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(Approaching the soapbox)
I thought a new arena would improve things...some.
I thought a NCAA Tourney appearance would improve things....kinda.
I thought a Sweet Sixteen would get people off their butts and into the McLeod...not yet.
The time is now. Forget Iowa State. Wednesday's game is the biggest of the year for the Panthers. The Cedar Valley hasn't showed up in a Sweet Sixteen manner yet for this team. The guys have taken their time to grow as a team, but now it's time for the fans to show up consistently. I hoped it would happen at the beginning of the year, but that hasn't been the case. It's the MVC portion of the schedule now. Students are gone and it's cold outside. So, we have a challenge...get your butt to the McLeod Wednesday night. Bring your family, your friends, your neighbor, your boss, your co-workers. I don't care who they are, get them to the game. We're putting 4100+ in the McLeod on average this year. There were 10,000+ Panther fans in St. Louis! I know this isn't the Sweet Sixteen, but if you want to try to push this program to an elite level, the players, recruits, and coaches need to know you're willing to provide a Sweet Sixteen effort yourself (i.e.- Cedar Valley/Panther fans).
We have the biggest game of the year so far on Wednesday night against a team that is picked to finish ahead of UNI in the standings...a team who will be fighting for a MVC title alongside the Panthers...a team who has a resume that, if playing well enough in conference, could make a claim of getting an at-large bid. Yes, the Wichita and Creighton games later in the year might be sexier...they won't mean as much if the Panthers can't get a win on Wednesday night. I know I'm preaching to a highly motivated sect of the Panther fan base, but do what you can to get people to the McLeod. Plenty of tickets remain with students being gone, so let's fill the McLeod up. It's a regionally televised game, so, it would really suck if it looked half filled coming off a Sweet Sixteen run. Let's do this thing...
(stepping off the soapbox)
I thought a new arena would improve things...some.
I thought a NCAA Tourney appearance would improve things....kinda.
I thought a Sweet Sixteen would get people off their butts and into the McLeod...not yet.
The time is now. Forget Iowa State. Wednesday's game is the biggest of the year for the Panthers. The Cedar Valley hasn't showed up in a Sweet Sixteen manner yet for this team. The guys have taken their time to grow as a team, but now it's time for the fans to show up consistently. I hoped it would happen at the beginning of the year, but that hasn't been the case. It's the MVC portion of the schedule now. Students are gone and it's cold outside. So, we have a challenge...get your butt to the McLeod Wednesday night. Bring your family, your friends, your neighbor, your boss, your co-workers. I don't care who they are, get them to the game. We're putting 4100+ in the McLeod on average this year. There were 10,000+ Panther fans in St. Louis! I know this isn't the Sweet Sixteen, but if you want to try to push this program to an elite level, the players, recruits, and coaches need to know you're willing to provide a Sweet Sixteen effort yourself (i.e.- Cedar Valley/Panther fans).
We have the biggest game of the year so far on Wednesday night against a team that is picked to finish ahead of UNI in the standings...a team who will be fighting for a MVC title alongside the Panthers...a team who has a resume that, if playing well enough in conference, could make a claim of getting an at-large bid. Yes, the Wichita and Creighton games later in the year might be sexier...they won't mean as much if the Panthers can't get a win on Wednesday night. I know I'm preaching to a highly motivated sect of the Panther fan base, but do what you can to get people to the McLeod. Plenty of tickets remain with students being gone, so let's fill the McLeod up. It's a regionally televised game, so, it would really suck if it looked half filled coming off a Sweet Sixteen run. Let's do this thing...
(stepping off the soapbox)
, especially around the holidays and during any inclement weather. 
Lucas O'Rear Smiley
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