Do people care about this as much as we think they do?

by Jeff Nusser on Apr 17, 2009 2:00 PM PDT in Cougar Football Comment 22 comments

One other thing. I'm starting to wonder just how many people are really, really upset about this move. Sometimes, we make sweeping conclusions from a vocal minority. Let me throw a few CougCenter stats at you:

	Page Views	Unique Visitors	Comments on Posts
March 30 Tony Bennett resigns	7,217	2,640	324
April 16 Apple Cup to Qwest	1,956	1,110	277

The conclusion I draw? While the people who care about this Apple Cup move care about it passionately, the number of people who truly care about it might not be as numerous as we think. I liken it to when a very vocal minority couldn't stand Alex Brink, yet it always seemed like the crowd at the games was generally behind him. I think most Coug fans didn't dislike him as much as we all thought.

Because this move is all about money, I think the question here becomes whether the people who pump the money into the program are the ones passionately upset about this move. While I know that some of the people who have commented here are season ticket holders, I'm pretty sure most of us aren't, and I'm relatively certain that none of us are the big ticket donors. So I guess we won't truly know the fallout from this until those people speak with their wallets.

Just some food for thought.

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I looked at those stats today

I was shocked. I was expecting similar numbers to the Bennett saga.

This is where per game statistics go to die.

CougCenter

by Dancing Football on Apr 17, 2009 2:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe because...

Husky fans and the fans of other Pac-10 schools came here to get the scoop on Bennett, whereas for this issue, the mutts go to their own sites and the rest of the Pac-10 doesn’t care…?

by '03CouveCoug on Apr 17, 2009 2:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good possible explanation

I was also thinking there was a lot more news that went along with the TB stuff (new coach, will players stay, is this the end of life as we know it, etc..) So people kept coming back all day to see if there were new updates.

This is where per game statistics go to die.

CougCenter

by Dancing Football on Apr 17, 2009 2:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good call

Since this AC thing sounded like a done deal from the get-go, people may not feel the need to check back like they did with all of the drama that you mention surrounding the Bennett resignation.

by '03CouveCoug on Apr 17, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

bennett leaving was a national story

only two schools care about this.

Witches of Eastman

by BigWood on Apr 17, 2009 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Guaging from the play it received on ESPN and national sites

I don’t think it was as much of a national story as we thought it was.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Apr 17, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That doesn't explain the difference in unique visitors

That is a massive difference.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Apr 17, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They also kept it kinda quiet

there are still people on campus who didn’t know until it was in the Evergreen today. Bennett was a bigger deal nationally and especially regionally to the entire Northwest because of the coaching search.

by cougdude50 on Apr 17, 2009 3:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Just a guess

You certainly know better than I do, Nuss.

by '03CouveCoug on Apr 17, 2009 3:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Someone has to make a decision

People who make decisions will never satisfy everyone. You know when I make a decision that my wife doesn’t totally agree with she still supports me, because she knows that when I make a decision that I will have the best intentions for our family at heart. My decision might not always turn out the best, but both our our decisions could have turned out bad. The problem with decisions is people can always play the guessing game in life. At some point you have to trust that the decision being made is best for the whole. My wife is encouraged to give her opinion and we always discuss it, but at some point someone has to make the final decision, whether it is my choice or her choice. I am sure there is a good reason why we are going to play the Apple Cup at Qwest Field. I am sure everything we have said on the message boards was discussed before this decision was made. So far I have been happy with what Sterk has tried to to for WSU. I will support him on this decision. They have made a decision that is hopefully best for the whole. We don’t know all the factors that went into the University’s decision. There may be contributing factors we don’t know about. When I first heard it I didn’t like it, but I am actually really starting to warm up to the idea. I feel a lot of people are warming up to the idea because we are airing out our opinions on the message boards. When the dust settles many of us will be content with the decision. When Bennett left I was instantly pissed, but I quickly got excited about Bone, because this is probably what our program needed. Remember the contract with Qwest in only 6 years. Cougars should be excited because they can tailgate and drink at the games. Can you imagine beer at a Cougar game? That is like peanut butter and jelly, milk and chocolate, rum and coke, Pullman and Busch …they are meant to be together. Qwest is going to be chaotic.

by SoCalCoug on Apr 17, 2009 4:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I kinda wonder why there are so many unique visitors

yet so few votes comparatively on those ‘for or against’ polls and even fewer different people leaving comments on the threads.

by peaty411s on Apr 17, 2009 4:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

In their defense

Brink did have a noodle arm.

by Grady. on Apr 17, 2009 4:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Once it becomes official it could change

With Tony Bennett, nobody heard about it word of mouth or through a leaked source. When it hit the news-wire, it was out there and it was a done deal. With the Apple Cup thing, its been leaked, rumored, but is not a done deal yet. I actually spoke with 3 Coug alum yesterday and they hadn’t even heard about it yet. So, I think although TB wasn’t nationally cared about, everybody was paying attention. The wave for this will not be as big when it breaks because it will not be as shocking, but there will be a second wave of unique visitors and hits in general.

I mean, come on, Coug Center is the one stop shop for everything Coug-related ;-)

by LeaveItToWeaver on Apr 17, 2009 7:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

totally different types of stories

Bennet gone and people went all Babs and ‘feared for their lives’ err I mean the life of the program

Now if they would have canceled the AC…

and most football fans won’t start paying attention until late sept, hoops season had just ended. (OK, maybe I have no clue).

PS: The Apple Cup is dead for six years and will be replaced with the Seattle Bowl. It helps me come to grips with this. Having 2 teams divide Qwest down the middle and play a game doesn’t make me want to puke. I think it might be kind of cool, but I still hate it.

by woolybugger on Apr 17, 2009 7:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

and one more thing

Both issues are about the same thing. Cash, TB ripped the bandaid off and spayed bactine on the wound, the second spay doesn’t hurt as much.

Yes, I did fall down a lot as a kid

by woolybugger on Apr 17, 2009 7:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow really?

There is only this much outrage over the move? Apparently nobody here has really experienced the Apple Cup in Pullman. Between my friends and I who go to every single game (14 of us) we are all pissed about this. We have had an email thread going and we have all understood the impact 2 mil. can have on a school our size. The fact still remains, Apple Cup is Apple Cup. There is only one way to experience it and that is in Pullman, the only place that knows how to do it right. Money does not substitue experience. Period.

You know what? It will be fun being in Seattle, and it will be an event, but the fact still remains, it will not be like what Pullman has to offer. That is the bottom line. Face the facts. There is a difference. A HUGE difference.

by wazzustandstall on Apr 18, 2009 1:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Looking ahead....

Can you imagine what the 1016 Apple Cup in Pullman will be like? The remodel will be done and it will be the most anticipated game any Coug could ever hope for. The stage will be set for one of the greatest events in Cougar history. Just saying….

by SW WA Coug on Apr 18, 2009 10:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs