I will add to this...........
1st trip ever to the state of Tennessee was see a good friend of the family play some baseball and chose this series for a reason for my first game/s at LNS. Was greeted with none other than porch tickets for Friday nights game and maybe it was just the porch I was on but it was an absolute electric atmosphere, good food, good booze, lots of general rowdiness and cheering when needed in good times or bad. Absolutely loved it.
Then I was greeted Saturday morning with what I would consider my first ever full effect earthquake and that was interesting to say the least and after bouncing around town to take in some of the sites and sounds of the area we found our seats down the 1st base line and let me tell you that if it wasn't for the 10-12 people in our section yelling, standing and clapping in big pitching moments, certain at bats, stupid umpiring calls or just general Vandy razzing, that place could have been considered a mortuary. Absolutely blew me away that it seemed the general fan base had no idea what a big moment was, whether we were on the field or at bat. The scoreboard 100% dictated the seated crowds mood. I know this wasn't the case for all in attendance but damn we couldn't even sway people to get off there feet with the promise of a $15 beer or that amazing brisket mac n cheese.
This experience overall was 2nd to none even though Saturday didn't go our way on the field and really wish we could have stayed for Sunday but with limited flights back to the Midwest we had to bail early Sunday.
So on the plane ride home I thought about what could have changed from what I have seen talked about on here for the short few years since I joined the forum about the days of a passionate fan base and student section actually having an "on-field" effect on visitors and where it all went and if this is the new norm and countless other thoughts. Then it hit me that I have seen something similar and it reminded me a lot of a local college here and how their rapid growth out of a mid major basketball conference and they earned that by being that pain in the ass mid major that gave blue blood schools fits in the 1st and 2nd rounds of March Madness every year, well the wins kept coming and then off to a big conference they went and here locally the Creighton basketball game was the place to be seen whether you knew a 3 pointer from a touchdown, season ticket prices and donations for those that previously held tickets just kept climbing and pushed a lot of the "OG's" out of the building and I know there were a lot of similar chats going around town if the fanbase would ever be what it once was and to be honest I think it has but it took some coaching from those "OG's" that were able to weather the rapid growth to teach those that are new to scene on how to act in good times and bad.
Lengthy one I know but figured I would share an "Outsiders" view.
