Wow, you are REALLY naive. There were not 32k at Boise State for that game. There were a lot of empty seats, ask anyone who watched the game.

But yes, let's now compare the #4 team in the nation in a market with nothing else to do in town and no pro teams to NIU and DeKalb.

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Forward, Together Forward

Go Huskies!!!

Is there a single nationally televised weekday night game this season that has reported fewer people than NIU's game last night?

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Fire Phil Emery

Yes. Single game attendance is a valid way to measure fan support.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I'm sure there is, but i'll let you look it up since i already disproved one of your arguments.

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Forward, Together Forward

Go Huskies!!!

I thought attendance didn't make one a fan. I'm a big NIU fan even though I've never been to a game and PTFB whenever their broadcast is on the radio. I was hoping Notre Dame could get to the Motor City Bowl so NIU could kick the shit out of them in Detroit. Alas, the Irish weren't good enough. In any case, I wasn't going to watch, but I'm still a fan.

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The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

But does not always equal the product on the field.

Cubs fans like to talk about attendance all the time to make up for fielding a bad product.

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Forward, Together Forward

Go Huskies!!!

Wait? What did you disprove, exactly? You started all this by arguing that NIU should be ranked if UCF is ranked. I pointed out that UCF is clearly better. Their schedule has been better. Their losses are better, and more competitive. Their wins are far better. The only feather in your cap is that Temple is rated above Houston. UCF won at Houston, and NIU won at home against Temple. ECU is better than Toledo. Do you want me to go through the entire schedule, one by one?

Speaking of Temple: only 14k were at that game.

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Fire Phil Emery

Actually, now that I look at it, @ Houston is a more impressive win to Sagarin that at home against Temple. Have to take away three points from the opponent for road, add three for home. So looks like you are just completely wrong, not only partially wrong. Sorry, buddy.

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Fire Phil Emery

I'm going to call the JORR rule on this one. Go find this topic and respond there. That's going to be really hard to do since I never said that "attendance didn't make one a fan". I may have said "attending games isn't the only way you can be a fan" or "you can be a big fan and not attend games very often or ever".

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

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The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

Things proven in this thread:

NIU out of conference scheduling is a joke (worse than Florida's, which is a "joke" according to you)

NIU's conference schedule has included zero difficult games (home against Temple is easier than road against Houston, which doesn't count for much according to you)

NIU drew fewer people to their game than maybe any other weeknight national game this season

You're doing yeoman's work, NIU_Huskie. I hope the athletic department isn't paying you for this.

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Fire Phil Emery

That seems like it was taken way out of context. I'll once again call the JORR rule. Respond to that thread if you really feel the need to continue this.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I already did, ace. You may not remember what the fuck you post here, but I certainly do.

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The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

You're funny, i like to see you keep twisting and turning. I know it must be tough to be wrong.

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Forward, Together Forward

Go Huskies!!!

IB is way off on his attendance argument (not surprisingly).

Of all the examples listed, let's compare which one's are more favorable for drawing crowds vs. last night's game:

Thursday night>Tuesday night
Friday night> Tuesday night
Opening Thursday of the entire season in Ames, IA>>>>>>>> Tuesday in November in Dekalb
Florida State in town>>>>>>> Toledo in town
Arizona in town>>>>>>> Toledo in town
Being in the city of Houston>>>>>>>an hour and a half outside of Chiacgo


He states all of these things like they are proving something about last night's attendance. If you would have asked me ahead of time which game is likely to draw bigger crowds, all of these should have been a easy to pick. as for the conference scheduling of home games (Temple) let me know what schools have control of that.

Thanks for coming around kid, we've missed your insanity. Please, tell me why the NFL is the worst sport ever now. And share a good memory of that awesome windsor knot party you threw last year!

Oh yeah, I'm guessing tonight's "National Televised Game" draws a similar crowd too.

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Here's Sagarin's number for Temple: 73.61

Here's Sagarin's number for Houston: 69.44

Add three points for playing on the road. Subtract three for playing at home. This is standard stuff. That gives 70.61 for Temple, and 72.44 for Houston. Sorry for your tiny pink schedule bro.

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Fire Phil Emery

How about 10k more in Murfreesboro on a Tuesday? I notice you conveniently forgot that one. Or 5k more on a Wednesday in Huntington, WV?

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Fire Phil Emery

OMG, Sagarin said it so it must be TRUE!

Oh wait, let me pull something out of my butt.

THE MASSEY RATINGS (all of the rankings compiled into one easy to use source):

#44 Temple > #59 ECU
#62 Toledo > #68 Houston

Oops, i did it again!

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Forward, Together Forward

Go Huskies!!!

http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cf
Massey's power rating has Houston one spot in front of Temple. The ratings you provided are the BCS ratings, which don't take MOV into account and (according to Massey himself) aren't as reliable. Try again, chief.

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Fire Phil Emery

And lest there be any thought I'm doing funny business, I'm just taking the ratings that each creator considers the most predictive. Straight from the horse's mouth.

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Fire Phil Emery

IB, I read what you are posting, but I have no idea what your point(s) is because you jumped around so much.

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And he also has Temple in front of ECU. One of the teams you said was better than any of our's wins.

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Go Huskies!!!

That's because I'm simply trying to refute a number of NIU_Huskie's points, rather than really making any of my own.

I guess if I had a point in all this, it would be that NIU is a decent team this year. They are not all that good, but they aren't bad either. 18k for a weekday night game that will decide your division is pathetic under any circumstances. And you shouldn't cast stones at other programs (Florida, etc.) if you own house is out of order.

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Fire Phil Emery

Hasn't NIU been a "decent team" more often than not in the last 6,7,8+ years?

This arguing about the strength of schedule thing is exhausting - most schedules are made years in advance (decades in some cases). There is no control for anyone over conference scheduling, so why even debate it?
Here's another little angle - what are your thoughts on BCS teams scheduling I-AA schools to beat up on at home?

As far as the attendance, like BR said, it was the 2nd biggest crowd of the year - on a Tuesday in November with an odd starting time. What do you expect? Look at the teams they've played at home - who is the draw that would bring in a bigger crowd? "Name" teams rarely come to Dekalb (yay, Kansas and Navy are supposedly in the future! ). I think Ralph Friedgen and his boys proved a few years back why teams are reluctant to do that. There is nothing in it for them.

The Chicago area isn't exactly "College Football mad". Hell, NW is a hell of a lot closer to the city, plays in a bigger stadium and is a BCS team/conference. They only sell out when Michigan or OSU come to town (until this week, I got it). In fact, on most Saturday's in Evanston, they struggle to pull in over 25,000 if it's not one of those two teams.

How often is the renovated stadium in Champaign sold out if the big name teams aren't in town? That's certainly within a comfortable drive from Chicago. The answer is rarely. So are you throwing stones even though your house isn't "in order"?

Don't act like it's an NIU thing. It's a Chicago area college football thing. It's not a priority for sports fans in this area.

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You may want to rethink this paragraph. NU has gone over 30k every game but one, and that was the terrible FCS game. They also will pull in over 40k for Michigan State and Iowa this year.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Anytime for you? We'll hug it out bitches.

How many of those are the opposing teams fans? 30/40/50%? I saw the NU/MSU game. MSU had a lot of fans there and they were loud.

NIU has to fill up its stadium with its own fans.

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Forward, Together Forward

Go Huskies!!!

I'm talking every year, not just this one. I don't need to rethink it.

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The Michigan State game was homecoming. I'm sure just like NIU, there were significantly more home team fans that made the trip for that. Michigan State doesn't travel that well.

I don't know what the point of this is, but you do realize that average home attendance at a Northwestern game will likely double the average attendance at NIU? Northwestern would also be able to fill your entire stadium even with the worst crowd of the season with almost no visiting fans.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Do they teach a class at NIU called "Hating Northwestern"? You and NIU_Huskie both really seem to love giving it to them.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!