{"id":4291,"date":"2012-09-05T00:59:14","date_gmt":"2012-09-05T04:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=4291"},"modified":"2012-09-05T07:05:53","modified_gmt":"2012-09-05T11:05:53","slug":"quick-argument-rant-on-why-you-should-attend-the-wvu-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=4291","title":{"rendered":"Quick Argument (Rant) on Why You Should Attend the WVU game!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"We're<\/a>Pure hype piece here, but if you’re on the fence, or worse, claim to be BOTH a JMU fan and a college football fan in general, and aren’t making plans for \u00a0JMU v. WVU at FedEx Field, home of the Skins on 9\/15 yet, get the eff on it. \u00a0Right now!<\/p>\n

We’re not going crazy and taking an overly aggressive stance about attendance, at least not in the way we hope to when the playoffs come back to Bridgeforth in a couple months, but for JMU fans, specifically alums within a two-hour drive who may be on the fence, you really need to consider what a great, and rare, opportunity this game is. And here’s the argument. (FYI, this could apply equally to local WVU folks – we’re lookin’ at you Ragtime fans; Dogwood’s Dukes fiesta is going to make you look like amateurs!)<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

As great as the unchallenged, easy-going experience of attending a home game of your favorite team can be, one thing I\u2019ve found is that most fans hugely underestimate the excitement and intensity created by a split-crowd event. \u00a0 The few games we’ve been to that fall into this rare category are great evidence. Even as a neutral fan, attending the Maryland\/Florida ’02 Orange Bowl and the Boise\/VT ’11 game at FedEx were fantastic games because of that back-and-forth and pregame jitters created by the mixing of supporters.\u00a0 For the record, that Maryland\/Florida game was nearly as lopsided in its pointspread and outcome as this one is likely to be.\u00a0 Still didn\u2019t diminish the thrill of anticipation from either side during the run-up to the games.\u00a0\u00a0 JMU\/Montana in \u201904 was incredibly fun before we ever realized we might actually win the thing for the same reason.\u00a0 Even JMU @ W&M that year, most JMU @ GMU hoops games, and pretty much every Philly @ Washington game in any sport (at least when Philly fans have a winner to back), make for fun matchups because the crowd splits.\u00a0 Yes, it\u2019s frustrating when your team loses and all those clowns are in the stadium to point that out, but this is West by God Virginia we\u2019re talking \u2018bout here so any post-game bragging on their part is unwarranted at best and moonshine-related, comedic lunacy at worst, not that there’s anything wrong with that.<\/p>\n

Quietly, the Danny (Skins owner Dan Snyder) has been freaking out about blackouts and the public\u2019s obvious knowledge that his waiting list and sellout streak are Oz-like charades.\u00a0 He\u2019s actually removed more than 10,000 seats and FedEx capacity now stands at only 79,000.\u00a0 Given that quite a few of those are suites that don\u2019t contribute much to the noise level, atmosphere, or look of a decently-filled arena, anything over about 50k would make for an outstanding fan experience that would compare favorable with other non-national college games held there recently. \u00a0But we’re not there yet. \u00a0While a) as much or more falls on WVU and b) a bad JMU turnout has zero consequences on potential FBS plans (though a good turnout might <\/em>\u00a0turn a head or two and clearly wouldn’t hurt), it still warrants a comment from JMUSB headquarters.<\/p>\n

Yes, tickets prices were steep originally, but they\u2019re down to 35 per on Stub Hub now.<\/p>\n

Yes, West Virginia may hang 60 on the Dukes, but that\u2019s actually bull shit and you haven\u2019t been paying close enough attention (much more on this to come next week).<\/p>\n

Yes, JMU HC Mickey Matthews has taken these payday games against big-name teams \u201csomewhat less than seriously\u201d in the past, using our reserves in a losing cause the same way our FBS opponents have on the other side, but 21-16 changed all that.\u00a0 In fact, we’ll have a lot more on that too next week mainly focusing on the fact that 34 passes against St. Francis and a likely repeat performance against Alcorn St. this weekend is all a ruse for an old-school Mickey, shove-it-down-their-throat-milk-the-clock-run-to-setup-the-run performance he’s about to unleash on the big stage.<\/p>\n

Yes, FedEx is a dump for an NFL Stadium, but it\u2019s a great game atmosphere given how close the stands are to the field, especially in a split stadium situation (e.g. VT\/Boise St.)<\/p>\n

Yes, FedEx is a dump owned by the Danny, but the tailgate lot is still NFL caliber in size and really creates pre-game excitement by having everyone essentially in one huge location in a way that Bridgeforth, MilanPuskar (WVU\u2019s stadium), and most other college stadiums just can\u2019t pull off. \u00a0The on-campus stadiums and lots were built AFTER the universities and towns grew up around them, forcing the lots to spread out and meander a bit more.\u00a0 That\u2019s awesome in its own way and I wouldn\u2019t trade the variety of P-Lot, baseball lots, even Convo and ISAT lots for anything as the usual JMU gameday experience, but this setup creates a level of communal debauchery that\u2019s tough to top absent a time machine that can take you to a Newman Lake Boat Race officiated by Uncle Ron and won by AST\u2019s on a sinking turtle-ship thingy made out of kegs that defies all logic and laws of physics!<\/p>\n

Finally, and we’re not [really] encouraging overdoing your tailgate by reverting to junior-year-in-the-Burg form, we are talking about an absolutely unprecedented matchup of the Princeton Review’s Top 1-A Party School against the Top 1-AA Party School<\/a>. \u00a0Seriously, #1 v. #1 in a tailgating barnburner of epic pyrotechnic potential. \u00a0Bring your spare liver and your own damn sofa and show these bumpkins how it’s done! \u00a0(Just don’t turn this into a Forest Hills block-party situation, please, at least not on our bus, please!).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n