“One thing I was amazed about was the number of Arkansas fans that were here”

[opineonswine]

I suppose you didn't notice the dismal attendance in Fayetteville for the Missouri did you?? Playing LSU in Fayetteville on the day after Thanksgiving draws a great attendance. Missouri doesn't. When they switched the opponent from LSU to Missouri, they should have moved the game back to WMS until the U of A decides not to renew the contract to play their. That will happen eventually

Despite a low attendance, the valuable seating was sold way in advance and the program was enriched by playing that game on campus, as is always the case.

[bphi11ips]

Are you kidding, they'll let people buy memberships at the door.......

They even let me in.

[ricepig]

I suppose you didn't notice the dismal attendance in Fayetteville for the Missouri did you?? Playing LSU in Fayetteville on the day after Thanksgiving draws a great attendance. Missouri doesn't. When they switched the opponent from LSU to Missouri, they should have moved the game back to WMS until the U of A decides not to renew the contract to play their. That will happen eventually

I suppose you didn't notice this game.

http://www.hogdb.com/db/game/988/Arkansas-vs-Louisiana-State/

[bphi11ips]

Despite a low attendance, the valuable seating was sold way in advance and the program was enriched by playing that game on campus, as is always the case.

Looked great on TV, too.

[opineonswine]

Looked great on TV, too.

What difference does that make?

[GoldenCOHog]

Looked great on TV, too.

That Toledo loss looked fantastic on TV. 

[IronHog]

Despite a low attendance, the valuable seating was sold way in advance and the program was enriched by playing that game on campus, as is always the case.

Is it about money or winning football games?


As they become the NWA Razorbacks their net worth goes up while the actual ability to play football decreases.

[bphi11ips]

What difference does that make?

It seems to matter to many on Hogville.

[bphi11ips]

That Toledo loss looked fantastic on TV. 

Would you care to examine the Razorbacks record in Little Rock?

[opineonswine]

Would you care to examine the Razorbacks record in Little Rock?

I've had season tix in LR for many, many years...even increased them in the last decade.  Haven't been to a game there in 3 years and have trouble giving my 50 yard tix away.

We've had many, many wonderful games there.  That time is gone.

[GoldenCOHog]

Would you care to examine the Razorbacks record in Little Rock?

1-6 since 2012?  Your argument:  Compelling and Rich. 

[98hogs]

Because we keep the whole state Razorback country, by playing at WMS.

When you play Toledo, Alcorn State at either Fayetteville or LR or Ozark, I won''t go and I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Deliver Shyt teams to LR you get Shyt attendance.  I live in LR and went to Memphis.  I'm sure I'm not the only fan that feels this way.  You self righteous NWA fans don't travel like the Central AR fans.

[opineonswine]

You self righteous NWA fans don't travel like the Central AR fans.

What, exactly is self righteous about being practical?  You sound jealous and bitter.

[GoldenCOHog]

I live in LR and went to Memphis.

You'll go to Memphis but not where the campus is.  Lol

[The hog meister]

This tread and in fighting is starting to disappoint me!     WPS

[DeltaBoy]

I only attended games in LR and at the Cotton Bowl.  Glad the Hogs got a good turnout.

[elksnort]

The Razorback brand is better than ever I would say. The athletic program gets plenty exposure due to the TV situation. I also believe the academics are better there. I loved the War Memorial games but I don't think games there are important for the program anymore.

[bphi11ips]

I've had season tix in LR for many, many years...even increased them in the last decade.  Haven't been to a game there in 3 years and have trouble giving my 50 yard tix away.

We've had many, many wonderful games there.  That time is gone.

Maybe so.  But you just showed what others are not willing to show - respect.  You didn't call WMS a dump.  You didn't suggest that Arkansas draws more fans in Memphis than in Little Rock.  You know that Memphis was full of Razorbacks fans yesterday, in part, because of Little Rock.

You know that my response about TV was tongue in cheek.  You also know that WMS and television played a huge role in branding for the Razorbacks.  For those of you who don't, here's a history lesson.

At the beginning of the 1970's, ABC had played third fiddle to CBS and NBC since television became a staple in American living rooms.  But shows like Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, Three's Company, Charlie's Angels, Lavergne & Shirley, and Starsky & Hutch changed that.  And Roone Arledge.  Roone Arledge was ABC's head of news and sports.  With Wide World of Sports and college football, Arledge paved the way for ESPN and sports programming.  Arledge understood the passion of college football fans.  He needed rabid fanbases in colorful venues and charismatic head coaches.  He found all three in Frank Broyles, Arkansas fans, and the sea of red filling WMS to overflowing.  The Good Year blimp was a fixture over Little Rock for decades.  In fact, ABC began the 1970 college football season with a telecast of Stanford and Arkansas in Little Rock.  Chris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson and Jim McKay would be regular visitors to Little Rock.  Frank Broyles would later become on of ABC's most loved color commentators.  It is impossible to place a value on this type of branding.  In a word, it is priceless.  The program benefits from the goodwill developed during those years to this day. 

Fast forward to 2015 and the shoe is on the other foot.  DWRRS is now the venue that looks great on television.  That's the image that needs to descend upon living rooms around the country on Saturday afternoons.   But it needs to be full to the gills, like WMS has been virtually the entire time Arkansas has played there.  If keeping a game in Little Rock will further that purpose, it should bear consideration. But whatever happens, young fans should understand why Arkansas is not Kansas or even Missouri, and they should be respectful of that.   

[Oklahawg]

First of all, NWA metro area is as big as most of the SEC schools and bigger than some, like Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss State.  And is HAS changed significantly since the heyday of WMS.  The growth in NWA in the last two decades rivals any area in the nation and is well-documented.  The population of NWA is now 500,000.  Link you ask:  http://www.nwabusinessjournal.com/13296/nwa-population-approaches-500000-mark
So that "excuse" is dead wrong.

The state-wide support for the Razorbacks is not dependent upon playing a game in LR.  There are no other teams to root for in the state.  Some of the best fans are from areas outside of NWA.  We desperately need to retain that support.  Winning and being competitive in our league is almost a guarantee to retain that support.  A few disgruntled fans that are bitter about the venue won't damage the program.

That said, there are NO valid reasons to keep playing games in LR.  It's a burden on the team in addition to being financially stupid. 

The transition away from playing there despite the lack of valid reasons for doing so, has been handled extremely well by Jeff Long and the University administration. 

Arkansas has mostly great fans and some that like to gripe and moan about the most minor of things.  That "home field" advantage we enjoyed in Memphis is important to move to Fayetteville, particularly when the north end zone is enclosed.

Brilliant words, amid a sea of hubris.

[bphi11ips]

Brilliant words, amid a sea of hubris.

You better hope for some hubris in the years to come with that attitude.

[IronHog]

Would you care to examine the Razorbacks record in Little Rock?

They really aren't that great anywhere since '88


BP was pretty good but he hurt people's delusions too much.

[bphi11ips]

They really aren't that great anywhere since '88


BP was pretty good but he hurt people's delusions too much.

Bielema and Smiley were the only ones with any trouble other than those on the 90's carousel.  You can try and explain win-loss records, but you can't make them up.   

[majestic]

Yet when you walk into Ruby Tuesdays up there where they display athletic paraphernalia on the walls, you see plenty of ASU stuff but no Hog stuff at all. I wonder why???

Because you are in Jonesboro and Ruby Tuesday sucks.

[98hogs]

You'll go to Memphis but not where the campus is.  Lol

I go to Fayetteville too but tired of the Bull shyt talk from the NWA new comers

[Inhogswetrust]

What if I told you that roads will take you to NWA and that gas is really cheap?  What then?

And they come there from ALL directions and not just east and central Arkansas. That bign said we drive from memphis. The people that sit to us on both sides are from Dallas and Helena (originally but they moved to NWA) respectively. I know some that drive from ALL over the state and from out of state to go to games. A lot of them like myself pass close to WMS on our way to games.

[IronHog]

I go to Fayetteville too but tired of the Bull shyt talk from the NWA new comers

You clearly don't wolf howl

[Inhogswetrust]

Arkansas has already lost a ton of hardcore fans across the state.


It's all about corporate money now anyway.

Nope. They haven't lost HARDCORE fans. They may have lost fair weather ones. ALL schools do that though.

[Inhogswetrust]

The irony of this thread is that the statewide support created by generations of Razorbacks fans attending games in Little Rock was the driving force behind 50,000 fans in Memphis yesterday. 

So I guess all those people that I KNOW that came to the bowl game from NWA don't count .........................

[bphi11ips]

So I guess all those people that I KNOW that came top the bowl game from NWA don't count .........................

You are too wise to ask a silly question like this. 

[Inhogswetrust]

I didn't realize people ate there, my condolences.

I guess he doesn't realize Ruby Tuesdays is a corporate entity (based out of Tennessee no less) that will ALWAYS want local stuff so as not to potentially offend anyone. I worked in Jonesboro and believe me there are more hog fans than ASU fans in that area of the state and it would potentially hurt business anywhere to not have local stuff and show some local support for organizations. I know several business people in Jonesboro (some prominent ones for that matter) and they go to Hog games yet support ASU locally. It's the smart thing to do no matter where you live in the state (as well as other states in a similar situation) and there is another college such as Conway, Russellville, Arkadelphia, etc.

[Inhogswetrust]

Little people don't have to eat garbage either. 

The 501 club is a nice restaurant and club and it isn't uppity or that expensive.   

[Inhogswetrust]

When you play Toledo, Alcorn State at either Fayetteville or LR or Ozark, I won''t go and I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Deliver Shyt teams to LR you get Shyt attendance.  I live in LR and went to Memphis.  I'm sure I'm not the only fan that feels this way.  You self righteous NWA fans don't travel like the Central AR fans.

You're kidding. I know quite a few people that traveled from West, Northwest and North Central Arkansas and from OTHER states to the bowl. Heck I know one Hog fan that lives in Puerto Rico that attended. You do realize that KSU was not a great team yet you traveled to that game just like those folks did.

[Locutus_of_Boar]

Arkansas once played a home game against Texas at old Crump in the 50's. The Powder River play against Ole Miss went down in Memphis. It was an important part of the rise of the Razorbacks.

The Powder River game was won by the 25 Little Pigs in WMS in 1954.  I know this because my parents attended the game on their first date and we still have the ticket stubs.

Memphis hosted Arkansas-Mississippi off and on through 1959.  The City of Memphis stayed too long with Crump before they built Memorial Stadium.  When Jackson built Mississippi Memorial Stadium the series went to alternating Jackson-Little Rock until Arkansas entered the SEC.  Had Crump been retired in the 1950's with the 62,000 seat Memorial it is likely that the game would have moved permanently to Memphis and JFB would never have been able to cancel the series in the early 1960's. Now there is no way that series ever goes back to Memphis or Jackson, or Little Rock unless on of those cities invests in an up to date 70K stadium.

[hogfan10]

I've had season tix in LR for many, many years...even increased them in the last decade.  Haven't been to a game there in 3 years and have trouble giving my 50 yard tix away.

We've had many, many wonderful games there.  That time is gone.

So what, was season ticket holder for 30+ years (football & basketball, Fayetteville & LR). I had people knocking the door down to get tickets to any game in LR. Couldn't give them away (most of the time) in Fayetteville, unless it was a premium opponent (for football), almost impossible to get rid of basketball tickets to Fayetteville, unless it was Kentucky.

I think your problem getting rid of LR tickets had to do more with your location and the potential recipients of the tickets location.

[bphi11ips]

The Powder River game was won by the 25 Little Pigs in WMS in 1954.  I know this because my parents attended the game on their first date and we still have the ticket stubs.

Memphis hosted Arkansas-Mississippi off and on through 1959.  The City of Memphis stayed too long with Crump before they built Memorial Stadium.  When Jackson built Mississippi Memorial Stadium the series went to alternating Jackson-Little Rock until Arkansas entered the SEC.  Had Crump been retired in the 1950's with the 62,000 seat Memorial it is likely that the game would have moved permanently to Memphis and JFB would never have been able to cancel the series in the early 1960's. Now there is no way that series ever goes back to Memphis or Jackson, or Little Rock unless on of those cities invests in an up to date 70K stadium.

Fayetteville was a nice little college town until Sam Walton discovered he could hunt quail in four different seasons from Bentonville about the same time John Tyson discovered that Americans had developed a taste for chicken.  NWA is now a nice little metropolis if you like smalltown midwest culture.  The challenge is convincing talent like Alex Collins to spend his college years enjoying smalltown midwest culture. 

Bret Bielema understands that Arkansas is uniquely positioned to couple smalltown midwest athletes with southern skill players.  Alienate the southern skill players and he'll be left with smalltown midwest athletes.  It's a fine line he and the administration is walking.  My guess is that he and a lot of you out there understand this.

[ricepig]

Fayetteville was a nice little college town until Sam Walton discovered he could hunt quail in four different seasons from Bentonville about the same time John Tyson discovered that Americans had developed a taste for chicken.  NWA is now a nice little metropolis if you like smalltown midwest culture.  The challenge is convincing talent like Alex Collins to spend his college years enjoying smalltown midwest culture. 

Bret Bielema understands that Arkansas is uniquely positioned to couple smalltown midwest athletes with southern skill players.  Alienate the southern skill players and he'll be left with smalltown midwest athletes.  It's a fine line he and the administration is walking.  My guess is that he and a lot of you out there understand this.

Yeah, they are all dying to play one game in LR, that bus ride done there gets their mind right. Recruiting won't change by not playing in LR at all.

[bphi11ips]

Yeah, they are all dying to play one game in LR, that bus ride done there gets their mind right. Recruiting won't change by not playing in LR at all.

Not as far as you know.  Or maybe it already has.

The bus ride to Memphis didn't seem to bother anyone.

[ricepig]

Not as far as you know.  Or maybe it already has.

Or maybe it hasn't as far as you know, again, just you're just throwing out anything to see if it sticks. We've got four commits from Arkansas this year, LR and south.

[Uncommon]

Not as far as you know.  Or maybe it already has.

We offered 4 in state scholarships to players in Star City, Little Rock, Hope, and Smackover. All southern Arkansas towns, all said Yes.

[bphi11ips]

We offered 4 in state scholarships to players in Star City, Little Rock, Hope, and Smackover. All southern Arkansas towns, all said Yes.

So far so good.  Last year was even better.

[bphi11ips]

Or maybe it hasn't as far as you know, again, just you're just throwing out anything to see if it sticks. We've got four commits from Arkansas this year, LR and south.

This is pretty funny.  There's no way to deny the role that Arkansas as a whole has played in the history of the Razorbacks or the university, but feel free to keep trying.

[ricepig]

This is pretty funny.  There's no way to deny the role that Arkansas as a whole has played in the history of the Razorbacks or the university, but feel free to keep trying.

I'm not denying it all, you seem to think that they'll shut down football if they don't play a game in Little Rock, lol.

[bphi11ips]

I'm not denying it all, you seem to think that they'll shut down football if they don't play a game in Little Rock, lol.

Au contraire mon ami.  But you don't know what you've got until it's gone.  Arkansas has little enough as it is.

[ricepig]

Au contraire mon ami.  But you don't know what you've got until it's gone.  Arkansas has little enough as it is.

Ok, whatever.......keep banging your drum if it makes you feel any better. The rest of us will be watching the games on campus.

[Hogfaniam]

Little Rock/North Little Rock need to throw a new stadium down between Dickey Stephens and Verizon overlooking the river and DT LR.  about 60-65k (thats about all the chump teams draw at DWRRS, anyway) ought to do it.  turn parts of WMS into a museum to war vets and tie it in with the zoo.  instead of a post season bowl, have a kickoff classic for the year and tie it in with Hot Springs Tourism and have it benefit ACH in Little Rock.  U of Little Rock needs to start a football team.  The Hogs need to play one game a year there, if they build a new stadium.

Otherwise, get out of WMS.

[bphi11ips]

Ok, whatever.......keep banging your drum if it makes you feel any better. The rest of us will be watching the games on campus.

How hard is it understand the difference between these two statements:

1.  Arkansas fans should stop insulting Little Rock and War Memorial Stadium.

2.  Arkansas should continue to play games in Little Rock.

If the drum you've been hearing is number 2, you haven't been listening.

[KennyForAD]

So all those (minority) that slammed the Liberty Bowl and pouted and threw fits didn't dampen the turnout for the Razorbacks.  Interesting.

We have a great fanbase.  But man do we have some idiots!  Everywhere has idiots, but I'll put our bunch up against ANYBODY'S (except Mizzou)

[KennyForAD]

Yeah, they are all dying to play one game in LR, that bus ride done there gets their mind right. Recruiting won't change by not playing in LR at all.

Agreed.  It also won't change Lower Arkansas support for the Hogs.  LR games are dead.  Have been for years.  Time to accept that and move on.

[FreshHog]

More hogs fans at Liberty Bowl than WMS

more hog fans at Verizon Arena than BWA

[FreshHog]

So all those (minority) that slammed the Liberty Bowl and pouted and threw fits didn't dampen the turnout for the Razorbacks.  Interesting.

Just because the bowl sucks doesnt mean our fans dont always turn out in force.

I paid the foundation in full for the price for our family to go to the game to support the program, just didnt want to go to memphis.