Sunflower jumps in on the coffin prep

[RoyalShock]

Those numbers should be the flashing neon sign to the AD that it's time to make a change and hire someone who will immediately bring bodies back into the stadium. The awful actual attendance can't be good for recruiting.

[1972Shocker]

Well, my $0.02 is that TV coverage has nothing to do with attendance suckage. Baseball is significantly better in person as compared to basketball, IMHO. Staying home and watching a well produced broadcast of shocker hoops instead of fighting the crowd is sometimes tempting. There is no comparison between being at a live baseball game vs. watching a usually boring production on tv. Regardless. Anyway you cut it the numbers suck. Turn the page already!

Not sure about that. When the MVC put all volleyball matches on ESPN3 there was a demonstrable and significant reduction in Volleyball attendance and obviously weather, and at that time, quality of play had nothing to do with it. Unfortunately, with baseball we have those other factors at play so it is very difficult to say to what extent any single factor has effected attendance. I think they all have to some degree or another.

[Scott]

That is actually a very good investigative article for sunflower. Kudo for them getting hold of the real data. It clearly shows how there is people who want to support the program (season ticket sales), but refuse to invest their time on substandard product on the field.

I doubt it shows any support for the team at all. It sounds like they are counting tickets sold to sponsors, vendors, donors, etc. I suspect most of the tickets being counted that don't actually get used are freebies or packaged along with some other deal. Think of them like a free sample that never gets used.

[1972Shocker]

Those numbers should be the flashing neon sign to the AD that it's time to make a change and hire someone who will immediately bring bodies back into the stadium. The awful actual attendance can't be good for recruiting.

Agreed, but that light has been flashing for a while now but surely the AD won't let that continue beyond this year.

[RoyalShock]

True, but I could allow for the hope that better on-field performance could improve the flat attendance. But that obviously hasn't happened either. There is no longer any sanctuary for the status quo.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

They should make tickets free just to make up for the utter atomic bomb they dropped on the program by hiring Butler.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

You can't expect Wilkins to publicly point the finger at the coaching staff. That's ludicrous. Of course he's going to blame it on weather and TV coverage, as well he should.

The athletic department is not going to throw HCTB under the bus now or even in the future, no matter how much some of us want them to. As fans we certainly have the ability and the opportunity to do so--but the department doesn't. We're going to have to live with that.

I haven't chimed in much about the baseball situation--mostly because I don't regularly follow the program in its current pathetic state. But I don't think enough of us give former ADES the credit for completely bungling that hire and the contract--which has completely tied the hands of current ADDB, the athletic department, and the program. ADDB has done the best he could with the crappy situation he was given. Joining the AAC put some serious short term financial pressure on the department, and it's had to pick its battles. I don't think any of us would have traded buying out HCTB for joining the AAC. I hope--and I believe--the AD will have the ability to move on from HCTB and deal with the contractual ramifications after this season. There's not one cell in my body that believes anyone in the AD is blind to what is happening in the baseball program.

[Mr. Obvious]

Makes way too much sense.

Slashing prices? LOL. Not a chance with this athletic department. They’re in the mindset that they’d rather have 50 people paying $5 for hot dogs rather than 1500 paying $2 for them.

Exactly! Wichita golf courses keep raising fees cuz revenue is down. Been doing it for years.

[1972Shocker]

You can't expect Wilkins to publicly point the finger at the coaching staff. That's ludicrous. Of course he's going to blame it on weather and TV coverage, as well he should.

The athletic department is not going to throw HCTB under the bus now or even in the future, no matter how much some of us want them to. As fans we certainly have the ability and the opportunity to do so--but the department doesn't. We're going to have to live with that.

I haven't chimed in much about the baseball situation--mostly because I don't regularly follow the program in its current pathetic state. But I don't think enough of us give former ADES the credit for completely bungling that hire and the contract--which has completely tied the hands of current ADDB, the athletic department, and the program. ADDB has done the best he could with the crappy situation he was given. Joining the AAC put some serious short term financial pressure on the department, and it's had to pick its battles. I don't think any of us would have traded buying out HCTB for joining the AAC. I hope--and I believe--the AD will have the ability to move on from HCTB and deal with the contractual ramifications after this season. There's not one cell in my body that believes anyone in the AD is blind to what is happening in the baseball program.

You are right that Gene's firing was very poorly handled although perhaps Gene has some share of the blame for that. It's hard to know for sure. But there is no question that the contract they gave Todd Butler was way too generous and one-sided everything considered. I think your are wrong that ADES has not received enough criticism for this on this board. This situation and the responsibility of ADES was discussed quite extensively over the years although that has kind of died off a bit as time has passed and apathy has set in. Plus at this point how much blame ADES deserves is not very relevant. We are where we are. The question is what can and what will the present AD do about it.

[Singeril]

It's really quite simple...if the program was even half decent, the crowds would start to come back. As it is now, it's just an awful game to watch. Those empty seats are going to stay empty until the team wins again...and it is, indeed, embarrassing to see all the empty seats.

[Shox The Revenant]

"Wilkins identified weather as a leading factor to the lagging scan numbers. Televised games were also considered a factor, he said."

LOL

Weather certainly plays a factor in actual attendance, but I hope they really aren't trying to delude themselves into thinking that its the real reason nobody is showing up.

This weather comment pisses me off more than it was funny. It drives me up a wall that this dude can't look someone in the eye and blame weather as a major hit to attendance. Doing so basically insults the intelligence of every Shocker baseball fan. Your spin-doctoring doesn't fly around here.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

You are right that Gene's firing was very poorly handled although perhaps Gene has some share of the blame for that. It's hard to know for sure. But there is no question that the contract they gave Todd Butler was way too generous and one-sided everything considered. I think your are wrong that ADES has not received enough criticism for this on this board. This situation and the responsibility of ADES was discussed quite extensively over the years although that has kind of died off a bit as time has passed and apathy has set in. Plus at this point how much blame ADES deserves is not very relevant. We are where we are. The question is what can and what will the present AD do about it.

Then I think we agree more than we disagree. My point was simply the current administration inherited this disaster and has done its best considering the circumstances. I think it’s obvious they understand the state of the program and what needs to be done. Let’s temper our criticism and consider the big picture. I don’t envy ADDB’s situation the past few years and the tough decisions he’s had to make. I think what some see as inaction may be an intentional balancing of priorities.

[Mr. Obvious]

ADDB mistakes were not firing Adams and Butler when he should have. Situations got worse.

[shockfan89_]

Then I think we agree more than we disagree. My point was simply the current administration inherited this disaster and has done its best considering the circumstances. I think it’s obvious they understand the state of the program and what needs to be done. Let’s temper our criticism and consider the big picture. I don’t envy ADDB’s situation the past few years and the tough decisions he’s had to make. I think what some see as inaction may be an intentional balancing of priorities.

There has been discussion on this board that ADDB was very much involved in the HCTB hire. I don't know if that is true, but if so, ADDB should be getting the majority of the criticism for the current state of Shocker Baseball.

ADDB owns 100% of the criticism for letting this failed experiment continue after year 3 when everyone else could see it wasn't going to work. Although I do agree that the financial state of changing conferences was likely the reason for lack of action, I contend the lack of action was ultimately the wrong decision and righting the ship 2 or 3 years ago would have been a better long-term decision. IMHO it wasn't impossible financially to make a change, it just would have taken more work.

I think ADDB rolled the dice that HCTB could have one good season along the way (likely the 2018 season) and ADDB could point to that one good season as his excuse for allowing the failed experiment to go on this long. Problem is that good season never came, instead we got total apathy for a once proud program.

[Scott]

This weather comment pisses me off more than it was funny. It drives me up a wall that this dude can't look someone in the eye and blame weather as a major hit to attendance. Doing so basically insults the intelligence of every Shocker baseball fan. Your spin-doctoring doesn't fly around here.

Exactly, the weather comment was an insult. Is the weather at Eck different now than it was when the Shocks were playing well and selling out games? Is the ticket guy saying that climate change is responsible for poor attendance? Any real journalist would have called him out on that BS in a big way but the sports media in Wichita only does puff pieces.

[WuShock16]

Exactly, the weather comment was an insult. Is the weather at Eck different now than it was when the Shocks were playing well and selling out games? Is the ticket guy saying that climate change is responsible for poor attendance? Any real journalist would have called him out on that BS in a big way but the sports media in Wichita only does puff pieces.

Slight correction. The only time WSU Baseball has ever “sold out” in the last 15 years was the 2007 Regional and Super Regional. Sure, when the team was good or even great and KU/KSU/OSU/etc. came to town, crowds were strong. However, if you looked at early season series with bad weather from yesteryear, you’d find small crowds too.

Unfortunately, small crowds are obviously now the norm regardless of weather.