Boise State Game Sold Out, Should This Be a Big Deal?

[Asmodeanreborn]

The problem with Laramie is that it isn't athestically pleasing to the casual fan. Simply put, there just isn't much going on in Laramie. Compared to other college towns (Missoula, Bozeman, Fort Collins, just to name a few), Laramie can't hold a candle in the wind. Laramie could be an awesome town; however, it seems that no one is interested in promoting business and tourism. Sorry to offend life-long residents of Laramie, but it really seems like no one gives a crap how their town looks. It looks run-down and seems to lacking development except for a few sections on Grand. To go along with the nice hotels, why not add some nice stores or shopping centers (things that will attract casual fans). Take care of downtown much better (i.e. Bozeman, Fort Collins). I realize this stuff doesn't matter to die-hard fans, however it makes a world of difference when it comes to attracting casual fans, especially those who travel from quite a distance. Taking care of Laramie better (sprucing up, paint wouldn't hurt, zoning...) would definately make it much more attractive to fans. :twocents:

You...

Don't know WTF you are talking about. Nice try though douchenozzle.

I'm afraid I completely agree with him. There are some incredibly nice things about Laramie (the University buildings, the number and quality of parks, neighborhoods east of the University, etc.), but there's a reason a lot of people (even some Wyomingites) call it a dump. One building that really bothers the crap out of me downtown is the large apartment building that you enter from the alley between third and fourth, and Grand and Ivinson (by the fire station, Catholic church, etc). It's always looked like a dump, and it drags down the neighborhood and downtown significantly.
Also, something my brother mentioned when I was showing him around downtown a few years ago - the electrical wiring just goes randomly through the air from building to building, which makes it look very ghetto.

There's so much Laramie could do to look way better than it is. The Wagner building (between second and third) could be fixed up and I think it's a cool thing that its elevator was the first (or just among the first?) in Wyoming. Anybody who's managed to get electrocuted while riding it knows what I'm talking about (I used to work on the fourth, and then the second floor).

And quite frankly, aside from drinking, what is there to do IN Laramie that doesn't have to do with the university? I never figured that one out. Frisbee golf is nice (and Laramie had an 8 time world champion in Peter Shive), but it's not something that's going to give more than a very limited demographic a reason to visit.

I don't know, I tend to think that constructive criticism is good. The fact is that Laramie has problems attracting large crowds for football games - and I don't know if that can be blamed just on us not being a great team. I'd love to see us forced to expand the stadium to seat 40k because people are flooding in for games. Make it THE place to be on Saturday afternoons.

Like somebody already mentioned, Laramie has some awesome restaurants (and I agree that Sweet Melissa's should be left out. If I had craved that kind of crap, I would've moved in to Boulder when my job transferred me) considering its limited population. I've lived in other Wyoming small towns like Riverton and Rock Springs, and while they have one or two decent places to eat, Laramie sports at least a dozen without being all that much bigger. Just stay away from all the Chinese buffet type places, though. :thumb:

Should football be the only reason to travel?

 

[Stuck]

It's not a comfortable day trip from south of Denver. To me it requires an overnight stay.
Lodging is not abundant nor is it inexpensive. Lodging has been sold out for the Boise game and the Utah game for quite awhile. Atleast the 6 or so places that we have stayed. For Boise we are staying in Centennial on Friday night and after the game we will drive I-25 to Wellington.
I was going to buy season tickets this year, but when told about the CJC premium tacked on, I just couldn't afford them. Instead, I bought a 3 pack and added Boise later.
My wife and I love Laramie. Matter of fact we are planning early retirement there with hope for part time employment at the University. There is skiing, hiking, fishing, camping. There are some great little restaurants and I love the houses in the Wash. Park area and the Undine Park areas.
Hell, DIA isn't a much further drive from Laramie than from where I live and from my house it's almost all city traffic!!
I think besides winning, a larger regional population would fill the stadium. People outside of Laramie and Cheyenne have to drive frather than I do. I think the rabid fan base exists, it's the logistics that are limiting. :twocents:

 

[WYCowboy]

The problem with Laramie is that it isn't athestically pleasing to the casual fan. Simply put, there just isn't much going on in Laramie. Compared to other college towns (Missoula, Bozeman, Fort Collins, just to name a few), Laramie can't hold a candle in the wind. Laramie could be an awesome town; however, it seems that no one is interested in promoting business and tourism. Sorry to offend life-long residents of Laramie, but it really seems like no one gives a crap how their town looks. It looks run-down and seems to lacking development except for a few sections on Grand. To go along with the nice hotels, why not add some nice stores or shopping centers (things that will attract casual fans). Take care of downtown much better (i.e. Bozeman, Fort Collins). I realize this stuff doesn't matter to die-hard fans, however it makes a world of difference when it comes to attracting casual fans, especially those who travel from quite a distance. Taking care of Laramie better (sprucing up, paint wouldn't hurt, zoning...) would definately make it much more attractive to fans. :twocents:

You...

Don't know WTF you are talking about. Nice try though douchenozzle.

I'm afraid I completely agree with him. There are some incredibly nice things about Laramie (the University buildings, the number and quality of parks, neighborhoods east of the University, etc.), but there's a reason a lot of people (even some Wyomingites) call it a dump. One building that really bothers the crap out of me downtown is the large apartment building that you enter from the alley between third and fourth, and Grand and Ivinson (by the fire station, Catholic church, etc). It's always looked like a dump, and it drags down the neighborhood and downtown significantly.
Also, something my brother mentioned when I was showing him around downtown a few years ago - the electrical wiring just goes randomly through the air from building to building, which makes it look very ghetto.

There's so much Laramie could do to look way better than it is. The Wagner building (between second and third) could be fixed up and I think it's a cool thing that its elevator was the first (or just among the first?) in Wyoming. Anybody who's managed to get electrocuted while riding it knows what I'm talking about (I used to work on the fourth, and then the second floor).

And quite frankly, aside from drinking, what is there to do IN Laramie that doesn't have to do with the university? I never figured that one out. Frisbee golf is nice (and Laramie had an 8 time world champion in Peter Shive), but it's not something that's going to give more than a very limited demographic a reason to visit.

I don't know, I tend to think that constructive criticism is good. The fact is that Laramie has problems attracting large crowds for football games - and I don't know if that can be blamed just on us not being a great team. I'd love to see us forced to expand the stadium to seat 40k because people are flooding in for games. Make it THE place to be on Saturday afternoons.

Like somebody already mentioned, Laramie has some awesome restaurants (and I agree that Sweet Melissa's should be left out. If I had craved that kind of crap, I would've moved in to Boulder when my job transferred me) considering its limited population. I've lived in other Wyoming small towns like Riverton and Rock Springs, and while they have one or two decent places to eat, Laramie sports at least a dozen without being all that much bigger. Just stay away from all the Chinese buffet type places, though. :thumb:

Should football be the only reason to travel?

Maybe it's just apathy, but Casper seems to have the same problems judging from the way they supported the Casper Shoot-out. No, it wasn't Schroyer, because it was that way before he got here.

 

[sandiegopoke]

Sweet Melissa's

Sweet Melissa's... :thefan: I'd rather eat poop.

10 years of maintaining a vegetable garden may have changed some of my tastes ;-)

 

[WyoBrandX]

I think Laramie needs to come up with some ideas to give the fans more of a reason to make the trip. The snowy range music festival was going on during the USU game. With the late start, maybe CJC should have considered a fishing derby to get the fisherman pokes fans down for a game.

I've always thought they need to get some live bands performing downtown and shut the downtown down for people to hang out.

I think coming up with answers to the question, what can entice folks to drive to Laramie for a game, and give them something to enjoy the weekend in laramie

 

[Aaron]

Casper is a shithole.
Laramie is nice enough for me.
Stay overnight from Denver? WHAAAAT?

 

[Stuck]

Casper is a shithole.
Laramie is nice enough for me.
Stay overnight from Denver? WHAAAAT?

Afternoon games work great without an overnight, but I don't find it too bright to drive tired from gameday activities at night along with other tired (or drunk) people on the road. The drive from Ft. Collins through Denver to my house is always an accordian..... speeds at 75.....hard brake lights......down to 20, speed up to 75 again.......repeat.
I luckily survived my college age days and have attended more than enough funerals for invincible youth that are soooooo confident that they aren't really tired (or drunk) and will have no problem driving home in the wee hours.
Ironic that I just read about the Wyo track team accident and am likely going to buy a #12 t-shirt in 2 days.

 

[Wyokie]

Casper is a shithole.

HEY, that's my hometown, bucko!!!!! :tickedoff:

The REAL shithole is Cheyenne!!!!

 

[fromolwyoming]

I think Laramie needs to come up with some ideas to give the fans more of a reason to make the trip. The snowy range music festival was going on during the USU game. With the late start, maybe CJC should have considered a fishing derby to get the fisherman pokes fans down for a game.

I've always thought they need to get some live bands performing downtown and shut the downtown down for people to hang out.

I think coming up with answers to the question, what can entice folks to drive to Laramie for a game, and give them something to enjoy the weekend in laramie

The problem with having something in downtown Laramie and closing it off, is that it pisses off most of the business owners there (minus the ones that own bars).

But I think they are trying to make it worthwhile for the long trips, like the Lynard Skynard/Dierks Bentley concert tomorrow night. These things just need time to get better and better.

 

[Aaron]

Casper is a shithole.

HEY, that's my hometown, bucko!!!!! :tickedoff:

The REAL shithole is Cheyenne!!!!

Cheyenne is a shithole too :thumb:

 

[fromolwyoming]

Casper is a shithole.

HEY, that's my hometown, bucko!!!!! :tickedoff:

The REAL shithole is Cheyenne!!!!

Cheyenne is a shithole too :thumb:

I second that.

And the reason it IS such a shithole is because all of the shit from Denver ends up there.

 

[whyoh]

Casper is a shithole.

HEY, that's my hometown, bucko!!!!! :tickedoff:

The REAL shithole is Cheyenne!!!!

agreed

 

[McPeachy]

I'm afraid I completely agree with him.

I maybe came across a little harsh...but I dig Laramie. Small, clean, easy to get around, etc.

The comparison is what kills me...like Laramie, with an honest population base of about 25K people is supposed to support the same amenities as Fort Collins (200K +) & Mizzoula (150K +)? And unlike other communities in Wyoming (Sheridan for instance) Laramie doesn't have the same luxury of being a newer community, that has seen substantial growth in the last 20 or 30 years. Laramie is an old railroad town...and again, all things considered, offers plenty for traveling "fans".

So, my frustration came out. Should Laramie gut and rebuild downtown, and put in a mall, that will only be supported 3-4 times per year, maybe less, for home football games? That is economic suicide, as the community simply cannot support doing so.

Given the current demo's of Laramie, economics, etc., the community is doing pretty damn well, and in fact, provides a great experience for all tourists, not just the few "traveling" football fans 3 or 4 times per year.

 

[Asmodeanreborn]

Casper is a shithole.

HEY, that's my hometown, bucko!!!!! :tickedoff:

The REAL shithole is Cheyenne!!!!

Cheyenne is a shithole too :thumb:

I second that.

And the reason it IS such a shithole is because all of the s##t from Denver ends up there.

Cheyenne and Casper are still great towns compared to Rawlins and Rock Springs.

 

[Asmodeanreborn]

I maybe came across a little harsh...but I dig Laramie. Small, clean, easy to get around, etc.

The comparison is what kills me...like Laramie, with an honest population base of about 25K people is supposed to support the same amenities as Fort Collins (200K +) & Mizzoula (150K +)? And unlike other communities in Wyoming (Sheridan for instance) Laramie doesn't have the same luxury of being a newer community, that has seen substantial growth in the last 20 or 30 years. Laramie is an old railroad town...and again, all things considered, offers plenty for traveling "fans".

So, my frustration came out. Should Laramie gut and rebuild downtown, and put in a mall, that will only be supported 3-4 times per year, maybe less, for home football games? That is economic suicide, as the community simply cannot support doing so.

Given the current demo's of Laramie, economics, etc., the community is doing pretty damn well, and in fact, provides a great experience for all tourists, not just the few "traveling" football fans 3 or 4 times per year.

In my opinion, I think Laramie's done a lot in the last few years to be more attractive to visitors, it just seems there's so much more that could be done, and it wouldn't necessarily have to cost much. Plenty of other small towns have days where teams of volunteers just take care of stuff and snazzy it up - I think that could definitely work in Laramie - especially with that many college kids that are itching (hopefully) to stick some volunteering stuff on their resumes.

I'd really prefer not seeing a mall in Laramie at all, but one thing that has me flabbergasted is - there's NO place outside of Wal-Mart and K-Mart to buy pants for guys, unless you're specifically looking for western wear. What the heck?

I don't know... I basically just want Laramie to be a town that people WANT to visit and are easily impressed by. I don't want people coming away with the impression that the whole town consists of the slum-lord properties that many students live in - and there are plenty of those kinds of properties.

 

[whyoh]

I'm afraid I completely agree with him.

I maybe came across a little harsh...but I dig Laramie. Small, clean, easy to get around, etc.

The comparison is what kills me...like Laramie, with an honest population base of about 25K people is supposed to support the same amenities as Fort Collins (200K +) & Mizzoula (150K +)? And unlike other communities in Wyoming (Sheridan for instance) Laramie doesn't have the same luxury of being a newer community, that has seen substantial growth in the last 20 or 30 years. Laramie is an old railroad town...and again, all things considered, offers plenty for traveling "fans".

So, my frustration came out. Should Laramie gut and rebuild downtown, and put in a mall, that will only be supported 3-4 times per year, maybe less, for home football games? That is economic suicide, as the community simply cannot support doing so.

Given the current demo's of Laramie, economics, etc., the community is doing pretty damn well, and in fact, provides a great experience for all tourists, not just the few "traveling" football fans 3 or 4 times per year.

sorry, bud, i know this is REALLy nowhere close to your point but i hafta say it anway

fort collins = 138,733
missoula = 68,876



my only gripe with laramie is the lodging, other than that it can stay just the same

 

[Wyo2dal]

Casper is a shithole.

HEY, that's my hometown, bucko!!!!! :tickedoff:

The REAL shithole is Cheyenne!!!!

Cheyenne is a shithole too :thumb:

I second that.

And the reason it IS such a shithole is because all of the s##t from Denver ends up there.

Cheyenne and Casper are still great towns compared to Rawlins and Rock Springs.

Ewww Rock Springs so glad to be out of there!

 

[McPeachy]

sorry, bud, i know this is REALLy nowhere close to your point but i hafta say it anway

fort collins = 138,733
missoula = 68,876

my only gripe with laramie is the lodging, other than that it can stay just the same

I hear ya...but when else would Laramie fill "X" amount of hotel rooms? Occupancy was pathetic this last summer for most...I only now of 2 that had an increase, and all others stayed flat / declined.

Further...no way in hell FC (and the area) / Missoula (and the area) are at those population levels. You have to be more realistic with the numbers...for instance, use a 10 mile radius from each campus. That is like saying Denver's population is 610,345. We both know what that number is about.

It is what it is though, and the point is valid...69K or 138K is still a very significant difference than Laramie...like triple, quadruple, etc.

 

[MrTitleist]

Missoula itself is somewhere in the 70K range, Missoula county will be well over 100,000. It could maybe overtake Yellowstone County as Montana's largest. However, there's a hell of a lot to do here that Laramie doesn't have. So our hotels are busy year-around. This is a "tourist destination". Laramie's working on marketing itself w/ the addition of hosting a neutral site place for the Wyo HS football championships. Smart move by the U. Now if they could figure out the same thing for basketball and/or wrestling.

 

[whyoh]

Missoula itself is somewhere in the 70K range, Missoula county will be well over 100,000. It could maybe overtake Yellowstone County as Montana's largest. However, there's a hell of a lot to do here that Laramie doesn't have. So our hotels are busy year-around. This is a "tourist destination". Laramie's working on marketing itself w/ the addition of hosting a neutral site place for the Wyo HS football championships. Smart move by the U. Now if they could figure out the same thing for basketball and/or wrestling.

i'm sure it'll be a while before they ever take those from casper