[NU Sports] NU Attendance et al

[Dennis W. Brandt]

> But seriously, I am just sick of the whole attendance talk -- we've put a darn good product on the field for 15 years with more bang for the buck than anywhere else with upsets and thrilling finishes,

Can't deny there have been thrilling finishes over the years.  Can't deny a small fan base is part of the attendance problem.  But the economy?  Seen the stands at Ohio State and Penn State lately?  Seems to me that NU grads are among the least affected by an economic downturn.

The biggest problem is the Cats' year-to-year inconsistency on the field.  As we discussed earlier this season, some (me) predicted a 10 - 2 finish, others said 3 - 9, and most offered predictions somewhere in between.  Think Ohio State and Florida fans made such a wide range of prognostications?  If Michigan fans were jolted by their team's drop-off, does anyone doubt they will return to powerhouse status eventually?  We had the amazing glory days of '95 and '96, a so-so '97, and the inglorious '98 and '99 seasons.  The introduction of the spread offense inspired a comeback in 2000, but that faltered in 2001.  After that, the team was average or worse until Fitz gradually began turning it into "pretty good."  Fans will come IF there is almost ALWAYS a chance of winning the Big Ten crown, which by definition means having a legitimate shot at defeating the Big Three and not having to await one of our infrequent up years matching one of their rare down years to do it.  The enthusiasm of the Northwestern Cinderella story has worn off.  The NU football team raised fans' expectations but failed to deliver consistently.  To do that, they must at least peek through that talent ceiling and recruit more high-caliber football players.