Originally Posted by
DukeCO2009
I think I speak for most students when I say that I'm a bit peeved by the yearly early season whining about attendence. I understand your concern, and to a level I empathize with you--I remember coming to games as a kid and feeling like I had been cheated when the student section wasn't 100% full. I thought that the students should show up to entertain me, and I feel like most alums--or whoever else sits up top--feel the same way. Bottom line, though, is that this discussion happens every November, and the "problem" is inevitably solved, at the latest, by the time conference play gets going. The reason fewer students show up to the early games--exhibitions, preseason games, crappy OOC games--is because it's just not great baskebtall.
That's not to say that we want close games, because we don't; it should be obvious, though, that the incentive to trek to West from East or Central, for instance, is much less when the only suspense surrounding the game is whether or not we'll hit 100. We also, believe it or not, have academic obligations. Would I stay up an extra two or three hours studying so I could see us play State, Wake, or even someone like Princeton? Sure--but a game against a DII school that counts for nothing? Not so much. That doesn't mean we don't support the team, it doesn't mean we're getting complacent, and it doesn't mean we don't relish the opportunity to get free tickets to the best arena on the planet. All it means is that being a Duke student forces you to prioritize.
I hate to be so blunt, alums/boosters/etc., but we attend games neither for your amusement nor with intent of enhancing your overall Cameron experience. While a select few might show up just to get on TV, the overwhelming majority of us come because we want to watch a basketball game. Some basketball games have more entertainment potential than others, and that's why the stands aren't quite as full during the first few weeks of the season as they are come winter. If you're disappointed by the student turnout, why not try making some noise yourselves to pick up the slack? It's usually like a ghost town up there. I apologize if I seem curt--I'm just trying to give it to you straight. Moral of the story? Take a deep breath and simmer down a bit--I guarantee you that we'll have the place rockin' in due time.
Go Duke