Hard to hold back the excitement when you see crowds like this.
And to think that some taxpayers and students resent subsidizing university football!
Wait, what? The JerryDome is going to be half-empty for Alabama-Wisconsin on Saturday night? For the Alabama Crimson Tide?
September 6th, 2015 at 11:28AM
Yeah, but the ratings for the Wisconsin/Bama season kickoff were better than those for last year.
tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/09/06/tv-ratings-saturday…
According to that blog, this year’s game beat last year’s eyeball count by over 50%. As long as the networks are happy, they’ll be willing to shell out billions in broadcasting rights for games that can’t fill stadiums.
It’s apparent, athletics are primarily huge windfalls for Wall Street money palaces, which receive the bond underwriting fees, and contractors, who get paid to create these monstrosities. Given that, why are athletic departments and uni administrators claiming that football games, which students and alumni don’t attend, fulfill some demented academic mission? Aren’t we constantly told that unis need big time college sports in order to generate school spirit, alumni pride and donor money? I would respect uni admins if they just said the truth, y’all are the marks in this giant con game….
September 6th, 2015 at 11:38AM
charlie: This is why I anticipate huge money in businesses that manufacture animatronic fans.
September 6th, 2015 at 12:10PM
Holograms, UD, holograms.
September 6th, 2015 at 12:21PM
Derek: Cheaper, yes, but convincing enough?
September 6th, 2015 at 12:45PM
Sorry UD, Derek, but youse guys have it all wrong. Animatronics, holograms? Forgetaboutit, just do what the NFL does, pipe in fake crowd noise. Fool cable viewership into thinking real people show up, for a fraction of the cost.
http://www.nfl.com/…/story/…for-crowd-noise-discrepancy-at-indy