My thoughts on the LFL (long)

[campshelbydog1116]

Raise it 10x huh? That would be $30,000 per season or almost $1000 per game for about 3 hrs of use. I think you and others need to address your pi-ss and vinegar at the athletic department and Selmon in particular rather than to fans that just pay the bill sent to them, and you need to be a little more realistic too. If you are one that thinks The Hump looks empty now try charging $1000 per game at Dudy Noble for 160 ft and it would look just like it does right now at noon on Wednesday, empty. Especially with the product thats on the field right now.

I made it pretty clear in my initial post that it's not your fault that the loungers have been coddled and babied for the past 40 years. Yes, they could get that and more very easily and they should. I don't care if it's empty when we suck. It won't be when we don't suck and we may actually not have to subsidize the sport from the cash cow that pays the bills every year. I'm being realistic. Your attitude is exactly what pisses everyone else off. As if you and your group are the only ones that can smoke a brisket and smile at ESPN cameras. Plenty of others can and will too if they outprice you. There are thousands waiting on someone in the athletic department to outprice people like our bus driver so they can grab a spot out there. Y'all act like if they outprice you the lounge won't be able to function properly, and disguise it as if there isn't others willing to pay the bill if the prices get too high. Are you unaware that there is about a 30 year wait list for lounge spots? I called and asked at the beginning of the new structures.

 

[Nugdawg]

One thing about raising the price; bigger bucks usually just leads to bigger

Fair market value is whatever someone is willing to pay. The school could get 15 times the number you just mentioned if they auctioned them off, which is what they should be doing to the most coveted seats on campus. No one out there should be guarranteed anything. It should go to whoever will pay the most, particularly in today’s environment of paying players.

One thing to keep in mind is that when you sell to the big money it becomes corporate and that leads to way more empty seats at games. Just look at premium seats at the Hump on a weeknight game.

Maybe we shouldn’t be trying to fix something that’s not broken.

 

[campshelbydog1116]

One thing to keep in mind is that when you sell to the big money it becomes corporate and that leads to way more empty seats at games. Just look at premium seats at the Hump on a weeknight game.

Maybe we shouldn’t be trying to fix something that’s not broken.

The sport loses money and the ones that the rest of the country care about have to pay for it. some empty lounge spots on midweek games when we suck is worh it for the money. The basketball atmosphere has been fine this year. Maximizing revenue to be able to buy players should be the #1 focus in the revenue sharing era.

 

[Bulldog45]

The 3 hours of use is a good point I hadn’t thought of. Way back when, I guess it was an all day Saturday event with the doubleheaders.

 

[The Peeper]

The basketball atmosphere has been fine this year.

Yeah, sure it has been fine. Each of the 3 baseball games against TX had more fans in attendance than our basketball game against TX a few weeks ago had, and it was Spring break here on campus this weekend during the TX baseball series so students weren't even here.

Why should we care what the rest of the country cares about? If we like baseball, you're saying we shouldn't go because "the rest of the country doesn't care? Great logic there sir. What do you think about the schools up North that have hockey teams, gymnastics, water polo, swimming? I read an article recently that said Notre Dame has fencing and rowing teams? I personally don't give a damn about those but should they shut them down because I don't care?

 

[BulldogBlitz]

What's funny for me anyway is it's a terrible place to actually watch baseball.

Like fishing and golf, it's mainly an excuse to sit in the sun and drink beer.

 

[campshelbydog1116]

Yeah, sure it has been fine. Each of the 3 baseball games against TX had more fans in attendance than our basketball game against TX a few weeks ago had, and it was Spring break here on campus this weekend during the TX baseball series so students weren't even here.

Why should we care what the rest of the country cares about? If we like baseball, you're saying we shouldn't go because "the rest of the country doesn't care? Great logic there sir. What do you think about the schools up North that have hockey teams, gymnastics, water polo, swimming? I read an article recently that said Notre Dame has fencing and rowing teams? I personally don't give a damn about those but should they shut them down because I don't care?

I didn’t say you should not go to whatever you want to go to. I said you should have to pay top dollar to be in a top dollar demand spot and you don’t have to and don’t want to because it benefits you, although it hurts our university and the sports that actually pay the bills. Notre Dame also has a bottomless pit of money and still prioritizes the money making sports the way big boy programs do. Our football team plays in an open endzone field with literal trailers in it while the baseball team plays in a palace. It is embarrassing how stupid we have been with our priorities.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

We're struggling to sell season football tickets and charging high *** prices (compared to the past) while we've got waiting lists for The Dude and aren't making people pay. It's straight up BS! You run that price up til it levels off and stop catering to 17ing baseball while expecting football to cover it. I stopped going to baseball completely because of the BS since this great stadium opened. I buy softball season tickets now and it's much better anyway.

 

[dickiedawg]

nm

 

[The Peeper]

I buy softball season tickets now and its much better anyway

That's right they finally started charging $5/game last season, or was it 2 seasons ago didn't they?

A quick check of attendance on hailstate.com so far this season shows they are averaging about 450 fans/game. Since Ricketts makes $186,000 per year and there's 27 home games this season they need closer to 1,400 fans per game JUST TO COVER HER SALARY. Then there's 3 other on field coaches salaries, 2 strength coaches salaries, a director or softball operations salary, and a coordinator of player development salary. There's that new $7 million softball field house. There's travel, hotels and meals, cost of scholarships, etc etc etc.

Looks like they need to raise those ticket prices a lot and start charging market value for that outfield deck they built too so football won't have to carry them huh?

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

I think most everyone's problem with it is that it has become an elitest club where the big rigs would rather take care of opposing fans and players than trying to make it a fun atmosphere for other Joe blow MSU fans

Simple solution. Wear opposing team's gear.

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

But look how hospitable we were:

LFL sitting here

 

[HotMop]

I read all of these posts and I’d like to weigh in as a guy who is involved in one of the rigs and ask that not all of us be lumped in together. I’m one of two guys that do most all cooking on this rig and I’ve never once fed an opponent player. We do sometimes, along with one of our neighbors, send food postgame to OUR team.

But here’s my real gripe. Our rig is as hospitable as we can be given the circumstances. We are on the upper level and folks gather behind our rig. Some we know and some we don’t. I can’t begin to tell you the amount and cost of food and beer we’ve handed out for free to State fans. And sure we may even give a bite or a beer to an opposing fan just being friendly in passing. However as a side note, this past wkend with Texas was the absolute worst visiting fan experience we have had having hosted every single SEC school at Dudy Noble sans Oklahoma. I won’t get into specifics but let’s just say they lived up to the expectations. I digress.

i mentioned above the circumstances. These rigs are tiny. We have a total of 9 seats in our rig. We tend to save those 9 seats for the OG’s, you know the ones that paid for it, any older folks, pregnant women…you get it. In addition to them, there are usually 2-3 of us cooking and prepping food standing in the rig…various people coming through to get something or coming to speak to a friend etc so it gets congested. I’d say 80-90% of OUR own people are standing behind the rig or spilling over to an unused rig nearby or whatever. I may get to pop a squat on occasion on an ice chest or a random stool somewhere for an inning. My point being there’s just very limited space with one way in and one way out. But you know what we do…if I notice someone just lurking over by the rail or on the concourse I walk over and I feed you and beer you up whether I’ve ever seen you before or not. I would hate to know how much money I and others have spent handing out food and beer to folks…some we know and some we don’t. It will make that PSL pale rather quickly. We go through cases upon cases of beer in an SEC weekend.

Finally let me say this as someone who has run a large tailgate for 25 years…I treat it just like I do my tailgate…if you walk up and are a nice person and don’t try to be an opposing *******, or one in general, we welcome you and share some food, drink and conversation. I just wanted to defend the rest like us.

Low seat capacity is what I dislike about the new lounge. Those old rigs with bench seating could fit 35-50 people. Lots of them had stadium seating in the 25-35 range as well. If you knew it was going to be packed you could also move the grill off the rig without being in anyone's way. Hell, my favorites were the ones that had the grill under the hood.

The rig I'm affiliated with has zero seating so you either bring a chair to fold out or it's standing room only for you.

 

[HotMop]

"Hi, I'm Bulldog Bruce from the Sixpack" would clear your path for sure.

***Offer only valid under the blue tent.

 

[HotMop]

Anywhere that has a waiting list should do
it, but the LFL by far the most undercharged seats on campus. They could not auction them
off and just raise the price by 10 times and still have a massive waiting list for LFL spots. Its ridiculous how cheap they are, considering the demand. I would love to have box seats at davis wade, but i can’t afford them. The school doesn’t care about that nor should they. The same shpuld be true for those lounge spots. The school needs to make prices out there in line with

That's right they finally started charging $5/game last season, or was it 2 seasons ago didn't they?

A quick check of attendance on hailstate.com so far this season shows they are averaging about 450 fans/game. Since Ricketts makes $186,000 per year and there's 27 home games this season they need closer to 1,400 fans per game JUST TO COVER HER SALARY. Then there's 3 other on field coaches salaries, 2 strength coaches salaries, a director or softball operations salary, and a coordinator of player development salary. There's that new $7 million softball field house. There's travel, hotels and meals, cost of scholarships, etc etc etc.

Looks like they need to raise those ticket prices a lot and start charging market value for that outfield deck they built too so football won't have to carry them huh?

I'll offer free masseuse duties to a select group if they need one.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

I took my 10 year old son to his first MSU SEC baseball game last year. He is Die Hard. We have seen them every time they play in Biloxi, in New Orleans vs Tulane, Pearl for the governors cup and a couple of mid week and nonconference games. I have been building up LFL and the atmosphere on SEC weekends since he was old enough to remember. To say it was disappointing is an understatement. I have some friends that have rigs but decided not to bother them since they all had lots of folks in town. Instead we were just going to walk around look at the different rigs and enjoy the atmosphere for a few minutes and get back to our seats. The harassment started with one of the first rigs we passed. Some redneck bleach blonde woman hollered at us and asked us where we were going and told us it was private. I guess she could tell we didn't have a spot as I was explaining to my son how it used to look. Then we walked a little further and I was showing him approx. where my fraternities old spot and was telling him how we used to heckle the outfielders. Someone from one of the lower rigs hollered up at us and told up to move along. Then after running into a few more obnoxious MSU fans we just went back to our seats. I understand it was crowded and people who pay don't want random strangers blocking their view. We didn't try to go into any rigs, didn't expect anyone to invite us or give us food. I was simply trying to show my 10 year old the atmosphere. I have never felt like more of an outsider as a State fan ever in my life. I'm not expecting any kind of special treatment, just don't be rude...

That's the experience for probably 90% of fans I talk to that have done similar things.

The lounge used to be a grass roots average Joe fan/student thing now it's just expensive box seats like football. It's an exclusive elitest club. It's the msu version of the grove. And it sounds just as dumb to others as the way we feel about the grove.

 

[TheDawg-Pound]

No way we are or should get rid of LFL.

That area has nothing to do with winning a baseball

I'm officially over it. It's boarderline embarrassing at this point. "We suck but we dress up funny and feed the players that destroy us."

Just put the money into football and basketball like real schools, 95% of sports fans don't have a clue what goes on in college baseball.

(rant over)

Our baseball is the north's hockey.
No one wants to get rid of lfl. What they do want is seats for everyone to sit as the only seats you can get is GA. Wouldn't make sense putting more money into it right now. It would be smart to raise the cost of chairbacks

 

[M R DAWGS]

Early 2000’s, I had some great times on our fraternity rig and went to damn near every game. It was unique back then, I haven’t been back since it became non-unique.

If we had fired Lemonis when it was time in 2023, we wouldn’t be worried about this issue.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

That's right they finally started charging $5/game last season, or was it 2 seasons ago didn't they?

A quick check of attendance on hailstate.com so far this season shows they are averaging about 450 fans/game. Since Ricketts makes $186,000 per year and there's 27 home games this season they need closer to 1,400 fans per game JUST TO COVER HER SALARY. Then there's 3 other on field coaches salaries, 2 strength coaches salaries, a director or softball operations salary, and a coordinator of player development salary. There's that new $7 million softball field house. There's travel, hotels and meals, cost of scholarships, etc etc etc.

Looks like they need to raise those ticket prices a lot and start charging market value for that outfield deck they built too so football won't have to carry them huh?

I laugh at you talking about how the Dude needs seating for the average fan then rip off how people shouldn't be allowed in the LFL because it's premium seating like football. Then attempt to belittle me for going more for my money with softball. 17 You! You sir are part of the problem! The school 17d up a great thing, so now it's time for you elitist aholes to pay up!
By the way, Softball lets fans take in coolers just like baseball. It's closer to what the LFL used to be than the actual LFL now. We peasants can just stand at Dudy Noble and pay for baseball with stupid football pricing. I choose not to anymore. It's why State's losing fan support and begging people to renew football tickets right now. It's time the great baseball program pays for itself, it's a group of elitist ******** with a waiting list for seats and your comments reflect it unfortunately. And I don't like blasting you because I think you just got ahead of yourself but don't come at me with that BS when we was advocating for charging for softball for years. No program should be free like it was. Every sport has to charge now. I get more for my money with softball but I'm not into just the party either.

 

[Jacknut]

Lot of generalizations going here. I was a regular for about 10 years. We never gave the other team food after the game, hell, we took care of eating the food ourselves. The guys on either side of us didn't either. If any opposing fans found their way to our spot, I'm sure we gave them some food and beer, this IS the South. I don't remember that happening very much, though.

 

[BulldawgFan]

Who is the bus driver that's been mentioned?

 

[Maroon13]

This has gone from giving a sec school some food to hating the LFL. Gezzzz.

I don't have a connection out there any longer. However I walk through every game that I can attend. Just to admire the set ups and see if I run into some one. Regardless I have never been told to leave or even had a course word said me.

As a matter of fact. We were outside a rig that belongs to someone we didn't know, taking a picture and a young lady of that rig offered to take the pic for us. That's been my experience.

 

[Shane of Pisgah]

Some of you probably remember my grandpa Norman Horton (Big Ned) with Stevens Mechanical back in the 1970s and 80s, who did a lot of the welding on some of the early rigs for basically free. He'd always take my mom out there and it was some of her favorite memories that she always talks about still today. She hadn't been back for a game in over 30 years, so I took her to the Texas game and she wanted to walk out to check out the new LFL. She doesn't get around so good anymore and moves kinda slow these days. And in hindsight it probably wasn't the best time to try to walk out there with how crowded it was, but I didn't know when the next time she'd be there. I knew we were in trouble when someone yelled, "Move it you old coot!" It was a 10-year-old kid who started high-fiving his buddies. His parents just laughed. The next rig offered her a hamburger but it was just a moldy bun with no meat. I had to take it from her to keep her from getting sick. Fortunately I saw an old buddy on another rig, and he invited us in. But then the dude next to him said real loud, "Hell Sam she'll put us over the weight limit," and everyone started yucking it up like it was the funnies thing they'd ever heard. So we just turned around and went back to our seats. I probably wont take her again.

 

[Lucifer Morningstar]

Some of you probably remember my grandpa Norman Horton (Big Ned) with Stevens Mechanical back in the 1970s and 80s, who did a lot of the welding on some of the early rigs for basically free. He'd always take my mom out there and it was some of her favorite memories that she always talks about still today. She hadn't been back for a game in over 30 years, so I took her to the Texas game and she wanted to walk out to check out the new LFL. She doesn't get around so good anymore and moves kinda slow these days. And in hindsight it probably wasn't the best time to try to walk out there with how crowded it was, but I didn't know when the next time she'd be there. I knew we were in trouble when someone yelled, "Move it you old coot!" It was a 10-year-old kid who started high-fiving his buddies. His parents just laughed. The next rig offered her a hamburger but it was just a moldy bun with no meat. I had to take it from her to keep her from getting sick. Fortunately I saw an old buddy on another rig, and he invited us in. But then the dude next to him said real loud, "Hell Sam she'll put us over the weight limit," and everyone started yucking it up like it was the funnies thing they'd ever heard. So we just turned around and went back to our seats. I probably wont take her again.

The real sad part of this is there will be someone coming along shortly that will tell you how this really did not happen, or how it really was your fault. One thing you have to give the defenders of the LFL they are consistent in denial that anything bad has ever happened out there.

 

[The Peeper]

I laugh at you talking about how the Dude needs seating for the average fan then rip off how people shouldn't be allowed in the LFL because it's premium seating like football. Then attempt to belittle me for going more for my money with softball. 17 You! You sir are part of the problem! The school 17d up a great thing, so now it's time for you elitist aholes to pay up!
By the way, Softball lets fans take in coolers just like baseball. It's closer to what the LFL used to be than the actual LFL now. We peasants can just stand at Dudy Noble and pay for baseball with stupid football pricing. I choose not to anymore. It's why State's losing fan support and begging people to renew football tickets right now. It's time the great baseball program pays for itself, it's a group of elitist ******** with a waiting list for seats and your comments reflect it unfortunately. And I don't like blasting you because I think you just got ahead of yourself but don't come at me with that BS when we was advocating for charging for softball for years. No program should be free like it was. Every sport has to charge now. I get more for my money with softball but I'm not into just the party either.

You REALLY need to do some reading comprehension work because you didn't understand anything I said apparently:

"I laugh at you talking about how the Dude needs seating for the average fan then rip off how people shouldn't be allowed in the LFL because it's premium seating like football."

Go back and show me 1 (ONE) instance where I said "people shouldn't be allowed in LFL" Find just once where I said it. Hell I said our group welcomes them to our place, I even said they stand around, come back again and bring food and drink. I said if anyone around us said anything to a fan about not being out there, we would be the ones calling them out. You are hallucinating. And I 100% believe we need A LOT of general admission seats, down both 1st and 3rd baseline and possibly to the right of the scoreboard.
I compared the football and basketball premiun offerings showing that the average fan COULD come to the LFL when you can't get near those other paid venues w/out an invite. You really totally twisted that whole section around to try and fit your narrative.

" Then attempt to belittle me for going more for my money with softball."
I'm showing you what a hypocrite you are, railing on baseball for costing so much and generating nothing. What do you think softball is doing? They would have to double attendance just to pay the coaches salary. Your $5/game ticket won't buy the bubble game and sunflower seeds they chew on and you complain about LFL not costing enough and needs to increase seating? Pot meet kettle. Softball is sucking down money and not contributing jack, similar to what YOU SAY BASEBALL IS DOING.

"Every sport has to charge now"
Nope, not soccer, volleyball, tennis, track, cross country, or golf, they are standing there with their hands out and open.

You can "blast" me all you want but I want you telling the truth when you do.

 

[L4Dawg]

This thread is represents what this board has become. The Lounge is the one thing we have in MSU athletics that is almost universally recognized as the best thing in the country in its sport. Let‘s dis and belittle it by all means. *************