Casper Shootout - Should it still be going on?

[evilpoke]

I don't actually live in or near Casper, so I don't care, but I've heard grumblings about how this has been handled in the past few years.

It's a catch 22 - If you get a good team to come, you get all the Laramie people pissed because the good team isn't coming to the campus. But if you get a crappy team, no one wants to come see them.

Thoughts?

My only idea is to play Montana State every year in Casper - It's a regional opponent who would bring their own fans, plus MSU has been pretty/really good in basketball year in and year out. However, I don't know if this sounds too appealing for the central/northern Wyoming residents.

 

[McPeachy]

With all the current budget cuts, I don't see how UW can justify that POS any longer. It has continued to lose it's luster over the years...ever since it went from tourney style to 1 and done. Sure Bobby Knight was there, and sure Witchita State was there...but so what...it still lost money even then. The fine folks from that area of the state don't give a shit about it anymore, so I say AXE it. Now.

 

[WYCowboy]

You are right McP - the people of Casper and Central Wyoming don't support the Shootout. I went to the game this last December and couldn't believe how few people from Casper were there. I think there were more fans there from Laramie and the Southern part of Wyoming than from Casper and the rest of the state and the weather was terrible. It turned out to be a great game.

 

[nirv117]

I've thought for years that they should get rid of the shootout.

I recall attending one when I was in college and it seemed like I was the only person cheering for Wyoming. Everyone else was having some sort of quiet contest.

Maybe adding another home game and making it an attractive opponent will help in season and regular ticket sales.

 

[wellpoke]

You're all correct of course, the shootout has become a joke... but cancel it, and watch how fast the few "fans" in Casper start grumbling about not buying season tickets, not coming to games, pulling support from CJC, etc. Like it or not, Wyoming fans are fickle, and the AD probably hasn't pulled the shootout simply because he's worried about the "negative" response.

Burman's got to realize that he can't please everyone, and by trying to do that and keeping losing ventures like the shootout around, he's just digging a deeper hole.

That said, I do think the Shootout could be turned around if they went back to tournament style. Everybody's looking for preseason tournaments (i.e. the Alaska Shootout), and if we got six or eight teams, with one or two of them being "quality" or regional oppenents, folks might show up again

GO POKES!

 

[Wyokie]

You're all correct of course, the shootout has become a joke... but cancel it, and watch how fast the few "fans" in Casper start grumbling about not buying season tickets, not coming to games, pulling support from CJC, etc. Like it or not, Wyoming fans are fickle, and the AD probably hasn't pulled the shootout simply because he's worried about the "negative" response.

Burman's got to realize that he can't please everyone, and by trying to do that and keeping losing ventures like the shootout around, he's just digging a deeper hole.

That said, I do think the Shootout could be turned around if they went back to tournament style. Everybody's looking for preseason tournaments (i.e. the Alaska Shootout), and if we got six or eight teams, with one or two of them being "quality" or regional oppenents, folks might show up again

GO POKES!

I LOVED it when it was a 4 team tournament. I volunteered at the 1990 event when Charence Weatherspoon and Southern Mississippi came to town. I think it could really work now that everyone is wanting to do in-season tourys as wellpoke just said.

 

[WYCowboy]

You're all correct of course, the shootout has become a joke... but cancel it, and watch how fast the few "fans" in Casper start grumbling about not buying season tickets, not coming to games, pulling support from CJC, etc. Like it or not, Wyoming fans are fickle, and the AD probably hasn't pulled the shootout simply because he's worried about the "negative" response.

Burman's got to realize that he can't please everyone, and by trying to do that and keeping losing ventures like the shootout around, he's just digging a deeper hole.

That said, I do think the Shootout could be turned around if they went back to tournament style. Everybody's looking for preseason tournaments (i.e. the Alaska Shootout), and if we got six or eight teams, with one or two of them being "quality" or regional oppenents, folks might show up again

GO POKES!

I LOVED it when it was a 4 team tournament. I volunteered at the 1990 event when Charence Weatherspoon and Southern Mississippi came to town. I think it could really work now that everyone is wanting to do in-season tourys as wellpoke just said.

I would love to see it work in Casper - I really would, but do they need to promote it better or what? I was embarassed this last Shootout when I was yelling and cheering for UW because I looked around and about 90% of the fans there were sitting on their hands and the attendance was awful. We have lost money on this game for years and if we bring in 2 more teams, who's to say we won't lose even more. I am not from Laramie or Cheyenne, but I do have season tickets and rarely miss a game.

 

[Wyokie]

I LOVED it when it was a 4 team tournament. I volunteered at the 1990 event when Charence Weatherspoon and Southern Mississippi came to town. I think it could really work now that everyone is wanting to do in-season tourys as wellpoke just said.

I would love to see it work in Casper - I really would, but do they need to promote it better or what? I was embarassed this last Shootout when I was yelling and cheering for UW because I looked around and about 90% of the fans there were sitting on their hands and the attendance was awful. We have lost money on this game for years and if we bring in 2 more teams, who's to say we won't lose even more. I am not from Laramie or Cheyenne, but I do have season tickets and rarely miss a game.

I agree. When I was still living in Casper (1974-90), they promoted it on T.V. like crazy!

 

[MrTitleist]

I think we maybe have a border war. You bring in Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls. Bring in Montana's Griz and Lady Griz. Bring in Idaho's Vandals/Lady Vandals. Bring in South Dakota's Jackrabbits/Lady Jackrabbits or some combination of border states and have a weekend long border war tournament. Basically, look at teams with large fan followings close to Casper (Montana/Montana St, Boise, Utah State, Nebraska, etc) and see what happens. That'd put some butts in the seats.

 

[McPeachy]

I think we maybe have a border war. You bring in Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls. Bring in Montana's Griz and Lady Griz. Bring in Idaho's Vandals/Lady Vandals. Bring in South Dakota's Jackrabbits/Lady Jackrabbits or some combination of border states and have a weekend long border war tournament. Basically, look at teams with large fan followings close to Casper (Montana/Montana St, Boise, Utah State, Nebraska, etc) and see what happens. That'd put some butts in the seats.

I like it...sounds fun, and it would work. So don't count on it ever happening.

 

[WYCowboy]

I think we maybe have a border war. You bring in Wyoming Cowboys/Cowgirls. Bring in Montana's Griz and Lady Griz. Bring in Idaho's Vandals/Lady Vandals. Bring in South Dakota's Jackrabbits/Lady Jackrabbits or some combination of border states and have a weekend long border war tournament. Basically, look at teams with large fan followings close to Casper (Montana/Montana St, Boise, Utah State, Nebraska, etc) and see what happens. That'd put some butts in the seats.

I like it...sounds fun, and it would work. So don't count on it ever happening.

That is the best idea I have heard about reviving the Casper Shootout.

 

[MrTitleist]

Time for us to put a bug in the ADs ear, eh?