.

I agree that the environment is very stale. This weekend was actually kind of a bad weekend to be a Yote fan. Think about it. NDSU is going to the national title game. SDSU basketball is winnin games against very good teams on the road. I didn't go to the game on Sunday but I was watching online. Absolutely no one (or close to it) was online following along giving in game comments.

When we were in D2 it seemed like more people cared in general. The D2 message board was busy (much busier than any neutral board we have now), no Coyote Fans post on the Summit board, very few post about basketball on the Coyote board. I watch online see about 80 people sitting in the main stands. I have to listen to Swain see a team that played flat and lost to a 1-8 team at home.

Putting all those factors together it's a no wonder it's hard to get excited. I want to go to basketball games this year but I just can't get myself to make the drive. The motivation is just not strong enough right now. I am seriously considering going to as many or more women's games than mens games. The lack of doubleheaders might cause me to make fewer stops to the dome than I otherwise would have. At this point in time it's just as exciting or moreso to watch the Women play. I appreciate how hard they play for Ryun. Much moreso than what the men are giving Boots.

I would actually be much happier for SDSU and NDSU if I felt the Yotes were getting their time in the sun but there hasn't been much to get excited about lately. If USD would have the same success as the peer institutions it would be much easier for me to cheer those others on a bit more.

[coyote70]

I appreciate the comments made but have one question: what do the students think?

Perhaps there aren't any students who post on this board, but to gain a better perspective I'd like to see how they perceive the situation. Maybe a poll conducted by the Volante or something similar would be helpful. Any type of feedback, even if risking some degree of negativity, is better than no feedback. The more people talk about the situation, the better.

Nonetheless, I think we know much of the problem lies in factors such as coaching, player talent , scheduling, rivalries, publicity, facilities, and as Charlie Sheen would say "winning". Not much can be done in the short term. On the other hand, if things are pretty bad, somebody sure as @#$@* better be studying the situation and putting together, among other things, some type of marketing plan to get this ship sailing again.

Side note - I remember back in the 60's the U had a number of losing years in football. I mean they were bad. Terrible. Students were basically sitting on their hands and doing little to cheer on the team during games. That all changed when a few freshman football players took matters into their own hands during the second home game of coach Salem's inaugural year. This vocal minority just could not take silence for granted! They developed their own cheers and got other students (and cheerleaders, eventually) to go along with them to the point that the student section was very involved in games for years down the road. Amazing what you can do given a few energized folks (ditto for BB games, just ask Al McGuire and Marquette).

Just thinking: let's accentuate the positive. Maybe folks could post some ideas to improve the situation in the short term. Do you have any ideas, fellow members?

[Yote 53]

Sure, how about the Coyote Crazies live up to their name.

[newtousd33]

I came across this board of regents document. We have some serious work to do with gate revunue. Is it me or does it appear that are attendence numbers are either 1) not accurately reported or 2) the majority of people that attend games are either students or using free tickets.

www.sdbor.edu/theboard/agenda/2011/DecCommB/I_E.pdf

www.sdbor.edu/theboard/agenda/2011/DecCommB/I_E.pdf

[newtousd33]

Please let this be the last of the NAIA team, or if we are going to play them at least lets bring in Morningside, Northwestern, Dakota Wesleyan, ect. Team's with a little more regional appeal. I know we'll have one or two non DI games, but how about Wayne St, Augie, USF, or Northern. These overmathced NAIA teams kill the excitment for the program

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2011 4:55:45 GMT -6 Coyote Fan said:

Little Yote,

I have said this recently and really PO'd alot of people but I think USD is too into taking care of the donors by giving them all these benefits and so forth but when is the common fan going to be catered to more as well. You can have 300 people at a game and if they are Howling Pack members they get all these benefits but that only makes the common fan feel more of an outsider if you ask me. I will stop there, but this needs to be thought about quite a bit by the athletic department. If you cater to the common fan they will maybe in the future be more involved. You can't get new fans by expecting them to be Howling Pack members right off the bat. The only time seats should really be at a priority is if they are a tough ticket to get and everything aside from football is not a tough ticket to get.

Non sense pure non sense. Without your donors you do not have athletic programs. A price of a ticket does not begin to cover all of the expenses.

[Cousin Eddie]

coyotefan, you are an idiot.

Also, why is it that every post you make you need to go out of your way to talk about yourself and everything you say? Clearly you are disillusion.