I wish to make this missive a macro view with so many parts to discuss. This season offered me no particular joy, no real happy anticipation and, quite honestly, may have been the most boring & indifferent season I have ever experienced in the 3rd Ward.
Let’s start at what bothers me the most; moving the Yellow Lot and RV village to BFE. This simply destroyed the atmosphere that had been cultivated over the sad sack years of losing. The RV Village is now a shadow of itself. Terribly, terribly disappointing. Hunter and his cronies have destroyed the game day atmosphere and replaced the fun activity close to the stadium with some carnival barkers. Brilliant move, Hunter! Here’s hoping you’re emailing your resume out to every AD opening in 'merica.
Secondly, to make tailgating matters worse, which I didn’t think possible, is the schizophrenic game time schedule. Damn it! Pick a time, any time and stick with it. If it’s 11:00 every week, fine. We’ll deal with it. Short of being in the MAC, this slate of times is the worst we’ve ever been subjected to. Oh yeah, I hear all the excuses about TV and call bullshit. Going into the season we were the big dog of the conference and have some weight to throw around. Brilliant job, Hunter. Way to have our back and support what works best at UH. Here’s hoping you’re emailing your resume out to every AD opening in 'merica.
I had little to no faith in the new coaching staff going into the season. I’m completely ambivalent when it comes to winning and losing after last year. I’ve chosen to focus on the social aspects and not get caught up in the wins & losses. That being said, what we’ve rolled out there has been putrid. We have good players, better than most teams we play. Worse, it is incredibly boring stuff to watch. So, couple the boring tailgating, mix in a slate of game times with no rhyme or reason with incredibly inept to boring football and you make me no want to attend. Of course, I will come. Where else can I wear my red fedora? I do so begrudgingly.
What has hastened my unleashing of this diatribe was our experience at Tulane. I didn’t order tickets through UH when I ordered my season tickets figuring I’d get them later. Instead they sold out. As I learned through my UTSA experience, I called Tulane, and asked about a group rate. For a minimum of 20 people we could have $20 tickets with a choice of the party patio and the 35 yard line behind the Cougars. I received special offers for events while in town although Tulane events weren’t of much interest. We ended up with 24 on the patio & the 50 in the stands. Then, the week of the game, they said they would give me wristbands so everyone in my party would be able to go to the patio. Then, during the game, we got a “Welcome CoachV” message on the video, We also had constant visits by the Tulane account manager during the game asking if there was anything he could do. You know, once upon a time I had almost 30 season tickets to UH Football. I never got a phone call from UH even once. Matt Jackson said it was one of his best game experiences ever although the game colud have been better.
The bottom line is, this season in every way has made me feel like UH has taken advantage of me. They make it more difficult to walk to the game, destroyed the ambiance we tried so hard to build and throw that pile of bat guano out on the field for us to watch.
The end of this season can’t come fast enough and either can the disappearance of the whole cast of characters that made this dumpster fire happen.
I’m looking at you Hunter!
No doubt that the quality of “fan experience” (which includes coaching quality/playcalling, team performance, game times, crowds, general hype, tailgating…) went from about a 9 in Herman’s 13-1 season (and the first part of last year until the rumors started) to about a 2 this season. The last hold out of hope is the students have remained pretty strong this year but some of that may be the momentum from the last two years and the direct connections that Herman made with them. Thanksgiving will likely give rise to a weak student crowd and generally terrible attendance (under 20K in seats) a fitting ending to this embarrassment of a season.