Kansas Crimson

yea I'd say it's dropped from.about a 9.99 to maybe a 6.5.

I wanted to go with whole numbers but yea, if using fractions, i'd be somewhere just below a 7 too.
1993 through 2020 was consistently above a 9.

pdub wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 2:33 pm I wanted to go with whole numbers but yea, if using fractions, i'd be somewhere just below a 7 too.
1993 through 2020 was consistently above a 9.

Mine started to drop when we started to recruit questionable characters. And the coaches started to disregard some recruiting rules.

Now, with the portal era, players are only around a year or two in most instances. That bothers me a lot more than the NIL stuff.

I remember when transfers, either coming or going, were relatively rare (1 or 2 per year max).

I’ve enjoyed my Rapids the most as a spectator sport since 2016. Hasn’t always been easy, as they’ve been pretty bad for a lot of it. But likely the (usually) once a week games, neatly packaged in 2/3 the time (with 484 less commercials) than the NFL.

Living in Lawrence, and with KU foosball being good, they have been my #2. Game day in town is pretty awesome all around. I’m too old to think about touching, but I sure do like looking at the coeds, especially on football game days. Great people watching.

Royals. I’m not a fair weather fan at all, as I’ve liked the team since I’ve been six. But, as I’ve said a lot through time, my free time and sports entertainment time specifically is much more valuable and limited than it once was, so when the team is bad, I tend not to watch, at least on the daily. But, when things are promising, like this year, I’m one of the first to come out and want to see the progress/process, even if I won’t drive to the K for a multitude of reasons.

KU basketball. It’s just meh now. Probably for a lot of the same reason PDub mentioned. I just think we are gross, and have been since the adidas shit. We were OJ level guilty in that whole fiasco. But, $$$$ and lawyers.

Titans. Git gud, please. Loved watching Chiefs-Titans AFC championship a few years ago. Fuck you Mahomes, our linebacker should have wrecked you when you faked going out of bounds. That’s the other reason I don’t like the NFL as much as I once did. The rules changes have made it too one-sided for offense. It can be hard to watch sometimes. That’s probably lost on most of you as a Chiefs fans, and I get that.

USMNT, Sacramento Kings, a variety of KU women’s sports round out things.

On the bright side, we do have numerous things to enjoy this year KUBB wise.

The last of a dying breed (multi year program guys) in KJ and DH get a chance to cement their legacy with title #2.

My interest level will drop another notch once those 2 are gone.

we’ll see what happens when Self hangs it up. my fandom may very well drop dramatically at that point

bigger than anything else has been life getting in the way. i don’t like the NIL or transfer portal any more than i like the 1 and done nonsense, but those things haven’t really taken away my enjoyment from watching games. tbh, moving away from Lawrence (and season tix) has done more to tamper my interest than anything (espn shenanigans haven’t helped)

somewhat ironically, conference realignment has probably kept me more interested

I moved back and my interest is less than it was. If distance were to have same effect on me, I wonder if I’d care at all.

KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 7:58 pm we’ll see what happens when Self hangs it up.

Yes. That'll be a big moment.

Back2Lawrence wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 8:04 pm I moved back and my interest is less than it was. If distance were to have same effect on me, I wonder if I’d care at all.

do you think season tickets would matter?

KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 8:47 pm

Back2Lawrence wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 8:04 pm I moved back and my interest is less than it was. If distance were to have same effect on me, I wonder if I’d care at all.

do you think season tickets would matter?

I honestly have zero interest in going to every game at AFH. Too many fat people bleeding over into your seat, parking is actually bad for these games (except I can have someone I know activate my license plate and park where I want on campus), it’s oftentimes Kansas miserably cold, and the fucking whoo.

All that said, I do love AFH, but the allure would fade quick if I had all-access today. In the past, not as much. For three years, I catered media room and had a seat on press row as a perk. Even that wouldn’t really interest me today the same.

KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 7:58 pm we’ll see what happens when Self hangs it up. my fandom may very well drop dramatically at that point

bigger than anything else has been life getting in the way. i don’t like the NIL or transfer portal any more than i like the 1 and done nonsense, but those things haven’t really taken away my enjoyment from watching games. tbh, moving away from Lawrence (and season tix) has done more to tamper my interest than anything (espn shenanigans haven’t helped)

somewhat ironically, conference realignment has probably kept me more interested

Life has definitely been a contributing factor....kids, work, and all that comes with that.

But, I still think NIL and portal have been the biggest factors as the largest drop-offs have been primarily tracking right along with each dagger blow dealt to the sport and the hits seem to come nearly weekly these days.

TDub wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 10:10 pm

KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 7:58 pm we’ll see what happens when Self hangs it up. my fandom may very well drop dramatically at that point

bigger than anything else has been life getting in the way. i don’t like the NIL or transfer portal any more than i like the 1 and done nonsense, but those things haven’t really taken away my enjoyment from watching games. tbh, moving away from Lawrence (and season tix) has done more to tamper my interest than anything (espn shenanigans haven’t helped)

somewhat ironically, conference realignment has probably kept me more interested

Life has definitely been a contributing factor....kids, work, and all that comes with that.

But, I still think NIL and portal have been the biggest factors as the largest drop-offs have been primarily tracking right along with each dagger blow dealt to the sport and the hits seem to come nearly weekly these days.

i was speaking more personally, but i get how it could turn people off

KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 10:54 pm

TDub wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 10:10 pm

KUTradition wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 7:58 pm we’ll see what happens when Self hangs it up. my fandom may very well drop dramatically at that point

bigger than anything else has been life getting in the way. i don’t like the NIL or transfer portal any more than i like the 1 and done nonsense, but those things haven’t really taken away my enjoyment from watching games. tbh, moving away from Lawrence (and season tix) has done more to tamper my interest than anything (espn shenanigans haven’t helped)

somewhat ironically, conference realignment has probably kept me more interested

Life has definitely been a contributing factor....kids, work, and all that comes with that.

But, I still think NIL and portal have been the biggest factors as the largest drop-offs have been primarily tracking right along with each dagger blow dealt to the sport and the hits seem to come nearly weekly these days.

i was speaking more personally, but i get how it could turn people off

oh for sure, I only meant to be speaking for myself. Re-reading it, I didn't make that part clear. Yes, that's just my personal fandom arc, I didn't mean to imply that was true for others.

My interest has gone from live and die, to I'll watch after the kids are in bed - if I can. Part of that is changing demands on my time and part is slightly waning interest. Like others, I'm more invested in other teams (Tottenham, Chiefs, USMNT) and have more competition from KU Football.

In reasoning for the waning interest, for me - transfer portal is #1. You don't see many players get developed.

You don't see the transformation from Freshman Kirk in Hawaii to Senior Kirk and all the ups and downs in between.

It loses the allure when you might have 4 players returning from last year's squad and you spend the offseason hearing the hype of a team that once the lights turn on clearly isn't a top squad - but no one knew until the games started because these players haven't played together.

I know the NIL is the accelerant that drives the player movement, but the portal allows the players to become journeymen. Example: Joe Yesefu is on his fourth team!!!

Well said.

Agreed.

For this particular season, at least, I’m in this weird sorta paradoxical space in which the portal has contributed to a certain waning interest, yet is prob the biggest reason for excitement this season too.

Our core of returning doods is just kind of a quirky mashup of players who may have already hit their ceilings, and who were also getting absolutely plowed by the end of last season. Like that had to have been Self’s least competitive product ever, right?

And so, the remedy for that; the cause for optimism this year, is largely the portal.

The narrative seems less, “are the program guys gonna turn a corner” and more, “how well and quickly can we get the portal guys up to speed?”

ousdahl wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2024 9:38 am Like that had to have been Self’s least competitive product ever, right?

No.

Our best player got injured. It's part of sports.

ousdahl wrote: ↑Tue Aug 27, 2024 9:38 am For this particular season, at least, I’m in this weird sorta paradoxical space in which the portal has contributed to a certain waning interest, yet is prob the biggest reason for excitement this season too.

Our core of returning doods is just kind of a quirky mashup of players who may have already hit their ceilings, and who were also getting absolutely plowed by the end of last season. Like that had to have been Self’s least competitive product ever, right?

And so, the remedy for that; the cause for optimism this year, is largely the portal.

The narrative seems less, “are the program guys gonna turn a corner” and more, “how well and quickly can we get the portal guys up to speed?”

Couldn't agree with you more in this case - the portal guys this year are the interest, because without Rylen, Storr and Zeke this would be a bleak season to look forward to.

Overall, I still don't think I follow the team as much as I did pre-portal, where I knew all the summer camp updates, recruiting visits and such. I used to build much more anticipation and KU basketball was a 365 sport. Now, once we're out of the tournament I casually hear things, but don't devote much attention until Late Night and the exhibitions start.