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Post by steelman on Oct 23, 2023 12:31:52 GMT -6
"I don't believe in jinxes. I just believe in me." -- John Lennon We need to wear the AKC helmets and we need to approach the game against the Lessers as a winnable game. Because the longer this season goes on, the more winnable it seems. I'm now at the stage where I've gone from feeling a little disappointed that the Southerners won't be there, to outright irritated. I mean, I totally get the finances of it all. $200K is a lot. That could pay for a pretty decent FCS head coach for a season. But MAN... if it's close in the 4th quarter, it sure would've been nice having those extra 500+ voices on our side. I get the cost of transportation was the quoted reason for no Southerners at USC, but why did they choose to spend a similar amount to go to MTSU? Seems they would have gotten much bigger exposure and ROI on the trip to USC. Perhaps it was because USC would not allow Southerners to perform, does anyone know? |
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Post by jsu02 on Oct 23, 2023 13:15:53 GMT -6
I know when we were FCS, all contracts required the Southerners be allowed to perform either pregame or halftime if they attended.
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Post by Whup Em All on Oct 23, 2023 15:39:22 GMT -6
"I don't believe in jinxes. I just believe in me." -- John Lennon We need to wear the AKC helmets and we need to approach the game against the Lessers as a winnable game. Because the longer this season goes on, the more winnable it seems. I'm now at the stage where I've gone from feeling a little disappointed that the Southerners won't be there, to outright irritated. I mean, I totally get the finances of it all. $200K is a lot. That could pay for a pretty decent FCS head coach for a season. But MAN... if it's close in the 4th quarter, it sure would've been nice having those extra 500+ voices on our side. I get the cost of transportation was the quoted reason for no Southerners at USC, but why did they choose to spend a similar amount to go to MTSU? Seems they would have gotten much bigger exposure and ROI on the trip to USC. Perhaps it was because USC would not allow Southerners to perform, does anyone know? MTSU is 100 miles closer, or 200 miles more for the round trip, so there would've been a pretty substantial increase in fuel alone. I'm not sure how the drivers are compensated, but I'm sure they're probably paid more for time on the road vs sitting idle in a parking lot, so that factors in as well. (11 bus drivers x 2 extra travel hours each.) As for the exposure, it's debatable. Obviously, the crowd in Columbia would be 3-4 times larger (at a minimum) but at the time the decision was made not to carry the band, it was assumed this game would be carried on the SEC's lowest tier, garnering a streaming audience of (probably) <20K. Compare those projected ratings with the ones we got from MTSU (145K) and it's clear, as far as the TV audience goes, knowing what they did then, Jax State made the right decision. Of course, now the Battle of the Gamecocks is an ESPNU game on Saturday morning, with bowl eligibility for both teams potentially on the line. The buzz surrounding Rich Rod alone could put the audience in the 150K-200K range. (Probably not much higher... Memphis vs Missouri in Week 4 only drew 181K on the U.) At this point, it becomes a bit of a wash. It's probably the safer bet to perform at a conference rival in what's effectively our own backyard rather than haul the band all the way to South Carolina. The easiest, surest way to make both trips possible would be to cap off the numbers in the band at like 300. But I don't believe that's going to happen anytime soon... |
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Post by jsu02 on Oct 23, 2023 16:09:23 GMT -6
Should we consider developing a formal traveling pep band for such games? I'd suggest it just be musicians to get the most bang for the buck. How many and what instrumentation?
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Post by steelman on Oct 24, 2023 7:04:16 GMT -6
Should we consider developing a formal traveling pep band for such games? I'd suggest it just be musicians to get the most bang for the buck. How many and what instrumentation? A traveling pep band is exactly what is needed. "The Southerners 100" with 20 Trumpets, 10 trombones, 10 mellos, 5 baritones, 25 drummers (all battery) and 30 20-Js!  |
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Post by Whup Em All on Oct 24, 2023 10:31:43 GMT -6
Should we consider developing a formal traveling pep band for such games? I'd suggest it just be musicians to get the most bang for the buck. How many and what instrumentation? A traveling pep band is exactly what is needed. "The Southerners 100" with 20 Trumpets, 10 trombones, 10 mellos, 5 baritones, 25 drummers (all battery) and 30 20-Js! Back in the wayback we took a traveling pep band to away games. We had to fit on a charter bus along with the cheerleaders, so we were limited to about 40 members (about two per part, with no front ensemble, guard, or Rinas). It was a lot of fun, but there were issues that led to it going away, and it wasn't really missed. Well, except for the fun parts. |
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