TigerNet -- Blogs -- Mickey Plyler's Blog

I hope your semester is going well. I understand you have very busy schedules but I wanted to reach out to you because I need your help.

I have noticed empty seats in the student section this season and also noticed more students leaving games early. My vocabulary is limited so I cannot describe how I felt when I saw hundred of empty seats in the student section during a couple of games this season.

This letter is not intended to criticize you and your classmates. Instead, it is an attempt to get a better grasp of the situation. I want to know your concerns and hope to help rectify some of those issues. Together maybe we can voice them in an attempt to make some positive changes.

My daughter is a senior who will graduate in December and I get upset with her when I find out when she leaves a game early. I remind her all of the time to enjoy her time in Death Valley as a student because it is special but it is also limited.

I hear students are upset about the Alabama game and I understand. A lot of people were disappointed so I can sympathize with you on this one.

It has been brought to my attention that some have a hard time making it to noon kickoffs but I have less compassion on this complaint.

The facts point out that your time at Clemson is limited. You only have seven home games a year. I hear from recent graduates that complain about the lack of availability of tickets when they graduate. Some regret not taking advantage of their student tickets when they had a chance but those days are gone for them now.

However, the main reason I am writing is to reach out and try to get a better comprehension of why the student section has been lacking at Death Valley this year.

It has been brought to my attention that parking is an issue especially for off-campus students. Also I received an e-mail from one student saying that tailgating opportunities have been taken away from students on campus.

This letter comes in the form of a request. Please e-mail me anything that might help encourage students to become more active this season and in the future. I will compile a list of concerns and forward them to Jim Barker, Terry Don Phillips, Tommy Bowden, IPTAY and anyone who needs to hear the concerns.

Please understand that there is nothing that can be done about some concerns. The schedule, the times of games that are televised and some parking issues are out of our hands. But there has to be some issues that we can get together and help. I hope you will take advantage of this chance as a student to voice your opinion. I can’t promise changes but I can promise they will be forwarded to the administration. Your voice will be heard.

Please forward this letter to any student that you know who has issues that need to be heard. My e-mail address is mickeyplyler@hotmail.com. Please respond by the first of next week so I can compile them and forward them by mid-week. Also if you are a student, please respond through e-mail instead of the comment section at the bottom of this blog. It will be easier to compile them through e-mail.

Again, I don’t know what your concerns are and don’t know what the solutions are. However, I do know that the football team at Clemson needs the full support of the student section. I know that Death Valley is a special place and one of the main reasons it has been special in the past is the student section. So many times in life older adults lead young people but Saturdays in Clemson are different. The student section is where the energy starts on Saturdays in Clemson. The atmosphere begins in the student section and resonates throughout the entirestadium. We need your leadership this Saturday and every other Saturday when the Tigers play at home. The alternative is not a solution. We need you to be the catalyst. Please let me know what we need to do and hopefully we can get the Valley rockin’ again. Failure is not an option here.

Please feel free to contact me anytime I may be of assistance. Thanks in advance for your consideration and good luck with the rest of the semester.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Comments:

I think a lot of students went home last weekend. It's about that time of the semester when students leave, especially since the opponent was SC State. I think this a problem that will take care of itself with all the ACC games coming up (not that we have that many home games left).

Posted by Tigers2007 on September 25, 2008 at 11:29 AM EDT #

Mickey,

I hate to say this but one of the contributing factors to lack of students is the person that sponsors your blog and the other real estate agents who sell off-campus student housing. I'm not saying they are the only factor, but it certainly changes the gameday mentality when you live off campus. Parking was never a gameday problem when you lived on campus. You just got up and walked to the game. Now, there is so much more coordination that is required to get to and from these giant complexes.

Posted by jbvideo on September 25, 2008 at 11:33 AM EDT #

the parking problem is bad and getting worse for all of us. admin keeps taking spaces and that just has to stop! I for one just might not get tickets next year and the admins complete lack of support for our team will be one of the reasons!

Posted by Litefoot on September 25, 2008 at 11:37 AM EDT #

yes, my brother is a junior and lives off campus...last week he had to walk 35 minutes bc he didn't have a place to park and he didnt want to leave his bike sitting out at our tailgate (understandable)...

Noon kickoffs are killer though...hard on everyone...what I would do for a 330......

Posted by kenc80 on September 25, 2008 at 11:38 AM EDT #

It's Tom Winkopp's fault.

Posted by otisman on September 25, 2008 at 11:43 AM EDT #

The dorms are full. There is a demand for off campus housing. They could build more on campus dorms but I thought money was an issue. I wish I had the nice Tom Winkopp condos I was a student. I think Tom Winkopp has helped. I lived off campus for four of my five years and never missed a game. This can't be the reason.

Posted by Mickey Plyler on September 25, 2008 at 11:55 AM EDT #

BTW-The walk from Thornhill Village (on campus) is farther than the one from Kite Hill where off campus commuters have to park. Lightsey Bridge is not that much closer. New dorms would only be farther from the stadium.

Posted by Mickey Plyler on September 25, 2008 at 11:57 AM EDT #

I'm pretty sure the dorms are not full. (anybody out there know for sure?) And with more students living off campus, it affects the numbers that will find other things to do. In the apartment, they can watch the game and drink. Can't do that as easily on campus.

Posted by jbvideo on September 25, 2008 at 11:59 AM EDT #

Thornhill Village is closer. Kite Hill is as far away as you can get on campus.

Posted by jbvideo on September 25, 2008 at 12:03 PM EDT #

jbvideo,
Maybe so. But Thornhill is not that close and easy to walk. There has to be other issues than that. Lightsey is not a short walk and neither is Thornhill.

Posted by Mickey Plyler on September 25, 2008 at 12:05 PM EDT #

But you don't have to worry about parking. It's not the walk, cause I lived there (Thornhill) when I was a student. And it's a very nice walk across campus.

Posted by jbvideo on September 25, 2008 at 12:08 PM EDT #

You don't have to worry about parking if you live off campus. You are at the Y and get the shuttle or park at Kite Hill. Maybe a shuttle from Kite Hill will help.

Posted by Mickey Plyler on September 25, 2008 at 12:11 PM EDT #

Yikes . . . If the students can't make a 15-20 minute walk to the stadium from ANYWHERE on campus -- there's a problem.

I lived in Lightsey AND off-campus (the Village) and never missed a home game while I was a student.

Too many students from up North that would rather study than go to the games.

Posted by otisman on September 25, 2008 at 12:14 PM EDT #

MP--
The poor fan atttitude extends to more than students. The Clemson Spirit has been snuffed out by a horrible performance against Alabama and equally bad scheduling!
Come on Clemson---get real and play BCS conference teams. If not look at Conf. USA teams.
Tommy Bowden, the staff and the team can thank themselves for the folks not showing, leaving early or sitting on their hands. Ath. Dept. is not immune!

Posted by bbrown cren on September 25, 2008 at 12:34 PM EDT #

The problem is not off campus living, parking, walking distance, noon kickoffs or anything like that. The problem is simple. It's the product on the field versus alcohol consumption. When the product on the field is more entertaining than sitting in an air conditioned apartment with cold beer, the stands will be full.

The problem was the same when I was in school. I just happened to put Clemson football above consuming alcohol. There's only one day a week to watch Clemson football (and it's only a couple hours at that). There are six other days to consume.

Posted by WakeBdr on September 25, 2008 at 12:51 PM EDT #

It is actually quite simple. Add lofty pre season expectations coupled with a devistating--kick to the gut--loss then spinkle in 3 horrific home games in a row and you get poor attendance. I am not a student, but a former one, and I can tell you that I had zero desire to go to any of these games....particularly when our hopes and dreams were shot after game 1... Please don't turn this in to some embarrasing Carolina joke where we go in search of reasons people aren't showing up. All will be cured with a decent home game and some confidence our team will perform. It has nothing to do with living 10 minutes off campus. Take it from someone who drives 4 hours to see a game...it is the product on the field that makes the difference. End of story.

Posted by SaltyTiger on September 25, 2008 at 01:11 PM EDT #

It's pretty simple. Regardless of how you feel personally. These are the actual reasons. 1)The quality of opponents 2)The time of the games 3)Parking / Accessibility 4)An Alabama beat down. 5)The heat, at least for nc state. 6) The quality of opponents 7) An Alabama beat down.

Posted by TygerRiverTiger on September 25, 2008 at 01:51 PM EDT #

The last two are my personal demons.

Posted by TygerRiverTiger on September 25, 2008 at 01:52 PM EDT #

As many of these comments suggested, 4 home games in Sept with 3 being against poor teams (although NCSU might be better than we thought as the season goes along) put a strain on attendence. A win in ATL or even a strong showing might have offset that, but instead we got slammed and that compounded the issue. Like it or not, its just that simple.
I expect Saturday to be full, even at noon. I also hope its much louder than the MD game 2 years ago, when my 5 yr old asked "why everyone just sat there?"!
Call it a hang-over from Bama, or just lack of interest in SCSU games... either way we will know more after this Sat than we know now.
For those that complain about the schedule, we were to play UCF and LaTech (or some other D1 team) but swapped thigns around to get Bama. In hindsight it might be the worst thing to happen to this year's team, but it seemed a good thing all summer!

Posted by tigerP94 on September 25, 2008 at 02:06 PM EDT #

TRT is right. Its the Schedule and noon and 1 o'olock kick offs are TERRIBLE for the atmosphere...For non-students its the Schedule, Times and Economy. I aint payin the gas, hotel and tailgate expenses to sit in 100 degree eat and watch us beat SC State and Citadel and hear Tommy say we are improving only to get waxed when we play stronger opponents (Maryland) and he says we're one play away again!!

Posted by balllin on September 25, 2008 at 02:08 PM EDT #

A few reasons

-The heat
-The opponents
-Alabama game
-Realize not much is going to change

With that said. Beat Maryland!

Posted by THS Athlete+50 on September 25, 2008 at 02:10 PM EDT #

Yeah, the 1 o'clock kick off was always a problem back in the 70s and 80s...NOT. Maybe TV is the problem.

Posted by jbvideo on September 25, 2008 at 02:16 PM EDT #

Maybe the Clemson students are smart and realize that it's just a game where some guy sits on the sideline eating grass to the tune of $1 mil a year.

Posted by onetiredtiger on September 25, 2008 at 02:46 PM EDT #

Four home games in a row and two of them not very appealing is a cause. The early starts are disliked only by those who must get drunk to enjoy Clemson football or,in my case, leaving home at 6:00a.m. and driving long hours. But t.v. dictates kickoff times and always will.Parking isn't a problem as I see it. The lot that I park in has lots of vacant spots thus far. Better opponents will boost attendance, I promise.

Posted by FORESTTIGER on September 25, 2008 at 02:50 PM EDT #

We used to walk from Clemson Place to the games every week...it wasnt the walk there that was bad as it was the walk back...esp after a loss. But...i would walk from seneca to watch a Clemson game. There is no better way to spend a saturday after noon no matter who we play!

Posted by ih8it4u on September 25, 2008 at 03:00 PM EDT #

What a sad sad commentary. What a collection of spoiled, entitled, whiners. I am not ashamed of the football team or the schedule but I surely am ashamed of some of the students and Clemson fans. By golly no one had to beg me to attend a home game when I was a student, or since for that matter. Our expectations weren't so high but our morale and pride in being Clemson student was. It is difficult to believe it has come to this. The Clemson young have lost their way. Somewhere the leadership broke down. Maybe it started when we gave up rat season that taught and to some degree enforced learning about Clemson traditions. Does anyone under 40 know where the "Devil's Door Knob" is? Seems many have passed through that portal.

Posted by Airport4 on September 25, 2008 at 03:15 PM EDT #

Amen, Airport4. Seems that some students (not all) today are in fact spoiled, entitled, whining brats. Noon games, cupcake opponents, etc. shouldn't matter. You shouldn't be coming to the games to watch the likes of Florida State or South Carolina. You should be coming to watch CLEMSON no matter who they are playing! Now, fill the stands this Saturday and cheer loud and proud for your Tigers! There may be a day when you look back and wonder why your college days went by so fast.

Posted by WILLIAMSTONTIGER on September 25, 2008 at 03:29 PM EDT #

Get out the toilet paper - what a bunch of softies! Clemson was winning 2 and 3 games a year my first few years as a student and I went to every game - stayed every minute. I don't buy this ‘Alabama beat us so let's put our tail between our legs’ attitude. Would you want your team adopted that attitude? Pathetic!!! I sat, no STOOD, in 95 degrees last Saturday to watch my #2 team, Texas A&M, get beat by Miami. I'm 50, walked a mile+ to the stadium, stood the entire game AND during the Aggie Band's performance, and did not leave until the game was over. I am very proud of my 2 Aggie-student sons (who still have orange blood) that stayed until the end. Get tough, Tigers! How can you call for your team to get tough when you whine and run when it's hot or when you are not entertained enough? Stick with them - the rewards are worth it. I did and the 2nd year after we graduated, we stood in the Orange Bowl and watched Clemson win the Championship. Be a 12th Man!

Posted by arbytex on September 25, 2008 at 03:45 PM EDT #

I can't believe what I'm reading!! In my best whining voice:

"Oh, it's too hot. I have to walk too far. Another team beat our team real bad. It's too early to go to the game."

Good Lord, where am I? Chapel Hill?

Posted by joeyb on September 25, 2008 at 04:28 PM EDT #

When I was a student we used to walk to the games from off-campus, hungover & newly drunk in 150 degree heat, in tiger suits stuffed with warm beer, uphill, BOTH WAYS. And we were grateful. Kids nowadays.

Posted by Razzmatazz on September 25, 2008 at 04:57 PM EDT #

Loyalty. It's a hard quality to come by but Clemson students had it back in the day. I think our military tradition gave us that quality that instilled in them an undying love for Clemson. It was still alvive in the Clemson students in the 70's and 80's. We need a way to connect today's student to the Clemson family from the first day. Loyalty would ensure every seat was full on every Saturday. GO TIGERS!!!

Posted by AThomas on September 25, 2008 at 05:10 PM EDT #

If you can't change the schedule, gametime, or lack of parking, what problem will you fix? You sound like W! Other than the Housing crisis, the energy crisis and outsourcing, what can I do to help the economy. If you don't think all those EMPTY Winkopp condos hurt the game day experience, then you are as stupid as W as well! South Carolina is adding green spaces around WB and Clemson is putting up vacant condos. The dorms MIGHT be full, but nobody who wanted to live in a dorm is in the market for a 250K(or MORE) condo. When I'm in Clemson, I try not to stand still for too long for fear that Tom Winkopp will try to build a condo on me!

Posted by CM Shack on September 25, 2008 at 06:23 PM EDT #

Carolina may be adding green space...but I just listened to Sports Talk Radio in Columbia and they're crying about all of the empty condos around Williams Brice...the problem in Clemson (or Columbia for that matter)is not condos...lets love the Tigers...no matter what...and leave the whining to those folks who are always looking for another corner to turn...

Posted by ga86jody on September 25, 2008 at 07:03 PM EDT #

you can;t make them go if they don;t want to.

Posted by ORANGECRUDE on September 25, 2008 at 11:47 PM EDT #

AThomas speaks of student loyalty in his day. But I wonder if students in his day also attended every soccer game and swimming meet. When you have a championship-caliber football team like we had in the 80's, you couldn't keep people away from the stadium.

A friend of mine went to VT in the early 80's when VT was mediocre in football and Clemson used to cream them. He said the stadium was empty and the students hardly attended the games back then. But ever since VT became a championship caliber team, the stadium is packed.

It's easy to get students to attend... Just build a championship-caliber team.

Posted by Razzmatazz on September 26, 2008 at 01:52 AM EDT #

I went to college from 1996 to 2001. In the Tommy West era, about half the students left at half time against weak opponents and about half left while we were getting killed by stronger ones.

I am ashamed to say I was in that crowd. Now, I drive 12 hours round trip every home game. I stay for the whole game -rain or shine-GT or SCSU.

Take Mickey's words to heart. You will regret walking back to watch the second half in the lounge.

Posted by Lawtonfunk on September 26, 2008 at 08:00 AM EDT #

Gas, hotels, more to life than football, IPTAY ticket distribution, families, etc are not great, but all justifiable, excuses for non-students. When I was a student, going to football games was something that was just understood was going to happen. Whether on campus or off campus, you found a way to get there, tailgate, and make it to the game on time. My first two years at Clemson and even all four years in high school, our football team was dreadful as far as records went, but it was fun to go out and cheer on my school's team and see some of our top opponents live with hopes of pulling off a big upset. It's something you only get ~4 years to experience (cheering on the Tigers as a student) and you will regret it the rest of your life if you don't go to the games.

Posted by ParrotHdBE on September 26, 2008 at 09:38 AM EDT #

I blame the WOOHOO! It has softened our students and thus our players!

Posted by 1983Grad on September 26, 2008 at 10:36 AM EDT #

After what happened Saturday I think the students were on to something..........

Posted by tigerdawg on September 29, 2008 at 09:20 AM EDT #

I've said it before and I'll say it again... Greek blocks make the student section look bad. All too often the fraternity and sorority blocks are half empty because they either don't come to the game, opting to tailgate (drink) instead, or they leave at halftime for the same reason. And by the way, that goes for big games as well as the games that get less hype. The best way to make the student section look better is to get rid of the greek blocks.

Posted by cubigdawg on September 29, 2008 at 10:29 PM EDT #