Big-School Valparaiso Lacks Big-School Attendance
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Sports Editor
After Saturday's 58-34 home loss to Warsaw, Valparaiso coach Bob Punter leaned against the locker room wall and spoke in hushed tones.
He softly said things like "Good night" or "Good effort" as basketball players slowly walked by to head home.
You know the saying, walk quietly and carry a big stick?
Saturday, Punter talked quietly but carried a big stick.
Valparaiso has more than 2,100 students. Triton has less than 400.
Guess which school draws more basketball fans to games?
Triton.
One reporter tried to give Saturday evening's Valparaiso University home game and the Purdue/Xavier game on TV as reasons Valparaiso had such a slim crowd for the Warsaw game.
Punter refused to buy it.
"That was some of it, but boy, I'll tell you, Hoosier Hysteria is dying quickly," he said. "I don't know what the paid attendance was here, but it was sad."
One count had 90 people scattered above the railing on Valparaiso's side of the gym.
Warsaw's crowd looked as big as or bigger than Valparaiso's crowd. Warsaw Athletic Director Dave Fulkerson estimated Warsaw had 500-600 fans; Valparaiso had 400.
How empty was the gym? So empty the loudest noise was the squeak of the bleachers as kids ran up and down the steps.
It's not like Valparaiso has no basketball tradition. The school is mired in basketball tradition. Every year Valparaiso has won a sectional championship is printed on borders at each end of the gym.
Valparaiso has won 42 sectional titles from 1916 to 1997.
So if you're Punter, you have a right to be irked.
No one asked Punter on this night if he favored class basketball, but reading between the lines, it appeared he did not.
For instance, he said, Warsaw was ranked. Now the Tigers are not ranked in the Associated Press poll, which is by classes, but they were ranked 14th in last week's coaches poll, which keeps teams lumped together. And he made the earlier comment about Hoosier Hysteria dying.
"We're playing Warsaw, they're ranked and undefeated - no offense, I go more by the coaches poll," he said. "Here's a team that's undefeated. We're undefeated. Both teams are 3-0.
"We drew 400 fans or something. That's kind of sad."
Punter paused. If the imaginary soapbox everyone talks about was there, he stepped down off it.
Instead of 400, his numbers of concern again became 58-34.
"Worrying about how many people are here are the least of our concerns right now," he said. "We have to worry about our offense and get better shots." [[In-content Ad]]
By Jeff Holsinger, Times-Union Sports Editor
After Saturday's 58-34 home loss to Warsaw, Valparaiso coach Bob Punter leaned against the locker room wall and spoke in hushed tones.
He softly said things like "Good night" or "Good effort" as basketball players slowly walked by to head home.
You know the saying, walk quietly and carry a big stick?
Saturday, Punter talked quietly but carried a big stick.
Valparaiso has more than 2,100 students. Triton has less than 400.
Guess which school draws more basketball fans to games?
Triton.
One reporter tried to give Saturday evening's Valparaiso University home game and the Purdue/Xavier game on TV as reasons Valparaiso had such a slim crowd for the Warsaw game.
Punter refused to buy it.
"That was some of it, but boy, I'll tell you, Hoosier Hysteria is dying quickly," he said. "I don't know what the paid attendance was here, but it was sad."
One count had 90 people scattered above the railing on Valparaiso's side of the gym.
Warsaw's crowd looked as big as or bigger than Valparaiso's crowd. Warsaw Athletic Director Dave Fulkerson estimated Warsaw had 500-600 fans; Valparaiso had 400.
How empty was the gym? So empty the loudest noise was the squeak of the bleachers as kids ran up and down the steps.
It's not like Valparaiso has no basketball tradition. The school is mired in basketball tradition. Every year Valparaiso has won a sectional championship is printed on borders at each end of the gym.
Valparaiso has won 42 sectional titles from 1916 to 1997.
So if you're Punter, you have a right to be irked.
No one asked Punter on this night if he favored class basketball, but reading between the lines, it appeared he did not.
For instance, he said, Warsaw was ranked. Now the Tigers are not ranked in the Associated Press poll, which is by classes, but they were ranked 14th in last week's coaches poll, which keeps teams lumped together. And he made the earlier comment about Hoosier Hysteria dying.
"We're playing Warsaw, they're ranked and undefeated - no offense, I go more by the coaches poll," he said. "Here's a team that's undefeated. We're undefeated. Both teams are 3-0.
"We drew 400 fans or something. That's kind of sad."
Punter paused. If the imaginary soapbox everyone talks about was there, he stepped down off it.
Instead of 400, his numbers of concern again became 58-34.
"Worrying about how many people are here are the least of our concerns right now," he said. "We have to worry about our offense and get better shots." [[In-content Ad]]